Celebrity chef Momma Cherri claims she will work with the community to make sure her new restaurant is a success.

Momma Cherri's Speakeasy is set to open in just under two weeks in Providence Place, Brighton.

The TV star, catapulted to fame by Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, said the new restaurant will double up as a community centre.

Cherri, real name Charita Jones, said although she had been left “poor” after the closure of the Big House, she didn’t need money to make her happy.

She added: “My whole ethos is about giving back to the community. I know what it is like to be poor. I am still poor, but I am rich in heart.

“It is about being able to be poor and not bitter, and to learn that if you work within the community, you do not need riches to be happy.”

The doors to Momma Cherri's Speakeasy will open on October 23.

For more information about Momma Cherri's Speakeasy go to www.mommacherri.co.uk.