RYEDALE'S latest tourist attraction, the visitor centre at Castle Howard's Arboretum, now has a cafe.

The venture has been launched by Dorianne Butler who spent many years in the hotel and catering industry before having her own business, Rangers House, in Sheriff Hutton.

Mrs Butler, who now lives at Old Malton, says her aim is to provide "simple food made from products supplied locally".

Her fare is being much sought after by enthusiastic walkers and visitors to the 150-acre Arboretum Trust-Kew Gardens grounds at Castle Howard when they have enjoyed a walk around the avenues of rare trees and shrubs and taken in the areas of wild flowers in the ancient parkland.

Her menu includes bread made from stoneground wholewheat flour ground at Spaunton, free range eggs and chickens at Harome.

Mrs Butler said: "The cafe is a great challenge for me. I was really pleased to have the opportunity to open it to help the Arboretum Trust because it is a charity and is doing such splendid work at Castle Howard."

Her skills in the catering industry have seen her acting as an external verifier for NVQ students and a trainer for the City and Guild's hospitality and customer service.

Now the arboretum is established it has become the home for a wide variety of birds especially green woodpeckers, owls, tits and kingfishers as well as a range of wild flowers, said Maurag Carmichael, the administrator of the venture.

The visitor centre also has a role as an educational facility for children and the public wanting to learn more about the wildlife, trees, flora and fauna at the arboretum, she added.

It has been described as one of the most exciting developments in horticulture and botany in Britain in the last 30 years.