A NEW café will be opening on Tadcaster Road on Monday - with a former head chef at the helm.

Katherine Lowes spent several years as head chef at The Botanist in Manchester, and has also cheffed at Jamie's Italian in Manchester and her native York.

Brought up in Heworth and Huntington, the 26-year-old was back home in York on furlough - and decided she'd like to have a go at running her own café.

Café at no 12, which opens on Monday on the site of a previous café, will serve homemade quiche and scotch eggs, build-your-own salad boxes, artisan sandwiches such as pesto and mozzarella or chilli jam made on sourdough bread from the Bluebird Bakery - and a range of homemade cakes.

"We'll use high quality ingredients all sourced locally, with daily and seasonally changing items on our counter, so everyday is different!" Katherine said.

She'll also have coffee from Darkwoods in Huddersfield. "It's delicious!" Katherine said.

Initially,only the cafe's sunny courtyard looking out across Tadcaster Road will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am-4pm. Once lockdown eases further, she will be opening up the inside of the café and extending the menu to include brunches. She also hopes eventually to use the café for evening workshops and art events.

Coming to York is all about returning home for Katherine. Her sister Hannah is a pastry chef at Little Arras in Goodramgate, her mum a local nurse, her dad a York builder.

Café at no 12 will be her first time striking out in business on her own. But she says she's already had lots of positive comments from people walking past - and can't wait for Monday. "I'm a little bit nervous - but very excited!" she said.

Follow Café at no 12 on Instagram: @cafeatno.12