It may not look like much but in a few months it's hoped this empty shed will be the life and soul of Whitstable harbour.

A gin shop is set to move in, alongside world food stalls and places to buy art and antiques, while the complex itself is made of recycled sea defences and concrete to give it a maritime feel.

KentOnline got an exclusive look inside the South Quay Shed - which is due to launch in the early summer and will host the shops, eateries and cultural activities in 15-self contained units.

The previously run-down shed, which was used for storage, is now a modern complex laid out over two floors, with a capacity for 360 people and more than 100 seats.

Engineers have retained the old concrete frame, installed solar panels and used recycled groyne timber from Herne Bay sea defences to maintain a “Whitstable feel”.

It is hoped firms will begin fitting out their units in late spring, ready to open ahead of the busy summer season once all the businesses have moved in.

Competition for the site has been fierce, with more than 100 companies expressing an interest, and more than 40 putting in firm offers to snap up one of the units.

While the names of the traders cannot yet be revealed - pending the final stages of the legal arrangements for the leases - the city council has given a flavour of what to expect.

There will be a gin shop, coffee outlet, bakery and greengrocer, as well as shops selling crafting and handmade items, pre-loved high-quality clothing, contemporary art, photography and antiques.

A “diverse mix” of food outlets providing cuisine from around the world will also be based at the site.

The city council’s head of engineering, Liam Wooltorton, said: “We wanted to make sure our incoming tenants were aligned with our vision for sustainability and social values.

“The criteria was they should be a local business or sole trader - we didn’t want any large organisations.

“They also had to demonstrate they provided local employment opportunities and had no single-use plastics, and had sustainable business practices and local benefits for the harbour itself.

“They are all really strong businesses and they met our criteria well.”

Unit Six is going to be operated directly by the council as a bar, but it will also provide the on-site management of the communal functions and areas.

The cash generated by the council will be used for future maintenance and the income of the harbour.

“The building has been completely transformed from an asbestos-clad eyesore which was full of junk,” Mr Wooltorton added.

“It would have been easier to demolish the old shed, but by combining the high specification materials with the old concrete frame, we’ve created a building that’s sustainable and in-keeping, attractive, and it offers some of the best views in the town.

“Standing on the ground floor looking up at the mezzanine, it almost feels like you are looking up in the harbour basin.

“We’ve used old recycled groyne timbers to give it that maritime feel and we’ve tried to give it that industrial harbour feel.

“It has been redeveloped to provide an all-round, high quality mixed use retail space.

“We are going to have diverse food outlets, a community pop-up space and fully-glazed front elevations to create.”

The proposed opening hours are from 9am to 8pm between March 2 and October 30, and from 9am to 5pm between October 31 and March 1.

The total cost of the project is more than £700,000, funded by the Whitstable Harbour account, and will provide an annual rental yield of 20% - meaning the project will be paid for in five years.

“It has been a challenging project and it’s also been very enjoyable,” Mr Wooltorton said.

“As we can see the end result now, we are all incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve here.

“It has been difficult building it through the pandemic and there has been some delay with materials but we are absolutely delighted with what we have achieved here.”

In January 2020, it was revealed council planners had to go back to the drawing board for their redesign of the South Quay Shed after fears were raised over potential fire risks.

Plans to include re-purposed shipping containers in the two-storey scheme were ditched due to new regulations introduced following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and concerns over the environmental impact.

The council then announced it had redesigned the building, which had been used for storage until 2018, and put forward a fresh plan to use timber instead.

Mr Wooltorton said: “We moved away from the shipping container idea but what we have got here now is a higher quality finished product. It has that Whitstable feel about it.”

There will also be toilet facilities offering three women’s and three men’s stalls, and an accessible toilet.

Work on the redevelopment was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the project continued despite fears major schemes planned for Whitstable could be put on hold.