Marco Pierre White takes a Liverpool steak

PERHAPS it was Jennifer Ellison's impressive, Hell's Kitchen-winning steak and chips, which seared themselves on Marco Pierre White's memory.

More likely he is just striking while the commercial-branding iron is hot.

As widely expected, the former three-Michelin-starred chef is putting his name to another venture, this time a steakhouse in Liverpool.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill will launch at the city’s Hotel Indigo, a £15m “boutique” hotel under construction in Chapel Street.

It comes on the heels of two other North West ventures this year, the Swan Inn at Aughton and a steakhouse at the Doubletree by Hilton, Chester.

“Liverpool is a fantastic city with an indelible link to international trade and an eclectic flavour of personalities to match,” he reckons. “Chapel Street stands testament to everything great about the city, from its glorious past to its bright future, and offers the ideal location for my latest venue.”

“The city’s dining scene is thriving, with a handful of fine restaurants serving very good food, but we intend to shake things up, give those more established venues a run for their money and raise the bar even higher,” he says.

The 151-bedroom, four-star Hotel Indigo Liverpool will be owned and operated by North West development group Sanguine Hospitality. White’s move into Liverpool will see him work alongside his old chum Francis Carroll, with whom he goes all the way back to the heady London days and with whom he has already collaborated on the restaurants in Chester and Aughton.

Our last exclusive interview with Marco Pierre White is here.