A NEW cafe with a beachy theme has opened in the heart of an Isle of Wight seaside town and, judging by the feedback the new owners have received so far, it could become very popular.

Shells, owned by Shelly and Glyn Cumberlidge, sits in an attractive property in Ventnor High Street. 

Opened three weeks ago, Shells has earned some great early success with its breakfast custom, which has helped get the business off to a 'fryer'.

Isle of Wight County Press:

As part of its popular breakfasts, customers have enjoyed 'potato puffs' — an alternative to the humble hash brown — as well as freshly baked croissants and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Also popular are Shells' 'fully-loaded' potato dippers, served with melted cheese, crispy onions, chorizo and a dressing of your choice, on their lunchtime menu, as well as fare ranging from fresh paninis and waffles, to teacakes and homemade scones.

Shelly and Glyn moved to the Island from the Midlands last December — coming into the business with no previous experience of running a cafe.

They did, however, run a sports and social club for a couple of years, with all the transferable skills and knowledge that comes with it. 

Shelly said: "We thought we'd try something different and we love it. I'm passionate about cooking and baking and we love talking to people — meeting the locals and the tourists.

"The feedback we're getting is great, with people saying Shells has a really nice atmosphere and that they had never visited such a beautiful cafe.

"We are really proud of Shells and what we are doing."

Isle of Wight County Press:

Shells can comfortably sit up to 30 customers and has been decorated with a subtle seaside feel to it. 

They employ three and cater for vegetarians, with gluten-free options.

Shells also has a new baby changing room, so a great feature for young families.

They have plans to extend the business to the evenings, for more of a restaurant-style offer of meals, possibly next year.