CHEF Michael Harrison has dished-up a new business venture.

He turns up at customers' houses and takes care of the food while the dinner party host or hostess concentrates on entertaining the guests.

"I am sure there are enough people in Bolton who want this service," Michael said.

He has had about a dozen bookings so far and expects many more to follow from people prepared to pay about £25 a head for meals and £5 an hour for a waitress.

Mr Harrison, aged 40, who lives in Worsley, said: "It equates to going to a restaurant.

"I feel there is a real demand for this."

His business -- Michael's Outside -- has evolved from a sideline to other culinary ventures and has proved to be popular over the last dozen years or so.

He has a preliminary meeting with clients to assess the facilities in the kitchen, discuss the menu and establish the number of guests expected.

On the evening itself he and the waitress turn up at 6pm to prepare the meal and table before the guests arrive at 7.30pm.

They do the washing-up and necessary cleaning before disappearing between 10pm and midnight.

"You would not know anyone had been in there," he said.

Bolton-born Mr Harrison went to High Lawn primary school and Smithills High before studying for two years in Bolton College's catering department.

After working at various restaurants in the Bolton area he went to the Summerhill Hotel in Sharples and then moved to a hotel in Kent.

Back in Bolton 15 years ago, he started a chilled foods firm at Tonge Bridge and then -- after an initial booking by the RRG Group -- spent the next 10 years building up a corporate lunch service for firms which required it.

After that he established Michael's Restaurant in Crown Street, Bolton and during the three years it operated he was a leading light in the Bolton Restauranteurs' Association.

One of the reasons for the restaurant's closure was the town centre drinking culture which did not help his efforts to establish a more up-market venue.

Since then he has carried out consultancy work for a number of restaurants, including Bistro 126 at the Spread Eagle in Edgworth.

Another aspect of his business to be launched in the new year is Chef to Go (www.cheftogo.co.uk) which will deliver restaurant quality food in boxes to customers' homes. A TASTY DISH: Michael at work during one of his "outside" catering jobs