IN the village car park behind the High Street in Coedpoeth, the council had slapped a notice on a caravan left by its owners.

But inside Caffi Hazel, there was no chance of me feeling abandoned, even in the middle of the lunchtime rush hour.

There is nothing like stumbling across a good old fashioned cafe serving great food.

And the good folk of Coedpoeth appear to know they are onto a good thing as the tables here fill up very quickly. Customers are known to phone in beforehand to reserve a table.

After being told I might have to wait for half an hour for a pew, staff proved most accommodating and I was invited to join a regular at her table.

Do not be deceived by the unassuming frontage of Caffi Hazel – inside it is a warm and friendly local cafe, where homemade food and chat are the key ingredients.

A varied menu includes home-made quarter pounders, sausage and mash and Welsh rarebit.

The specials board on the day I visited had a school dinner feel to it, featuring liver, bacon and onions with mash/chips on offer.

I opted for the homemade chilli con carne, which was served with a large and fluffy portion of basmati rice, as well as salad and coleslaw.

It was cooked to order, so I had perhaps a 15-minute wait to tuck in.

To be fair there is a notice warning customers their food can take time cooking at peak periods with options to choose some of the quicker snacks, baguettes and toasties on the menu.

But when it arrived, the chilli was worth the wait - the beef was tender and succulent and the sauce was far from runny.

Washing it all down with a tasty hot chocolate topped with cream and marshmallows, my eyes landed on the displays of homemade cake on the cafe’s front counter.

A strawberry gateaux, chocolate cake and Victoria sponge looked appetising, but despite my tightening belt I was tempted by the lime and lemon cake, whose icing glistened green and which was served with a jug of cream.

I tucked into what was an exquisitely-made treat and my delight was confirmed by one of the regulars who admitted to his cake addiction at Caffi Hazel.

All in all if it is simple food made with local produce and served in a friendly atmosphere by a hard-working family business you’re looking for, then Caffi Hazel is well worth a visit.

You can even pop in for your breakfast from eight in the morning.

And while seating space might be a tad limited, there is always extra accommodation to be had if that caravan remains unclaimed around the back!

Caffi Hazel, Village Cafe and Tea Rooms, High Street, Coedpoeth. Tel: 01978 755703

Ambience: 9/10

Service: 6/10

Food quality: 8/10

Children welcome: Yes

Disabled access: Yes