Alnwick Gallery benefits from coffee shop diversification

Tables were introduced in the summer as a way of trying to attract more customers.

And the move has paid off for the Market Place venue.

The gallery’s Amanda Wooldridge said: “Many retail places are struggling so we came up with the idea of a coffee shop to help draw people in.

"Obviously it needs to do enough to wash its face but on top of that it’s become a really positive space where the local community can come in for a coffee and a chat and hang out.”

Amanda then noticed more interest in the gallery’s artwork.

"When people are sitting down with a coffee, you see them looking around at the art,” she says. “They have that bit more time to take it in than they might have done before so it’s definitely helped the gallery.”