The exclusive restaurant where guests won't know what's on the menu until they turn up

An acclaimed chef has launched his first self-funded restaurant project near Manchester - and guests at the small, exclusive venue won't know what's on the menu until they turn up. "You don't need a huge million pound kitchen to run a good restaurant," said Steven Halligan, chef patron at Restaurant Metamorphic in Haslingden, Rossendale.

He will serve up some grub to just four guests at a time, cooking for them on the chef's table in front of the open kitchen. But there's a twist - the menu depends on what ingredients are available that day, and guests won't discover exactly what's on it, until they arrive.

Self-sufficient and savvy Steven has fitted out the restaurant, which can only hold a maximum of 15 people, almost entirely himself, including the artwork, carpentry and joinery. "People in the food industry are more likely to pour cold water on your ambitions and idea than encourage you and will tell you that you'll never achieve it," the 28-year-old told LancsLive.

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He went on: "But I have done it and we couldn't afford to even open if I hadn't been self-sufficient. It has always been my dream to open my own restaurant.

"The guests really seem to love it, they can ask me questions, wander around and see what's going on - it's a much more personal experience and completely transparent."

Steven, who has previously worked at Mr Cooper's House in Manchester under Simon Rogan and with other top chefs including Phil Howard, says not having a strict set menu allows for more "freedom and flexibility" to source readily available ingredients, which are seasonal and fresh. As opposed to being restricted to ones more difficult and expensive to