IT was a baptism of fire for Derby's latest Mayor, as he tried his hand at cooking during his first public engagement.
Derby City Councillor Fareed Hussain took over his new role last week from Lisa Higginbottom, who had been in the role for the previous year.
And his first task was to officially open Cosmo, the new global cuisine buffet restaurant in London Road, Derby.
Cosmo is a 330-seat buffet-style outlet which has been built inside the former Zanzibar nightclub and Gaumont Palace cinema.
The new business has paid homage to the heritage of its location, by working in elements of the past in the interior design.
Inside, the bar area is furnished with folding cinema seats, purchased from a specialist retailer and restored to a plush, scarlet finish.
Behind the bar, polished steel letters spell out Zanzibar and, at the rear of the building, intricate pillars of light frame what was once the silver screen.
The restaurant serves a variety of different cuisine from around the world, with cooking stations for South American, Japanese, Indian and Italian food.
Diners pay one price and then try as many different types of dishes as they wish.
