We want you to eat your words, Gordo

The volative TV chief was quoted last year as saying he believed the town was one of the worst places in the country for eating out.

Mr Race intends to prove him wrong when his new venture opens.

He will greet his first customers at his town centre premises next month. The Shine club will open above the High Street on March 18. It will be followed by his restaurant, The Belmont, in which the first meals will be served during June.

It is believed it will be the only 'traditional' English restaurant in the town.

Mr Race (43) said: "We will only be serving fresh food. Our dishes will include pheasant and pigeon as well as the more traditional meals, such as fillet steak.

"All our food will be traceable back to its source."

"We will have a lunchtime menu as well for business people who want to entertain clients.

"I don't think there's any proper high-class restaurant in Bognor other than Indian, Chinese or Thai.

"I would be happy to invite Gordon Ramsay here to see that there is good food in the town."

Mr Race will open his new ventures in a former gym and nightclub premises. It was occupied by Images for many years before it closed in April 2006.

The premises on three floors above the HSBC bank and Westons Amusements were re-opened as Caesars leisure club early last year. This closed within a few months.

Mr Race, whose most recent job in the town was reopening The Station pub last November, spotted a gap in the market for eating out.

He explained: "People ask where they can go out for a meal and there's not a lot here. I can see what Gordon Ramsay meant."

He is spending 50,000 refurbishing the premises. The end result will be a club with a capacity of 300 revellers. It will work as a sports bar during the daytime after 11am. Admission will be for over 21s only.

Licences to sell alcohol until 1am during the week and until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights are being sought by Mr Race.

Once Shine is open, Mr Race will concentrate on opening The Belmont. This will be in the gym's former swimming pool, which is separate from the clubbing area.

It will have 50 seats and will be served from an extended and improved kitchen.

About 15 staff will working in the businesses once they are fully open.

A new sauna and changing rooms will enable anyone who comes from work to relax before their meal and change into casual clothes.