A celebrity chef enjoyed holidaying in Warminster so much that he has returned two years on to open his own restaurant.

Italian-born Aldo Zilli, who has appeared on TV in Good Food Live and Celebrity Fit Club, was at Center Parcs in Longleat on Friday night for the launch of his new venture, The Zilli Café.

Situated within the same building as the Aqua Sana spa, the restaurant, painted in a blue and white décor to compliment its healthy menu of fresh fish, salad and pasta, is part of Center Parc’s £14million investment in its restaurants and bars across all four villages over the last two years.

Mr Zilli, who also has a restaurant in Soho, London, said: “I love the high ceilings and the open space. When you come out of the spa you just want to sit down and relax and it is very important that the food is not aggressive. It is all very salad-orientated and very appropriate of a healthy Mediterranean diet.

“We are using lots of Wiltshire ingredients; that is the main thing about this place. The chefs are all from here too so they know where to get the ingredients from.”

The chefs spent three months training with Mr Zilli in London, learning his style of cooking, before coming back to work at the restaurant.

The menu includes lobster ravioli, chargrilled seabass with lemon and olive oil, and his homemade Tiramisu.

Mr Zilli, who has three children, including one 25-year-old daughter, a three-year-old son and a younger daughter, aged nine months, brought his family to the Warminster-based holiday park two years ago.

He said: “I like it here. It is a very energetic place and I think it has got everything possible for the family to enjoy.”

It was following his visit to Center Parcs that he expressed an interest to be involved and a meeting with chief executive Martin Dalby resulted in a three-year franchise agreement.

Zilli Café is open to holiday residents, and members of the public who have booked a spa visit costing from £35.