A new café has opened in what used to be a NatWest bank.

The Market House welcomed customers through its doors for the first time on Friday (August 16).

The Natwest in High Street, Tonbridge closed in March last year.

It was put on the market and, in October, was bought by Mark Richards and Kat Simpson who had always dreamt of owning a café together.

Mark said: “Five years ago we settled in Tonbridge and we decided this place really felt like home to us.

“I had a consultancy business which we sold three years ago, worked for a couple years and then thought now’s the time to follow the dream and then this amazing building came on the market.”

Kat said: “I’m from Wellington in New Zealand and there is a big café culture there.

“There is also the idea of a place that goes from the morning where you get coffee and food and then goes through to dinner for a restaurant and a bar after that.

“We loved that concept, and we loved Tonbridge and there are lots of amazing places to eat but we wanted to create a place that we would want to go too.

“We see it as an addition to the high street, increasingly there are people who want to come out and enjoy lovely food and we are adding to that scene here.”

The pair have stripped out the old bank fittings and remodelled the inside, leaving it unrecognisable to some of the first to try the cafe.

One such customer was Bertha Hughes, an 85-year-old grandmother who was their supporting her grandson Oliver who has been hired to work in the café.

She was first through the doors on Friday at 10am and was also one of the last to use the bank before it closed.

She said: “I can’t remember as it was really. I’m trying to work out where everything was and I can’t, it’s so different.

“You walked in the door on the corner and the desks were all along that side and you walked along and queued.

“They have done a good job as I don’t recognise it at all.

“My feelings when I walked in were my goodness what a difference and for what it is I think they have done it very nice within reason. They haven’t gone overboard, it’s quite subtle.

“It’s the first day but so far so good - people have come in and had a look and it’s gone well.”

Also at Friday’s opening was Cllr Mark Hood (Green), who represents Judd Ward on Tonbridge and Malling council.

He said: “I used to bank here, and I just think ‘wow’.

“You’re hit by the colour and then the texture of the different work surfaces and there are lots of different compartments, like the section where children can go and play.

“It’s like a little play café which will be extremely well used and I think this is going to be a huge success.

“To see such an interesting architectural building being brought back to life when we thought it would be closed for a long period and being transformed into a business with huge potential is great to see.”

Some elements have remained from the building’s past uses.

Cafe owner Mark explained how the night deposit box at the front had been converted into a table.

The underground vault, previously used to store money, was still there and he hopes to find a use for it one day – as well as two safes made from six-inch thick steel.

A skylight that was an original feature before it became a bank also remains intact.

The name of the cafe comes from when the building was known as the Market House stalls, from where exotic goods from overseas, such as fruit and silks, were sold.

More work is still to be done but the couple are excited about the future.

Mark said: “We are hoping in October we’re going to be in a position to launch the full restaurant menu.

“From then we will be working on the brunch and lunch time menus so there’s still a bit of work to do.

“Our opening plan is early part of the week we’ll be a daytime café opening at 7am until teatime, so around 4-5pm.

“Later in the week we will be going later into the evening, so Thursday we’ll be open to 11pm and Friday and Saturday we’ll be open to midnight.

“Then Saturday and Sunday we will be focusing on brunch so as we go into the week, we will focus more on the nighttime space.”

Kat added: “It’s been really good we have a lovely team and it’s been nice to welcome in people from Tonbridge.”