15 The Broadway, Amersham HP7 0HL
​https://www.thegrocershops.co.uk/the-grocer-at-15

Old Amersham is an everything you expect of an historic market town. With Tudor beams everywhere, architecture dating back to the 13th century, cobble stone pavements and British flag bunting all over the place. To some it may seem quaint, others disconcerting, but either way it offers the sort of environment where you’d think you could find a good cup of coffee thanks to its upper-middle class ambience that seeps into everything.

Surely enough, the grocer at 15 is a brunch spot of seasonal ingredients and homemade cakes that also serves up a fudge filled coffee (not literally) from ozone. It crackles on the tongue nicely with its sweetness, complemented by a slice of lemon drizzle or likewise as it washes down sweet with sweet and smooth. 

It’s a characterful shop with a big bay window and a healthy amount of old world charm but I have to skip out with my coffee to make sure I can get it back to the office in time. Perhaps another time I can truly uncover the full offering of the place.

Progress Bakery, 14 Chenies Parade, Chalfont Station Rd, Little Chalfont, Amersham HP7 9PH
Italian coffee is often darker, stronger and smokier than what I would seek out but that doesn’t mean I avoid it altogether. The West end of Amersham and Little Chalfont village aren’t exactly flooded with great coffee shops, certainly not within working distance of my office, and so I turn to Filipettos as a saviour of my afternoon coffee.

An eclectically cluttered delicatessen it’s filled to the gills with pastries and panettone, canoli and gelato but a short, sharp coffee is what I get, surprisingly with oat milk available too.

It’s a curt, simple coffee that serves up delight in its practical, industrious ability to wake me up and it’s great to find somewhere serving something prodigiously better than the Costa next door.

4 Rillaton Walk, Milton Keynes MK9 2FZ​

Milton Keynes is a land of contradictions. It seems to garner strong opinions, often much maligned for its post-war planning that has led to a lack of organic evolution in its design, and a grid system with constant intervals of roundabouts and traffic lights, it also provides a wealth of things to do for its residents. With green spaces, shopping centres, entertainment, plenty of restaurants, and even tiny robots on wheels that deliver groceries, it’s got all you could need…but does it have good coffee?

This crossed my mind as I did my initial research into the area. It’s not a place known for its vibrant cafe scene but then people are often too busy giving its stolen football team and weird concrete cows stick to scratch the surface too much and look at what lies beneath.

All of my top-level investigations kept pointing me back to Bogotá Coffee Co., and this had my suspicions up. Was it recommending me a specialty coffee shop just because it was named after the Colombian capital, a clever ploy to lure in those not accustomed to high end coffee? It all felt very 2010s, high-street-caff-trying-to-peddle-bad-coffee-as-good vibes but I was completely aware I was bringing my own prejudices to the door. Reviews looked positive and I didn’t want to dismiss it just on a name so I bit the bullet and decided it was a good meeting place for my friends and I.

A chic, urbane exterior gives way to neon lights and wooden stools that hold a cosier atmosphere surrounded by books and eclectic design that has a tongue in cheek nod to the home of coffee. I’m reassured to see signs for Rave Coffee, a roaster that  is known for sourcing great coffee and giving back to environmental causes too.

Now more relaxed, I happily order a rich, caramel-y oat latte with a sweet, nutty finish and stare at the walls which have posters of Colombia and nod to the country throughout such as the cult-icon of many football fans, Rene Higuita - an outlandish goalkeeper known for his bountiful, curly hair and infamous for his scorpion kick when he was in a team that played England. 

There’s a small array of sandwiches and snacks to choose from but I happily sip my coffee, just glad I’ve found somewhere worth visiting, and that I’d gladly use as a point of reference again. In amongst the centre of things, this small shop holds its own surrounded by chain restaurants and supermarkets, with decent speciality coffee and a cool and quirky vibe. It just goes to show, don’t be quick to judge and you may uncover some hidden gems.