Baxters are due to open a store and restaurant in the re-vamped Selkirk Glass complex.

Cooking for customers will be Gerard Boylan, a former head chef at Tilmouth Park Hotel near Cornhill. He’s also worked as a chef at the five-star Balmoral and Caledonian Hotels in Edinburgh, and the similiarly-rated Cameron House Hotel at Loch Lomond, as well as golfing-favourites Turnberry and Gleneagles.

The 45-year-old will head-up a kitchen team of four at the Signature Restaurant, where local produce will feature on the menu. The restaurant seats 110 with 20 outside seats available for alfresco summer dining.

Mr Boylan told The Wee Paper: “We’ve been developing menus for some time now and will provide a tasty mix of local and our own produce throughout the day. I hope that the residents of Selkirk, the Borders and beyond will enjoy this new addition to the restaurant scene.”

Alan Dickson, Baxters’ retail director, who stays near Denholm, said: “We’re delighted that Gerard will be in charge of our new store restaurant.

“He has an extremely impressive pedigree as a chef and we’re sure that his experience in some of Scotland’s finest hotels and restaurants will perfectly complement the top quality leisure shopping experience in the rest of our new store.”

The store will open on Friday, May 16, and as well as the restaurant, will offer a speciality cookshop, bookshop and gift shop, in addition to a food hall, wine, whisky and beer department and a Baxters hamper section.

Mr Boylan and his team will provide breakfasts, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon teas and deli-platters on a self-service basis during the store’s daytime opening hours, with a full table service introduced later in the year.

Gerard hails originally from Manchester but moved to Selkirk seven years ago. He lives with his wife and two young children.