A cafe in the heart of an Isle of Wight town centre has welcomed new managers — and they have got off to a flying start.

Over the last month and a half, Irving Pedreschi and his wife Emily have been working on bringing new life to Valentines.

Already, the couple say they have tripled “take-ins” at the family-run business, at Scarrots Lane, Newport.

Irving moved to the Island from Peru when he was just 16 and started life as a chef at 17.

Read more: Former Isle of Wight cafe turning into Spanish tapas bar

The 35-year-old said he “preferred” working as a front of house member of staff, so jumped at the opportunity to take over the cafe.

As he tries to attract newcomers to the former The Retreat cafe, Irving said he has changed the menu and the layout.

The new manager said he is always asking customers for menu ideas and improvements, in an attempt to please the community.

“We’ve been fully booked on Saturdays”, he said.

A popular attraction at Valentines is the ice cream parlour, which has been busy during the sunny weather.

Irving said he is planning events, such as murder mysteries and quiz nights in the build-up to Christmas.

The cafe’s Facebook page, managed by Emily, has nearly 3,000 followers.