Ink & Ember: Inside the new Queensgate book shop and cafe that had hundreds of people queuing over opening weekend

A new Peterborough bookshop and cafe which promises to be a haven for book-lovers across the city opened its doors over the weekend.

Ink & Ember opened doors at 10am on Saturday (August 22), with hundreds of people queuing to get a first look at the new shop.

The opening marks a new era for the business after a successful first year of trading from its original shop in Stamford.

Located on the shopping centre’s lower mall, the shop occupies the former Venom clothing outlet near the Sports Direct escalators.

The first 10 people through the door on Saturday and Sunday (August 23) were given a free limited edition tote bag.

The new Peterborough shop is known as ‘The Burrow’ and has a Wes Anderson-style theme.

Much like its sister site in Stamford, the new Queensgate shop operates a cafe and runs creative workshops.

Ink & Ember is owned by Peterborough-born businesswoman Lauren Lovett, who acquired the Queensgate unit earlier this year.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph back in April, Lauren said: “I always knew I one day wanted to have a shop in Peterborough, but didn’t know how it would come about.

“After we opened in Stamford and had real success I knew I was ready to expand and Peterborough was the first place on my list.

“I spoke to the team who manage Queensgate and they were absolutely incredible by helping me find the right space.”

Scroll down to see more photos taken inside Ink & Ember’s new Queensgate shop.