A CAFE and eco-friendly retail store has reopened its doors with a new look after a major refurbishment.
The Open House Deli, in Middle Brook Street, has recently completed the stylish renovation of the former Post Office building.
It has also seen Bespoke Biking, who they once shared the building with, move next door.
The independent business has been run by Rebecca Smith since it opened in 2019, after initially starting on a market stall.
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She said: "I'm so proud of the upgrade, I started on a market store four years ago on Winchester High Street, so to get to a place where I have a space like this, by myself makes me feel so proud.
"I have a corporate background, but I've always been involved with food, and I just decided that there was such a gap in the market in Winchester for somewhere that is quick and on the go, yet everything is still home made from scratch.
"We make absolutely everything in our kitchen. The only thing we don't make in-store is the croissants.
"We don't shop buy jars or anything. We're all about making things fresh, which means our supply chain is small and we deal directly with farmers. A lot of shops and cafes are sandwich based, but I wanted to do something different. I wanted something fresh and healthy."
Rebecca, 33, from Winchester, started making and selling food on a market stall on the High Street in 2018 and is proud her customers have followed her journey.
She said: "Our customers have been with us since the market stall, so they have been with me on this journey and they invest in that. The space is the biggest thing, because in Winchester there are a lot of mums and babies, and now it's easy for them to get around. And that's why I named it 'Open House', because it's an open house and everyone is welcome."
The renovation took five weeks, with work starting February 23, ready for doors to open on March 31.
Rebecca said: "I have invested quite a lot into this, but because of the demand, I'm very confident that it's worth the investment. I have also had a lot of support from the council. The Brooks is part of a new development, so they're wanting to bring new life into this area of Winchester, so they have been amazing with supporting me.
"This is somewhere everybody is welcome. We're based on scratch-made cooking and seasonal produce made fresh everyday and we focus on sustainability and being eco-friendly.
"We have a retail store at the back of the deli, where everything has been consciously chosen from independent suppliers.
"We just want to be a place that supports for good. People know they can come in here and everything has been thought about from the suppliers, producers and how we make it. We have so little waste and all of those things contribute to why people love coming here."
The cafe is open 8.30am until 4pm, seven days a week. For more go to openhousedeli.co.uk/
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