Bosses at an employment consultancy which opened a café in Rochford say the process has been a “real learning experience” for them.

In August, Katy’s Café Lounge opened on the site of the old Budgens in Roche Close, Rochford, which had been vacant for five years.

It was bought by employment consultants AJ Chamber, which originally planned to use the space to expand its nearby offices.

“We had this extra space that we didn’t need for the main offices and we wanted to keep the community shopping area in the close alive,” Andrew Hilliard said.

“It’s not our trade, we have been learning on the job since we opened it!

“We have slowly been learning along the way, but we have a great community around here and the word is starting to get out.”