THEY have cooked for Hugh Heffner at the Playboy mansion and in a tropical paradise on the set of a James Bond film.Now, a top restaurant is preparing to fly staff to Beijing where they will cater for an entire Olympic team.

Dave Gooderham

THEY have cooked for Hugh Heffner at the Playboy mansion and in a tropical paradise on the set of a James Bond film.

Now, a top restaurant is preparing to fly staff to Beijing where they will cater for an entire Olympic team.

Renowned chef Sunnu Miah will be cooking up a culinary treat for the athletes of Bangladesh after the popular Mogul group of restaurants was approached to provide the food at a special banquet.

This means Mr Miah, and colleague Mohammed Jabber , will be flown out to China and put up in a plush hotel - all for free - during the August games. The pair, who both work at the Haverhill-based Mogul, will then cook for about 30 athletes, officials and delegates at a special banquet.

And, apart from the flights and the hotel costs for the chefs, the business has decided to charge the team exactly the same as if the Bangladesh stars bidding for Olympics glory were eating at the popular Suffolk restaurant.

Group director Romel Adlad said: “It is a great honour and a great privilege. We have got a great reputation for cooking top quality food, which started when we catered for Hugh Heffner 10 years ago. We have also gone to the Bahamas and cooked on the film set of the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace.

“We have cooked for the Bangladesh Air Force and the national cricket team and I think we have just gathered momentum over the years. Our chef, Sunnu, is very creative and original and brings in flavours of all the provinces in Bangladesh.”

The restaurant was approached by fashion producer Progemini, which is organising the banquet. Director Fatima Ibrahim requested help, saying Chinese cuisine might not be suitable for the requirements of the Bangladesh team.

He said: “In Beijing, the menu differs from what we are normally accustomed to. We know that the food culture is very different and the idea of eating various types of reptiles may be novel, however this does not appeal to us.”

The business, which also has restaurants in Manningtree and Saffron Walden, first found fame 10 years ago when an unexpected visitor - Linda Brava, who appeared in Baywatch - walked through the door.

Mr Adlad said: “We were visited by Linda about 10 years ago at our Saffron Walden restaurant and she really enjoyed the food. She then went back to the Playboy mansion and they asked us to do food for a party. I thought they were joking. I think the ball started rolling from there.”

THE COST OF THE TRIP

£1,800 travel costs

£1,000 hotel bill

£450 food bill (at £15 per head for 30 meals)