A café and bistro situated in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral is gaining a reputation for its friendly welcome and home-cooked fare under its new proprietor.

The Comfy Pew in College Green is a Grade 1 listed building believed to date back to the 14th Century.

Earlier this year, Trish Randolph took a punt and took on the historic building, completing a refurbishment and redecoration, replacing the 45-year-old carpet with modern vinyl and replacing some of the equipment. The new-look Comfy Pew opened in May.

Trish said: "The restaurant itself is very quaint and cosy with original pews creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. There are also original beams and nothing is square! It is quirky and unusual and the history drew me to it.

The Comfy Pew offers breakfast, lunches, afternoon teas, drinks (including alcohol) and Sunday roasts. It is open evenings only for bookings, including steak meals or cheese & charcuterie boards.

Trish added: "We have become well known for our cooked breakfasts and we are really excited that we now have many regular customers. We offer home cooked meals such as cottage pie and we make all our own cakes. We use a local butcher and try to support local businesses.

"I have bookings coming in for the whole restaurant. Coming up I have a gender reveal party and a surprise 70th birthday. I'm currently taking bookings for Christmas parties, offering a three-course meal."

Trish said the thing that attracted her to The Comfy Pew was its age and location.

"We are lucky to have many customers who are visiting the Cathedral," she added. "The fact that I only work with friends and family makes us a relaxed and very friendly place. Tripadvisor and Google reviews show this, along with Facebook comments.

"Since opening we have definitely made an impression as we have now a lot of return customers."

As for the future, Trish is hoping to develop the evening trade to opening three nights every week, as well as various special events.

"I had a gin tasting event which went very well, working with Gloucester Brewery, and have a sausage and cider evening coming up. I will be doing more evenings like this.

"I also have bingo afternoons with a lovely group of 10 ladies who come every week. My idea was to encourage people to get out of the house for an hour and make friends. It's great fun and I have silly prizes."

Trish added: "We are only a stone's throw from Gloucester Cathedral and running this place is a dream come true."

For more information, see The Comfy Pew