An award-winning chef has been appointed as the new manager of the farm-to-fork cafe that will be opening as part of the Southwold Hospital redevelopment project.

Nicola Hordern, former head chef of Darsham Nurseries, will take over the day-to-day running of the cafe, which is to be named later this month.

Lowestoft Journal: The former head chef at Darsham Nurseries is set to start the role later this yearThe former head chef at Darsham Nurseries is set to start the role later this year (Image: Pattie Tobin/SouthGen)

Southwold Hospital closed in 2015, but is being revamped as a block of flats, business units and library in one community hub.

The project is nearing completion and replica chimneys based on the original hospital were installed on the property last month.

Members of SouthGen, the community group which is overseeing the revamp, each have shares in the project.

Lowestoft Journal: The replica chimneys have been placed on the former hospital in SouthwoldThe replica chimneys have been placed on the former hospital in Southwold (Image: Pattie Tobin/SouthGen)

Mrs Hordern has pledged the cafe will focus on locally-sourced food when it opens in the autumn.

She said: "I could see that so much care had gone into the project.

"I’d love to see people popping in for the best cup of coffee and eating beautiful pastries that we would be making from flours made from grains grown and milled nearby."