The team behind a trio of award-winning cafes and art galleries are to open another branch at a former solicitor's practice.

Cafe Nucleus, which has three hubs in Rochester and Chatham, is to launch its fourth venue in Rainham High Street.

And fine-dining and a wall of up to 2,000 carefully-selected wines will be on the menu at The Langton Studios at Nucleus Arts.

Aaron Telford Sergejenkovs, who went to school and used to live in the town, and his partner Sergejs Sergejenkovs, have been looking at properties in the area for years.

Hot on the heels of the success of their other establishments, they were encouraged by Medway Council to consider a move to either Rainham or Gillingham and their survey has shown that nearly a quarter of their existing customers live in the ME8 postcode.

Managing director Aaron, 34, said the restaurant and artistic side of the business were equally as important.

But added: "Everybody's got to eat. The cafe acts as a stepping stone for some people to visit the galleries.

"For some they don't feel artistic and it's a fear of the unknown."

The opening is earmarked for April after an estimated £400,000 refurbishment of the distinctive white wooden weather-boarded building.

Planning permission for a change of use from office to licensed premises is also required and a new power supply has to be installed.

Like the Rochester site in the old listed Conservancy Building in the High Street, two rooms will be given over to fine-dining on Friday and Saturday with chefs already being recruited from top London hotels.

A walnut panelled wine room with marble finishing touches will feature booth seating and there will be an entire wall devoted to wines hand-picked by Aaron.

"I feel I have an affinity with Rainham, even though I don't live there any more..."

He said: "I wouldn't say I'm a connoisseur but I like a good wine. I have sampled at all of the vineyards across Kent and also in France.

"I believe the wines here are now as good as those in the Champagne region.

"We have the right soil, a warmer climate now and our annual yields are higher.

"I have been collecting wines for the last two to three years and have now got cellars full with some bottles five years in advance of them being available to drink."

Aaron has worked for Nucleus for 10 years and oversees the running of the Continental-style Chatham eatery, which is tucked away off Chatham High Street and opened 20 years ago.

He's also in charge of the Rochester branch which is about to celebrate its fourth anniversary and the cafe in Military Road opposite the Pentagon.

He said: "I feel I have an affinity with Rainham, even though I don't live there any more.

"We ask people who come to other sites to leave their postcode and 24.8% said ME8, so in some ways we have a ready-made client base."

It's named after the late Simon Langton, the former Rainham solicitor who for many years used it as his offices.

"Rainham will be a hybrid between Rochester and Chatham," said Aaron. "But we like each site to have its own identity and Simon Langton was well known in the community."

Fifteen full-time jobs have been created, some of whom have been trained for the spring launch.

Guests will be able to make use of a small terrace and the acclaimed brunch menu, afternoon tea and British classics will be served.

Aaron married Sergejs in August, a Latvian he met when he took over the Nucleus Arts group.

The team has a long list of accolades including Good Food Award Winner for Cafes, Taste of Kent Awards and Medway Food and Drink Awards.

Meanwhile, its opening will provide another option for eating and drinking and follows the transformation of the former Barclays building on the corner of Rainham High Street and Station Road which has been converted into The Greedy Banker pub.

After the bank closed in October last year it was bought by Jamie Clark and Tom Mudge, the owners of the Dead Pigeon micropub in Rochester High Street.

Further along the High Street, the former Green Lion pub remains empty after plans to transform it into a microbrewery hit planning problems.

It is hoped the historic, listed building will revert back to being a hostelry.