A NEW café in Ayr Debenhams has given people who were made redundant during lockdown their jobs back.

Simply Great Coffee has been launched as a replacement to the Debenhams café, where some members of staff worked for 14 years.

The new venture was opened up by Susan Murray, whose cousin was one of the workers to be made redundant.

The café opened on Monday, September 14, with four of the staff who lost their jobs returning to greet familiar faces.

Susan told the Advertiser: “Everyone was really upset when they were made redundant. Some of them had worked here since the day it opened 14 years ago.

“After lockdown, we were in touch with Debenhams about opening the café up to Simply Great Coffee.

“Debenhams were happy to reach out to the staff who lost their jobs. They have been a big help. It’s been great to give people their jobs back and the café is a place where a lot of old people like to come in to have a blether.”