A business run by a celebrity chef has been praised for helping to bring trade to a north Norfolk town.

No1 Cromer, a fish and chip restaurant and take-away based in New Street, opened last summer as a joint venture between celebrity chef and Morston Hall-owner Galton Blackiston, and local businessmen Chris Griffin and Spencer Gray.

Over the year they have seen the business, which uses local producers, go from strength to strength and, as a result, around six-to-eight weeks ago they opened a new part of the restaurant upstairs which offers a range of dishes including lobster and crab.

Mr Gray said they had decided to expand the business because of the popularity of the downstairs restaurant.

He said: 'The business just went from strength to strength so we thought to ourselves 'what else can we do?' and we came up with the idea of using more of Galton's knowledge and dishes and offering more than just the fish and chips. We are really proud of what we have achieved together. It has done more than we expected it to have done.'

He said at the moment they had around 30 staff.

He added: 'I believe we have done a lot for Cromer. We are bringing a lot of customers in who would not normally come here.'

On Friday the restaurant was visited by north Norfolk MP Norman Lamb who, after meeting with Mr Gray and his wife Rachel, praised the work which had gone into making the business a success.

Mr Lamb said: 'It is fantastic for Cromer. The business is bringing crowds of people into Cromer and not just in the peak season, it seems to be continuing.

'The combination of Galton's brains and hands-on interest in it together with Spencer and Rachel's knowledge and skills is a partnership made in heaven.'

? Have you started a new business venture? Contact tracey.gray@archant.co.uk