BIKERS are being given a taste of continental cafe culture as a former greasy spoon reopens its doors.

Croissants and baguettes sit side by side with English breakfasts and bacon butties at the Penny Garth Cafe in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.

And they can be enjoyed al fresco under typically French parasols that sprout from the tables in Hawes High Street.

The cosmopolitan touch comes courtesy of the new management, French owner Celine Westen-Schlosser, and her German husband, Christian, who have refurbished the cafe in bright blue and orange, and featuring Mediterranean ceramic floor tiles.

For decades, Penny Garth Cafe has been a favourite haunt of motorcyclists attracted to North Yorkshire by the blend of scenery and twisty roads. Last year, fewer bikers than usual stopped in the Yorkshire Dales market town because the cafe was closed.

"I ask the bikers why they stop in Hawes, and they tell me it's a tradition that goes back more than 30 years," said Australian-born Celine, 25, who was brought up in Le Mans, in North-West France.

"The English bikers are very well behaved compared with France, where they ride their machines around the supermarket. They are nice and come here to meet friends and enjoy themselves."

Celine wanted French cafe style but has been careful not to alienate local people by going too up-market.

"I didn't want it to be too different as local people don't like change," she said. "I say it looks clean not posh."

The latest member of staff cannot fail to woo customers - their daughter, eight-month old Ellise.

"We stick her with the bikers," said Celine. "By the time she is five she will know all there is to know about motorbikes.