ONE of Brighton’s best loved restaurants is preparing to expand outside the city.

The Chilli Pickle Restaurant has announced plans to open four sites over the next three years.

The Indian restaurant, based in Jubilee Square, has launched a £700,000 capital fundraising campaign to help expand the business.

And the firm, set up by husband and wife team Alun and Dawn Sperring eight years ago, has pulled in a big name to help them to the next level – Kevin Bacon.

The co-founder of Frankie & Benny’s and former managing director of Jamie Oliver International has invested in the business and joins as chairman.

The restaurant has claimed numerous awards over the years, including being named among the top 100 restaurants at the National Restaurant Awards seven years running.

During its time in Brighton it has built a strong reputation for innovations in Indian cuisine and incorporating less traditional meats such as venison and oxtail.

Plans are said to be at an advanced stage to open four new sites with the first expected opening in “a South East market town” this June.

Chilli Pickle achieved £2.2 million turnover this year and its growth plan predicts annual profits of £1.3 million on turnover in excess of £8 million.

Investors are offered the possibility of a return seven times their investment by 2021.

Mr Bacon said: “Alun and Dawn have established an excellent restaurant concept which is absolutely ripe for roll-out. This year the existing site will achieve over £2.2 million of turnover – very few independent provincial restaurants achieve this level of sales.”

Mr Sperring, Chilli Pickle chief executive, said: “Dawn and I are very proud of what we have built with our team. We are so passionate about the Chilli Pickle concept and have no doubt that we can be as successful in new locations as we have been in Brighton.”

Gary Robins, from Growthdeck, which will help Chilli Pickle raise the money, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to back an established business and an excellent management team.

“The business has won an impressive array of top awards and we are very much looking forward to working with the founders and Kevin Bacon to build on the achievements of the last eight years.”