Family-run Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre near Taunton is celebrating the opening of its new Elm Tree restaurant - which has seen the business take on 10 more members of staff.
The new-build facility, which has a footprint of nearly 1,000sq m and a new kitchen with state-of-art equipment, seats 350 people and offers diners greater choice.

Andrew Pitman from the award-winning, independent garden centre explained: "It has been a long time in the making but it has so far been very successful and filled with visitors of all ages.

"The new restaurant comprises of a modern coffee lounge, a large serving island, which includes a deli counter and juice bar, and a self-service drinks area. There is even a crepé station and kid's corner where little ones can pick up special snack boxes."

Giant leaves and over-sized light shades are the focal point of the restaurant, which also includes a feature wall with Somerset scenes. Diners are able to see into the main cooking area where the chefs work and there is plenty of seating outside too.

The garden centre was able to take on 10 new employees across the whole business, which already employs around 90 staff, as a result of the new build and to supplement the existing restaurant staff. There is also a new function room available for events.