It may have been a kitchen nightmare for some. But for 40-year-old Blackpool chef, Nigel Lloyd, having the chance to work with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for the latest series of the BAFTA-winning Channel 4 'Kitchen Nightmares' series has unleashed some tantalising dreams of his own.

As reported in the Citizen, last week's episode of the 'Nightmares' series featured Jackson's, the Blackpool Tourism Awards 2003 Restaurant of the Year, having a culinary and cash-flow make-over by the outspoken TV chef.

Despite an on-screen showdown between Ramsay and Nigel's former boss, struggling restaurateur Dave Jackson, and as well as claims from tourism chiefs that the show attempted to discredit the resort's Tourism Awards, Nigel says his brush with fame hasn't put him off working with the Michelin-starred chef again.

Surrey-born Nigel, who left Jackson's for "personal reasons" before the Kitchen Nightmares team could film their 'revisit', claims he has already contemplated an offer to join the workforce at Ramsay's Claridges restaurant.

And following Gordon's advice, he has decided to pursue his dream of opening his own Blackpool eaterie.

Nigel, who is now feeding hungry staff in the Pleasure Beach employee canteen, said: "Filming Kitchen Nightmares was a very stressful experience but, then again, so was working at Jackson's in the first place.

"I can honestly say that working with Gordon was a fantastic experience.

"He is, without a doubt, a fantastic chef and a great bloke. I can't understand what the problem was between him and Dave.

"I was able to learn many valuable things from him and I had to think really carefully about whether I should take him up on his job offer or look into his suggestion of opening my own place.

"I'm definitely going to go for the latter because I'll have plenty of excellent ideas for dishes and restaurant management courtesy of Kitchen Nightmares."