A CAFE owner who recently opened her coffee shop on Oxford Road is offering a 10 per cent discount to NHS staff and those serving in the armed forces.

Dawn Smith, who runs Val's Cafe with her husband Shane, has been wanting to open a cafe for a long time.

She said: "My husband has also wanted to do it and when it became available he took them up on the offer - and we named it after my nan, who passed away last year."

Mrs Smith, who used to live in Tilehurst and now lives in Tidmarsh, West Berkshire, said Val's Cafe serves all the usual breakfast foods as well as baguettes, toasties, jacket potatoes and other lunches.

She said: "We officially opened near the start of this year and it has been going really well and everyone seems to like it.

"We try to get everyone from local people and a lot of people keep coming back so I'm happy.

"We offer discounts to NHS staff as well as anyone serving in the armed forces.

"It was very exciting when we first opened and I was also nervous - but it is more exciting.

"Breakfasts are the most popular at the moment - everyone loves a Full English!

"Me and my husband run it but he runs another business, so I'm there six days a week."

Speaking about the future of the cafe, Mrs Smith said she would like to expand the menu.

She said: "I would like to introduce different foods eventually, especially things like curry or fish and chips maybe on Fridays."