A menu launch with a focus on healthy eating and wellbeing has taken place at Bella’s café in Broadstairs High Street this week.
The venue, owned by Thanet residents Nadine Shillinglaw and Bradley Gillham and run with family and friends, opened in May in the former The Store premises.
Nadine, partner Chris Palmer, Brad and wife Melanie, set to work to revamp the site using local traders and Chris’s builder skills.
Birchington mum-of-three Nadine and Manston dad-of-two Brad both have hospitality backgrounds and were keen to open a family venue in Broadstairs.
The friends, who have previously worked together, jumped at the chance to take on the site after viewing and “falling in love” with it.
Nadine said: “We both really wanted to do something for our families that would put something back into the community and be a little retirement plan for us.”
Nadine says she received a call about the site and contacted Brad.
She said: “As soon as we walked in there, we fell in love with it. Chris is a builder so everything has been done ourselves and with local suppliers, we really want to make sure we always use local people.”
Nadine, who is an accountant, and Brad, who works in direct sales, financed the venture themselves and say it was important for them to create something in Thanet.
Nadine said: “My aunt used to run The Rose and before that the Bradstow Mill and I used to work for Thorleys.
“Brad had worked at the Oak, we both grew up in Pegwell and Broadstairs appealed to us, we both love it.”
The café, which is named after Nadine’s dog who sadly died, has built up a loyal following and now the aim is to adapt and expand the menu to focus on healthy eating with the introduction of new items such as Buddah and Poke Bowls.
The bowls consist of rice, vegetables, signature sauce and the option of fish or the special Bella’s Bowls which offer a meat version.
The new additions will run alongside the popular breakfast and lunch menus. Homemade cakes, shakes, street foods and barista coffee are also served. Ingredients are all sourced from local suppliers such as Quex Barn, Hogmans, Prentis Greengrocers and Crusties Bakery, Lost Sheep coffee and elements that are influenced by Brad’s time in Australia.
Nadine said: “Everything is made in-house, down to the sauces. We are promoting healthy eating with the bowls which have different vegs and we have added meat to our Bella’s Bowls. We are also introducing Kimchi salads and we have just bought a deli bar.
“We have brought in an additional chef, my best friend Rita Sigona, and we have our original chef Sherise Jaques and they are collaborating on the menu.”
Bella’s is based at 52c High Street, Broadstairs.
