Youngsters cook up tasty treats at long-awaited bar opening

A REGENT Street building which stood empty for nine years now has a new lease of life as Bacco Lounge.

And to mark its official opening, children from Wellingtons Regent Nursery joined executive chef Theo Guy for a cookie decorating session judged by borough councillor Peter Butlin.

The company has invested £450,000 in the prominent listed building – the former home of The Gallery bistro, O’Neill’s pub and Argos, creating 25 jobs.

It had been boarded up since 2005 before briefly being occupied by squatters, and we reported last year how renewed efforts had been made to bring it back into use.

Rugby First managing director Aftab Gaffar said: "The building has been empty for a while, and the conversion will provide a boost to this area and the town centre as a whole."

Buy photos» Youngsters from Regent Day Nursery School with their competition cookies. Picture by Jon Mullis 22.014.004.rug.jm1 (www.buyphotos247.com)

Buy photos» Taking a break with Wellingtons Nursery assistant manager Phillipa Gibson and managerJulia Hart are group members Eva, Mason and Amaya. Picture by Jon Mullis 22.014.004.rug.jm2 (www.buyphotos247.com)

Buy photos» The overall winner of the cookie decorating competition was Martin, pictured here with judge Coun Peter Butlin and executive chef Theo Guy. Picture by Jon Mullis 22.014.004.rug.jm3 (www.buyphotos247.com)

Buy photos» A long-empty listed building came back to life last week with the opening of Bacco Lounge in Regent Street. Picture by Jon Mullis 22.014.004.rug.jm12 (www.buyphotos247.com)

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