An Olympic gold medallist paused during the launch of her second café to pay respects to those killed and injured in the London terror attacks.

Dame Kelly Holmes chose the Cyclopark, an outdoor multi-sports centre off Wrotham Road, Gravesend, as the location for Café 1809 Active, which she officially opened today.

The retired British middle distance athlete declared the café open in the morning, with the help of Gravesham Mayor Cllr Harold Craske, then spent the day chatting to guests and treating them to samples of her food.

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She also ran exercise sessions for visitors, which included pupils from Saint George’s Church of England School in Meadow Road, Northfleet.

At 11am she asked people to join her in observing a national minute’s silence for the victims of Saturday night’s London Bridge attack.

VIDEO: Dame Kelly Holmes talks about her new cafe at Cyclopark in Gravesend

After the silence she encouraged her guests to applaud the emergency services “for their selfless work” in the wake of the act of terrorism as well as members of the public who rushed to the aid of others.

Dame Kelly, who won two gold medals for running in Athens in 2004, said: “I chose the Cyclopark for my Café 1809 Active because it’s an environment where people are active.

"People come here to do cycling and running and that’s really what my brand is about, to be involved in places and people that have the same interest and want to keep themselves motivated and active and also enjoy themselves.

“It’s a lifestyle café and that means bringing people together to feel good.

"Some people want to just come and socialise and have a nice coffee and cake and that makes them go out and smile, and other people are coming in because they’re refuelling, they’re getting their energy to go and do their exercise but at the end of the day I don’t really preach around not eating anything, it’s really about a balanced lifestyle.

"If you want the healthy food it’s there for you and if you want to have a treat it’s also there for you.”

Dame Kelly, who won gold in the 800m and 1500m in Greece, recommends choosing a jacket potato or pasta from her menu for refuelling after a day of activity at the Cyclopark and revealed the café also sells healthy “medals” of meat, such as turkey and beef, which are similar to burgers.

As well as tea, coffee and cake, customers can also drink juices and smoothies in the café, which has floor to ceiling windows overlooking some of the tracks.

The athlete said she had been cycling the 38-mile round trip between her new Gravesend café and her original one in Hildenborough, near Tonbridge, named Café 1809 after her race number in her gold-medal winning performances.

She added: “I’ve run round the track and I’ll definitely get involved in some of the other events they’re going to do.”