STAFF at a cafe in Cockermouth are celebrating after winning the News & Star’s Best Cafe Award.

VeeVa!, on Station Street, scooped the award after its customers voted it a firm favourite.

The cafe, owned by Mitchells, is now in its eighth year of business and attracts a range of customers - young and old.

It sells a range of food and drink.

Gareth Loryman-Williams, 35, has managed the cafe since it opened.

He said: “We are delighted to win this award.

“I think what makes the cafe so good is the high standard of product that we offer.

“We have a great team of staff and a dedicated baker on site to make cakes and that works really well as they always sell out.

“The team work really well together and because they’re so good the service is good and the products we sell are good. We make sure the consistency is there in everything that we do.

The cafe, opposite Sainsbury’s, employs 12 people and is open seven days a week.

Mr Loryman-Williams said: “We’re open all day and available for private hire too like baby showers and birthdays.

“We start the day with our breakfast menu which we serve until 11.30am and then we move onto our all day menu. “We are not just your basic coffee shop. We are unique in many ways.”

“We get a lot of compliments for the coffee we serve.

“We also have a wide customer base. We get the mums and babies and children after school and the teenagers from Cockermouth School.”

Mr Loryman-Williams said the cafe is always busy. He thanked all the customers who took the time to vote.

He said: “The fact that they filled in the slips and sent them off means a lot.

“The staff have been buzzing ever since we were told the news.”

The cafe was presented with a certificate announcing it as the winner of the News & Star’s Best Cafe 2019 this week.