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Top chef’s restaurant for airport hotel

Marco Pierre White to open Frankie's Bar and Grill

Marco Pierre White will be opening a restaurant at Exeter International Airport’s new hotel development at later this year.

The top chef has announced that an outlet called Frankie’s Bar and Grill, a restaurant brand launched in Knightsbridge in 2004 with his friend, the jockey and horse racing legend Frankie Detorri, will be become the focal point of the airport’s planned Hampton by Hilton Hotel.

Frankie’s Bar and Grill, an 85-seater Italian restaurant, will open in December and offer a wide range of Italian food including pizzas and pastas as well as seafood and steaks.

White said: “There is a clear appetite for affordable, quality Italian food and that is exactly what I will bring to Exeter.  Frankie’s Bar and Grill is a dining experience for all the family to gather in relaxed surroundings and enjoy simple food, cooked perfectly. The restaurant will be ideally located for people travelling in and out of Exeter Airport.”

Exeter Airport managing director Jamie Christon said: “We are delighted to have such a high quality restaurant brand for the airport’s first hotel. The top names from the worlds of catering and horseracing will be a big draw and attract diners from around the region… not just those staying at the hotel or about to check-in for a flight.  This is another boast for Exeter and a boost for the airport.”

The 160-bed Hampton by Hilton Hotel at Exeter International Airport will be operated by Sanguine Hospitality Limited. Nick Taplin, managing director of Sanguine Hospitality, said he was delighted that the venue was coming to Exeter. He said: “The Frankies concept gives us the opportunity to showcase Marco Pierre White’s talents and creations while still keeping our policy of affordable glamour.”

He added: “The airport is one of the most progressive in the country, sitting at the heart of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, and we see it as a prime location to continue our expansion.”