A new brunch and lunch venue has opened in Newport city centre.

Wy Da, on High Street, Newport, has been opened by Garry Cunningham and Maddy Cameron.

Garry said: "Having spent many years within the retail, finance and hospitality sector in HR and senior management roles, I felt it was time to focus on something I really enjoy, making food.

"I prepare and produce as much as possible myself and we always concentrate on using fresh and local ingredients where we can. Our food is made on site and we cater for a variety of tastes and budgets, including corporate events and buffets.

"Myself and partner Maddy had been planning a venture like this for a while, but were waiting for the right opportunity and the right location.

"We jumped at the chance of this beautiful space. It is a grade I listed building and has many original features, including the frames on the windows and frontage.

"Maddy comes from an operations management and retail background, but has held various jobs in the past from teaching to recruitment. We both felt it was time to start working for ourselves instead of spending hours in meetings and on conference calls.

"We serve a variety of hot and cold food. We have homemade sausage rolls (classic or gourmet) and a selection of scotch eggs, these seem to be our top sellers. We make chilli, ratatouille, pulled pork, soups, baguettes, paninis, salads, cakes and lots of snacks too. A lot of what we do happens to be vegan friendly too!

"Serving vegan food in Newport is really important to us. Although we are not vegan ourselves, we make a conscious effort to minimise the amount of meat and dairy we eat and with lots of vegan options at Wy Da, we hope to dispel the myths that vegan food is either bland or boring.

"Newport is a great place and has changed so much recently. There is a lot of investment and opportunity in Newport. It was a no brainer to open up here.

"The businesses close to us on High Street have been brilliant and everyone helps spread the word about our fresh food and especially our vegan options and specials we put on.

"We try and use local independent shops wherever possible and hope others in Newport will support us in the same way.

"It is never easy marketing a new business, but Wy Da already has excellent feedback and reviews, and regular customers returning for our delicious food."

Garry said: "Wy Da is situated on the corner of Market Arcade, which has been given funding for March from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is really exciting for us and Newport generally.

"It is set to restore the arcade and shopping area to show some of the original features which have been damaged or removed in the past.

"It will really brighten the area up and showcase Newport as a city with beautiful historical elements as well as the newer developments.

"Newport has so much to offer with its diverse cultures, arts and music scene and especially the shopping and food venues.

"As our business grows we will ensure we continue to support local and independent businesses too. If everyone started shopping in independent businesses, especially for food and gifts it would massively impact the local economy and have a knock on effect in our community.

"Newport is thriving and has a huge selection of independent business to shop in, so it is important we make the most of that."

Wy Da, which is Welsh for 'good egg' is pronounced Oi Da.