WE caught up with Aldo Zilli at a cookery demonstration where he talked about his latest restaurant.

"I'm very excited about this new venture in Brighton - the location is great, busy and vibrant, and the kitchen is fantastic. One of the owners of Bills has helped me design it and it's going to be great", he enthuses.

Aldo had been looking for some time to find a suitable site on the coast, even considering Poole harbour at one point, but he eventually settled for Brighton.

Located within the new MyHotel in Jubilee street the venue offers a Zilli Café, and a main restaurant which will be similar to Zilli Fish, with 100 covers inside and a further 100 covers in an outside seating area.

"We want to serve healthy Italian food, using local, mostly organic ingredients, and fish caught from sustainable stocks".

There are plans to put a lobster tank into the restaurant, so along with the large open kitchen, the chefs will be offering an element of theatre during the evening service.

As you'd expect from someone as hands on as Zilli, he confesses he's heavily involved in the day to day running of his outlets.

"My partner thinks I'm crazy to interview every waitress and commis waiter, but what can I say I'm a control freak. And when I'm not there, they will be representing me."

Well-sourced ingredients are vital to the concept of Zillis restaurants.

"I do believe in organic produce, but ultimately it can be price prohibitive for both consumer and producer. Essentially we have a responsibility to care about what we put in our bodies, whether we choose ethically sourced fish, organic veg, or a good healthy diet."

Growing up on his father's farm in Abruzzo "we were taught about food at a young age. My mother taught me how to make pasta when I was eight and homemade food was an essential part of our life. Unfortunately it is not like that for this generation in England."

One of Zilli's recent television projects is based around a group of thirteen year olds in Cumbria. He has just finished filming the pilot.

"I had a really good day with the kids, but when we came to do some cooking, I showed them an aubergine and a courgette and none of them knew what they were!"

"Jamie Oliver did an amazing job in highlighting the problem that we have in educating children about food and cooking. The problem was that Jamie didn't have any support, so not enough has been done.

"Now it is time for the rest of us to get involved and follow up on the groundwork that has been laid."