A NEW tenant for Palmer Park's empty Lodge Café in east Reading has been revealed.

Tutu’s Ethiopian Table will take over the former Chalkboard Café, which closed in 2017.

It is located close to the park playground at the edge of Wokingham Road and will be managed by the award-winning Tutu Melaku.

Councillor Sarah Hacker, lead member for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce we have found a fantastic new tenant for Palmer Café, following our community letting process earlier this year.

“Tutu is famous in Reading for her delicious Ethiopian fare and I for one cannot wait to visit the café when it reopens in early 2019.

"I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved in making this happen. The new café will be a great benefit to the local community.”

Council officers are currently working to bring the building back into use and it is anticipated the new café will open as soon as possible in the New Year.

Ms Melaku moved to Reading in 1991 after growing up in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

Her cooking has won a number of accolades, including Restaurant of the Year in the Pride of Reading awards, Innovative Business Award in London from the Habesha Business Association, an organisation that recognises excellence in Ethiopian businesses in the UK, Reading Food Hero, as well as winner of the lovely lunch 2013 Retail Awards.

Her menu offers a selection of meat and vegetarian stews, served with the Ethiopian traditional pancake.

She added: “I am thrilled that Reading Borough Council is giving me this opportunity to expand my Ethiopian Table to this wonderful new location in Palmer Park Café.

"I look forward to welcoming my new and old customers to my beautiful new venue, where I will offer my Ethiopian cuisine, as well hot drinks and snacks.”

The first pavilion refreshment room was opened here in 1891 and the café still has elements of the original kitchen and fireplace features.

The council launched a community letting process in early 2018.