ONE of Corbridge’s most familiar high street stores has been brought back into the heart of the community with a bright new look.

The Corbridge Larder has been taken over by Jen and Bob Horton.

And determined to re-instate the much-loved delicatessen as a destination for the region’s food connoisseurs, they have packed the shelves with quality local produce.

Inspired by her passion for food, Jen walked away from her accountancy job when the larder came up for sale.

She said: “I’ve always had an interest in food, especially looking for unusual ingredients and food that’s good for you. I love cooking and my mum had a tea shop when I was a teenager.

“I also really wanted a change of life; I wanted to be my own boss. So when this came up it was a great opportunity to bring the Corbridge Larder back to its heyday.”

The couple took the keys to the larder in August and closed up shop for just a week as they re-vamped it. A full kitchen was installed in the newly renovated cafe upstairs, which offers locally sourced treats and a wide range of exotic teas.

Bob said: “We had to strip the place out and start again. I don’t think we realised just how much work would be involved.”

Downstairs the delicatessen is a treasure trove of local goodies and international flavours. From Northumbrian beer and cheese to honey taken from hives a few miles down the road, Bob and Jen are keen to champion local sellers.

And for the festive season the store is selling Christmas cake kits.

This year the store has an Alice in Wonderland Christmas theme, with playing cards hidden about the shop and a sweet treat in store for children who find them.

Upstairs in the cafe, chef Marie Harkness and her trainee Kevin Clark are whipping up a mouthwatering menu featuring local meat, cheese and sourdough bread.

The Larder is currently trialling an evening menu, created by their chef team, which they hope to extend in the future.

As well as Marie and Kevin, two new employees have been taken on in the cafe taking the staff numbers up to nine.