Chapters Hotel and Restaurant, during September this year, has seen the return of one of their most popular couples. Victor and Victoria Vassallo originally worked at Chapters from March 2005 for four and -a-half years, before deciding to have a change and move to Harrogate.

The couple were originally persuaded to move from Malta by Steven Bell,the current owner of Chapters. After sampling the food and ambience of Victor’s Malta establishment, which had been voted one of the best restaurants in Malta by British Airways Flight magazine, Steven realised this Maltese restaurateur and his talented wife (who trained in Malta under two Michelin-star chefs) were the ideal team to revitalise Chapters.

It turned out to be an inspired choice because during the transformation Victor’s expertise and influence shone through. Why return? “We feel that Stokesley is our home, we have always liked the place since we first arrived,” said Victor. “We kept in touch with Chapters and Steven Bell and whenever we visited Stokesley we were constantly given a warm welcome by the people we knew, many asking us to return. Well, we have now.”

After dining in Harrogate, Steven met the couple and they all decided they would like to work together again. Said Steven: “We are really excited at the return of Victor and Victoria, as are our clients, who the couple always had a good affinity with.”

Victor, aged 50, becomes General Manager and Victoria, 46, Head Chef. They have been married for over 26 years and will be joining their daughter, Catya, who has worked at Chapters for over five years as the chef de partie along with her sous chef fiance, Ian – a real family affair.

“We are enjoying meeting many of our original clients, says Victoria, “but we also look forward to meeting and befriending many more new ones and introducing new and exciting menus.”

The final word goes to Victor: “We want the word out that they we are back – and with our return, returns the passion.”

Steven himself even gained a qualification in wine to help him better understand the challenges faced by his team and how best to over deliver versus customer expectations.

In January last year, Zak Talkington, Function Manager at Chapters Hotel became one of the first people in the world to pass the new Certificate in Spirits and on July 5th along with three other colleagues, Chris Lill, Ben Cotts and Adam Busuttil attended the first ever WSET Introduction to Wine Service Sommelier course to be run outside of the WSET headquarters in London at Chapters Hotel. Having run the courses with their own educators the WSET have entrusted Chapters, under the guidance of their wine consultant Karen Hardwick, of The Wine Academy to host the first course which is open to the public and wine trade professionals.

The Chapters team all attended the course along with Gary Riley from Babich Wines- all of which passed with flying colours.

In October the hotel will run an 8 week wine evening class leading to a qualification in wine which it will open to members of the public as well as some new members of the Chapters team. The course will start on October 11th with a food and wine matching supper and will continue for 8 consecutive Tuesdays with the exam on the final evening. The course will be taught by Karen Hardwick who was recently voted one of the best Wine Educators in the world.

The course fee of £290 includes supper on the first evening, all books, wine, exam fee and tuition. If you fancy gaining a wine qualification then please call the hotel for more details.

Chapters Hotel is fast gaining a reputation for as a destination for wine lovers from all over the area. Many events are sold out well in advance including winemaker dinners, Champagne tastings and exclusive small parcels of wine. To join our mailing list either call in at the Hotel or call 01642 711888

Steven Bell, Owner of Chapters Hotel and Restaurant would like to thank both the team and our customers for the success. When we won it last year we thought it would be hard for the Judges not to find another restaurant to win the award .So to win it for a fourth year in a row was WOW. We work consistently hard at delivering Great Food and Customer service. “Everyone plays their part in the team to ensure we meet these expectations”.The Front of House, the Hotel, Reception Our creative Kitchen brigade and not forgetting the Chambermaid the team that the customer rarely sees.

Chris Neal General Manager and Head Chef Sean Wilkinson attended the awards On Chapters behalf. They came away extremely proud and full of passion.

I would like to say thank you to Flavours of Hambleton for holding the awards the sponsor Hambleton District Council and Grand Central and the judges for the task of visiting so many places.

Entering wards make you look at your business, what you do well and what you can improve in your business. That’s why we enter not for the Trophy but as a way of self-assessment.

Without the sponsors it would not be possible.

Many Thanks

Steven

Ps a fifth year that would be tough maybe we should sponsor the award

Veronica Hagin 76 pictured a Yorkshire-expatriate who now lives in Northern California returned to the hotel in 1991 – a place which was her home from 1944 until 1952. Witnessing for her self the transformation of the former ‘Golden Lion Hotel’ into the modern day ‘Chapters Hotel and Restaurant’ Veronica felt inspired to write her life story.
Veronica said: “Even though I left England to emigrate to Canada in 1956 I am primarily a ‘Yorkshire girl’. When I returned to visit Stokesley in 1991, I found a great many changes had occurred. Places change and people move on which is why I felt compelled to write my story.”

In the post-war years, The Golden Lion Hotel was owned and managed by Veronica’s parents, Ernest and Violet Thornton, pictured below. Her story paints an image of life in a hotel following the end of the Second World War – from VE day celebrations on the town green through to continued food rationing.

Veronica fondly remembers the food her mother used to serve to guests in the Hotel’s restaurant: “The serving of game was not restricted by food rationing, which remained in place until 1952. Throughout those years, the Hotel’s reputation grew as rabbit and pigeon pies became regular items on the menu alongside jugged hare.”

Since Veronica left the hotel, Chapters has changed hands many times before finally being acquired by Steven Bell in 2005. Steven carried out a major refurbishment to the Hotel and Restaurant, modernising many of the hotel’s rooms and introducing gourmet cuisine to Stokesley. His efforts were rewarded last year when the restaurant won two awards – “Restaurant of the Year” by the Flavours of Hambleton Awards 2007 and “Restaurant of the Year for Special Occasions” at the North Yorkshire Moors and Coast Awards 2007.

Speaking of Veronica’s book, Steven said: “Veronica’s story evokes images of a busy and bustling hotel during a relatively recent period in the hotel’s long history. I enjoyed reading her book and I would be delighted to extend a warm invitation to Veronica and her daughters to stay at Chapter’s as my personal guests when they next visit England.”

Steven is now appealing to other former owners of the hotel from throughout the last 100 years to come forward to complete a historical timeline for the hotel. The timeline will be published on the hotel’s website – www.chaptershotel.co.uk. Anyone with information to contribute, should contact Rachel Power on 01642 711888

Last year tourism brought a massive £121.45 million into Hambleton – with the food and drink industry accounting for £21.29 million of it. And that segment rises year on year.

But it is not all about tourists – it is also important that the district provides top class facilities for our residents. They want good places to eat and drink too – and there is a real hunger for menus offering local dishes.

That’s why in 2004 Hambleton District Council set out to strengthen its links with the food and drink sectors and encourage them to use local produce and develop a distinctive local cuisine.

To celebrate this, the Flavours of Hambleton awards were established – to recognise excellence throughout this district of North Yorkshire.

Every year the number of nominations has also grown -there were almost 2000 this year for 100 businesses. As always that gave the judges a very hard task – mystery shopping each venue was a pleasure for them, but led to some soul searching when it came to choosing the winners!

Breakfast of the Year – Sponsored by the BBC Radio York.
Lovesome Hill Farmhouse at Northallerton – run by Mary and John Pearson
This 165 acre working farm is also a thriving bed and breakfast business – visitors can stay in the farmhouse, in the granary, a cottage or the ‘bunkhouse’ for serious walkers! Mary specialises in good home cooking and her wholesome breakfasts will see those walkers off for a day in the Dales. Home made jam, locally produced honey and sausages from home reared stock are regular features. And there are healthier options on offer if you don’t fancy bacon and eggs. The judges said their visit to Lovesome Hill could not be faulted – a real farmhouse; friendly hosts; excellent quality and home made local produce. And the freshly cooked breakfast was simply described as beautiful!

Food Producer of the Year – sponsored by ‘deliciouslyorkshire’
Sutton Beef and Lamb of Sutton on the Forest – run by Andrew and Janet Stott

Situated on the picturesque Sutton Park estate traditional pedigree Aberdeen angus, dexters and Hampshire down sheep are raised for meat. All stock is suckled naturally, calves are weaned at eight months and then slowly reared to make for good quality meat. The farm also produces its own winter fodder to maintain the high standards it strives for. The finished products are sold direct to the customer and via the annual Huby and Sutton Show although there are plans to sell through a local retailer in the future.
The judges said the standard and quality of the producers who entered this category was second to none but Sutton Beef and Lamb was a business whose supporting customer letters underlined the quality of their product and the service they provide.

Pub Food of the Year sponsored by Northern Select Foods
The Crosby at Thornton le Beans – run by Chris and Moira Robson
After 22 years in the motor trade Chris decided he wanted a change so last year he and Moira took their first foray into the pub business. The pub specialises in good home cooked food – both pub grub and a la carte menus. Chef Malcolm Talbot lists rack of lamb, chicken stuffed with stilton and wrapped with bacon and Sunday roasts as his specialities. And he reputedly does the best Yorkshire puddings in the district – they are so big they struggle to come out of the oven!

The judges selected the Crosby because of the good menu choice, friendly staff, excellent service and value for money and importantly the high standard of food

Outside Caterer of the Year – sponsored by Sugar and Spice Food Profiling and Marketing Specialists.

FIGS of East Harlsey is run by Nicola Calder.
Nicola has been running her small business from her home kitchen for over four years. She is passionate about cooking making sure everyone gets just what they want when she caters for their event – however large or small. Sourcing local products and trying out new suppliers is a big part of the job. And she has had some fierce critics in her time because before this she worked in the music industry cooking for people like – Michael Jackson, Mel C, Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Taylor.

This was another hard call for the judges but it went to the business that has gone from strength to strength in the five years it has been in operation with Weddings,Balls and Family and Corporate Celebrations now forming the backbone of the business. During that time Nicola has tried to ensure that she uses local produce and local suppliers in her menus -using the Deliciously Yorkshire Guide to Food and Drink to source the very best food and ingredients in the County.

Tearoom of the Year – sponsored by ITV Tyne Tees Televison.
Tea Hee of Easingwold run by Sophie Smith.
Opened almost four years ago, this compact café quickly established itself in the market town. Its popularity meant expansion in 2005 – into the shop next door and the garden, doubling its size. Everything is home made – and prepared at the café. Local suppliers are used wherever possible – and the deli means people can take the products they sampled in the shop home!

The judges said Tea Hee just couldn’t be beaten – great food, great atmosphere fruit tea is to die for!

Specialist Retailer of the Year sponsored by Hambleton Ales
Fine Foods of Yorkshire in Easingwold run by Mark and Lucy Taylor
This business has quickly established itself as the place to find quality home products. As many foods as possible are sourced in Yorkshire – and as close to Easingwold as possible. They are already getting set for Xmas with mulled wine bundles and marzipan fruits! Former butcher Mark, has also turned his hand to fishmongery with an impressive selection of fish – all fresh daily.

The judges awarded this category to a business that is described as a ‘real find’ in one of our market towns. From caviar to home made cakes – and beautiful fresh fish

Newcomer of the Year sponsored by Lewis and Cooper from Northallerton
Deli No I in Easingwold – run by Emma and Stephen Coates
Emma and Stephen opened up just over 12 months ago – the previous owners had retired and the residential care home where Emma had been cook had closed. And despite baby Georgina appearing three months ago, who has so far prevented Emma from cooking for the shop, it is going from strength to strength. They believe in providing quality food that is fresh daily using award winning chefs from across North Yorkshire to provide the ready meals, quiches and pastries that are so popular with customers.

The high standard of entrants made judging particularly difficult but Deli No 1 was chosen because of the exceptional quality products and the commitment to local cooking.

Restaurant of the Year sponsored by the Darlington and Stockton Times.
Chapters in Stokesley – owned by Steven and Dawn Bell
Looking for a new challenge Steven bought Chapters in Stokesley High Street and set about revitalising the listed building. And with that in mind he enticed Maltese restauranteur Victor Vassallo and his wife Victoria to come to the UK – Victor as general manager and award winning chef Victoria to look after the gourmet restaurant and bistro. The restaurant seats just 28 diners who prefer a more gourmet meal while the bistro caters for 40 in its relaxed surroundings. And they can try anything from sea bass or plaice to duck, chicken or beef all cooked to Victoria and her teams exacting standards – with ingredients that are all sourced from local suppliers.

The winner was selected because from the moment the judges walked through the door to the point of leaving it felt like a classy establishment. Add to that the high quality food, surroundings and service and we have a worthy winner in Chapters

Village Shop of the Year sponsored by Hambleton District Council.
Tollerton Post Office and Village Stores run by Phillip Lancaster
Philip’s has been in Tollerton for eight years – and this year has also opened Dooleys new store in Easingwold. As a result of that venture the range of stock has increased in Tollerton. He sells a range of locally produced foods – using local bakers, butchers and growers where he can. Bags of liquorice are a customer favourite along with ready made stews and sauces. Hampers, freshly baked breads and a wide range of real ales and wines are also popular. And his neighbour is as busy as ever making Tollerton Stores jams and jellies. And like all local stores a good range of greetings cards is essential!

It was a hard job for the judges and the result was another close call – but they eventually opted for Tollerton Stores – the finalist which stocked a huge range of local produce and always had a helping hand and listening ear for the customer.

Outstanding achievement to the food and drink industry sponsored by Minster Northallerton FM
This award is a little bit special – there was a long list of potential entrants for this category but we had no argument between the judges – they were unanimous in their decision that is should go to a person who has been plying in his trade in the catering world for over 20 years. Not only has he been cooking for us but he has also helped breed new chefs for the industry – James Butterfield!

Everyone in Hambleton will know James as the owner of The Café in Northallerton – a business he opened four years ago but where does he hail from? He has worked as senior chef de partie in a hotel on the Cote D’Azur in France; sous chef at the Cleveland Tontine, senior chef to partie at the five sat Cliveden in Berkshire; and senior sous chef at the Blackwell Grange Moathouse. Add to that five years as chef lecturer at Darlington College of Technology – whe he trained himself – and a year travelling around Australia chefing and he has had a varied life!

At home he likes to cook simple food for his wife and three children! And when time allows he enjoys following football at both Middlesbrough and Newcastle.

Steven Bell owns Chapters Hotel and Restaurant in Stokesley. He and his brother Peter also own The House designer fashion stores in Yarm and Northallerton.

The videos, each lasting around 3 minutes, highlight why Yarm, Stokesley and Northallerton are great places to visit and to do business.

In August 2004, the Bell brothers took over their first designer clothes outlet, after having sold their chain of 54 convenience stores to Sainsbury’s.

The first store, The House in Yarm, was followed by the purchase of Leopard at Harrogate and Brills in Leeds, which have also been renamed, The House.

The latest addition to The House portfolio opened in Northallerton in December 2006.

In 2005, Steven Bell bought Chapters Hotel and Restaurant and subsequently carried out a substantial refurbishment.

The gourmet restaurant has quickly developed a name for fine dining.

Steven Bell said: “Yarm, Stokesley and Northallerton are very similar, with traditional high streets and picturesque market squares. The towns have developed over recent years and forged an excellent reputation for shopping and eating out.

“The internet is a very powerful and global medium and we decided to utilise this to show people across the world what a fantastic area we live and work in. We are passionate about the Tees Valley and we want to encourage people, not only tourists but those who live locally, to visit Yarm, Stokesley or Northallerton and we can guarantee that they will be delighted with what they discover.”