Yesterday marked the arrival of the Vale Kitchen Studio in Penarth which has been set up by a local resident in recent months.

The store boasts a range of kitchen ranges which are manufactured in Germany by Nobilia, Europe's largest kitchen manufacturer.

It is situated on Ludlow Street, right next to Brød Bakery.

We spoke to James Orchard about the new store and why he chose to set up in the town.

He said: ''I chose Penarth as a venue because I went to school in Penarth, my kids go to school in Penarth and we live here.

"I have traded in Canton as the Managing Director of Radiocraft (my Grandfather started the business in the 1940s) for the last 20 years and have seen the demise of the high street in that time.

"Penarth still has a vibrant high street and I wanted to move full time into kitchen design as we have sold kitchens for a few years now and had great success."

Mr Orchard explained what they would be bringing to the community with their new business.

He said: "We are extremely customer service orientated so we believe that we will offer the people of Penarth great value on kitchens, appliances or TVs!

"Our website is fully transactional and we offer interest-free credit of up to 3 years on kitchens and 1 year on everything else."

Opening during such an unusual time would pose difficulties for any business. We asked Mr Orchard how he hopes to deal with these challenges.

"I have seen the many challenges that have faced the high street over the last 10 years certainly, so I am well placed to understand what it takes to make a successful business, hence my move away from an appliance only business that is under constant threat from internet competitors.

"Kitchens gives us the opportunity to engage with customers and get away from online selling.

"We pride ourselves in finding out what our customers are looking for from their new kitchen. We then conduct our research as to what options are available to create a design with style and functionality that will exceed our customers' expectations.

"Overall, we offer fantastic customer service, superb choice and incredible value."

You can view their website here.