Celebrities’ chef opens restaurant in Kington Langley (From This Is Wiltshire)

A Chippenham chef has given up cooking for the stars in London to cater for his hometown.

Mike Tamin, who went to Sheldon School, was cooking for the likes of Daniel Craig and Justin Timberlake attending premieres in Leicester Square. Now he has opened a takeaway in Kington Langley and is giving the community a lesson in Italian with his authentic foreign menu.

He is using traditional recipes passed down from his nan, who arrived in Chippenham from Italy 55 years ago, when she was Mike’s age now.

Mr Tamin, 28, of Christopher Drive, Pewsham, has named his business on Kington Park Avellino’s, after the town where his nan grew up in south Italy near Naples.

“I got all my recipes from my nan. She taught me to cook,” said Mr Tamin.

“I wanted to recreate a flavour authentic to where my nan came from.”

This includes a Ragu sauce cooked slowly for eight hours to release flavours from the beef brisket.

Maria Woropay is thrilled her grandson is recreating her recipes, particularly the fresh bread.

Mr Tamin’s mother Anna helped to translate the menu, which includes arancini, verdure arrostite and zeppole.

“I suppose not many people would have a takeaway menu in Italian, but I wanted to add to the authentic experience,” said Mr Tamin.

“It’s been quite funny when I’ve had people ordering on the phone. They’ve actually done really well pronouncing words. The West Country Italian mix is all the rage now!”

After training at Bath College, Mr Tamin worked for 18 months as head chef at the Whole Hog deli in Hammersmith. Among other celebrities, he cooked for Daniel Craig at a screening of Cowboys and Aliens.

He said: “A lot of Radio One used to come in too, but I was usually too busy in the kitchen. I did meet Edith Bowman, she was really nice.

“I also got to meet Justin Timberlake, it was quite special. He was there for The Social Network. He said he liked my canapés.”

Mr Tamin opened Avellino’s with his uncle John Dunster in November.