RETIRED Daily Echo business editor Mike Ford has embarked on a new business venture, opening a restaurant in the south of France.

He and his wife Jill have teamed up with daughter Claire James, and her French born partner Laurent Spinard, to buy the restaurant in Argeles sur Mer, a market town and beach and sailing resort, on the southernmost part of the Mediterranean coast, near the Spanish border.

With Laurent’s brother Nicolas Grimaldi, now 29, and his partner Aurelie, they bought La Gamate restaurant in the old town centre and opened for business on April 1, 2005. The town stands on a sheltered bay, bordered by the point where the southern end of the Pyrenees drops into the sea, and has more than 20 kilometres of largely undeveloped sandy beaches, along with some of the biggest marinas in France. It sees its normal population of below 10,000 swell to around 95,000 in the summer.

Laurent, now 35, was formerly restaurant manager at Braseria Casa Bodega at Romsey from the time it opened and previously worked at Southampton’s five-star Grand Harbour Hotel, and also worked at restaurants in London. Claire was a freelance hairdresser in Romsey and until moving to France just over a year ago, they lived at South Close, Romsey. Nicolas was chef at the exclusive five-star golf club at the adjoining Mediterranean beach and marina resort of St Cyprien.

Said Mike: “The venue is a small town centre restaurant which can seat up to 50 people, and while the beach is less than a mile away, we have deliberately kept to the thriving town centre where there is a year round business.

“Day to day operation is in the hands of Laurent and Nico who both have a background in catering and fine dining. As a chef, Nico is passionate about food. The team has completely refurbished the dining room and interior and are planning to freshen up the exterior, and while there is lots of choice for eating in the town, we think they have successfully stamped their identity on La Gamate as a trendy bistro with interesting and innovative French and regional Catalan menus.’’

Mike retired from Newsquest and the Daily Echo, four years ago and although business editor, his wine and food columns appeared in publications round the country.

He now edits a sailing magazine and a website for the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, and its two restaurants.