Tag: places to go

Restaurant Review: Le Raaj, Sedgefield

By on 11th April 2016in Lifestyle

Andy Knowles shares his thoughts on Sedgefield’s newest premium dining experience…

For years I had been driving past the derelict Little Chef building at the round-a-bout between Sedgefield and Stockton. A road I use each evening on my way home from the office in Chester-le-Street so when I noticed the Le Raaj ‘coming soon’ signs appear I was quite excited. Not only is it great to see one of our clients expanding from Durham into my region of Teesside, its also great that a new Indian restaurant was opening as I consider myself an Indian food aficionado.

After many weeks of anticiptation I noticed the ‘we are open’ banners were on display so I made a mental note to organize a babysitter and treat my other half to a night of beer and a curry. Who said romance was dead!

As we arrived at the restaurant the grand entrance looked stunning with a pitched roof and marble pillars that stood out with mood lighting similar to something you might expect to see at an exclusive members club in Mayfair, London. We were both very impressed.

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On entering the restaurant there was a great ambience and we were greeted by the polite manager who ushered us to a comfy seating area where we ordered some drinks and were handed the menus that were so new and the ink was must have barely dried. This was going to be a great evening I thought.

After a comfortable and relaxing wait the manager took our orders and we were showed to our table by the window. The restaurant was relatively busy considering it was a Tuesday night and the sound of chatter and music made the atmosphere really great and added to the overall ambiance.

As we caught up with each other on this very rare ‘date night’ the waiter arrived with poppadum’s and pickles and it wasn’t long before we started to break them up and work our way up to the lime pickle.

After another comfortable break it was time for the starters. My wife opted for Tikka chicken paneer that was described as marinated boneless chicken in tandoor and served with homemade Indian cheese. I opted for Onion Baji that was one of the best I’ve ever tasted.

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For main course Kelly selected a predictable Chicken Korma and I went for one of the chefs special dishes called ‘Goan chicken’ A classic northern dish, slow cooked with aromatic spices, whole zera, garlic Goan chilli and coconut – spicy dish

We finished off with a nice coffee and complimentary chocolate before heading home after a great evening of good food and exceptional service.

So would I recommend Le Raaj in Sedgefield? Absolutely! And I hope its not too long before we get to visit again.

Truly Tempting To Hold Budding Chocolatier Masterclass

By on 8th April 2016in In & Around

Budding chocolatier’s, both young and young at heart, can enjoy a taste bud-tingling masterclass at one of the region’s biggest food festivals this month…

Bishop Auckland Food Festival (BAFF), which boasts 150 producers and traders, returns for a weekend of foodie fun April 23 and 24, with a range of fantastic masterclasses at its heart. BAFF is a Durham County Council event and is partnered by The Auckland Castle Trust and Bishop Auckland Town Council.

Amongst those set to provide mouth-watering entertainment will be Truly Tempting Chocolate. Their indulgent classes will offer would-be chocolatiers a flavour of what it’s like to work with one of the world’s most loved ingredients. There are separate sessions for adults and children for just £5 per person.

They’ll be run by David and Wendy Sanderson from Darlington who pride themselves on using only quality Belgian chocolate for all of their products, sourcing as many natural ingredients as possible and making many of the added flavours themselves like peanut butter and crystallised ginger.

Looking ahead to another fabulous festival Wendy said: “Bishop Auckland Food Festival is a great event as it’s local to us and we have family that live nearby. Also the quality and variety of food produce is excellent and as most of the stall holders are the producers of the food that is great.

“The best thing about working with chocolate is being creative and coming up with new products and flavours as well as the tasting, it’s also great when customers try our products and the lovely reactions and feedback we get from them.”

With his masterclass planning complete David can reveal exactly what participants can expect: “We run two different chocolate workshops, one for adults and one for children.

The adults get to make two different kinds of chocolate truffles and the children make a chocolate lolly and a chocolate caterpillar.

“We have a lot of fun doing the workshops and really like educating people about good quality chocolate and how it’s made from the cocoa beans, and just having fun and getting messy with our groups as everyone loves chocolate.”

Cabinet member for culture and regeneration, Cllr Neil Foster, said: “The festival masterclasses have proven to be a real hit with foodies and this year we won’t disappoint.

“We are offering 13 different workshops across 26 sessions, ranging from chocolate and charcuterie to cheese and craft beers, but don’t forget to book your place because tickets are selling like hot cakes!”

Details on the full range of classes can be found at http://www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk

Tickets for workshops can be purchased in person from Gala Theatre and Cinema box office in Millennium Place in Durham or by calling 03000 266600.

Sunderland Hilton Hotel Nears Completion

By on 24th March 2016in Local Biz

The North East’s newest hotel is nearing completion, marking a Northern landmark for one of hospitality’s biggest brands…

The Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland will open adjacent to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light later this spring.

It will be the first Hilton Garden Inn property to launch in Northern England and the only one to date between Birmingham and Glasgow.

“It is a real coup for us to be bringing the Hilton Garden Inn brand to such an exciting location just opposite the Stadium of Light,” said Kim Kelso, Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland’s General Manager.

“The new hotel will help to fill a gap in the market catering for the growing number of people coming to work and play in Sunderland.”

The Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland, created by Gateshead-based architects, Redbox Design Group, will offer high quality, good value accommodation, with two wings housing 141 en-suite guest rooms.

Each room will boast the brand’s signature bedding with fresh, white duvets and crisp linens, as well as a spacious and clutter-free work desk with an ergonomic desk chair, in-room mini fridge, individually controlled air conditioning, flat screen TV and access to complimentary WiFi.

Construction on the H-shaped property, which began in summer 2015, is being managed by professional service provider, Turner & Townsend and led by Tolent Construction Ltd.

Key contractors include Opus Building Services, based in Sunderland, Walker Modular, based in Yorkshire and Swandene Specialist Contract Interiors, based at Washington, Tyne and Wear.

“We are delighted to have been involved in this project and have worked hard to reinvest in the local economy by utilising our own locally-based workforce and regional subcontractors as much as possible,” said John Wood, Tolent Chairman.

The Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland, which is expected to launch in early May, is already accepting bookings and looking ahead to a busy first quarter.

“Once completed, we’re confident that the Hilton Garden Inn will make an ideal base for tourists exploring the sites of Sunderland and the surrounding area,” said Kim Kelso.

“It will also offer an accommodation option for those attending events at the Stadium of Light, including football, weddings, corporate events and the performance by Beyonce in June.”

For more information about the Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland please visit  www.hgisunderland.hgi.com or www.safc.com/hotel  or email enquiries@hgisunderland.com.

Lumley Castle Hosts Wild Food Event

By on 20th March 2016in Entertainment

Foodies keen to find out more about foraging are invited to a special event at one of the North East’s most historic venues…

On Sunday 22 May, Lumley Castle Hotel, Chester-le-Street, is giving visitors the chance to learn more about ‘wild food,’ with the help of bush craft and survival expert Bruce Ferguson, of Wild North Discovery.

Throughout the morning he will take them on a tour of the 600-year-old castle’s ancient woodland in the search for wild ingredients, such as garlic, herbs, edible roots and berries.

Not only will he teach them to seek out and identify wild ingredients during a one and a half hour walk, but chefs from the hotel’s renowned Black Knight restaurant will then serve lunch, incorporating the foraged food.

Between courses, Bruce, who has been foraging for wild food for more than 30 years and recently took actor and presenter Robson Green seashore foraging for an upcoming episode of hit TV show, Tales from Northumberland, will give a talk about safe, legal and sustainable foraging.

He will also talk about food to look out for later in the year that may not yet be in season and the various types of location at which wild food can be found.

“This is the first time we have held an event of this sort,” said the hotel’s director of sales Tina Lowes “and we are all very excited to see what edible treasures can be found in Lumley Castle’s grounds.

“Not only will visitors enjoy an interesting and informative morning but they will then be served a wonderful lunch, incorporating the fruits of their labours.”

Places for the Foraging at Lumley day cost £29.50, to include lunch and can be booked by calling 0191 3895845 or emailing banquets@lumleycastle.com.

Newcastle Bar Introduces Menu For Doggy Visitors

By on 2nd March 2016in Local Biz

An award winning Newcastle bar has created a special menu for its four legged clients – which even includes a doggy beer…

City Tavern on Northumberland Road is renowned for being dog friendly, and has come up with a menu of dog treats to complement the food offering that is available to its human visitors.

Dogs can enjoy a range of biscuits, flavoured with everything from Scottish salmon to country game, venison chews, and fruit and vegetable flavoured snacks.

And there’s also the option to wash it down with a pint of Belgian Snuffles Dog Beer, which is non-alcoholic and made with beef and chicken, along with malt barley extracts, minerals and vitamins.

Bar owner David King is a dog lover, and his own pooches – three Irish terriers – also have pride of place at the bar.

David said: “We have three ales which have been specially created for us, and one of our dogs, Dillon, appears on one of the logos.

“We’ve also named our Hector’s Cloudy House cider after another one of our dogs.”

The rareness of Irish terriers means that other Irish Terrier owners have also travelled from far and wide to see David’s dogs.

He said: “We’ve had people ring up to check if the dogs are in, as they want to come especially to see them.

“But of course, we welcome any breed, and we find people really appreciate a city centre pub where dogs are also valuable customers.”

City Tavern, widely recognised for its Tudor style façade, was taken over by Mr King early in 2014, and then enjoyed a £450k refurbishment to create a state-of-the-art bar, while still retaining the venue’s historic features.

Alex Nelson’s Places To Go: Bishop Auckland

By on 10th February 2016in Have Your Say

Stationmaster Alex Nelson has been suggesting places to go by train every month for ten years. This month, he’s headed to Bishop Auckland…

Great things are afoot in Bishop Auckland!

Last year I spent an hour with Jonathan Ruffer, the visionary wealth manager and barrister who bought the 13 paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons in Auckland Castle from the Church Commissioners, and then bought the Castle to keep them in. The Castle and tearooms have been closed for winter maintenance during January, but are now back open. Throughout the year, they are open every day except Tuesdays, and the admission is £6 for adults, free for under 16s.

Auckland Castle offers guided tours at 11.30 and 14.30 every day (no extra charge), excluding Tuesdays, where you can see the splendid rooms and vistas, as well as the paintings by Francisco de Zurburan (1598-1664). There are other events throughout the year (details on the website), including the popular Bishop Auckland Food Festival, which this year is on 23rd/24th April. A walk in the park costs nothing, although you might get your shoes rather muddy, so take boots. The Deer Shelter is in the care of English Heritage, but there is no charge to walk round it.

Ten trains a day run to Bishop Auckland, which is a branch from the main line at Darlington. So to get there, head for Darlington first. A visit to Bishop Auckland can easily be combined with a free visit to Locomotion, the branch of the National Railway Museum. On arrival at Bishop Auckland, walk up Newgate Street, which is the straight shopping street heading north to the Market Place, and turn right for Auckland Castle where the Bishop of Durham still has an office (although he lives elsewhere in the town).

It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the Castle, which is the focal point of a one-man effort to regenerate a whole town. Even the mediocre old Postchaise and Queen’s Head hotels are being remodelled to create one single mid-market boutique hotel. Already there are 30,000 visitors a year now, compared to 800 when the Bishops were in residence.

Jonathan Ruffer said to me: “I don’t want it to be interesting. I want it to be astonishing.”

This summer, there’s something really astonishing: an epic production on the land to the north of the Castle called KYNREN, the epic story of England, covering 2,000 years on a 7.5 acre stage including a large lake, and 1,000 performers and crew. The scale is truly breathtaking. I saw progress on the site even during my hour with Mr. Ruffer. KYNREN will be performed on 14 occasions over the summer of 2016, starting from Saturday 2nd July until Saturday 17th September. It’s on various Fridays, Saturdays and one Sunday (28th August), and tickets are available now. This is a live action night show that starts as late as 21.30 and finishes 90 minutes later. If you think ‘2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony’, you’ll be thinking along the right lines.

In other news…

Keep the date: Sunday 13th March!

I’m organising a mass visit by train to Teesside Airport station, to ensure it is not the least used station on the National Rail network in 2015/16. The only train of the week leaves Darlington station at 11.05, and you can spend just over an hour at the airport before joining the only train back at 12.35. For one of the weirdest excursions of the year, suitable for children, led by an experienced team… full details soon!

Alex Nelson
Stationmaster

Virgin Trains Offer 200,000 Cheap Rail Tickets

By on 5th January 2016in In & Around

If you’ve spent too much time soothing feuds between family members over the holidays, it might be time to bag yourself a bargain escape route…

A total of 200,000 cheap tickets are up for grabs from Virgin Trains along their east coast route from London to Edinburgh. At £5 for a single ticket between London and Leeds, £10 between London to Newcastle and £15 between London and Edinburgh, the bargains are eye-wateringly tempting.

Those needing that extra bit of nurturing after dealing with particularly irritating relatives should be able to justify upgrading to First Class. At just £40 for a First Class ticket all the way from London to Edinburgh, their deal will include the full package – including complimentary food and drink, free Wi-Fi and more spacious and comfortable seats.

George Shuttlewood, Head of Marketing for Virgin Trains on the east coast, said:

“All those who’ve spent the last two weeks with seriously annoying relatives have our deepest sympathy. We’re delighted to be able to offer a sharp exit with our super-cheap tickets.

“This is an excellent opportunity to save big on travel between Edinburgh and London, and many of our destinations in between. And with 200,000 seats available over the travel period, there’s plenty of choice.

“London is always our most popular destination, but with prices so low it’s the perfect opportunity to try somewhere new.”

The bargain seats are on sale from today until Friday 8th January, and only through this web page. All tickets are for travel from 5th January to 23rd March 2016.

All offers are subject to availability. As well as seriously beguiling bargains for off-peak week-day travel, some peak-time tickets are up for grabs as well as more limited (due to engineering works) but equally tempting deals for weekend travel.

Because the prices are already so low, no other offers or discounts can be used, including Railcard or child reductions. Once booked, no changes, refunds or break of journey can be made.

Waverley Train Station Waiting Room To Be Restored To Victorian Splendour

By on 1st January 2016in In & Around

Virgin Trains is to restore one of Waverley Station’s hidden gems, years after an intricate mosaic floor was uncovered by accident during upgrade works to its waiting room…

The original flooring, dating back to the Victorian era, had been hidden for decades following work by British Rail to modernise the area.

It is due to be restored to its former glory next year as part of a programme by Virgin Trains to refurbish and renew first class lounges and waiting rooms on the east coast route connecting Edinburgh to London.

The original flooring first re-emerged in 2014, when builders chipped away a section of concrete to reveal the ornate, colourful design that was a key feature of the original Victorian dining room.

A partial restoration was undertaken last year as part of a programme that also stripped away panelling to reveal the original walls and wooden ceiling.

Virgin Trains, which took over the east coast passenger franchise in March, has worked with Network Rail and the Rail Heritage Trust to complete the restoration of the waiting room and restore the mosaic floor to its former glory.

Sections of the mosaic design have been damaged or destroyed in the intervening years, and the work due to start this winter will involve replacing them with new, specially-designed tiles that compliment the original design.

Andy Savage, Executive Director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “Sadly, society went through a period when the glories of Victorian architecture were treated with scorn, or neglect, and BR’s alterations to the former dining room came into this category.

“The features were all left in situ, but modern flooring and ceilings hid them and damaged them. East Coast Trains approached us last year when they found what they had, and we were able to fund a partial restoration of the room, at a cost of £150,000.

“Despite this, much of the historic ambience of the room is still hidden, but East Coast made sure that it was not further damaged in the alterations. Although we were able to expose the ceiling and mosaic in the new public area, the available finances were not enough to do any repairs to the mosaic, and some areas had to be left with mortar in place of the missing mosaic tiles.

“I am delighted that Virgin Trains East Coast have been able to work with us so that we are jointly funding a further £25,000 worth of work to be able to restore the mosaic in the public areas, and this work should be done this winter.”

Jennifer Mearns, Scotland Station Manager for Virgin Trains, said: “We were amazed when we first saw the mosaic design hidden under the concrete flooring.

“It’s been exciting to work with Network Rail and Rail Heritage Trust to provide a reception area for our customers and people worthy of the Victorian architects who first designed the room.”

Ann Glen, author of a history on Waverley Station, said that the design may have been made by Edinburgh-based Italians who specialised in mosaics. “According to a North British Railway Company ground floor plan, made at the time of the reconstruction of Waverley station in the latter 1890s, the premises were designed as a ‘Dining Hall’,” she said.

“The plan for the concourse ‘offices’ was devised by Blyth & Blyth, the consulting engineers responsible for the station project. There is no indication on the plan as to the class of passengers who would use the premises.”

Bishop Auckland Continues Local Improvements

By on 26th December 2015in In & Around

New signs have been installed to help the expected increase in visitors explore everything that Bishop Auckland has to offer…

 

With the ongoing improvements and additions to Auckland Castle, among many other exciting plans for the town, and the open-air, live action attraction Kynren due to open in 2016, Bishop Auckland is expecting large numbers of visitors from next year.

Funded and installed by Durham County Council, the signs will help people find their way around town, as well as pointing them in the direction of transport links and local attractions. The signs also include the estimated walking times to key locations to help people unfamiliar with Bishop Auckland.

The new network of signs includes five street maps, two notice boards – one advertising upcoming events, the other providing tourist information – and a finger post sign. These new contemporary signs have been designed to stand out from the other street furniture, and are consistently branded so people can spot them more easily than the ad hoc out of date signs they replaced.

Cllr Neil Foster, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economic regeneration and culture, said: “The coming year promises a real step-change in the future of Bishop Auckland, and a massive boost for the town in both jobs and the local economy. By installing these new signs, we hope to help make sure that the local businesses and residents of Bishop Auckland are first in line to feel the benefit of the increased tourism we’re sure these changes will bring.”

The design of the signs was decided upon following input from the Auckland Castle Trust, Newgate Shopping Centre, Bishop Auckland Town Council, and local members.

Top Tyneside Hotels Slash Prices For 2016

By on 20th December 2015in In & Around

Shoppers heading north to snap up New Year sales bargains can extend their stay with a Sunday saver…

Two top Newcastle hotels are slashing their room rates on Sunday nights in January and February.

The New Northumbria and Grey Street Hotels are offering double rooms for just £20.16 per person based on two people sharing, on Sunday nights only.

Grey Street Hotel takes its name from its location on Newcastle’s most famous city centre Regency street, while the New Northumbria is at the heart of the upmarket Jesmond area of the city.

For further information about the Grey Street Hotel, call 0191 230 6777 or visit www.greystreethotel.co.uk and to find out more about the New Northumbria Hotel call 0191 281 4961, or visit www.thenewnorthumbriahotel.co.uk.

The offer is subject to availability, and callers must quote SUNDAY2016 at the time of booking.

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