TWO new restaurants will be opening up in the historic vaults beneath Bolton's Market Place Shopping Centre, it has been confirmed.

Centre bosses will welcome a Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurant and Piri Piri chicken firm Pepe's to the restored Victorian vaults venue.

The Gourmet Burger Kitchen site will open in the unit next to where Nando's is based in early October.

Prior to this, the Pepe's venue will open up around the corner, in the space next to the Prezzo Italian restaurant site.

The vaults opened earlier this year after undergoing a major refurbishment as part of the overall £30 million redevelopment of the Market Place.

The first businesses take up spots within the venue were Nando's, Prezzo and the Great Ale at the Vaults bar.

The area has played a key role in this year's Bolton Food and Drink Festival, with the launch event taking place in the specially created Chefs Quarter.

Confirming that the new eateries will be launching soon, Tim Vaughn, chief executive of the Moorgarth Group, which owns the Market Place said: "It is great to have these new restaurants opening up in the vaults and we have got a lot more interest in the centre.

"Our intention is for this to be the destination for food and drink in Bolton and so it has been fantastic to have played a key role in the fantastic food and drink festival."

He added: "I have spoken to lots of people who didn't actually know the vaults were here, but have come down and will certainly be coming back – and that is what we want."