WITH just days until the official opening of the new Rick Stein restaurant in Marlborough High Street, the world-famous chef is looking forward to having a new premises in the Wiltshire town.

After a year of hard work, the new restaurant will be opening its doors to the people of Marlborough on Saturday.

The Marlborough restaurant will be the 13th place that Stein has opened.

“It is very exciting to be opening a restaurant here, everyone is filled with enthusiasm," he said.

"It has been very easy, I have been visiting often since we bought the place and it is a lovely spot for it.

"It is very spacious, I am glad everyone has made the decisions because I would say we need more seating to get bums on the chairs but it has a lovely amount of space.”

As well as having a regular fish supply from Padstow, Stein has said that the restaurant will be supporting local businesses.

“We do have the fish supply from Padstow, which has been quite easy setting up and getting everything together, but we are sourcing meat and game from Walter Rose and Sons in Devizes," he said.

"I think it is important to support local businesses and because a, the food is good and b, it is good PR.

"Unfortunately I will not be here on the opening night because I will be filming for a TV series in Padstow.” 

Now the opening day is nearing, Stein has said that he has the utmost confidence in the staff who will be running and maintaining his new restaurant.

“We are very lucky to have such fabulous and gifted staff at the restaurant in Marlborough, everyone seems to be enjoying it and are very enthusiastic. I plan on having a catch up and getting to know everyone,” he said.

Charlie Cook, director of Walter Rose and Son in Devizes, has said that now the butchers will be supplying Rick Stein it adds another big name to their list of customers.

“We do supply big names like Tom Kerridge, but to be supplying Rick Stein is great," he said.

"I am the fourth generation of my family to be part of the business in Devizes, we still use the same ethos and the same suppliers my grandfather used when he was in the job.

"It has all paid off, we are starting to get national recognition, it is putting Devizes on the map.”