NEW businesses are thriving and the area is "flourishing" as more development is the pipeline, says the district's economic chief.
Rural locations and towns within the Malvern Hills District, including Malvern, Upton and Tenbury are brimming with new independent businesses, cuisines and events.

READ MORE: Alturo Lounge opens in Great Malvern
The district council said a total of 16 new ventures have been launched in recent weeks.
These include a new food and drink festival, mini golf adventure, shops, restaurants, and bicycle and e-bike hire. 
Cllr Beverley Nielsen, portfolio holder for economic development and tourism at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "It's such great news to see so many new businesses opening up within the district, especially in the current climate.
"We are committed to supporting businesses and the growth of the economy in the Malvern Hills District, and it is great to see it flourishing."
John Hamilton, of Malvern’s Coffee Culture, said the shop has had a “really good response” since opening in the town earlier this year.
“At first we had a few people saying ‘do we want another coffee shop?’ but I think people have seen that we bring something a bit different.
“We roast our own coffee and as we like to say, ‘keep it local’. Our soft drinks are from the Cotswolds and our ice cream is from Ledbury.
“There’s a real community spirit among the coffee shops in Malvern - we visit each other, talk about how things are going and that can only be a good thing.
“I’m new to Malvern after coming up from London but it’s been great.”
Alex Hawes, of Cafe No8 in Upton, said: “It’s been a really busy time for us since we opened in November.
“Lots of people have been really supportive of us - it’s been lovely.”
She said Upton has also seen a number of businesses close in recent months.
“It’s a shame,” she added.
New businesses and events include:
 Food and Drink Festival, Three Counties Showground
 Mini golf at Café No 8, Upton upon Severn
 Happy Bike, bike hire and repairs in Great Malvern
 Malverns Coffee Culture, Great Malvern
 Garlands Flowers, florist in Tenbury Wells
 Thai Cuisine at The Plume of Feathers, Castlemorton
 Rossiter Books, Great Malvern
 Alturo Lounge Café Bar, Great Malvern
The district will also soon be welcoming even more new developments and businesses, including:
 Malvern Theatres re-development - the first stage of the £20 million re-development is due to host its first show in the new studio space Studio One.
 Hillbilly's - to open eat-in location, Malvern Link.
 The Fig Deli, Great Malvern  due to open a deli next to its restaurant. 
 The Lantern at The Mount Pleasant, Great Malvern  a new stylish food and beverage facility.
New tourism, hospitality and retail businesses operating in the Malvern Hills District are encouraged to contact info@visitthemalverns.org so they can be included on the What's New list on the Visit The Malverns website.
Also available is the Malvern Hills Tourism Grant Scheme and the Town Centre Support Grant Scheme, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
These schemes aim to support investment by independent traders within the five town centres and encourage development of tourism and hospitality businesses across the Malvern Hills district.