Phil Vickery says he has been amazed and inspired by the response to his new click and collect food service.

The former England and Gloucester rugby captain launched No.3 a week ago after his plans to open a restaurant in Cheltenham were delayed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

So instead, the former Celebrity MasterChef champion teamed up with experienced chef Tom Rains and restaurant manager Elliott Camm, who both list The Daffodil in Cheltenham among their former employers, to launch No.3.

The aim was to provide high-quality food which can be eaten at home and the Rugby World Cup winner is delighted with the initial response having set up the whole operation in nine days.

He said: ""It is touch, it is hard, it is different. It's been an amazing response and inspiring. It's been very interesting who has ordered.

"Producing something that makes people smile is what is really important to me. There's so much bad news around, it's great that creating really tasty food can do that."

As in his playing days, he is well aware of the part the team around him has played.

"I love working with Tom and Elliott, teaming up with professional people," he said. "We've had great support from Creed Foodservice and Brickhampton Court Golf Club.

"We've worked really hard on the recipes and on the menu. We've got some exciting new dishes to come.

"It's all about the service and the quality of the food."

He has been rolling his sleeves up and getting to work, making the sourdough bread - and building his ambition for a permanent location on the county food scene.

"I would never have thought when I first started making sourdough that people would want to pay for it, he said.

"What we wanted to do was produced good quality food made with passion, made with care and made with love. COVID-19 won't end that ambition.

"I've always wanted to do this, it quite scary really but it's an amazing feeling.

"I wanted to open a restaurant in Gloucestershire and this won't stop me. We live in a great county with great business and great doers."

Punchine-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen said: "Creating a business like this, organising everything, creating the website, the recipe and the menu in nine days is not easy.

"You have to take your hat off to Phil. He's determined, driven and ambitious, no wonder he is a world cup winner.

"I've got my order in and cannot wait to try the food."

Orders can be placed 24 hours in advance 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