AS part of The Princess Theatre and Arts Centre’s new vision and ahead of its long-awaited re-opening this summer, Burnham and Highbridge Town Council has announced that the lease for the venue’s café and bar has been awarded to Hellend's Kitchen catering company.

Based in Burnham-on-Sea, Hellend’s Kitchen is run by Carol and Paul Hellend, who set the company up in 2019.

Carol said: "The ambition for the café and bar is to provide a family friendly atmosphere with good honest food and drink to cater for all tastes and audiences."

The company now has the opportunity to re-work the existing bar and café menu to maximise the experience for visitors to the popular landmark.

Cllr Louise Parkin said: "This is a really exciting opportunity to provide the catering at a high-profile visitor attraction and we are very proud to have Carol and Paul on board."

The venue welcomes more than 7,000 ticket holders annually and with the introduction of more creative activities at The Princess it is hoped that this partnership will see the venue cater for a broad audience from across the area.

Carol added: "Hellend’s Kitchen aims to ensure that the fantastic food and drink on offer will not only be family and price friendly, but matches the diverse range of customers that make up the users of The Princess.

“We make meals from scratch, so we are flexible enough to cater for many lifestyle and dietary requirements eg vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free."

During performances, theatre goers will also be able to enjoy a high standard of bar service from the venue’s ever-popular event bar.

The leasing of the café and bar is part of the bold new vision and strategy from the town council for The Princess, which includes plans for the Friends of the Princess to become a charitable incorporated organisation, alongside the venue’s current refurbishment and a fantastic programme of new events including classic cinema nights coming to The Princess in the latter half of 2021.