A YORK restaurant owned by acclaimed North Yorkshire chef Andrew Pern has been severely damaged by fire.

The blaze broke out at Star Inn the City restaurant on Museum Street in the early hours of Friday morning.

Around 20 firefighters battled the fire after being alerted at about 5.05am from a member of the public who spotted flames coming from the restaurant.

Station manager Peter Gregory, said: “It took about two hours to get under control. It was awkward to get to it.

“The building was unoccupied at the time. There were no injuries.”

An investigation is now taking place to determine the cause.

Mr Pern, who also runs the Michelin-starred The Star Inn at Harome, said: “The kitchen will be out of action for a short time. We will hope to have the bar area open for next weekend for drinks and light snacks only.

“I would like to thank North Yorkshire Fire Service and some of our senior staff for their swift response to a difficult situation.”