THE Thorne Tree Bistro, Carlisle has said that it is 'forever grateful' after marking its first anniversary.

The bistro on Cecil Street, which is owned by husband and wife Colin and Hannah Sherwood, celebrated its first anniversary in Carlisle on Saturday, November 9.

In the year since the Thorne Tree Bistro opened it has taken pride in being a place where 'amazing food meets a cosy home environment' with an emphasis on being a community hub.

This focus on the local community has come through the launch of its Golden Age Club which meets weekly and partnerships with local charities such as West Cumbria's children's autism charity Bee Unique.

As The Thorne Tree Bistro celebrated its first anniversary, co-owner Hannah Sherwood expressed her delight at reaching the milestone.

She said: "The journey of the past year has been one of discovery and growth.

"We have had so much support from the local community that has touched our hearts and for that, we are going to be forever grateful. Their feedback has helped us grow and we are so thankful for that.

"What a year, it has just been amazing."

Hannah was also keen to discuss the bistro's wider commitment to the local community as well as giving a sneak preview of the future plans for The Thorne Tree.

"It has been like more of a community hub where we have brought the community together and that is what we always wanted it to be.

"We always wanted this to be a place for the community.

"I think because of this the support from the community has been absolutely overwhelming.

"People have spread the word about us and thanks to the word of mouth we have really grown and we are just so thankful for that.

"In the future, we are hoping that The Thorne Tree will have a little brother or a sister somewhere and that is what we want, to keep growing."