A new Starbucks cafe has welcomed its first customers since opening in a supermarket this week.

The American coffee brand has taken over the empty restaurant space in Folkestone's Sainsbury's on the Park Farm Industrial Estate after signs began appearing earlier this month.

It's the 50th Starbucks store to open inside the supermarket since the companies joined partnership.

Another 30 are set to open across the UK by the end of the year.

It comes after Sainsbury's closed around 200 of its in-store cafés earlier this year, with the aim of replacing them with outlets operated by third-party partners like Starbucks.

Elizabeth Newman, Sainsbury's director of commercial partnerships, said: "We're delighted to have reached this important milestone with Starbucks as we work together to deliver on our plans.

"Starbucks has proven to be very popular with Sainsbury's customers and I know the local community in West Park Farm has been looking forward to the launch of its new Starbucks café this week.

"We're excited to bring Starbucks cafés to many more customers as our rollout programme progresses in the coming months, and as our partnership continues to thrive."

Rehan Sardar, director of store development at Starbucks, said: "We are pleased to be opening our 50th in store Starbucks café in Folkestone, in partnership with Sainsbury's.

"This is a great opportunity for customers to meet our team and we look forward to welcoming the local community to enjoy our new dining-in and takeaway moments as we introduce the Starbucks Experience across more Sainsbury's stores nationwide."

Starbucks already has two other stores inside Sainsbury's supermarkets in Kent.

It has one at the superstore in Kingsmead Road in Canterbury and opened another in November last year at the Sainsbury's in Chestfield near Whitstable.

The new store is a franchise run by Cobra Coffee and will be open from 7am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.