Interesting foodie news this morning sees Paul Heathcote selling five of his nine restaurants to Living Ventures for an undisclosed sum.

Three of his popular Olive Press sites (including Castle Street’s Olive Press) are to be taken over by Living Ventures - they currently operate Gusto in the Albert Dock.

Heathcote will continue to run his original Longridge Restaurant, and the Olive Press in Preston.

For the immediate future, Living Ventures will continue to run the Olive Press under its original brand, but both organisations have hinted that the brand may go.

Olive Press isn’t a bad restaurant - but its original sheen has been dented by sharper Italian kids on the block. So it will be interesting to see whether Blackhouse Grill (Living Ventures’ other brand serving up seafood and steaks) moves into town, or whether (more likely) we’ll get another Gusto.

Watch this space.