A well-loved bakery in the heart of Whitstable is up for sale after almost 30 years of trade.

Champseys Bakery, in Oxford Street, has been put on the market for £495,000 as current owner Geoff Champs has plans to retire.

The business, best known simply as Champs, has outlived dozens of other town centre shops and won numerous awards for its food since it opened in 1988.

It is hoped the new owners will be able to keep the store open for longer hours, expand the menu, and increase the site’s turnover.

The successful bidders will take over a kitchen, store building, inside and outside seating areas, a walk-in freezer, and a large fridge unit.

In recent years, the shop has begun to sell coffee as well as the traditional bread and cakes.

Mr Champs also secured a liquor licence for the bakery last year in a bid to keep in contention with the influx of competition in the town. It proved a success and is seen as a key cog in reviving the fortunes of that part of town.

Mr Champs, who runs the bakery with his wife, Jane, declined to comment further on the potential sale.