Trendy coffee, wine and tapas bar Kitsch confirms expansion move to vacant Mace store in Ebley

Kitsch Coffee & Wine Bar has announced it will be relocating into the vacant Mace convenience store which lies opposite its current primness next month.

It will now create a much larger bar and tapas diner at the regenerated canal-side development near Ebley Mill.

Under the stewardship of Kerri Vernon – who founded the business aged just 18 - the thriving independent business has gone from strength to strength and now needs somewhere bigger to call home.

It has agreed a deal with the landlord and is hoping to complete the short-distance move by April 28.

“It’s something we’ve been considering for a little while now,” sad Kerri. “We’re had a really great three years at our current premises but we’ve outgrown the space.

“It’s a big jump in rent for us, but we decided to bite the bullet and make the move. We confirmed it all last week.

“There is a lot of work to do, we need to strip the whole place and redesign.

"Hopefully the bar will look exactly the same as it does now, just bigger. We want it to feel like someone has just picked up the café and moved it across the wharf.

“I want to keep our chilled, continental atmosphere as much as possible. We pride ourselves on being laid-back, friendly and having a relaxed personal service.”

Over the last three years the business has been growing steadily and has moved to become more-food based, with creative tapas dishes and Mediterranean nibbles.

Now Kerr’s brother, who is a full time chef, has joined the team of 15 full and part-time and will be working to expand he menu further.

“This move will allow us a lot more space and a bigger kitchen to expand this side of the business,” added Kerri.

“That said, we don’t want to be a restaurant – that’s not what we’re about. We don’t offer three course meals – we offer somewhere for nibbles and tapas-style dishes to share with friends.

“We want it to be somewhere you come a grab a quick lunch, or a stopping point for some food and a drink on your way into Stroud on the weekend.

“Hopefully people like it. We’re excited to get into our new home.”

The building currently occupied by Kitsch will be vacated and made available for rent. In the meantime it will be open as usual.

The business will also be taking over the vacant Wharf Buttery, which will serve takeaway coffee and ice cream among other things.

This feature of Ebley Wharf has lain empty for two months – but the owners of Kitsch hope to have it open again in a couple of weeks.

The franchise convenient store Mace closed back in November 1, and saw four full and part-time members of staff made redundant.

Kerri moved Kitsch to the wharf back in 2014, after first opening the bar on Stroud High Street in March 2012.

Pictures by Gavin Crilly