CELEBRATED French chef Raymond Blanc swapped cooking utensils for power tools on a recent visit to Tunbridge Wells.

Monsieur Blanc was in town on Monday to check on progress at his new Le Petit Blanc brasserie, currently under construction in Lime Hill Road, close to Five Ways.

The brasserie is due to open on June 21 and will be the fifth of its kind in the UK. It is also the first Le Petit Blanc to be opened for four years.

M Blanc showed his enthusiasm for the new venture by using DIY rather than culinary skills to help put some finishing touches to the project.

He said: "It is designed to be a relaxing eating environment where guests can enjoy my cuisine at affordable prices."

M Blanc, born in Besancon, France, in 1949, is best known for his award-winning restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, in Great Milton, Oxfordshire.