A new fast food restaurant with a drive thru is opening in Kent.

Leon, which offers a menu 'inspired by the flavours, variety and natural healthiness of the Mediterranean diet', will open at the Discovery Park in Sandwich.

It is currently being built in Montagu Road, close to the existing Starbucks and a petrol station.

Photos taken at the weekend show work taking place on the new building.

It will be the third Leon to open in the county - the others are at Bluewater shopping centre, and at the Eurotunnel services in Folkestone.

An opening date for the new restaurant has yet to be confirmed, but a spokesman for Leon said: "Leon are very excited to opening soon in Sandwich - the launch date is still currently unconfirmed, however we will be sure to share news as soon as we can."

Its location has already been added to Leon's website, although it is currently listed at 'closed'.

Founded by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby and Chef Allegra McEvedy in 2004, Leon seeked to create the category of ‘naturally fast food’, in a bid to change "people’s expectations of what was possible in quick service restaurants", its website states.

There are over 70 restaurants, mainly across the UK, but also some dotted around mainland Europe.

Items on the menu include a Keralan chicken curry, a vegan 'Harissa Chick'n Wrap' and Moroccan meat-free meatballs.

Last year, the EG Group - which operates over 700 food service outlets - acquired all Leon restaurants, and said it would aim to open 20 sites each year from 2022.

Speaking at the time, Mohsin Issa CBE and Zuber Issa CBE, co-founders and co-CEOs of the EG Group, said: “Leon is a fantastic brand that we have long admired.

"As established entrepreneurs in the foodservice retail market ourselves, we have a huge admiration for the business that John and the Leon team have built over the years, and firmly believe that their culture and values closely align with our own."

The EG Group already operates hundreds of KFCs, Burger Kings, Subways and Greggs, as well as Starbucks and petrol stations.

The offering at Sandwich Discovery Park has increased over the last few years.

As well as the Starbucks, a KFC also recently opened nearby, as well as a Travelodge hotel.

The Discovery Park is home to many firms, including Pfizer, mostly focussing on science and business.