The first standalone retail unit on Folkestone Harbour has opened amid the food and drink offerings at the popular spot.

Independent boutique retailer Gaia Studio - which specialises in handcrafted furniture and homewares - has become the first to occupy the spot with harbour chiefs saying further new attractions are planned for 2024.

Gaia already has a shop in Westerham.

It is no stranger to the Harbour Arm, however, as it has been trading as part of the Folkestone Marketplace line-up of food, drink and leisure retailers occupying huts for the past two years.

Paulo Kingston-Correia, general manager of the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company which runs the site, said: “The integration of retail with our vibrant food and drink and socialising offer reflects our commitment to supporting local independent businesses as well as offering our visitors an innovative, distinctive leisure experience.

“We know consumers are looking for carefully curated, blended leisure and retail experiences, which provide a memorable day out. This is just the first of several exciting new attractions and events that we have in the pipeline for 2024."

Co-founder of Gaia Studio Alex Vouzoukos-Field, a self-taught furniture maker, explained: “Being a part of Folkestone Marketplace for the past two years has been really great. There's a family here and we're all supportive of each other.

“We want to make everything ourselves so that consumers always know the origins of the items they buy."