Half a million pounds worth of renovations will include a new café and restaurant for Helston opening in just over a fortnight.

The CAST Café had previously been open for a few hours a day, on a couple of days a week, but the investment from Arts Council England means it will now be a permanent fixture in Penrose Road.

As reported last week, the CAST (Cornubian Arts and Science Trust) building will be the headquarters for the Groundwork arts project, the end result of half a million pounds worth of Arts Council funding plus other grants, and the café re-launch, together with further building renovations in October, represents a further £500,000 from the Council – making the overall cost of the whole project more than £1million.

The launch date of the two has been to coincide, so that people will be able to get their first glimpse of the newly redeveloped café on May 5, when Groundwork begins three months’ of exhibitions and events.

The café will also be open on Flora Day from early until around 2pm. Its usual opening hours will then be Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with the plan being to also open three evenings a week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – until around 11pm, with last food orders at 9pm.

Chef-manager Dom Bailey said: “As opposed to what it was when it was a pop up, it’s very much envisaged as a year-round business.

“During the summer there are more visitors, but that’s balanced out by the fact that the CAST programme has more events over the winter.”

While Dom – whose background includes Britain’s first certified organic pub, the Duke of Cambridge in London, followed by a spell at the acclaimed Gurnard’s Head at Zennor – previously did all the cooking for the café, as well as running it, he is now bringing on board a second chef in the form of Arwen McBride, formerly of the Potager Garden near Constantine until last year.

He is also hoping to bring in other chefs for pop up night events.

Food wise, Dom has devised a tapas-style sharing plate menu concentrating on local suppliers, which include organic Guernsey milk and eggs from Treen Farm in Penwith, meat from C&E Retallack Butchers at The Lizard and Falmouth-based Yallah coffee beans.

While there will be a strong emphasis on vegetarian and vegan food, there will also be meat and fish in some dishes. The café will also be licensed.