A duo have launched a fightback to revive a fading high street by overhauling a former fine-dining restaurant.

Laura and Raymond Asfour are bucking the trend by revamping Sturry’s former Kathton House amid a mass exodus of traders.

Hostile trading conditions and a footfall shortage have seen the village near Canterbury recently lose its farm shop, a post office, a dentist office and all six of its pubs.

The couple have ploughed tens of thousands of pounds into the former high street site and are busy finishing their new coffee shop vision.

Previously, the Kathton House was at the helm of the fine-dining industry having traded for 12 years – it was once rated Kent’s top spot on Tripadvisor

But the owners closed after 12 years, sparking speculation the space could be turned into flats.

Yet when a developer’s plans to transform the empty site into homes fell flat, local couple Laura and Raymond Asfour sprung into action.

“When we moved here four years ago we found there was really nothing around,” said Mr Asfour, 38.

“So much on the high street has closed down and it has been a dream of Laura’s for a long time to run a coffee shop, so we thought we’d give it a go.”

In December, the couple took out a long-term lease of the former Kathton House property and began a five-figure renovation project.

Although they have no previous experience running such a small independent business, the parents-of-four said they have “plenty of experience moseying around coffee shops”.

“It will be a coffee shop book shop called Chapters,” added Mrs Asfour, 40.

“We’ll have an adult section of books in the front, a coffee bar and a children’s book section in the back.

“It will be a place to meet with people, a nice place to come and have coffee and a slice of cake.”

“We hope it will be the start of more places opening up again in Sturry.”

The former social worker said she was keen for the cafe to become something of a community hub for small groups to gather.

In 2022, Developer David Challinor lodged plans to turn the restaurant into two properties, arguing the repurposing project would “provide two valuable dwellings in the housing market”.

But planning chiefs scrapped the bid following objections that the space would be better used as another amenity for the village, given how the area had been left with so few.

Louise Harvey-Quirke, who was then the local city councillor said at the time: "I know that my constituents are crying out for some kind of coffee shop in the village, somewhere warm where they could socialise.”