Castle Beach Cafe's new owner has spoken about the "lovely" welcome the town has given her in her first week of trade.

Fiona Crump took over the cafe from Janet and Johnathan Fine. Her first act in charge of the popular coffee shop was to extend the opening hours so that it stays open seven days a week between 10am and 5pm.

Speaking to the Packet today on a rainy Friday (June 7), Fiona said: "People seem to like the fact that I'm open longer hours. Even today in this pouring rain I have had people come past just glad to find somewhere open."

"The welcome's been really lovely, people have been very kind and very interested, very happy to tell me what they think about the cafe and what they would like it to be. That's been really nice."

Whilst she appreciates the popularity of the cafe and wants to keep in place the things that make it great, Fiona also wants to eventually introduce her own twist on what it offers.

She said: "My plan is not to take away anything that was already happening, we're keeping the same great coffee, the same lovely Callestick ice cream. But I'm planning on having a few homemade things like homemade soup."

Originally from Cheshire, Fiona moved to Cornwall two decades ago. She is no newcomer to the industry as she used to run the Bun Scuffle Cafe in St Agnes.

Fiona appreciates that the cafe is well-loved locally and wants to retain its character whilst introducing new elements.

She said: "I'm generally taking it quite gradually. I think it's really good to get to know people who come here and get to know the beach and the type of people who come here and not throw the baby out with the bathwater."