MICHELIN-STARRED chef Raymond Blanc was last night confirmed as the first restaurateur to sign up to open an outlet in the new Mann Island development.

His Brasserie Blanc chain will occupy a commanding position overlooking the canal link and new Museum of Liverpool. The 4,750 sq ft restaurant will also have a south-facing outdoor terrace.

Raymond and his business partners had planned to open an outlet in Liverpool One’s restaurant terrace, but pulled out claiming the brand was “too posh for a precinct”.

On the Mann Island deal, Brasserie Blanc managing director John Lederer said: “We have been looking for the ideal location in Liverpool for some time, and we found it at Mann Island.

“This is an exceptionally original development in a fantastic waterfront location.

“It is both a hub and an oasis. It offers us everything that we have been looking for.”

The Mann Island Brasserie Blanc will be near the new Open Eye photography gallery, as well as the glass-covered atrium that joins the two jet black apartment blocks.

It will be the only Brasserie Blanc in the North West. The chain is also in Bristol, Cheltenham, Chichester, London, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth and Winchester.