SOMERSET charity Ferne Animal Sanctuary is excited to announce the launch of Perdida, the sanctuary’s brand-new café.

Located in the newly redesigned conference room space of the charity’s site on the Blackdown Hills near Chard, Perdida, named after a Disney’s 101 Dalmatians character, will offer visitors a locally sourced menu comprising a vegetarian and vegan Latin American and Caribbean fusion of dishes.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s new hospitality venture is run by the experienced team behind The Old Dairy and Olive Kitchen in Martock, as well as Canteen at Perry’s Cider. Their reputation for fresh, ethical, home-cooked food with an international twist will now be extended to Ferne’s visitors; Perdida will offer a diverse vegetarian and vegan friendly menu from indulgent brunches to locally sourced and internationally inspired lunches.

The Perdida team comments: "At all of our locations, our ethos remains the same: homemade, ethical, fresh, and full of flavour. Launching a meat-free café at Ferne Animal Sanctuary felt like a natural fit; not only are the Perdida team full of animal-lovers, but we’ve also adopted pets from Ferne ourselves.

"We love bringing international influences to local ingredients - from Asian to Mediterranean to American street food. At Perdida, we’re leaning into Latin and Caribbean-American flavours across a range of vegetarian and vegan meals to create something truly special."

Ferne Animal Sanctuary welcomes visitors to Perdida to experience the renovated café, designed with re-purposed and re-cycled furniture and interior design.

Perdida’s opening hours are currently in line with Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s opening hours, from Thursday to Monday, 10am – 4pm.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary is a non-government funded charity that has provided refuge and rehabilitation to its animals for more than 80 years. Located in a Natural Landscapes area and nested in the Blackdown Hills near Chard, Somerset, Ferne Animal Sanctuary houses and cares for more than 300 animals on its 72-acre site.