MAYBE it was the male menopause, perhaps it was his looming half century, but Andrew Wilkinson fancied a change.

He'd notched up 20 years in the licensed trade - 15 of them at the Sun Hotel, in Kirkby Lonsdale; the Lunesdale Arms, at Tunstall, prior to that.

So in 1999 he sold the Sun and acquired a coffee shop in Ilkley.

But 'Wilky' - as he's known - had also bagged a much bigger fish as well as the coffee shop.

This one was going to take a while to fry - and cost him a quarter-of-a-million pounds to boot - but Wilky is nothing if not a man who relishes a challenge.

His catch of the day is now complete: Avanti - a deli paradise on Main Street, Kirkby Lonsdale - and Ditto - the bar and restaurant at the rear - is a stunning tribute to the modern Mediterranean look which has been achieved largely thanks to the inspiration and skills of local craftsmen and women.

However, sight isn't the only sense which Avanti and Ditto promise to arouse.

Head chef and local lad James Byrne has created a menu which smacks of sunshine but has its roots in some of Britain's greatest cuisine.

Avanti is Italian for 'forward', a direction in which Wilky was keen to move after the Sun Hotel.

"Avanti and Ditto are a natural progression for me - from ye olde worlde pub to new world eating and drinking."

The transformation of the building - shop, alley, derelict barn and a yard which had become a dumping ground - began more than a year ago.

Architects John Moore & Partners, of Lancaster, helped Wilky visualise his ideas as well as introducing innovations of their own - a spiral staircase which leads to a 36-seat gallery restaurant, for example, and fabulous picture windows which look out on a contemporary-style walled garden.

Even the loos are gorgeous!

CM Designs - namely Daniel Chalmers and Val Murray - didn't have to travel far for this, their first commercial garden project; they're based just down the road in Queen's Square.

The Italian Cyprus trees are the first thing you notice, so evocative of the Med.

Here too, as in the bar and restaurant, is a blend of old and new singularly captured in the water feature created by local mason Andy Mason.

Dan Chalmers explained that CM Design's aim had been to create a garden with year-round interest, and one which, like the restaurant and bar, married sounds (grasses rustling in the breeze, for example), as well as sights.

"All the trees are lit so at night it's just magical," said Dan.

Features include contemporary yet functional seats by Lancaster-based woodworker Matt Turley.

All the intricate metalwork and fabulous copper panels which decorate the alley leading to Ditto have been created by Andy Kay, from Kirkby Lonsdale.

There's even an artistic twist to the window of the delicatessen (which stocks Antonio Carluccio, Italy's most famous culinary export) thanks to another Lune artisan, Liz Stevens.

And, although paintings courtesy of a pal in Portugal decorate the walls of Ditto at the moment, Wilky is planning regular painting and sculpture exhibitions by local and national artists.

But what of 26-year-old James Byrne's food?

The lunch and dinner menus speak for themselves.

For example:

l Wild mushroom & Stilton Tart (£3.95).

l Classic fish sandwich with red onion, aubergine & garlic mayo on a rustic cheese petit pain (£ 4.25).

l Aromatic lamb served in your own individual Moroccan tagine (£7.50).

l Smoked haddock with black pudding mash & spring onions (£7.25).

l Lightly-spiced lentil cakes, fried & served on salad and crme fraiche (£6.25).

l Slow-cooked chicken with oranges & black olives on a bed of noodles (£ 4.25).

l Pan-fried duck breast with peaches & a timbale of Persian-spiced rice (£9.25).

Then again, you might only want coffee and a croissant.

"People can pop in day or night for five minutes or a couple of hours," said Wilky.

"If we've got it right, Avanti and Ditto will become a focal point in Kirkby Lonsdale, a place to visit with your friends, or on your own, knowing your friends will be there."