RICHARD Cook is very proud of his new shop, a quite breathtaking metamorphosis of the smokery and wet fish enterprise he and his father, Horace, have been running for 40 years.

Although his new premises by the A48 at Chaxhill have been open for fish and other produce for some time, behind the scenes work on a virtual Aladdin's cave has quietly transformed an open space into a vast food hall to showcase local food.

As well as a passion for local food, Richard's vision also encompassed the use of local materials and local craftsmen and artists in creating a really stunning and beautifully designed interior, the centrepiece of which is a vast, traditional clinker-built boat full of refrigerated displays.

One wall is taken up by a vast wet fish display in the shape of a wave, a revelation for any fish enthusiast, with giant eels, glistening shrimp and just about every scaly species in between. To the other side of the reception area there is a cafe, while in both walls glass panels give views of workers filleting, cleaning, preparing and smoking fresh fish.

There are eyecatching carvings – a huge marlin, a puffin with its beak full of sandeels ('Catch of the Day'), and a blackboard surrounded by a carved wood relief recording a traditional South West pilchard 'harvest' in operation, 'The Tuck'. Outside, a stunning 8ft wooden sculpture of a fly fisherman landing a salmon – modelled on Horace – attracts people to stop and investigate.

"I purposely wanted to show the very best this area has to offer, not in the way of produce but by using Forest craftsmen and materials too, including the stone floor," said Richard, who is making final arrangements for an official opening on Monday.

"The carvings are the work of John Wakefield, whose work is also on show at the Soudley Heritage Museum.

"Everything you see in the food-displays, and a lot of the fish, is locally sourced. I want to encourage the smaller local producer to display their products here to local restaurants, pubs where menus have become rather set and familiar, and home cooks, and also to give them greater exposure to the wider world."

Here he also intends to entertain bigger corporate clients – supermarkets already come to him for advice on displaying and presenting fish – and so that exposure could carry a lot of weight.

And he wants to extend this appreciation of local food by giving cookery demonstrations and chef masterclasses, showing just how easy and satisfying it is to eat superbly without resorting to pre-packaged meals. Fish is an example – people have fallen out of the habit of eating fresh fish yet it is easy to prepare and easy to cook, especially after learning how at Chaxhill.

Cooks is a big enterprise these days; they have their own skippers supplying the store sailing from Swansea and the South Coast, and what is much much more they are recognised by big players like supermarkets and airlines as a truly knowledgeable source of information about all things fishy.

The official opening of the food hall on Monday is to introduce producers and everyone else connected with the food industry in the locality to one another – and if there is anyone who feels they want to contact Richard about produce or buying or coming along to the opening, his number is 01452 760190.