RENOWNED chef, Raymond Blanc, provided a sneak preview of his new restaurant, which opens in Winchester next week.

Brasserie Blanc in Jewry Street aims to offer quality food at affordable prices.

There are seven such restaurants already open, and Winchester will become the smallest city in Britain to have one.

Monsieur Blanc visited the new venue today(March 5) to see how things were progressing.

He has developed most of the recipes on the menu, and plans to call into Winchester at least once a fortnight.

Speaking to the Chronicle during his visit, he said: "It's not a matter of hanging a name around the door, this will be real Blanc' food."

He added that he hoped to work with local suppliers to provide the freshest ingredients possible. He intends to spend several days visiting Hampshire farms and food markets.

"The whole idea is to add something to Winchester in terms of quality to what is already on offer in an exciting food scene," he added.

Following a few preview nights, the restaurant is due to open officially on Friday, March 14.

* The Chronicle's 7 Days supplement will be carrying a full interview with Monsieur Blanc later this month.