Disquiet on menu over celebrity chef's plans for Winchester (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Disquiet on menu over celebrity chef's plans for Winchester

8:00am Thursday 11th October 2012 in Winchester By Joseph Curtis

A CELEBRITY chef’s plan for a new Winchester restaurant has met mixed reactions from residents.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has signed a lease to take over the historic council-owned Abbey Mill off Colebrook Street.

But residents are divided over the benefits of the River Cottage restaurant to the area.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I think it’s great to have a new business in Winchester and we always welcome that but it’s a residential street and you wouldn’t put a pub there. We have elderly people and school aged children on this street while there are lots of empty spaces on the High Street.”

Another resident who would not be named added: “Huge trucks come down this street and have damaged the front of my house before and made the building shake. It was bad enough before, what will happen now this is coming in and all the delivery trucks come down here?”

But Nici Simon, a full-time mum of Colebrook Street, said: “I think it will be great for the building and good to have a bit of life down this street. There are obvious concerns about parking and deliveries but I think it will be a positive so long as it is well managed.”

Maria Kaeble, who works at the Quaker Meeting House, added: “It will add to an area that has been unused for so many years and a restaurant could be a good thing to have here. My only concern would be parking.”

River Cottage will be organising a meeting with residents to discuss the plans in the near future.