Numerous residents in Chesham have said that this café ‘is one of the best’ in the area, but for what reason?

We ventured into the town’s High Street on September 19 to ask those based in the area if they eat out in Chesham, or if they prefer to go into nearby villages.

This is based on data from the Scores on the Doors website, which shows that 16 eateries in the town have a food hygiene rating of three or below.

The highest an establishment can get is five, with the lowest being a zero.

However, whilst some residents admitted that they ‘prefer’ to visit areas such as Amersham and the Chalfonts for dinner, many suggested one café in Chesham that they described as ‘one of the best’.

One charity shop worker said: “Poppins is the only place I go to in Chesham – the food is very good and the people there are lovely.”

Another added: “I don’t really eat in Chesham but when I do, I tend to go into Poppins.

“It’s very nice, the people there are kind and the food is always good.

“It’s your ‘old fashioned’ café and I like it.

"It's one of the best."

One resident, who works in one of the independent shops along the High Street, added: “Poppins is a brilliant family restaurant to go to, and it’s one of my favourites.

“When it comes to eating out, I’ll always want to support my local town.

“This is the town that I live in and I want my town to thrive, so I will do what I can to support it.”

Despite Poppins being a national chain with 34 outlets across England, its Chesham branch has gained a reputation as one of the ‘go-to places’ in the town.

On Google, the establishment has gained a score of 4.5/5 from 320 Google Reviews, and on TripAdvisor, it has a rating of 4.5/5 from 67 testimonials.

When we asked manager Mustapha Akar, who has worked at the café for 10 years, about the praise Poppins has received, he told the Free Press: “I think it’s because we’re reasonable and of our quality.

Mustapha (right) and his son, Erman (left) at the café in Chesham Mustapha (right) and his son, Erman (left) at the café in Chesham (Image: NQ)

“The prices are reasonable and the service is also very good.”

When asked about how the praise makes him feel, he added: “It keeps you on your toes as you know that you can’t do down [in quality].

“Chesham is a small town, so if something goes wrong, everyone will know.

“We have lots of customers and it’s good to see so many people come back, and if you haven’t been here, please give us a try.”