A celebrated Suffolk restaurateur has joined forces with his son to launch a new ‘fast-casual’ dining venture in Cambridge.

East Anglian Daily Times: An Amélie van Picture: AMELIEAn Amélie van Picture: AMELIE (Image: Amélie)

Regis Crepy and son, Alex, will open Amélie in August 2018.

Regis has owned three successful restaurants in Suffolk including the Great House in Lavenham, which he ran for 32 years, and which became a dining mecca.

The latest venture will specialise in Flammekueche, an Alsatian dish consisting of a very thin bread dough spread with crème fraiche then a topping which is cooked very quickly.

Regis said: “I am tremendously excited to be embarking on this new venture with Alexander and bringing Flammekueche, a relatively unknown and totally different eating experience, to not only Cambridge but to the UK too.

“Alex who has invaluable experience with the Gaucho Group as one of its youngest managing partners, is keen to find his own niche and introduce Flammekueche to the cosmopolitan vibrant dining scene of Cambridge, I, not quite ready to hang up my pots and pans, am delighted to support him in this new venture Amélie, named after his sister, my daughter.”

Flammekueche was originally created in the 14th centuries by bakers in Alsace on the French German border as a means of testing an oven’s temperature for their bread with a thinly stretched piece of dough. If the temperature was right the dough would bake in a few minutes leaving the edges crisp and slightly charred. Today it is the region’s speciality dish topped with bacon and onions.

“Our Flammekueche will be freshly cooked with toppings made from top quality ingredients sourced from trusted suppliers that I have worked with for many years – my ethos of quality above all else is highly important with the simplicity of the dish. Customers can enjoy their own with a glass of wine, pint of beer or share two or three trying out the different flavours,” said Regis.

Amélie’s menu will also include a range of desserts, and the bar, located in an old yellow Citroen Van, will stock a range of drinks with beers including Amélie’s own golden ale from Nethergate Brewery in Clare.

The 55-cover family-friendly restaurant, which will be open seven days a week, will be located in the city’s £28m newly-renovated Grafton Centre by the Vue cinema.