I WENT down to Kendal's newest eatery, Bob & Berts, last night for a pre-launch event ahead of it opening to the public today.

I was greeted at the door and invited to try whatever took my fancy from the menu.

It took a lot of conscious mental processing to get used to the lack of social distancing - no longer a necessity after the prime minister ended the majority of lockdown restrictions on Monday. When my order was taken and I was asked to remain standing to wait for my drink as people filed past me, I had to fight the urge to run into the nearest empty space for a breather. In fact, the woman at the till had to give me the instruction to remain where I was three times as I blinked dumbly at her and asked her to repeat herself.

Once I had overcome the necessary mental gymnastics and accepted this new normal - the 2019 way of doing things - I reflected, while sat waiting for my food, on how nice it was to see people completely at ease in an indoor public setting once again. Gone was that layer of tension that was ever present over the last year as people stood apart from each other and businesses ensured they behaved according to the rules. The whole atmosphere felt less rigid, more natural - no doubt helped by the tropical temperature on another glorious evening amid the heatwave we have been experiencing. Despite this, the masks worn by staff members were a timely reminder that we are not out of the woods yet, and may not be for some time.

The drink I had gone for was a mocha ice cream frappé and, for food, I had chosen a 'froggy dog' - a hotdog laden with crispy bacon, French brie and chilli jam. On the side I had fries with garlic sauce on them. I am far from an expert when it comes to dining, and all I could really tell you with honesty is that I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the frappé, essentially a liquefied dessert in a cup, was a welcome indulgence after a long working week. I was full enough at the end of it not to feel regret at my order when a man walked past carrying a tempting-looking layered slice of cake sporting all the colours of the rainbow.

The wall decor inside is unashamedly bright and loud, while the light fittings and wooden tables give it the kind of modern-but-stripped-back feel a lot of newer places seem to have now. It's somewhere between a café and a restaurant - serving cakes and hot drinks but also full hot meals - and this is reflected in its plan to be open all day (until 9pm) every day, including Sundays. In terms of the offering and the diner-esque vibe, I feel it is unique in Kendal - although I am open to being proved wrong here.