A CHEF has changed a 21 year career to finally pursue his dream, with help from one of Bolton's most successful business support agencies.

Last year, Amoroso Carpenito decided it was time to fulfil his life's ambition of owning his own restaurant. He left his job as a chef at Casa Nostra in Westhoughton and went hunting for premises.

"They were like family to me at Casa Nostra. It was very hard to leave, but it was a case of now or never.

"I spotted a pub on Lower Leigh Road, the Three Crowns. It was a bit run down and not for sale, but the site was perfect."

Afton some negotiations, Mr Carpenito aquired the site and his new venture, Andiamo Ristorante and Pizzeria, opened in December last year. He is not shy about the risk he and his family have taken.

"Everything we have is in here," he said. "We committed our total resources including our home, and we did most of the work here ourselves to keep costs down, but the total investment has been close on a quarter of a million pounds."

Mr Carpenito was helped to develop his business idea by Bolton Council's Ethnic Minorities Business Service.

"They have been brilliant all along. They helped get things started and had good advice at every stage.

"They also ran useful seminars in things like food safety which were useful to me as a manager."

Mr Carpenito also outlined his next project - somewhere to live.

"We're in rented accommodation at the moment, until we can convert upstairs here into a living space. It's all been worth it, though. It's mine."