A high street is bouncing back from the gloom of the pandemic – welcoming five new brands and the return of another.

Shops and cafes due to launch in Whitefriars in Canterbury include upmarket ‘lifestyle’ outlet Oliver Bonas, while a new restaurant is opening its doors elsewhere in the city centre.

The retailer is taking over the former Topshop site, which has stood empty for more than two years.

Centre bosses believe it is a sign of confidence in the city’s retail reputation, with higher-than-average occupancy rates following the pandemic and amid tough economic conditions.

Another long-vacant site is also to welcome two new businesses. A jewellers and cafe are expected to set up in the former Beaverbrooks jewellers, on the corner of Whitefriars Street and St George’s Street, which has been unoccupied for four years.

Also returning to Canterbury after closing its shop in Longmarket in 2020 is men’s outfitters Moss Bros, which is taking a unit in Whitefriars set to be vacated by White Stuff on Saturday.

The Canterbury Bakery is also set to move into the former Copperfields high end menswear store in Marlowe Arcade.

Elsewhere in the city, a Vietnamese street food chain called Pho, is opening its first restaurant in Kent next Tuesday, taking over the former 7Bone in Burgate, following the burger joint’s abrupt closure.

The resurgence of retail in Canterbury, especially in Whitefriars, will be particularly welcomed by the city council, which controversially bought the shopping centre for £154 million seven years ago but suffered a £375,000 hit in lost rents due to empty units in the last financial year.

But centre manager Mark Stuart says the interest in Whitefriars from retailers is strong and the new ‘signings’ show there is confidence in Canterbury from businesses.

He particularly welcomed the arrival of Oliver Bonas, which sells fashion, furniture, homeware, jewellery and accessories and has more than 80 stores, many in London.

It is taking the ground floor of the old Topshop store while the city council is due to move its offices into the first floor.

“We’ve been keen on Oliver Bonas coming here for some time because we think they are a really good fit for Canterbury, “ he said.

“It also shows there is a lot of confidence in the city from retailers because we have other traders arriving soon too.”

He says Whitefriars is now one of the top occupied shopping centres in the country with 99% occupancy, in terms of square footage.

But three small empty units in the Marlowe Arcade are still proving tough to fill.

Oliver Bonas describes itself as an ethical British lifestyle store, designing its own take on fashion and homeware and has branches in many trendy locations across London.

The Canterbury Bakery, which specialises in ‘handcrafted’ artisan breads, is based at the University of Kent.

It plans to open in the former Copperfields store, where it will bake bread on-site.

It will also have a cafe out front offering brunches and light lunches, using its fresh ingredients.

Head baker Eris Hoxha, who trained under Paul Hollywood, says he is excited to be bringing his products to the city centre and hopes to open by mid-September.

Pho was formed in 2005 by Stephen and Juliette Wall after they became inspired by the dish pho – a soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat – during a trip to Vietnam.

Pronounced 'fuh', it is the national dish of the south east Asian country and has roots dating back to the early 1900s.

Having been in business for 18 years, the chain now boasts 39 sites in locations including Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester, as well as multiple London branches.

It has a ‘soft’ opening this week and will officially launch next Tuesday.

Canterbury BID chief executive Lisa Carlson says she is delighted Whitefriars is continuing to attract big-brand names to the city.

“The city has seen 41 new businesses open over the last 12 months, from small independents to national chains, and we know that commercial interest in the city remains strong, “ she said.

“We are entering a very exciting time with the investment of £22 million through the Levelling Up Fund, along with planning approval on the former Nasons site.

“This, combined with a strong footfall so far this year (20% higher than the national average), means that Canterbury can continue its positive trajectory. “