Brentford's new Parish café promises to move away from church café "soggy sandwich" stereotypes and provide a fresh space for the community.

The Spire, located in the St Paul's Brentford Parish, opted for a soft-opening on Monday, allowing the café to find its feet.

Manager Jo Cheung, who moved back to her hometown Brentford 15 years ago, said she hoped to offer something long-term and sustainable for the community.

Cheung said: "We wanted to move on from the image of a church café meaning soggy sandwiches and washy tea, and show that we are here to stay, by serving decent coffee and a nice pot of tea.

"We want to take our time and see how we grow, so we can be at the heart of the community.

"It's about looking at what we've done in the past and building on what we can do for the future, and it's not just about keeping the Church doors wide open, it's a community venture too, everyone is welcome."

The café currently offers a selection of sweet treats and pastries and aims to provide a simple and effective menu sourced from seasonal produce.

The establishment has a pre-school play area for young children and a sociable space for members of the community to relax or read the newspapers.

Cheung said: "We are able to provide people with an environment where they feel comfortable and safe, where they can just enjoy getting back together with family and friends."

She added: "Without the Parish of Brentford this wouldn't have happened.

"We as a Parish have been talking about doing this for some time, and now, to actually see it happen, it's really amazing to be part of."

The Spire is open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-3:30pm, find their facebook page Here.