Visitors to the village of Silsden can have themselves a taste of the Continent - thanks to a local man who has brought his love of mainland Europe to West Yorkshire.

Christopher Stewart owns and runs Café Fifty Five at 55 Kirkgate, where he creates a wide range of snacks and meals with a Continental theme.

The set menu in this contemporary yet cosy eaterie spread over two floors, includes sandwiches made from Focaccia bread - baked daily in the cafe, Continental meats such as Parma ham and salamis, and cheeses including the Swiss cheese Emmental and Provolone from Italy.

Evening meals feature salmon in hollandaise sauce, chicken breast filled with feta cheese and spinach and ricotta filo tart, while home-made burgers, lasagne and humus are among the treats which grace the daily specials board.

In winter, warming fare sees home-made soups on the menu, among them carrot and coriander, leek and potato, and tomato.

Christopher's love of continental food developed as he grew up. "We're an Air Force family so we moved around a lot," he says. "We lived in Germany and Belgium."

After leaving school, he went to work in a Swiss ski resort, where he combined his love of the sport with working in hotel kitchens to earn his keep.

He spent six years working alongside chefs in upmarket resorts such as Klosters and Davos.

"It was hard work, but I really enjoyed it," he says. "I didn't do much cooking, it was mostly prep, but it taught me a lot about working with food."

Returning to England, Christopher, now 36, decided to train as a nurse. He enrolled at Leeds University, following a course in general medicine before going on to work at Leeds General Infirmary.

"I was a nurse for six years, and ended up a nurse practitioner," he says. "We had extended roles which included carrying out clinical assessments and decision-making."

Christopher, who lives in Silsden, found his career rewarding but found some aspects of the profession left him disillusioned. "I loved the nursing side of it, the patient contact, and I miss that. But nursing is all about changing targets. I did not like the politics of he NHS."

Plus, he harboured a longing to be his own boss. "I thought I would go into catering," he says. He spotted the business for sale, and bought it. "I had saved up enough to be able to do it, and it was nerve-wracking," he says, "It was such a big change, but I was so glad to be out of nursing."

In the two years since he opened, Christopher, who employs around ten, mostly part-time staff, has thrown himself into the creativity of food preparation and presentation. "I love finding recipes for dishes that people will enjoy. I get a lot of compliments, and a lot of return custom."

With 36 seats over two floors, there is ample room in the cream-walled cafe, with furniture a mix of black, chrome and silver, for diners to sit and enjoy the food.

When not working hard to satisfy the stream of hungry customers, Christopher enjoys rock climbing in the Peak District - although he doesn't often find time. "I went recently, and hadn't been for ages, I'm hoping to make time to do more this summer."