Scottish celebrity chef Jamie Scott is to open his first restaurant in Newport.
The MasterChef: the Professionals winner, who scooped the prestigious TV title in December, is to transform part of the former Newport Hotel into a top-class restaurant and bar.
Jamie, 27, from Arbroath, plans to spend more than £50,000 fitting out the kitchen alone, which he has also designed to meet his own demands.
He and wife Kelly, 26, will operate the restaurant together, with Jamie overseeing the kitchen and Kelly managing the public face of the business.
He revealed the choice of Newport for his venture had as much to do with the view across the Tay and the impending V&A as with the Fife town itself.
“Dundee is on the up and up and Newport is overlooking it all.”
Saying he was “really, really excited about it”, Jamie added: “I’m very nervous of course but I’ve been thinking about doing this for the past 16 months.
“It’s going to be over four floors two restaurant floors, the bar and the kitchen above.”
Jamie plans to open his restaurant towards the end of the year or in January.
“Maybe that would be the best time a fresh start to the year and a celebration opening,” he said.
“I want to make Newport a favourite destination for people from all over.”