CHEF Mitch Tonks insists his commitment to set up a restaurant in his home of Brixham is 'stronger than ever'.

There were fears that the fish and seafood chef had pulled out of the fish quay regeneration project and would not open a restaurant there after Brixham 21 members heard the restaurant scheme had gone out to re-tender.

However the restaurant boss, who owns the Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth and recently opened another eatery in Bristol, said he remained committed to the port.

He said: "I've definitely not pulled out. The previous tender was under the FishWorks name. Because it went bust after I left there needed to be a new tendering process from the council so we all go through the legal process.

"I am committed as ever to coming to Brixham."

The rumour Mr Tonks had pulled out slipped out of a Brixham 21 meeting on Thursday night when members were told about the re-tendering process.

However Mr Tonks' commitment was not explained and confusion followed.

Mr Tonks said if his fish quay project re-tender was successful, the new restaurant would be called Rock Fish Grill and Sea Food Market — the same name as his Bristol restaurant. It would cater for 150 covers and employ 30 staff.

He added: "I'm sure other parties will be interested in the project. Hopefully mine will be successful. It's open to the council to decide.

"Hopefully they will see my tender as the best one for Brixham."

If successful, Mr Tonks' new restaurant will include a fishmonger, a cookery school and a restaurant. It would open in September 2010.

He said: "It won't be a FishWorks restaurant but it will be the same sort of concept because it was a concept I invented and one that I am very passionate about.

"I know fish inside out, I know how to cook it and it's a dream of mine to create that restaurant in that market.

"I still want it to be much more accessible than my restaurant in Dartmouth. I want it to be a tourist attraction in Brixham where people come to celebrate amazing fish at an accessible price, in a great interior and cooked over wood fires.

"Underneath will be a beautiful fish market right where the fish is landed."

In 2006, Mr Tonks signed up to run a restaurant and shop in the new multi-million pound harbour scheme, as part of the prestigious FishWorks chain.

But the company has now gone into administration.

Mr Tonks pulled out of the chain, which he founded 14 years ago last year.

Bob Curtis, a director of Brixham 21, said: "It wasn't made clear to us at our meeting that Mitch Tonks had to go through the tendering process again nor that he was still committed to Brixham.

"Our impression was that he had pulled out.

"But I'm delighted to see he's still committed to the town and this area."

Peter Bushell, another member of Brixham 21, said: "Because of the FishWorks technicality we have a tendering process.

"We're back to the beginning. We were pleased to see Mitch Tonks was involved because of who he is.

"I hope he will be in there. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

A spokeswoman for Torbay Council confirmed the tendering process was ongoing.

"We will put adverts in the local and specialist press on July 29 requesting expressions of interest. Responses have to be returned by August 14 and questionnaires by August 28," she said.

"We hope to have our preferred partner by September 11."