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Little Chef hopes for cult following
KETTERING'S Little Chef could have a cult following when its revamp by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal is complete, the company's chief executive has said.
The imaginative chef, who transformed the Little Chef in Popham for the Channel 4 show, BIg Chef Takes on Little Chef, is set to work his magic on the Kettering restaurant this month.
The restaurant, off the A14, will close for renovations and an overhaul of its menu on July 6 and will re-open on July 23, with a celebrity gala also in the pipeline.
There are hopes that it, too, could attract visitors from across the country, with people keen to sample dishes like braised ox cheeks.
The Kettering diner and one in York are the first two to receive the Heston treatment since the publicity surrounding the Popham cafe.
Chief executive Ian Pegler said: “There’s no reason why people won’t be wowed just like they have been in Popham.
“We have had lots of people go to Popham just for the day, from places as far away as Newcastle.
“We hope the Kettering restaurant will have a big draw.”
Little Chef decided to revamp its Kettering restaurant because of its Midlands location and due to its square shape, along with its location next to a Travel Lodge.
Heston is expected to visit Kettering soon to oversee the changes to the menu, although classics like the Olympic breakfast and Early Starter will remain.
There will be filming at the restaurant for a second show about Heston’s input into the restaurant chain.
How successful the Kettering and York revamps are will determine whether bosses decide to roll-out the changes across other Little Chefs. It could also lead to the expansion of the 100-seat restaurant.
Sixteen new jobs will be created with the renovation in Kettering.
Heston’s new menu resulted in Popham’s turnover increase eight-fold in the months after the changes were brought in.
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Weather for Kettering
Monday 13 February 2012
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Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
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