An ambitious husband-and-wife team have invested thousands of pounds in a new venture in the centre of Gloucester.

Mark and Sam Cooke have today officially opened Cookes Café on Westgate Street, just around the corner from Gloucester Cathedral.

Their new premises was previously the home of the C&W African Experience, which closed in January.

Mark and Sam have opened the new café on Westgate Street, in which they have invested £25,000, after the business outgrew its former home on Southgate Street.

Before that, they ran a café in Stroud.

"We have been building up the business over the past three years," said Mark, who bakes his own cakes for sale in the café.

"We enjoyed our time on Southgate Street, but the place became too small for the number of customers we were attracting.

"There, we had room for 16 covers, whereas we have room for 40 on Westgate Street. We're massive fans of Gloucester - we absolutely love it."

Picture: Sam and Mark Cooke outside their new premises in Gloucester