MasterChef winner Stuart Deeley 'will still open restaurant'

Stuart Deeley said he was "finding lots of ways to keep busy"

The winner of last year's MasterChef: The Professionals still plans to launch his own restaurant, even though plans are on hold.

Stuart Deeley, from Birmingham, was planning to open this summer in the city, following his triumph in the BBC One cookery competition.

He said he did not want to put anyone under "unnecessary risk" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Deeley said he had been keeping busy planning dishes for the restaurant.

He said: "The restaurant's kind of on hold for a little bit, just [until] we kind of see things obviously start to lift and times to get a little bit easier just because we don't want to put anyone in unnecessary risk.

"But we're still going to be opening up in Birmingham. We've got a spot that we really like and we're excited to get going."

Deeley with fellow finalists Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga and Olivia Burt

Deeley said he was "finding lots of ways to keep busy" during lockdown.

"I'm writing recipes at home. I'm planning out dishes ready for when the restaurant opens and a bit of planning for... our pop-up that was running at Simpsons [restaurant in Birmingham] until we had to close."

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