Food from a World Cup winner and MasterChef winner is on the menu for collection from today.

Former England rugby captain Phil Vickery, who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, has launched his new enterprise No.3  as a collection service after plans to open a restaurant were delayed.

Named after his former shirt number, the ex-Gloucester star was looking to open No.3 in Cheltenham before the coronavirus crisis forced a rethink.

Now he is determined to offer high-quality cuisine customers can eat in their own home.

He said: "Cheltenham and the wider area has a fantastic food scene and it's one I've been looking to get into for some time.

"Many people, for a number of years, have been asking me what I'm planning to do next. Having had many conversations and ideas, it seemed the stars were aligning and I was presented with the opportunity to form a series of perfect partnerships, including a brilliant team and suppliers, as well as getting the right landlord on board.

"Then, out of nowhere, COVID-19 and the subsequent crisis appeared, seemingly scuppering our plans."

He continued: "Not wanting to set all the hard preparation work aside, I was determined to continue.

"So, putting fresh plans in place and implementing them over the past few weeks, we're now in a position to launch No.3 as a collection service; providing people with access to high quality food at no risk to themselves."

The son of a dairy farmer has a long-standing love of British produce which is reflected in the initial launch menu which includes traditional dishes such as cottage pie, red wine slow braised beef, Parmesan crusted chicken breast and Phil's sirloin steak.

Despite his Celebrity MasterChef success, the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner does not see himself as a chef.

He said: "I'm not a chef, I'm a cook. I'm hugely passionate about food, the way it's cooked and its purpose.

"I want to offer good, tasty, wholesome food, supplemented by people coming together, having fun, sharing conversations and generally feeling good, all while eating genuinely delicious meals.

"At present, this social element isn't possible, but we can still provide a fantastic taste experience for people to enjoy."

The team at No.3 also includes Tom Rains, a highly-experienced chef with a CV that includes The Berkeley, Claridge's, L'Escargot and Mosimanns. He recently headed up The Daffodil in Cheltenham.

Joining them is Elliott Camm, who has worked as restaurant manager at both The Daffodil and Ellenborough Park.

Phil said: "Tom and Elliott are exceptional hospitality professionals who bring a wealth of expertise with them.

"Whilse Tom and I will head up the produce and the cooking of it, Elliott's skillset finishes off the offering, helping us to refine the experience at No.3.

"This is something that will play an even greater part once we can eventually open a physical restaurant and invite guests inside."

His role as a non-executive director at Creed Foodservice, one of the UK's leading independent, family-owned foodservice wholesalers, has helped him in establishing No.3.

He said: "Despite the current pandemic, ultimately, it hasn't changed anything. I'm still going to be doing what I intended.

"The food that I love and would stand by and champion is going to be eaten in homes rather than in a restaurant.

"We're providing restaurant standard food for people at home. It's early days for No.3, but flavour and taste will sell our offering - and we're looking forward to what the next few weeks and months hold for us as people come to appreciate it."

Orders can be placed 24 hours in advance from today by calling 07753 498 985 from 9am-noon.

Collections can be made from noon-3pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Brickhampton Court Golf Complex in Churchdown.

To find out more about No.3 and to see the menu, visit no3restaurants.com