A new café encouraging people to 'come as you are' has opened its doors in Norwich.

Eastern Daily Press: The cafe has a baby and toddler area with a place to park buggies. Picture: Network NorfolkThe cafe has a baby and toddler area with a place to park buggies. Picture: Network Norfolk (Image: Archant)

Promising a welcoming and family friendly atmosphere, the café, which is in the Mousehold Hub on Mousehold Avenue, started serving coffee and cake on Thursday.

The menu includes a range of comfort food - from breakfast baps to cakes and jacket potatoes - which will not break the bank, with filled sandwiches from £2.50 and hot drinks from £1.

Eastern Daily Press: The cafe is in Mousehold Hub which is on the corner of Mousehold Avenue and a stones throw away from Silver Road. Picture: Network NorfolkThe cafe is in Mousehold Hub which is on the corner of Mousehold Avenue and a stones throw away from Silver Road. Picture: Network Norfolk (Image: Archant)

The team says the café is light and bright and designed with families in mind, offering a baby and toddler area stacked with toys, high chairs and a place to park buggies.

Big kids can also join in on the fun and settle down to flex their board game muscles, with a selection of popular games available.

Café manager Julie John said: "Our ethos is very much 'come as you are', whether it's a good day or a bad day, whether people want to come and chat or sit quietly on their own, we want them to feel very welcome here.

"If a person wants to have just a cup of coffee and stay for four hours playing a board game and chatting to our staff that is fine."

Book lovers are invited to spend hours immersed in their favourite book, before trading it in at the café's borrow and swap book shelf.

The café is run by the Norwich Central Baptist Church and is part of the church's wider vision to see the building become a vibrant community hub.

Pastor of the church reverend Mark Fairweather-Tall said: "We are really excited to be opening the café. Our aim is not just to provide good food, drink and internet access at very reasonable prices but importantly a place of welcome and friendship.

"We hope this is a real benefit to the local community."

Currently, the building is used for a variety of groups, including a growing Portuguese-speaking church, the Norwich Community Gospel Choir, messy church and English Plus. The top floor of Mousehold Hub is home to local Christian charity Norwich Youth for Christ.

The building was formerly occupied by Silver Road Baptist Church, which was first established on the site 1910.

The development of the Hub Café was made possible thanks to grant funding from Norwich City Council, which supported the application for a community café in the area.