Westquay shoppers are in for a surprise as popular Southampton coffee house Mettricks is set to open a stand in the centre.

Customers looking for a latte or flat white will get more choices as Southampton's coffee shop Mettricks is set to join the list of brands at the city’s shopping centre.

The coffee shop's managing director, Spencer Bowman, shared on Facebook a picture of him by a stand outside John Lewis.

He wrote online about his time working at the John Lewis Expresso Bar 20 years ago.

He said: “In almost this exact spot at the John Lewis Espresso Bar, I made my first espresso coffee wearing my John Lewis Green apron.

“It was a terrible cup of coffee. But what I lacked in knowledge on that first day I more than made up for with all the enthusiasm of a 16-year-old determined to earn some decent money alongside sixth-form study (in fact, I held down three part-time jobs all through college, working 20 hours a week during term time).”

Twenty years after his job at the old coffee stand he is set to open his stand at the shopping centre.

He said: “Here we are 20 years later, the colour has changed - of the coffee machine, my apron and increasingly the hair on my head!

“And I really cannot quite believe that the small little coffee business we opened 10 years ago, inspired by the first flat white I drank in New Zealand in 2007, would have signed up right at the heart of WestQuay.

“In many ways, it’s a miracle that me and Mettricks are even still here.

“The last five years have, to put it mildly, been brutal. But I’ve believed that at the very beating heart of Mettricks is something so worthwhile.

“A space that exudes the warmth and welcome of my great-grandparents and has become Southampton’s living room, where top quality speciality coffee is served without pretension and our food is fresh and tasty by design.

“And I cannot wait to be one of the very few independent businesses showcasing amongst the big guys - and hopefully giving them a run for their money!”

He added that he is “incredibly proud” of all who worked alongside him and thanked all the shop's supporters.

Mettricks has branches in Woolston, Portswood and at Guildhall Square.