Ideal Collection adds seventh site

It will be the third Boat House Café, all of which are located in marinas, the first two in Swanwick and Gosport, both Hampshire.

With a £300,000 budget it is the first new-build property of the chain, though all three are in association with Premier Marinas.

"It has a classic café feel to help cater for different demographics," said chairman Matt Boyle. Breakfast and lunch will be served out of season with a dinner offer added in season. A bistro menu will run in addition to the café menu with more courses in the evenings.

"The idea is to develop and move the brand on for Premier," said Boyle. "Each marina is slightly different in terms of demographics and the brand can be scaled up or down accordingly."

The Chichester site seats 60 inside and 60 outside with a large garden that will be up for development next year with the potential to focus on weddings and outside catering.

The company has also set up the Ideal Foundation — a charitable scheme to "give something back to the community" — and kick-started the Allotment Project to grow produce, which will be used in the café.

"We have worked with a lot of small charities and wanted to do something that would be long term and really engage our staff and customers," said Boyle. "The café will be run almost as a not-for-profit organisation. People can get a cheap, healthy, warm meal and any profit will go to support the Allotment Project.

"Volunteers who come through the project can then go to work in the café. We are looking at setting up an academy to get people who have been marginalised back into work."

Diners at the Boat House Café will be asked to add £1 to their bill to help support the project.