A national bakery chain is set to move into a former Patisserie Valerie store after its sudden closure.

The Canterbury branch, located on the corner of the high street and Best Lane, shut permanently earlier this year.

Now, it is being turned into a branch of Bakers + Baristas.

Franchise holder Amer Qayyum, who runs several branches, says more than £350,000 is being spent fitting out and equipping the new cafe, which will feature Bakers and Baristas' signature, contemporary blue colour scheme.

"I know some people might say there are too many cafes in Canterbury already - but we will be the best looking and serving the finest coffee and muffins, all baked fresh in-house, so we are confident of making it a success.

"We hope to open next week and there has already been lots of interest from passers-by as we have been getting the place ready."

Patisserie Valerie shut down in January, with a sign in the shop’s window announcing the closure but not explaining why.

The firm also did not respond to KentOnline’s request for comment.

Though a popular spot for coffee and cake, the cafe faced competition in Canterbury’s city centre from the likes of Cafe St Piere in St Peters Street and the newly opened Cornish Bakery on The Parade.

But that has not deterred Bakers + Baristas from becoming the site’s new occupier.

The firm’s website states: “Bakers + Baristas was founded in 1981 and since day one, the first thing we do every day is turn on the oven and open a fresh pack of coffee beans.

“Once the first batch of fresh muffins and pastries are out of the oven and you can smell the freshly ground coffee beans, we are ready to open the doors.

“Our passion and expertise - and probably those lovely aromas wafting out of the door - means we have grown to 63 Bakers + Baristas stores across the UK and Ireland and amassed a well-thumbed recipe book of more than 400 cakes and muffins, with an ever-changing seasonal offer in all of our stores.”

The chain already has branches at Maidstone’s The Mall, Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre in Gillingham, The Pentagon in Chatham, St George’s Centre in Gravesend and Broadway in Bexleyheath.

Patisserie Valerie’s closure means the nearest branch is in Maidstone. It is the only remaining one in Kent following the closure of the Ashford Designer Outlet store last year.

Patisserie Valerie once had almost 200 stores across the UK, employing around 3,000 staff, but has shut more than 170 branches after collapsing into administration in 2019.