A young graduate has taken over a deli in her first commercial venture.

Artisan, in St George’s Street, opened its doors under 23-year-old Daisy Hartley’s management on April 10.

The cafe offers a selection of freshly-prepared homemade cakes, sandwiches and soups.

Miss Hartley opened the deli just two years after graduating from the University of Brighton.

She said: “It’s definitely been nerve-racking opening my own business at such a young age.

“The hours are long and it’s a lot of responsibility – but the work is really enjoyable.

“The opportunity came to me earlier than expected. I love this part of Kemp Town and I love Artisan – when I heard it was up for sale I had to go for it.

“I’m enjoying the freedom to choose my own products, cooking the food, and chatting to the customers.”

Miss Hartley says going into the catering business has always appealed to her.

She said: “I grew up around the hospitality industry – my mum and sister are trained chefs.

“I’ve always known this is what I want to do.”

She has introduced a range of gluten-free products since taking over Artisan.

“I’m gluten intolerantmyself and I’ve always struggled to find good places to eat out with a decent selection of food,” she said.

“Quite a few people have already come in for gluten-free lunch – in this part of Kemp Town, there aren’t many other places that offer it.”

At Artisan she joins scores of other independent businesses located in the area.

She said: “Kemp Town is one of my favourite areas of Brighton.

“It’s got a great atmosphere and everyone is friendly – it’s the perfect place to own a business.

“All of the local stores have something unique to offer and we are lucky that the locals are very supportive of independent businesses.”

Miss Hartley nowplans to focus on making further improvements to the cafe.

She added: “I’d like to expand my gluten-free range and focus on sourcing our products from local suppliers.”