A CHEF has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise enough money to open a new restaurant in Hereford.

Ananda Hill from Lugwardine has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant and needs help to make this dream a reality.

Ananda was the chef at Noble and Wild in St Owens Mews in Hereford which is closing this month after being open since April 2016.

Ideally she hopes to open her restaurant in the same space but this depends on a number of different factors.

She said: "Everyone I know has been telling me to open my own restaurant for a long time now and it has been a dream of mine for many years.

"I turned 29 recently and have always had a goal to launch my own business by the time I'm 30, so the pressure is on.

"I think Herefordshire has such incredible potential when it comes to food and culture but it makes me sad to see so many independent shops and cafes being forced to close.

"I would really like to fight back against that trend alongside the likes of my friends at A Rule of Tum, Rocket, La Madeleine, Little Black Dog and all the other wonderful small businesses we have here."

She hopes to be up and running this autumn but this will be dependent on raising the funds via Go Fund Me and private investment to secure a bigger loan to get it started.

Ananda said: "Unfortunately I only have a tiny tiny amount of personal capital to put into this project. The support and generosity everyone has shown so far since I announced my plans has been overwhelmingly positive so I am hopeful I can pull it off.

"All the regular customers I have cooked for at Noble and Wild are being fantastic, as are my friends and family. I would love to have a place for them to come back to soon."

She has been working as a chef and running cafes for the past three years in Hereford and Hay-On-Wye.

Ananda added: "The restaurant I'm planning to open will offer the kind of food everyone I know loves to eat; simple, nurturing and delicious using thoughtfully sourced seasonal produce, inspired by food from all over the world, alongside natural wines, wild cocktails and old fashioned coffee."

She plans to open five days a week for brunch/lunch and a place to grab a drink and supper at the weekends.

To add to the fund go to https://uk.gofundme.com/the-restaurant-project