Phil Vickery opens new cafe at Birdland in the Cotswolds

England rugby star Phil Vickery unveiled a new cafe The Nest Kitchen and Café at Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water.

The park is home to another champion in Spike, who was voted the World’s Most Popular Penguin earlier this year.

The 16-year-old star's triumph was revealed exclusively live on BBC programme The One Show.

His subsequent coronation ceremony was then reported by BBC 5 Live radio presenter Colin Murray, who is a big fan of the park. 

Spike now has more than 18,000 Facebook followers.

Last year the Penguin Shore enclosure underwent a dramatic redesign which is where Spike the King Penguin now lives.

Mr Vickery, a former front row favourite at Gloucester, has forged a foodie career since retiring from rugby after winning Celebrity Masterchef in 2011.

The 47-year-old, a former England captain who played for Gloucester for 11 years, now works for food service company Creed, which will supply the café with a selection of hot and cold food items. 

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The attraction has also created a Changing Places facility, a fully accessible toilet to help visitors with limited mobility.

Birdland general manager Simon Cox said: “We’re thrilled Phil came along to cut the ribbon on our brand-new cafe which will add a fantastic extra dimension to the visitor experience.

“Both he and Spike are top of the class in their respective fields and we aim to be just that at Birdland.

"The newly-renovated café and a new Changing Places facility are great examples of how we continue to improve and evolve as a visitor attraction.”

There are daily penguin, pelican and flamingo feeding displays at the park where visitors can find out all about the different species, what they like to eat, who is the most mischievous of the flock and fascinating insights from Birdland’s team of expert keepers.

There is a 10 per cent discount at The Nest Kitchen and Café this weekend to mark its opening.