A PUB has welcomed a new chef which some customers may find somewhat familiar.

Often confined to the kitchen, many chefs shun the limelight but Scott Fisher, the man behind the new menu at the Ye Olde Fleece Inn in Bishop Middleham, combines cookery with acting.

The 45-year-old has appeared as an extra in some of the nation’s favourite televisions shows, including Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Wire in the Blood and Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

He was a regular on the set of the ITV drama Heartbeat, playing a host of characters, including a milkman who helped police discover a tied-up couple on his round.

When he is not acting, Mr Fisher, from Darlington, loves to cook traditional homemade food and his new job at the Ye Olde Fleece Inn allows him to combine his passions.

The pub reopened in July, with business partners Gary Ross and John Garner at the helm.

Mr Fisher was employed two weeks ago when the cousins decided to introduce food, initially on Sunday lunchtimes and Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Mr Fisher said: “Acting and cooking have always been my passions. I think they go well together as they are both creative.”