CHEF Glynn Fidgeon has swapped the restaurant at St James's Park for a caf in a car showroom.

Yet it is no greasy spanner cafe, more a refueling station with a difference.

For 32-year-old Mr Fidgeon has just opened Caf Dafte at the new multi-million pound Pulman Volkswagen showroom in Abbey Road, Durham City.

The operation, smoothly administered by front of house colleague, Angela Wingfield, gives Mr Fidgeon, from Crawcrook, the perfect place to show off his talents.

He originally got a taste for catering from his family background in the pub trade, honing his skills in Benidorm, before returning to the region to feed the masses of the Toon Army.

He now has his eyes on much tastier goals with the new Pulman enterprise, and is already developing a sandwich service which will cater for businesses around the garage in the the Arnison Centre area.

He said: "I saw the potential to grow the business straight away when I moved in here.

"Pulman Volkswagen offers a superb environment in which to try out new things and to develop new opportunities for the businesses in the area around the site."