A MASTERCHEF winner, wild Dorset produce and local kitchen talent are all key ingredients to a new café on the Jurassic Coast.

Dozens of customers flocked to The Chesil Beach Café on the causeway between Weymouth and Portland , when it opened its doors last Saturday.

The café is run by Mat Follas, chef-proprietor at the Wild Garlic in Beaminster and winner of TV’s MasterChef in 2009.

It is part of the Chesil Beach Centre which has undergone a £1m revamp to improve access to the building and modernise its educational and interpretation facilities.

The main centre is due to open next weekend.

Dorset Wildlife Trust, which will be running the centre, announced a partnership with New Zealander-turned West Dorset resident Mr Follas earlier this year.

Twelve jobs have been created in the venture.

Mr Follas said: “The opening went really well.

“We did have a few problems like losing half the electricity in the kitchen but we’ve managed to juggle things around, that’s what the day was about.

“I just wanted to quietly open and get on with it.

“I want the café to be accessible to locals.

“Six months of the year they will be our customers so I want to look after them.

“I don’t want people coming here because of me.

“I want them to come because it’s a good café with a relaxed atmosphere where customers can sit and chat.

“We’re not here for the Olympics , that’s not what I’m about, we’re here to stay.”

He added: “The location is amazing.

“There are foraging plants growing right up to the building and the local seafood is fantastic.

“We’ve gone to huge efforts to get local produce.

“I really like doing it and I think we can do it at a reasonable price.

“I’m keen to make the most of local talent as well, almost all our staff here are local, either from Weymouth or Portland, and a lot of them studied at Weymouth College.

“One of the lads is from the prison and I’m also involved with a cafe that’s going to open up there.

“I’m really keen to have a strong link with the Verne.

“It’s nice to be able to give something back to the community.”

Come along to open day

Everyone is invited to the open day of the new centre tomorrow 12pm to 4.30pm.

There will be an afternoon of celebration with music, food and fun, including a host of free, family activities such as Under the Sea arts and crafts, getting up close to crabs at the Sea Life rock pool, a treasure hunt, carving with Learning Stone and a fossil dig.

There will be music from Weymouth-based Quangle Wangle Choir, Island Voices Community Choir from Portland and a capella group Bagatelle.

Mat Follas will be providing delicious food and people will also be able to go on boat trips to look at the wildlife of the Fleet lagoon.