TWO Blackpool restaurant owners are hoping to cook up a storm of interest after featuring in a new television series.

Top chef restaurateur and consultant Pat McDonald stepped in to help Tony Beswick and brother-in-law Marco Calle-Calatayud turn their restaurant, Kwizeen Bistro, King Street, into a thriving success.

The experience was all part of the new Channel 4 programme If You Can't Stand The Heat, featuring six restaurants and Pat's trouble-shooting ideas to make them more profitable.

Chef Marco, who will see the programme for the first time when it is screened on October 13, said: "It was all very good experience for us. We've only been open for 12 months and at the end of the day being the only restaurant in the north to feature on this television programme can't do us any harm.

"I knew Pat was a trouble-shooter, but no-one told me about the machine gun. He came up with some good ideas, but we didn't take everything on board.

"At the end of filming the producer said we were the only one of the six restaurants to give him a run for his money.

"As a result of the programme we've redesigned the front window and made some other changes here and there.

"There were certain things, like when Pat wanted us to change the name of the restaurant, that we just wouldn't do.

"But when we opened we were on a tight budget and couldn't afford to do the things we wanted to.

"It was very tiring and I don't think I would do anything like that again. The whole thing started in February when I saw the producer's advert looking for restaurants to take part and the filming wasn't finished until August.

"I don't know how it's been edited, but I'm not at all worried about it."

Catch up with Tony and Marco's progress on October 13 at 9pm on Channel 4.

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