A POPULAR Thai restaurant is getting ready to serve the ’fantastic island’ of Knutsford, with work underway ahead of a grand King Street opening later this year.

Chilli Banana, first opened in Wilmslow 20 years ago, will take up residence in the former Man Zen site at the start of September.

With many Knutsfordians regularly making the trip to Wilmslow to get a taste, the move was on the cards for around a year before the opportunity arose.

Knutsford Chilli Banana owner Adrian Lea said: After 20 years of success the decision was made that, as a brand, we are in the absolutely right position and very exciting position where we want to expand the brand.

“We invested into a site in Didsbury which has been successfully trading for the past nine months, and the next obvious location is the fantastic island of restaurants by the name of Knutsford.

“We believe that the brand has a fantastic reputation in Knutsford due to being in Wilmslow for so many years – we have been actively trying to engage for 12 months, but as everyone knows opportunities there are few and far between.

“When the trader in Man Zen decided to hand up his boots, it gave Chilli Banana the opportunity to locate on that bottom street.”

The announcement of the move has already made waves in the town, and Adrian has said the brand intends to commit just shy of £500,000 to the new 90-seater site.

“All the directors of Chilli Banana are very excited and we hope the Knutsford move will springboard the brand into more growth,” Adrian said.

“The diners of Knutsford are educated foodies. They are already familiar with Chilli Banana and many will have dined in Wilmslow over the past 20 years. We are bringing it to them rather than them having to come to us.

“We thought Didsbury as exciting with the initial feedback, but Knutsford has just blown the door down.”

Chilli Banana Knutsford is currently recruiting. Email knutsford@chillibanana.co.uk to register your interest.