A MUCH-LOVED community café has flung its doors open once again after a short closure while new management settled in.

The Snug, formerly The Hive, in Stoneham Park, Hove reopened on Tuesday with experienced chef Hannah Parker, 45, at the helm.

Hannah, of Tamworth Road, Hove, said: “Our first day at The Snug has been amazing.

“Everyone has been really excited to come in and I’ve been amazed by my staff who have just settled straight in like they have always been here.”

Originally trained in classic French cooking, the mother of four is pleased things have moved on from the days when all her creations were based on “butter and cream.”

The cafe sells a range of cakes and biscuits but Hannah is keen to promote a balanced way of eating.

She said: “Healthy lunches and salads are really my specialism.

“The food industry has changed massively in the past 20 years and, since I hit my forties and because of the kids, we’ve really reassessed what we were eating.

“My husband, Raz, is Israeli so a lot of the food we do is Middle Eastern, lots of nicely spiced dishes.”

Hannah first used her culinary skills in London, working for Formula One and Moto GP as well as different restaurants and private clients.

She said: “When I moved to Hove I was pregnant with my eldest, Ben, and cooking isn’t conducive with young children or even pregnancy.

“Morning sickness meant I couldn’t even face chopping an onion, so I went into events management for a while.”

With her children all now in school, a friend told Hannah the cafe was up for sale, thinking she might be interested.

Hannah said: “I’d been coming to the cafe since it opened and always enjoyed it. Lara, who owned it before me, did such an amazing job, it was the sort of café you want to find in your park.”

Hannah’s husband and children gave her the encouragement she needed to have the confidence to take over the cafe, something she has never done before.

Son Ben, 14, said: “I’m really happy Mum’s got the cafe, I want her to be my boss one day. I’m very proud.”

The Snug also has an affordable community space which is rented out to local groups. Hannah said: “We already have pre-school French, pre-school art classes and yoga but I’d love to see it being used all day every day.”