Faversham takes its coffee almost as seriously as it takes its beer, and for a town of its size the cafe scene is genuinely strong. There is very little chain presence here; Faversham is well known for having stayed largely free of the big coffee and fast-food multinationals, which means the places you sit down in are overwhelmingly independent, owner-run and full of character. Baristas tend to know their regulars by name, the cake is usually made on site, and the beans are often roasted within Kent. It gives the whole town a personal, unhurried feel that a high street of identical franchises simply cannot match.

The natural hub is the Market Place and the lanes fanning off it. Time your visit for a market day, Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, when stalls fill the square beneath the historic Guildhall and the surrounding cafes hum with traders and shoppers; a window seat with a flat white and a slice of something is one of the small pleasures of the town. Spots such as Fays Place have built a loyal following precisely because they are busiest when the market is on, while specialist independents like The Refinery focus on properly sourced coffee, loose-leaf teas and a counter of cakes, tray bakes and pastries using Kentish produce.

Preston Street, the long run of independents that forms the retail spine of the town, is where a lot of the day-to-day cafe life happens. Tucked just off it, the Yard Cafe has become something of a local institution, mixing seasonal food with displays by local artists and an events calendar that can run to live music and poetry. Elsewhere along the street you will find long-established rooms like Cosgroves, trading for two decades inside a building said to be more than five hundred years old, the kind of low-beamed, characterful interior that you only get in a town this old. For something more eclectic, Jittermugs combines barista coffee with wine and tapas, blurring the line between daytime cafe and evening bolthole.

Breakfast and brunch are well covered too. Independent kitchens such as the Moonlight Cafe pair a serious espresso programme with proper cooked breakfasts and lunches, and you will find plenty of places happy to do a leisurely weekend fry-up or a lighter plate of eggs and good bread. Because Faversham is a real food town, the quality of the supporting cast, the sourdough, the local sausages, the Kentish jams, tends to be a cut above.

Don't overlook the edges of town, either. A walk out along Faversham Creek to Standard Quay rewards you with a creekside cafe among the antique warehouses and moored barges, a lovely place to thaw out after a blowy waterside stroll. And on the road out towards the station, the Macknade food hall has a cafe at the centre of its deli, butchery and produce shelves, ideal if you want your coffee with a side of shopping.

What ties it all together is independence. There is no single house style here, no template; each cafe reflects whoever runs it, which is exactly why locals are so loyal to their particular favourite. Whether you want a quick market-morning caffeine hit, a long brunch, a quiet corner with a book or a creekside cuppa with a view of the boats, the listings below will help you find the Faversham cafe that suits your morning.