THE man behind a popular former Ribble Valley restaurant is opening a new venture in the borough.

Nico Ricioppo, of Whalley, who was born in Calabria, Southern Italy, is set to open ‘Nico’s Gastronomia’ next weekend in the former King Charles’ pub in Barrow, which closed in February.

The former owner of Nico's Ristorante Italiano, Whalley Road, Langho said that his new restaurant, in Old Row, Barrow, was his ‘new adventure’.

For 14 years Nico's was a popular village restaurant, well known in the Ribble Valley for playing host to a number of Blackburn Rovers players and soap stars.

This time around, Nico said he hoped to bring success to a new area.

He said he had ‘pumped too much’ of his money into the venture.

Mr Ricioppo said: “We have been working extremely hard to make the new restaurant a success and it will bring a whole new experience to the area.

“People will love what we have done and the food will certainly be delicious.”

And the kitchen staff have all come from the island of Sardinia to deliver ‘Italy to Barrow’.

“The kitchen team will be cooking traditional italian dishes as they are all of Italian origin. There will be fresh deli produce every day.”

Surrounded by ‘contemporary’ surroundings, Nico said that his customers could enjoy a ‘select menu’.

He said:”We will be delivering more than just pizza and pasta to our customers.

"The menu will be ever changing, and we will be serving food with style.”

Nico’s in Langho closed in 2005. At the time Mr Ricioppo said trade at the restaurant had become ‘lethargic’ so he was planning to set up an estate agency offering homes in Italy, which he still runs.

He did say, however, that the restaurant trade was ‘in my blood’ and that he would get involved again in the future.