A new Starbucks is preparing to open at a Sainsbury's store in Kent.

The American coffee brand will take over the restaurant space in the restaurant on the Park Farm Industrial Estate in Folkestone.

It comes as the supermarket giant looks to transform its eat-in food and drink offer to customers.

Earlier this year Sainsbury's announced it would close around 200 of its in-store cafés, with the aim of replacing them with outlets operated by third-party partners like Starbucks.

In March, the grocer announced it was aiming to open a further 30 Starbucks coffee shops in its supermarkets in the following year, bringing the total number of Starbucks in Sainsbury's supermarkets to 60.

Some selected stores would see their café replaced by a food concept called The Restaurant Hub, offering products from well-known high street names.

Speaking in March, Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said: "We know that customers like the convenience of being able to have a drink, a snack or a meal while they’re doing their shopping – and that they love the range of food and brands on offer at The Restaurant Hub and from Starbucks.

"Through our trials with Boparan Restaurant Group and Starbucks we have learnt that we can offer customers a much better eat-in and takeaway experience working with partners."

Starbucks branding has been installed at the Park Farm supermarket, with windows covered over as the work to convert the café goes on inside.

Alex Rayner, general manager at Starbucks UK, said: "We look forward to building on our existing relationship with Sainsbury’s to bring the safe, convenient, Starbucks experience to more of their customers, and for our cafés to play an important role as a gathering place within the community."

A spokesperson for Cobra Coffee, which is to run the franchise in Folkestone, said: "We look forward to bringing the Starbucks experience to customers in Park Farm, Folkestone Sainsbury’s in the near future."

Starbucks already has two stores inside Sainsbury's supermarkets in Kent.

It has one at the superstore in Kingsmead Road in Canterbury and opened another in November last year at the Sainsbury's in Chestfield near Whitstable.

Cobra Coffee is yet to announce an opening date for the new branch in Folkestone.