Tilly's Bunbury: the village café that puts community first

Every village needs somewhere to gather, and in Bunbury that place is increasingly Tilly's. Since local residents Paula and Andy Robinson took over the café in August 2024, they have set out to create something more than a coffee stop: a welcoming space where people can meet, connect and feel part of village life.

It is an ambition that has quickly translated into recognition. In 2026 Tilly's picked up two titles in the SME News UK Enterprise Awards, named Village Café and Coffee Shop of the Year (Cheshire) and winning the Community-Focused Café Experience Excellence Award. The café has also been named a finalist in the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards, a notable achievement for a village business.

What sets Tilly's apart is the breadth of what happens beyond the counter. The café has become a hub for business networking events, local artist showcases, live music evenings, charity initiatives and cycling group meet-ups, bringing together residents, visitors and cycling groups exploring this corner of rural Cheshire.

Perhaps its most heartfelt initiative is the Chatty Table. In 2025 Tilly's joined the Chatty Café Scheme, a national initiative that helps tackle loneliness by encouraging people to simply sit down and talk. The café's Chatty Table sessions take place every Thursday from 8.30am to 10.30am, offering anyone who fancies some company a seat and a conversation, whether they are new to the area, living alone or simply in the mood for a natter.

The scheme has strong evidence behind it: research by Coventry University found that every person who used a Chatter and Natter table felt less lonely and isolated, and 97 per cent of participating venues said the tables encouraged community spirit.

It is the kind of initiative that costs little but can mean a great deal. In a rural community, where it is not always easy to bump into neighbours, a regular, informal space to chat can make a real difference to someone's week, and it fits neatly with the café's wider ethos of bringing people together.

For Paula and Andy, the awards are a welcome bonus, but the real measure of success is in the everyday: familiar faces at the tables, new friendships formed over a flat white and a café that feels woven into the fabric of the village.

Tilly's is in the village of Bunbury, near Tarporley. Find opening times and upcoming events at tillysbunbury.co.uk.