Both are small harbour towns situated on stunning stretches of the English coastline, with a home fishing fleet and immediate access to the best local produce money can buy.

And they're both slap bang in the middle of thriving tourist hotspots.
But while Padstow in Cornwall has re-invented itself as one of Britain's culinary landmarks – in no small part due to celebrity chef Rick Stein, who is a resident – Amble, on the Northumberland coast, is still waiting for its alimentary renaissance to arrive.

For one highly renowed North East restaurateur, however, that may be just around the corner, as he prepares to open his latest establishment in the historic port.

Richard Sim has been a creative driving force behind some of the region's most talked-about food ventures, including the Alnwick Garden and Made in Northumberland, which champions the best in local produce, and more recently to the much-vaunted Six restaurant at Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.


His new restaurant, Zecca, is due to open in around a month at the former Bread Bin bakery on High Street, which closed in January with the loss of six jobs, and will feature quality Italian-themed cuisine.

And where Stein put Padstow on the gastronomic map, Sim hopes he can help do the same for Amble.

"Certainly it has the potential to come up to Padstow's level, and it deserves to," he said.

"I'm a regular visitor to Cornwall, and what I love about Padstow is that it has dramatically improved itself whilst retaining its character and charm.

"I would love to see Amble step up to the plate, and it's not as big a step as people may think. Everything is already there for this to happen.

"Some view Amble as Alnwick's poor relation, but I think it has a lot to offer– more, in some cases, than Alnwick. but while it has some fantasic pubs and fish and chip shops, it hasn't followed Alnwick's lead on providing a good choice of quality restaurants."

He added: "I saw the gap in Amble, which is why I went down this route of creating Zecca, because tourists and local people are now looking for that bit more choice.

"The big selling point we have here in Northumberland is the local produce, and I really believe that what we have some truly great products.

"As chefs, however, we maybe haven't been making the most of it as much as we should have."

Richard said that regeneration plans for Amble also have a big part to play, but he believes that the foundations are firm to transform the town into a must-visit destination.

"There's a lot on the horizon, especially with plans to upgrade the quayside and create a new supermarket," he said.
"Amble is really on the up."

Down in Padstow, Stein has opened no less than five places to eat – The Seafood Restaurant, the Bistro at St Petroc's, Rick Stein's Cafe, The Seafood Deli, and Stein's Patisserie.

He's also had a significant influence on many other independent venues in the town, effectively 'upping the game' with his devotion to using only fresh, local produce.

For Richard, however, he says he's content with his immediate plans for Zecca.