AFTER nearly a year of work, Rick Stein restaurant in Marlborough has announced its opening date, with booking already being welcomed.

The High Street restaurant has now announced its official opening will be taking place on October 8. Mr Stein and the group executive chef Jack Stein, his son, will be joined by Kevin Chandler.

They are now putting the final touches to their menus.

Mr Stein said: “Marlborough is such a beautiful town in a wonderful part of the country and it’s incredibly exciting to be opening a restaurant there. As soon as I saw Lloran House I thought it would make the perfect restaurant and it’s now really taking shape.

"The team have all been working hard to make everything ready for opening and I know we’re all looking forward to welcoming the first customers through the door on Saturday the 8th.”

The restaurant will be delivering Mr Stein’s own take on seafood as well as encompassing Wiltshire’s farming heritage. A number of Mr Stein’s most iconic dishes will be on the menu as well as a lunch menu and a Sunday lunch.

Mr Chandler, 36, of Church Street in Market Lavington, said: “Two of my major inspirations were Rick Stein and Gary Rhodes. I feel my career has been leading up to this job. I am very excited to be part of this, I love Marlborough and to have a Rick Stein there will be great.

“I have lived near Devizes for most of my life. I was born in Salisbury and at the age of 9 or 10 moved to Urchfont, attending Urchfont and Lavington Schools. I later moved to London for a couple of years to work in the restaurants up there.

"I saw the job at Rick Stein’s come up, I have always admired him, and he is a real food hero with very good ethics which is very important to me.

"I just had to apply, you don’t necessarily think of a Rick Stein restaurant coming to Wiltshire.”

Anyone interested in booking their spot at Rick Stein’s new establishment can visit the website www.rickstein.com or call 01672 233333.