News that a popular restaurant in Westbury is up for sale has been met with concern from one business leader, who wants to see the premises kept as an eatery.

Dean and Cath Bingham have put Dean’s Bistro in Maristow Street up for sale, two months after the couple took on the Snooty Fox in Warminster.

The restaurant, priced at £199,950, will remain open for lunchtimes until Mr and Mrs Bingham find a suitable buyer. The two members of staff who work there will transfer over to the Snooty Fox when Dean’s is sold.

Mr Bingham, 51, said: “I would like it to continue as a restaurant, but if someone comes in at the right price then we will sell.

“We’ve had a couple of viewings. We moved to the Fox because it’s just somewhere bigger – at Dean’s we were turning people away all the time.”

Westbury Chamber of Commerce chairman David Jenkins said: “We are disappointed that the restaurant has had to close.

“It was a fine traditional English restaurant and my family and I enjoyed eating there.

“Certainly we in the chamber of commerce would like to see it retained as a commercial enterprise.If you walk along Maristow Street you can see buildings being turned into flats, which is a shame.

“I think Westbury is struggling at the moment, we are in danger of becoming a town of takeaways, estate agents and charity shops.”

The Snooty Fox can cater for up to 70 people, almost double what Dean’s Bistro can handle, and business so far has been good.

Mr Bingham said: “It’s been crazy but it’s been good. We’ve had a lot of Westbury people coming across to see us, and when we were in Dean’s we had a lot Warminster people coming across, so it’s a good location here for us.”

The Snooty Fox serves a menu of European food, devised by Mr Bingham, a trained French chef.

The couple have been joined in the kitchen by their son Zak, 18, who has trained under Michelin-starred chef Chris Horridge. Their other son, Kai, 15, also helps out in the kitchen.

Mr Bingham said: “It’s really nice to work with the family.”