Bermuda has a fresh cafe option for breakfast and lunch.

Oak Café opened on Friday in the Belvedere Building at 69 Pitts Bay Road in Pembroke.

Owners Jessica James and Rikki Hornett said the name is apt “as it’s our small acorn but we hope that it will grow into something bigger with time”.

Ms James said the new outlet has hired “young, talented and enthusiastic” chef Jonny Ratteray, as well as assistant manager Shannon Mahoney – “we knew she was someone that we wanted to get on board” -- who will work closely with experienced restaurant manager Elmerlan Sinlao.

She said additional staff will be joining shortly.

Offering both eat-in and take-out options, the cafe’s breakfast offerings include favourites such as waffles, pancakes and breakfast sandwiches – as well as omelettes and yogurt with granola.

At lunchtime, Oak will offer a range of sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads and soup.

Coffee and desserts will also be available, as will gluten-free and vegan options.

The café will also offer meal plans for those active in the bodybuilding and fitness scene for when they are getting close to competition.

Ms James said: “It was always my dream to open a cafe and when I pitched the idea to Rikki he was onboard immediately.

“We both wanted to open a place that offered healthy options and options for people with special dietary requirements.

“We are both also environmentally conscious and so wanted the cafe to be free from single use plastics. We know that it's only a small step but we want to do what we can for Bermuda, its people and the environment.”

The café’s beginnings can be traced to a stall at the farmer’s market.

Ms James said: “Some of our customers may still remember us as Earth and Ocean. We loved our time there and really appreciated the support that we received from the community. This spurred us on to open a shop.

“At the farmer's market we specialised in keto and vegan desserts but with a much bigger kitchen and a shop front we felt that we could and should increase our offering. We had a lot of ideas that we are now able to pursue.”

Ms James said she and Mr Hornett “hope that Oak will form a complementary part of the Hamilton dining scene”.

She added: “We have an excellent location that we really feel people will enjoy. There aren't many quiet places in Hamilton where you can enjoy a coffee and sandwich in the sun.”

Ms James acknowledged there was “a degree of trepidation associated with the opening of a cafe with the spectre of Covid-19 still looming over us”.

She added: “To be honest we couldn't have done it without a lot of support. We have a lot of people to thank for getting us to where we are today.

“On that note we would like to thank Colin Brown of Broadview, he's an absolutely fantastic architect and really got us out of a jam to get the project moving.

“We would also like to thank Peter Araujo and his team at Araujo Construction who have been exceptionally patient with us throughout the renovation.”

Ms James said they hope to offer a home delivery option “sooner rather than later”.

Oak Café is open Monday to Saturday from 7.30am until 4pm and Sunday from 10am until 4pm.