A POPULAR Kendal Cafe has reflected on its journey through the pandemic to become one of the area’s most enjoyable and relaxing places.

Brew Brothers, located on Highgate in Kendal, has been owned and operated for the last two and a half years by Brad Muir.

The cafe is known for its relaxing atmosphere and good service, but like many other businesses it was hit with difficulties by the pandemic,

Brad said: "It's been an interesting two and a half years.

"At one stage we were not so good because once we had just opened, we had to close due to Covid.

"But we kept our head above water throughout as we managed to do a lot during the lockdown.

"We did a lot of takeaways so we could keep serving the public, but it was still a tough time for the area.

"It's strange becoming the new owner and then being stuck in the thick of Covid within six months.

"Getting back to normal was a breath of fresh air.

"We had an amazing summer and we were busy right up until December.

"We had been very busy since the midterm break as well.

"I am expecting a busy next few months, especially as summer comes through.

"I don't think people will be visiting Europe much this year, so I think we'll see a lot more staycations going on this year.

"There are more people visiting the Lakes then ever so we want to be there for them.

"I was born in South Africa and I've been here for five years now.

"I have had a long history in hospitality, management and hotel school.

"I was a partner in a restaurant business a few years ago so I've always been closely tied to this type of business.

"My background also includes about twenty years working with a travel agency before coming over the England.

"I've got a lot of experience and I've always been close to the hospitality industry.

"I've worked in hotels and other hospitality businesses.

"I work closely with it, and closely with travel. It's always been my forte.

"This place has had a good reputation in the area.

"The approach we go with this is 'if it’s not broken, don't fix it'.

"You want to put your own spin on things, and we did do some cosmetic changes ourselves.

"We tweaked a few things on the menu as it was a little different when we first arrived here.

"At its core it is a bistro cafe and we've improved the food a lot over the last few years.

"Simple food that's made well. It's what people want.

"We have an amazing team around us, and they are at the core of everything we do.

"They have built our good reputation and it's because of the care they put in that makes the cafe so attractive."