The owners of a Saltaire restaurant are claiming a culinary coup after capturing one of London's top chefs.

Head chef Wayne Brimicombe, 24, has waved goodbye to London's most fashionable kitchens for the lure of Beeties restaurant.

Wayne, who was trained by celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Jean Novelli, has worked at some of the most famous London restaurants, including Rhodes in the Square, in Pimlico, Novelli Les Sauvers in Mayfair, and the Cadogan Hotel in Knightsbridge.

But now he says he is happy to escape the rat race and bring his cooking talents to the North.

He said: "There's a lot of pressure in London because you're working in big kitchens with a lot of chefs.

"But it's the same here. You still have to keep an eye on the consistency and quality of the food.

"I think that the North does need educating about good food. But Yorkshire is definitely coming on more than other parts of the country. I see coming here as a new challenge."

Wayne hopes his apprenticeship under Gary Rhodes will stand him in good stead.

He said: "Gary is a very serious and demanding chef but his training is the best. When you go into his kitchens you have to forget everything you know and you learn his way of doing things."

Wayne's menu features baked sea bass with artichoke bouillon, roast wood pigeon and asparagus and spinach risotto in chive cream.

Beeties manager Jayne Dixon said Wayne was not the only chef who saw the North as the future of cooking.

"When we first advertised we got absolutely no response from Bradford at all so we decided to go nationwide.

"We couldn't believe what we had coming through the door. It was a totally different calibre of chef. They all had Michelin stars and amazing experience. It was just the sort of thing we were looking for.

"A lot of chefs are coming from London to the North. They all think they've been there and done that and see coming up here as a new challenge. They work horrendous hours in London - from 7am to midnight - so they will get a better quality of life up here.

"I know he still keeps in touch with Gary Rhodes and he says he's going to come and have a look because he's very interested in what's happening up here."

But Jayne is not expecting the sort of prima donna behaviour in Saltaire made famous by chefs such as Gordon Ramsay or Marco Pierre White. She said: "Wayne's quite shy. Chefs can be quite fiery but Wayne's very calm - he's definitely no Gordon Ramsay!"