A PERSHORE kitchen company claims it is the "best kept secret in Worcestershire" after carrying out work for world-famous chef Raymond Blanc.

Sprint Refrigeration and Catering Equipment Ltd has designed and built two kitchens for the gastronomic genius at his restaurants in Oxford and Cheltenham.

The firm, which was established 10 years ago with £1,500 and now turns over £1m, had to fight off top London firms for the job.

"We were recommended to Raymond by restaurant group Loch Fyne restaurants - we've been building their kitchens for a number of years," said owner and founder David Ryan, who was previously national sales manager for Gamko Refrigeration.

Mr Ryan's company, based in its own building on Cobham Road, is now one of the Dutch refrigeration manufacturer's biggest customers.

"We were up against fierce competition from London companies but we still managed to score the deal," added Mr Ryan, who is from Birmingham but now lives in Warndon Villages, Worcester.

The company is also due to build another kitchen for Monsieur Blanc in January 2004, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

"It's very hard work - celebrity chefs are very demanding! We design the kitchen to their requirements and then build it - it's an empty shell when we get in there."

Other customers include Michelin chef Pat McDonald, who has recently opened the Epic Bar and Grill, in Dunhampton, near Droitwich, and the Paris restaurant, in the Mailbox, Birmingham. Bridges Restaurant, in Hindlip, Worcester, has also received the Sprint touch.

The firm mainly targets restaurant groups and the brewery sector.

"We target them because it's regular work - there's something coming through every week. It takes a lot of the uncertainty out of the business," said Mr Ryan, who employs five people including his son.

The company started selling just refrigerators and has grown to supply "anything someone could possibly need in a kitchen" including air conditioning, ventilation, cookers and cabinets, as well as the design and installation service.

"I decided one day I'd stop working for someone else and start working for myself," said Mr Ryan.

"I've really learnt as I've gone along!"