Tullie museum and art gallery has confirmed some big news ahead of its reopening this summer. 

The historical Carlisle venue has been closed since December as it undergoes a significant redevelopment process that is expected to be completed by the summer. 

Before its closure, in September last year, Tullie confirmed that John Watt and Son, who had run the cafe since 2019, were to cease trading on the premises. 

Hairy Collie Coffee Baa then took over for a short period before the museum and art gallery was closed to the public. 

However, Tullie has now confirmed, that for the first time in its history, that the cafe operation will be run in-house. 

In a statement on its website, Tullie wrote: "Our café, which was previously run by an external operator, has been closed since October. Since then, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to develop plans for a new offer

"The café will be opening along with the rest of the site in summer 2024.

"We are very excited that we will be bringing the operation in house. This is the first time in our history that we’ve run our catering in this way. It will mean we can be really flexible in what we offer for corporate hires, special events, weddings, and, of course, our day to day café and takeaway offer

"We are working with Sandra Reid (Fare Consulting) to help make our vision a reality. Sandra has a wealth of amazing experience in the cultural sector, including: Inverness Castle, V&A Dundee, Bute Yard, Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

"The Creative Core have been appointed as the designers for the space – they’ll be working to transform the whole café in a way that’s sympathetic to its history, with nods to its former life as reading room when Tullie housed Carlisle’s library. We can’t wait to share visuals with you soon.

"We will absolutely ensure this is a welcoming space for everyone.

"The previous café benefits were understandably very popular with members. Rest assured, we’re going to make sure the next offer is just as enticing."