Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli will close his Brighton restaurant over claims he was told to stop serving fresh pasta and fish.

But the premises in Jubilee Street will be taken over by a firm called Company of Cooks with the deal set to be signed within the next fortnight.

The city centre cafe and restaurant opened as part of the MyHotel complex last June.

Mr Zilli said he had decided to remove his brand from the hotel due to 'operational differences'.

He claims MyHotel wanted him to stop serving ingredients such as fish and fresh pasta.

His spokesman said: “Aldo Zilli's restaurants have always been built on the foundation of quality fresh ingredients - fish and prime Italian ingredients.

“MyHotel wanted to stop serving some of these ingredients including fish and fresh pasta; consequently Aldo has exercised his option to part company with the MyHotel group.”

He added that since Mr Zilli had lived and worked in Brighton, he had fallen in love with his customers and the Sussex coastline and he would be opening an independent Zilli restaurant in Sussex in the near future.

A spokesman for MyHotel said the restaurant would be replaced with Company of Cooks which has venues at Wakehurst Place, in Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, and also across London.

He said: “Aldo's focusing himself on his London collection of restaurants which involves him moving away from Brighton.

“There will be a rebranding in the coming weeks and we will expect it to change hands in the next fortnight.”

When asked about Mr Zilli’s claims that he was told to stop serving fresh pasta and fish, the spokesman said: “All our ingredients and all our food is fresh and local. We support the environment and health is highest on our list of priorities.”

In February, Mr Zilli announced his city centre cafe was to close just nine months after it had opened because there was not enough trade.

Mr Zilli's home is also set to go on the market in the next few weeks under estate agent Mishon MacKay.

The property, which is south of New Church Road, Hove, has been completely refurbished.

Glenn Mishon, from Mishon MacKay, said: “The whole place has been done up beautifully. It looks fabulous.

“We have not defined a price but we will be going for offers in excess of £1 million. Obviously it has got a superb kitchen.”

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