THE chef and boss behind Blackburn’s new £250,000 Italian restaurant revealed he now has bookings up until Christmas as he prepared to open up on Monday.

Chris Maughan, 33, was speaking as he hosted Saturday night’s pre-opening party for the 120-diner A Mano restaurant in the the town’s flagship £34 million Cathedral Quarter.

He had wife Alison acting as DJ for the event attended by 200 guests.

With 25 staff already on board at the restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the town’s One Cathedral Square office block, he was looking forward to long hours in the kitchen.

Mr Maughan, fresh from the success of his his first venture, the Theatre Street Bar & Grill in Preston, said: “I am really excited to be opening.

“The preparations have gone really smoothly and everyone including the council and surrounding businesses have been really helpful.

“Now the long hours and hard work begin. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Amazing things have happened to Blackburn town centre and this Cathedral Square is great.

“We already have bookings up to and including Christmas and we will have DJ’s every Friday and Saturday night.

“A Mano is playing its part in making this town centre a real destination venue to come and eat and drink.

“We are open from noon every day and have a licences to 1.30am with a bar to have a drink in as well as a restaurant.”

A Mano joins Turtle Bay, Cafe Northcote, the Premier Inn’s Thyme Restaurant and Nando’s in Blackburn’s central area.

A second Italian restaurant is also set to open in Blackburn town centre at the end of next month.

Gioia Italiano will be based on Church Street in the former Blackburn Rovers store, previously the town’s Visitor Information Centre.

Tony Duckworth, president of Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, said: “A Mano’s opening is splendid new for the town centre.

“It will further advance Blackburn’s night-time economy and bring back life to the town’s evenings.”