TOP TV chef Marco Pierre White came to Swindon yesterday to meet diners and to sign copies of his brand new cookbook.

The culinary maestro was relaxing at his new Bardolino restaurant in Wood Street and chatting to foodies about his latest creations.

The book, Essentially Marco, was described by the man himself as being “perfect for the home cook”.

A warm and affable Marco said: “The book is all about making things simple. It is meant to inspire people and to teach them certain techniques that they can use in everyday cooking.

“Most people these days have a great passion for cooking and it’s not about being flash and extravagant but producing good home-cooked food that everybody can enjoy.”

Speaking about why he decided to bring his brand of cuisine to Swindon, Marco said he wanted to work with his close friend Manni Madhani, the proprietor of Bardolino Swindon.

He said: “Manni is a personal friend and we like to do business with people we know.

“Everyone like to eat out and this is a really good location.”

After spending most of the day in Swindon, Marco jetted off to South Africa for promotional work.

Bardolino, formerly the Old Bank, opened to much fanfare in March and features an all-day express menu of authentic Italian food, coffees and Bellinis. It is named after the Italian town in which Marco’s mother’s was born.