Raymond Blanc goes into business with The Restaurant winners

Raymond Blanc and the Peach Pub Company will be supporting the winners of the BBC2 programme The Restaurant when they open their own outlet in Thame, Oxfordshire, in November.

Jeremy and Jane Hooper, a former Royal Marine Corps cook and a former trainee teacher from Barnstaple in Devon, are going into business with Blanc with the Eight in the Country restaurant.

The couple won the BBC reality TV show last night, which saw couples compete to run their own restaurants with the chance to go into business with Blanc.

Peach Pub Company, through co-founder and series judge Lee Cash, will provide support for the couple, including front-of-house and kitchen training in a Peach pub as well as back of house advice when the restaurant opens.

Blanc said of the winners: “I felt they were passionate about their vision and what it meant to them to win – this is really a life decision for them and I am sure they are going to give it their all.”

Jane Hooper added: “We know we’ve been given the opportunity of a life-time.  We’re honoured and privileged to be working with Raymond and with Peach. The last few weeks have been an amazing learning curve for us and we know it’s going to be tough, but running our own restaurant is what we’ve always dreamed of.”

For more on the chef see our dedicated Raymond Blanc page>>

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By Christopher Walton

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