Gourmet pie and mash restaurant Pieminister intends to open four new restaurants in 2016, including a flagship venue in Nottingham.

The Bristol-based manufacturer, which currently operates nine restaurants and cafés, will unveil what it describes as its “biggest and most ambitious” restaurant to date in Nottingham’s city centre.

Occupying a former Boots store, the 57 Long Row premises will seat 134 diners and serve up sweet and savoury pies as well as vegetarian options including Green Goddess which has a spinach, feta, butternut squash and chickpea filling.

Pies with less pastry and fewer calories will also be sold as well as gluten-free options. Sweet versions will include ice cream pies with flavours such as toffee apple, lemon meringue and chocolate.

Co-founder Jon Simon told British Baker’s sister title M&C Allegra Foodservice that the group is building a cluster of restaurants around the Midlands, as well as hopefully looking for a second site in Manchester and considering second sites in Leeds, Bristol and London, with Liverpool also on the radar.

“For 2016 we would be looking at opening at least another three restaurants on top of Nottingham, so it will be a busy year for us,” Simon said.

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