THERE’S plenty to tempt the tastebuds at a new cafe which has officially opened in Hartlepool Art Gallery in Church Square.

The Vestry to reflect the gallery’s former use as a church, the Fair Trade cafe provides teas and a selection of coffees plus a delicious range of food, freshly-made on the premises.

This includes scones, cakes and cookies plus light lunches and afternoon teas featuring salads, a selection of sandwich fillings served in a variety of breads, homemade soups, jacket potatoes with a range of fillings, plus vegetarian and vegan options. A take-away service is also available.

The cafe is run and staffed by the talented students of the town’s Catcote Academy.

Alan Chapman, Catcote Academy Head Teacher, said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity by Hartlepool Council to provide a quality catering service for visitors to the gallery.

“It gives our older students an opportunity to demonstrate their excellent culinary skills and enables them to build their experience in a real working environment, which is one of the Academy’s key aims.

“I have no doubt that customers will be impressed by the quality of our food and our friendly service.”

Hartlepool Council Leader Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher added: “We are very excited to welcome this new cafe to the gallery and will do everything we can to help Catcote Academy make it a success.

“This is an opportunity for gallery visitors to enjoy great food and great art in a lovely setting and to support an excellent social enterprise – what better environment could there be in which to nurture our young people’s skills and development.”

The cafe is open 10am to 4pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. Hartlepool Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am to 5pm and entry is free.