SME News UK Enterprise Awards 2025/ 42 Village Café & Coffee Shop of the Year 2025 – Cheshire & Local Produce Excellence Award 2025 Bunbury is a picturesque village in Cheshire, England that is steeped in rich history. Offering an idyllic backdrop of quaint old cottages, narrow winding lanes, and an authentic glimpse of rural life in Cheshire. When visiting this delightful destination, visitors are urged to visit Tilly’s Bunbury, an independent, incredibly friendly café bar nestled in the centre of Bunbury. We took a closer look at the café below, as it features in the UK Enterprise Awards 2025. Tilly’s is a coffee and café bar proudly catering to the local community of beautiful Bunbury, Tarporley. The Tarporley café was initially established in 2010 but fell into the expert hands of husband and wife team Paula and Andy Robinson in August 2024. Under new ownership, Tilly’s underwent a significant transformation that saw a sympathetic refurbishment, extended opening hours, and the enhancement of its line of delicious dishes. Since taking over the café, the duo have remained dedicated to establishing Tilly’s as an integral part of the local community, an endeavour that has proven to be significantly successful. Offering freshly made food, Tilly’s boasts an extensive menu that cater to a wide range of tastes, including specialty coffee and teas; breakfast and brunch, from a classic Full English Breakfast to a lighter avocado toast; lunch, including a selection of fresh sandwiches, filling jacket potatoes, and homemade soups; afternoon teas with homemade cakes; and pizza evenings that feature fabulous hand-stretched, fermented sourdough pizza bases topped with an array of fresh ingredients. Across its menus, Tilly’s strives to use local suppliers wherever possible, such as Westwood Ales and Three Wrens Gin, and has formed partnerships with Peckforton Farm Milk, Good Cheese Company, Cheshire Ice Cream Farm, and Lost Barn Coffee Roasters. In further support of its local community, the esteemed café in Tarporley also holds regular events that allow local artists to share their skills and talent through workshops. These initiatives have enabled Tilly’s to seamlessly integrate into its community, providing ongoing support and building long-lasting relationships steeped in trust and mutual respect. Ultimately, Tilly’s strives to provide each guest with a friendly and cosy environment, exceptional coffee, and homecooked food made to order. It introduces new recipes and homemade specials each month to ensure that its offerings remain diverse, though it does not adapt to emerging market trends and fads; Tilly’s is an authentic and original establishment that has achieved its success through quality food and service. Exceptional service is guaranteed through the ongoing in-house training of its team, alongside barista training for those serving coffee. Regardless of age or gender, each candidate hired is intended to build upon the team’s growth in full support of their colleagues. Tilly’s operates with a flat-level team environment, in which everyone’s views are welcome to enhance the overall efficiencies, enabling Tilly’s to offer exemplary services. In just under a year, Paula and Andy have successfully positioned Tilly’s as a pillar of Bunbury’s community. Through top-tier service, delectable dishes made with fresh and local produce, and the unwavering support of local creators, Tilly’s has truly made a mark on its client base, as evidenced by the reviews submitted by a myriad of returning guests. Hollie reported: “Tilly’s at Bunbury is such an amazing place! The staff were absolutely amazing – they were so lovely and really made us feel at home. There is such a beautiful ambiance to this place, and we could’ve stayed there chatting forever. The food was incredible. The server explained that they source everything locally, and it was all very authentic. The atmosphere was electric, the staff ever-so-lovely, and the food was so reasonably priced. Well done, Tilly’s; we’ll be back again shortly!” While NDS said: “Tilly’s has been a favourite of villagers for many years. In the hands of the new owners, the tradition continues. Changes to the décor have been executed very well, and the excellent coffee and food Tilly’s is renowned for continues. The perfect place for coffee and a catch up, breakfast or lunch. Evening pizzas on Thursday and Friday are great too. Tilly’s is in a safe pair of hands with its new owners and comes highly recommended.” Finally, Anita wrote: “Tilly’s is a fabulous local Tarporley café serving great value and tasty food in a nice atmosphere. It is easy to reserve a table for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, pizza, music nights, and special events. We receive service with a smile and friendly chat from the staff – you never feel hurried out of your seat when you have arranged to meet friends for a coffee or meal. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful community meeting place on our doorstep!” Contact: Paula Robinson Company: Tilly’s Bunbury Web Address: www.tillysbunbury.co.uk Tilly’s Bunbury
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