A visit from a superstar singer was a pleasant surprise for staff at a west Dorset cafe.

Take That superstar Mark Owen was a long way from Manchester when he called in at the Hive Beach Cafe in Burton Bradstock for some takeaway vegetable soup.

His warming soup was an appropriate order for the time of his visit - a chilly Monday afternoon in January 2015.

Dorset Echo:

Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock

Owen was taking time out from his boyband duties to visit the area to attend a friend’s party and also spent some time exploring the local coastline. He spent time chatting with staff, posing for photographs and signing autographs.

Chef Hannah Clifford spoke to Owen when he was there, and also had her picture taken with him.

She said: “He came in to the cafè on his own, I didn’t notice he was there until someone came in to the kitchen and pointed him out.

“He said he was going to a party in the local area, and decided to come to the cafè. He seemed very interested in the area and said he wanted to have a look round.

Dorset Echo:

Mark Owen performing at Camp Bestival in Dorset in 2013

“He was very chatty with all of us, he was talking to the chefs about food and asking us where the best places in the local area were to go and get food.

“I said to him that he would be added to our wall of fame because he’s better than Broadchurch, and he posed for photos and signed autographs as well. He was really nice.”

The cafè itself is no stranger to celebrities, it was visited by David Tennant and Olivia Colman during the filming of Broadchurch.