GOURMET sandwiches, artisan cheesecakes and gifts from some of the newest names in design in Scotland: a trip to the Post Office will never be the same again after visiting Penny Black.

The store in Great Western Road, just round the corner from Oran Mor, opened a couple of months ago and is already a favourite with locals.

It could be the quirky lines of greeting cards sourced by the family-run business, or just the great coffee in the cafe.

The idea was to set up a real hub doe the local community, according to Ryan Marwaha, who oversees the operation with the help of his wife Jo, father-in-law Reg, sister Natalie and parents Sue and Sham.

"Somebody might come in and do their business at the Post Office and then get a coffee or come in to buy cards and sit down with something to eat to write them and then post them," he says.

"Although the west end has a lot of coffee shops they are not all accessible. Here we have wheelchair access and wider aisles. I have a wee boy of 16 months and I know how infuriating it is to take a pram into a small shop, so we looked at everything."

The former clothing thrift shop was gutted and refitted with a modern, industrial look with tall iron columns and wood cladding on the walls.

The family business firmly focuses on like-minded producers, from small home-grown talent producing cards and gifts, from cushions to stationery, to the speciality teas and coffees sold in the cafe or to buy and make at home.

"Underpinning everything is the quality of products," says Ryan. "Our suppliers and the products we pick have to be just right. We're always looking for really good design."

There are quirky and on-trend cards from Able and Game, a designer originally from the west end of Glasgow who now lives in Australia; hilarious illustrations from south side based Hole in My Pocket; Scottish patter from Glasgow-based Lisa Donati; music-based illustrations from Glasgow's Lloyd Loves and a one-off card featuring the Glasgow skyline designed for Penny Black specially by My world.

"Where we can we try and find Glasgow and Scottish makers. It's all about speaking to people, asking them who they can recommend. It's important for us to have a local presence. It's also to get that Glasgow humour as well," says Ryan.

"It's the same in the cafe, the cakes are from McPhies Craft Bakers in the east end of the city and the cheesecakes are from Artisan Cheesecakes in Bathgate.

"Feedback from customers has been really positive. We have a lot of regulars - some people will come in for a coffee with friends from work when they finish for the day, others often come in on a Sunday with their kids - it's always a race to get the window seats."

Among the German-made Leuchtturn 1917 notebooks, stationers from Glasgow-based La La Land and cushions from Scottish Nikki McWilliams, there are bags of single origin coffee beans by Matthew Algie and blends from the Wee Tea Company, grown and blended in Scotland.

Penny Black, 721 Great Western Road, Glasgow.