A SOMERSET animal sanctuary that has been battling for survival amid a tough economic climate has launched a new café in a bid to raise much-needed funds.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary opened Perdida, a brand-new café, on April 24.

Perdida – named after a character from 101 Dalmations – has been set up in the newly-redesigned conference room space the charity’s home near Chard.

The charity said it will offer visitors a “locally-sourced menu comprising a vegetarian and vegan Latin American and Caribbean fusion of dishes” with views of the Blackdown Hills.

It is being run by the team behind The Old Dairy and Olive Kitchen in Martock, as well as Canteen at Perry’s Cider.

A Perdida spokesperson said: “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.

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“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.”

The renovated café has been designed with re-purposed and recycled furniture and interior design and is open in line with Ferne Animal Sanctuary; from Thursday to Monday, 10am to 4pm.

Ferne provides refuge and rehabilitation to animals and has been operating for more than 80 years, with hundreds of animals on site at any given time.

For more information on Ferne Animal Sanctuary, visit www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org.