There are more suitable times to open a new outdoor cafe than one of the coldest weekends of the year, but for Mrs Brown’s in Bedminster’s Victoria Park the current half-term will hopefully mean a steady stream of customers at this new venture, which reopened on Saturday under new ownership.

After a delayed opening due to a frozen coffee machine, Mrs Brown’s now serves visitors to the park from a small van parked permanently near the Somerset Terrace entrance, just to the side of the Lodge, the red brick building housing public toilets and also the base for the local PCSOs.

There are homemade cakes for sale every day at Mrs Brown’s – I had a scrummy rocky road with my latte – alongside soups, baps, sandwiches and toasties.

The wind was blowing strongly this morning so I had to make sure my food and drink didn’t fly off the table. Apart from me shivering at one of the small tables in several layers too few, customers were scarce, just a friend of the owner and a mum getting Fruit Shoots for her children in the playground.

In the summer, however, I can imagine this new cafe to be extremely popular. Mrs Brown’s is a very welcome addition to Victoria Park, and most brave it is too to open at this time of the year. It deserves to be a success.

Mrs Brown’s, Victoria Park, Bedminster, Bristol.