Pasta and pizza chain Prezzo is to add up to 30 new restaurants to its estate this year after serving up another healthy rise in profits today.

The group, which trades as Prezzo, Chimichanga Tex-Mex and Cleaver, opened 28 new sites during the financial year to December 29 as it expanded to 237 outlets and lifted adjusted profits by 11% to £20.4 million.

The opening programme provided it with its first presence in major cities such as Belfast and Leeds, as well as additional sites in Bath, Oxford and Glasgow.

It has opened one new restaurant in Ripon so far this year and is on site in a further six locations as it looks to add another 25 to 30 new outlets in 2014.