An independent coffee shop that was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic has been named the best in its postcode.

Cornwall Place Kitchen in Buckingham was founded by Sarah King and George Spites in November 2020, and designed as an ambitious dual cafe and events space predominantly sourcing from local suppliers. 

Although the pair's endeavour had been 'a leap of faith' during an incredibly difficult time across the hospitality industry, their determination has paid off - as evidenced in the coffee shop taking home the 'Best Coffee Business Cafe' award at the Milton Keynes Food and Leisure Awards last weekend.

The awards annually highlight the best local businesses across the Milton Keynes postcode and are based on two rounds, initially of customer nominations before judges choose the winners from a curated shortlist.

Judges from the Wooden Hill Coffee Company praised Cornwall Place Kitchen for "setting itself apart in its attentive and confident approach to coffee, its excellent food and its commitment to a myriad of hospitality experiences".

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The cafe also won the top spot as a result of "the cultural texture it adds to the local landscape", with its internal event space hosting everything from fine dining evenings to arts and crafts nights.

Sarah said: "We are delighted to win, especially as we celebrated our third birthday this week.

"Winning is not only for us, but for Buckingham as a whole, as we mostly use independent suppliers from the local area."

She added: "When we first opened our doors, it was something of a leap of faith - especially during repeated lockdowns over the pandemic.

"However, our customers were brilliant from day one and have stuck with us ever since. Without them, we wouldn't be here today."