Chesterfield Retail Awards

Go behind the scenes of Chatsworth at Christmas with a Channel Four TV Special

12th December 2019

Billed as must-see TV, watch the hour long ‘Christmas at Chatsworth House’ airing on Channel Four on Thursday 12 December at 9pm.

Chatsworth welcomed the national broadcaster to come and spend several weeks filming behind the scenes at the Derbyshire stately home as it pulls out all the stops to put on its annual festive season enjoyed by more than 100,000 visitors each year.

Taking a look behind the scenes of the historic Derbyshire house that provided the iconic backdrop for Pride and Prejudice, Christmas At Chatsworth House follows this unique British institution as it prepares for its most important weeks of the year and gets ready to open its doors to its Christmas visitors.

In just five days housekeepers, designers, gardeners and foresters transform Chatsworth with traditional and nostalgic Christmas displays. The house alone is decorated with over 30 Christmas trees, 60,000 baubles and a million fairy lights.

This year’s theme, A Land Far, Far Away, is a global experience with the grand rooms of the house dressed in homage to countries that have influenced generations of the Cavendish family. The Chatsworth team has delved into the collection to find a treasure trove of memorabilia from around the world. Morocco, India, Netherlands, Italy, China, Japan, and America all feature in what is described as ‘one of the most ambitious Christmas seasons staged by Chatsworth’.

ITN Production’s Executive Producer, Will Smith, said: “Viewers will be amazed at the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to transform Chatsworth House at Christmas and make it such a magical and enchanting time for visitors. This one-off documentary will provide a compelling insight into the sheer scale of getting the house ready so that guests can participate in the festive fun and have a Christmas to remember.”

Chatsworth’s Head of Visitor Experience, Sally Ambrose, said: “Christmas at Chatsworth has become one of the biggest events of the year for the estate, so we were delighted to welcome a national broadcaster to come and have a peek behind the scenes and feature some of our wonderful staff who make this such a special experience for thousands of visitors each year.”

Chatsworth Christmas runs up until 5 January 2020. Tickets for House and Garden are priced at £25 per adult and £15 per child (aged between 3-16). Family tickets are also available.

Click here to find out more about Christmas at Chatsworth House.

Celebrating 2019 as a year of progress for Chesterfield

9th December 2019

My last blog of this year and of the decade! As the end of 2019 moves ever nearer, I think it’s important that we look back at the progress we’ve made as a town this year, as well as looking ahead to the future we’re creating.

Chesterfield has truly had a transformational year and decade. Developments in the area have made huge progress, with some passing major milestones and others being completed, like the successful opening of both the Premier Inn in the former Co-Op building and the new Saltergate Car Park which together have spearheaded the Northern Gateway development.

The plans for Northern Gateway include an enterprise centre for start-up and medium sized businesses on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The former site of the old Queens Park Sports Centre has also been revitalised with the addition of some much needed 3G pitches which are hugely popular with the many grassroots football teams in the area.

As well as construction, it’s been a big year for retail both nationally and in Chesterfield. Although the high street economy as a whole is under threat from the internet it doesn’t have to be the case. I believe that the high street and online can work together and be equally successful in their own space. ALTERIS, the new owners of Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, have proven this.

They are using Facebook to engage with shoppers and drive the redevelopment of the Vicar Lane area. They have asked shoppers what ‘offer’ they want and are responding accordingly and reaping the rewards via the resulting increased footfall. Pop-up shops, free classes, movie screenings and more at Vicar Lane have helped to bring people into the town centre helping Chesterfield’s high street performance remain above the national average.

We can all play a part in Chesterfield’s future retail success– Vote with your feet by shopping local; it really does make a difference.

The launch of the big screen at Vicar Lane Shopping Centre took place on Friday 6th December.

The public / private sector partnerships in Chesterfield are as strong as ever. Its effect is felt in every area of the borough from major developments like Markham Vale and Chesterfield Waterside through to spectacular events like the Christmas lights switch on and regular themed markets.

This collaboration is key to Chesterfield, and its people and businesses continuing to thrive. It also gives us an excellent excuse to celebrate our success with the annual Retail Awards and Food & Drink Awards. More importantly for me, these events recognise young talent – and having met the young chefs, Chesterfield College students and apprentices at this year’s Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, I can confirm that the town has a wealth of it.

I feel confident as we go into 2020 and a new decade that Chesterfield’s future is bright and is in safe hands.

Best wishes for the New Year!

There’s a full programme of entertainment for Christmas in Chesterfield from traditional markets to the annual pantomime and from stand up comedy to musical concerts.

Blog by Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Vicar Lane wins national award for digital innovation

5th December 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, last night (4th December), won the gold award in the Re:wired category at the prestigious REVO Gold Awards.

The Re:wired award recognises and celebrates the best examples of innovative retail property technology. Vicar Lane has beat big names in the retail sector to the award including Westfield and Savills, highlighting the industry-leading nature of their approach to technology and customers.

The Centre and its owner Alterx have both been working with tech specialist Maybe*Tech to engage with the Chesterfield audience. The fascinating results have helped to shape the future design and function of Vicar Lane as well as helping to create a better experience for visitors.

The findings have led to a new approach to the leasing of empty shops with Steeplegate coming to life again as a venue for independent brands.

The approach has also helped shape the development of the centre’s marketing and promotions, and led to innovations like the giant new screen which opens in St James’ Square next month.

David Goldstein of Alterx explains: “The innovative work with Maybe*Tech has allowed us to actively use social media to monitor and communicate with our customers to understand what they want from Vicar Lane. This has led to us developing a series of successful pop-up events such as flower arranging, cinema screenings and a micro pub to compliment Vicar Lane’s current retail offer.”

Other new technology innovations have seen a partnership with parking specialists Reef, which has led to the Vicar Lane car park being upgraded to be fully automated and ticketless. Number plate recognition and an easy mobile payment enables a faster and frictionless parking system which is more efficient and environmentally conscious.

Behind the scenes, Alterx has set up new in-house communication channels for Vicar Lane retailers. This enables greater visibility on tenant trading performance which allows retailers to make better informed decisions.

The results have also seen increases in pedestrian counts, which is great news for Chesterfield, especially when so many similar towns across the country are struggling.

The shopping centre continues to be re-imagined and a new big screen and public square officially open in Chesterfield on Friday 6th December.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Award nominated work revitalising Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

2nd December 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre has been shortlisted for an award at this year’s prestigious REVO Gold Awards.

Vicar Lane has been acknowledged in the Re:wired category for their innovative use of digital technology which enables the shopping centre to better understand the preferences and behaviours of customers.

The Re:wired award recognises and celebrates the best examples of innovative retail property technology. Vicar Lane has been shortlisted along with big names in the retail sector including Westfield and Savills, highlighting the industry-leading nature of the approach.

The findings have led to a new approach to the leasing of empty shops with Steeplegate coming to life again as a venue for independent brands.

The approach has also helped shape the development of the centre’s marketing and promotions, and led to innovations like the giant new screen which opens in St James’ Square next month.

The results have also seen increases in pedestrian counts, which is great news for Chesterfield, especially when so many similar towns across the country are struggling.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Development, Home, Leisure

Be ‘Ginspired’ with Chesterfield’s newest independent retailer

26th November 2019

A new independent drinks retailer, Ginspired, has opened in Chesterfield’s Market Hall, specialising in gin, rum, whisky and other spirits.

Ginspired will focus on high quality spirits with over 200 unique and interesting bottles to choose from, as well as a wide range of gift items for Christmas and other special occasions. In store tasting events will also be a regular occurrence and staff will be on hand to provide friendly helpful advice.

Co-Owners Matt and Darren have worked in the drinks industry for 10 years before using their passion and experience to open Ginspired, showcasing a fantastic collection of gin, rum, whisky, vodka, bourbon, liqueurs, mead, cognac and more.

Co-Owner Matt said: “Our name is taken from Chesterfield’s famous Crooked Spire and our passion for Gin. We hope Ginspired will compliment and support the already vibrant beer and gin scene, with some great pubs, bars and producers well established in Chesterfield.”

He added: “We strongly believe in supporting small independent local businesses and our primary focus will be on products from Derbyshire and the surrounding area where possible.”

Ginspired is now open within Chesterfield’s Market Hall.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Christmas, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Launch of Vicar Lane’s big screen

25th November 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is delighted to announce the launch of their brand-new big screen on Friday 6^th December.

The new LED screen is located outdoors, on St. James’ Square and will be used throughout the year and during key seasonal events to create a much more animated focal point and a lively new meeting area for shoppers within the town, as well as being a key feature in free events run by Vicar Lane.

The launch event will begin at 11am, allowing time for visitors to arrive before the ribbon cutting and official switch-on of the screen at 11:30am.

Visitors will then be able to enjoy a series of screenings from new independent stores at Vicar Lane – Shop Indie and Rate Cute – as well as Let’s Go Peak District and Destination Chesterfield.

Between 1pm and 3pm customers will have the chance to enjoy a PIING social gaming event, while a local business networking event takes place in the store underneath the screen, with presentations from Alterx – owners of Vicar Lane – and a special guest speaker before the day comes to a close at 4pm. Local business people and those working in community groups or other local organisations can claim a free ticket here.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane, said, “We’re really excited about the launch of our big screen. It’s the first really visible change we’ve made to Vicar Lane in a long time and we hope it’s the start of great things to come, with lots of exciting events throughout the year.’’

The installation of the big screen is the first step in a list of improvements that Alterx, who bought the centre out of administration earlier in the year, plan to make to Vicar Lane having identified an opportunity to revitalise it. So, this event is a celebration of their plans coming to fruition and tangible evidence of the investments being made in Vicar Lane.

Find out more here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Vicar Lane Hosts a Calendar of Festive Fun

22nd November 2019

This Christmas, Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield is helping shoppers get in the spirit of the season with a whole heap of activities for them to enjoy.

With a different event every Saturday from 30^th November until Christmas, there’s something for every member of the family to enjoy!

On Saturday 30^th November, customers can get their green fingers ready to craft their very own Christmas wreath in a festive workshop. The pro’s from Thanks A Bunch will be on hand to help them with their festive front door creation in these workshops starting at 10am, 12.30pm and 2:30pm. Numbers are strictly limited to 10 per session and cost just £15 a ticket, which includes hot refreshments and mince pies. Over 16’s only. Tickets can be purchased here.

On Saturday 30^th November, the centre will also receive a visit from a really wild guest as a life-like polar bear patrols the centre and poses for Christmas selfies at intervals throughout the day from 10am – 4pm!

On Saturday 7^th December, a team of professional ice sculptors will have customers transfixed as a unique piece of art emerges from the ice between 11am and 1pm. The Ice sculpture will be available for customers to view until 5pm.

On Saturday 14^th December, customers can see Christmas family favourite ‘Elf’ on the big screen at the centre’s pop-up cinema, opposite F. Hinds in partnership with Bluebird North Events. Tickets are just £4 each, and can be purchased here.

On Saturday 21^st December, families will have the opportunity to catch a screening of Christmas family movie ‘The Polar Express’ on the big screen at the pop-up cinema, opposite F. Hinds in partnership with Bluebird North Events. Tickets are just £4 each, and can be purchased here.

On Saturdays 7^th, 14^th & 21^st December customers are offered the chance to take the flap out of wrapping this festive season and visit ‘Shop Indie’ to have their gifts professionally wrapped.

Vicar Lane is also offering time-stretched shoppers a little relief from their frantic festive preparations with late night shopping on Thursday & Friday 12th & 13th and 19th & 20th December, plus Monday 23rd December.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We understand that shoppers expect a little more than just great stores on their shopping trip these days, so we wanted to offer an exciting experience on every visit this festive season. We look forward to welcoming families of Chesterfield and beyond throughout the Christmas period.’’

Earlier this week, Vicar Lane announced will be home to a brand new, dog-friendly, pop-up bar. The Cap and Whippet will serve up a thirst-quenching menu of beers and spirits, all produced at Derbyshire breweries and distilleries. Customers will also find a range of Christmas gifts to purchase and take home, it will be open from 29^th November until Christmas Eve.

Find out more about Christmas at Vicar Lane here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Visiting

‘Give a Child a Smile’ this Christmas with Peak FM

20th November 2019

Peak FM believe that no child should go without at Christmas. Their annual toy appeal campaign, ‘Give a Child a Smile’ is dedicated to collecting toy donations for under privileged children across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Multiple businesses have quickly signed up and volunteered to be official toy drop off points, these locations can be found here.

For the first time Peak FM have secured a pop up shop unit in Chesterfield Town Centre thanks to Pavements Shopping Centre’s help. The pop up is in the old Thomas Cook store at 57 Low Pavements and will be open Thurs – Sun to accept new and unwrapped toys for children ages 0-16 years.

Fast Signs Sheffield & Chesterfield heard about the campaign and kindly donated the window decals for the front of the building making the unit stand out to passers-by.

Sam Earnshaw, Station Director at Peak FM, said: “This is such a wonderful campaign and one that we whole heartedly support at the station. As we all start to get excited about Christmas and gear up for this special time of year it is so sad to think that some children in our local area, for lots of reasons, may go without. We are always staggered by the generosity of our listeners and these toy donations really do help to put a smile on the face of so many children.”

She added: “We work with a broad range of charities and children’s organisations to ensure that toys are distributed in time for Christmas and we are always keen to hear from as many organisations as possible to ensure our donations reach as many children as they can.”

New and unwrapped toys will be distributed to charities and registered children’s organisations in time for Christmas. Donations are being accepted until December 8th 2019 and local businesses and residents are encouraged to get involved.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Visiting

The Lily Pad celebrates refurbishment and extended Friday night opening hours

19th November 2019

The Lily Pad Café and Restaurant, located on Soresby Street in Chesterfield, are celebrating an extensive refurbishment and exciting changes to their menu. They welcomed customers to enjoy the new Friday night dinner menu last week.

The refurbishment brings a new look, a new menu and new opening hours to this popular town-centre eatery which recently won the accolade of the Café / Tea Room of the Year at the Chesterfield Food & Drink Awards 2019.

Head Chef and Manager, Ryan Purrington said: “It is wonderful to welcome our customers back through our doors and we are really pleased to be able to offer our new dinner menu on a Friday evening too. I hope everyone is as impressed with our new look as we are.”

“Our new menu includes some of the old favourites which we know people love us for, but we’ve also developed the menu to include some exciting new additions. We have a much more extensive selection for vegetarians and vegans too. There are a whole host of new features and food and drinks specials for people to try which we are really excited about.”

The Chesterfield College Group own the business and has invested in the refurbishment process. They work with the dedicated front of house and kitchen team at the Lily Pad to help them develop the business.

Jo Kershaw, Director of Business and Professional Services at Chesterfield College said: “The Lily Pad not only offers local diners an amazing choice of menu options, it also has a unique atmosphere which comes from the passion of the team. They work tirelessly to keep their customers happy. When we invested in this business we saw how the passion of this relatively young team created a popular eatery and how apprentices are supported to grow into key roles in the organisation.”

“We also saw the potential to support this town-centre business in its development. It has been a pleasure working with Ryan and his team over the last few months. I hope both new and existing customers will be as pleased with the results of the refurbishment as we are.”

The Lily Pad is now open for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Sunday (closed all day Wednesdays) as well as now serving evening meals on Friday evenings.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Christmas, Development, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Lombardi’s named as Chesterfield’s top restaurant

24th October 2019

One of Chesterfield’s oldest Italian restaurants, Lombardi’s has been named as the town’s Restaurant of the Year, taking the top honour in the seventh annual Food and Drink Awards.

Established in 2002 and based on Sheffield Road in Chesterfield, Lombardi’s succeeded in scooping the coveted title after being shortlisted for the top award in 2017. Since then the family-owned Italian restaurant has continued to impress diners with its ‘authentic rustic Italian dishes bursting with flavour, cooked with passion.’

Accepting the award at the glittering awards evening, which was hosted by celebrity chef Brian Turner, Christina and Daniel Power, owners of Lombardi’s said: “It feels incredible to win this award after being in this business for 18 years. It’s amazing to be acknowledged for what we do – bringing the real taste of Italy to Chesterfield since 2002.

“We are regarded as an institution in the town, but we’re not standing still. We have just expanded the business to create more seating and will create an outdoor seating area next year to meet demand from our customers.”

Organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with the Chesterfield College Group, the 2019 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards ceremony was this year held at the Winding Wheel Theatre. Recognising the very best people, bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and food producers, the awards have been a highlight in the town’s food and drink sector since 2013.

In addition to Lombardi’s, 14 bars, restaurants, food producers, cafés and individuals also scooped an accolade across 15 categories at the ceremony.

Congratulating all the winners, Brian Turner said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Whether a winner or runner up everyone should be proud of themselves.”

Other headline winners on the night included Casa Hotel, which scooped two awards – International Restaurant of the Year and Conference Venue of the Year.

Town centre-based Sorbo Lounge was also named as Chesterfield’s Best Newcomer. Based in the former Post Office building in Market Place, Sorbo Lounge embodies Chesterfield’s drive to evolve and create a modern town centre environment.

More than 260 people attended what has become the biggest night of the year for Chesterfield’s food and drink community. The awards are also a hands-on learning experience for headline sponsor, Chesterfield College’s hospitality students, who served canapés to guests at the venue.

Brian Turner added: “The hospitality industry is demanding but hugely enjoyable and for all young people on the brink of a career within it, work experience is critical. It is great to see Chesterfield College and its students involved with the awards. Involvement in the Young Chef competition and the practical involvement of the hospitality students serving the canapés on the night deliver invaluable work experience to young people, which will benefit them in their future careers in the industry.”

Young and upcoming talent in the sector was also put under the spotlight at the awards with Chesterfield College student, Jake Parkin being named as the Young Chef of the Year.

David Malone, Chief Operations Officer from Chesterfield College Group said: “It was fantastic to be part of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards again this year. I would like to congratulate all the winners and nominees. It is inspiring to see so many people from the local industry gather to celebrate the success of established businesses and those who are just starting out. It’s wonderful to see the next generation of catering and hospitality experts being recognised too. I hope we will see the finalists and winners of the Apprentice and Young Chef of the Year play a part in this thriving sector in the future.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “Once again the Food and Drink Awards ceremony has been a huge success with more people nominating and more businesses and individuals being shortlisted than previous years. The year-on-year growth of the awards is a direct reflection of how the town’s food and drink sector is continuing to grow.

“There is a great sense of community in the sector with businesses and individuals committed to its success, and this was reflected at the awards ceremony. It was a wonderful celebration. Congratulations to everyone.”

The winners of the 2019 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards are:

Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council

Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant

Christina and Daniel Power, owners of Lombardi’s said: “It feels incredible to win this award after being in this business for 18 years. It’s amazing to be acknowledged for what we do – bringing the real taste of Italy to Chesterfield since 2002.

Cafe/Tea Room of the Year – sponsored by Kier

The Lilypad Café & Restaurant

Ryan Purrington, Head Chef and Manager at The Lilypad Café & Restaurant said: “It feels incredible to win. We have worked hard all year for this. We are innovative and make a point of doing our own thing to stand out from the crowd. At the minute we are undergoing a huge refurb and re-opening on 3 November with some exciting things to come.”

Gastro Pub of the Year – sponsored by Banner Jones Solicitors

The Rectory

Rebecca Walker, General Manager of The Rectory, said: “This is the third time we’ve been nominated for the award but the first year we have won, and it feels absolutely amazing. Over the last year we have really pushed the boundaries with our menu and worked hard to find out what Chesterfield wants and it’s paid off.”.

Pub/Bar of the Year – sponsored by the University of Derby

Pump + Grind

Oliver Perez, Operations Director of Pump + Grind said: “It feels fantastic to win the award. We’ve put a lot of hard work in over the last two years and it’s great to be recognised for this. People like Pump + Grind because we try to do things differently. We take our inspiration from the big towns and cities and bring it to Chesterfield. It’s a great town to go out in and has a brilliant food and drink scene, which we love being part of and are looking to do more as we develop our food menu further.”

Chesterfield’s Best Newcomer – sponsored by BHP Chartered Accountants

Sorbo Lounge

Caleb Wilkes, Assistant Manager at Sorbo Lounge said: “A massive thank you to everyone in Chesterfield who helped us win this award. We’ve worked hard to make Sorbo Lounge a place where everyone feels welcome and this award tell us that we have achieved that. And we want to do even more. Next year we have lots of things planned to fundraise for the charity we’re supporting – The Tom Henson Charity and Defib Map. It’s going to be very exciting for all the team and our customers.”

Excellence in Customer Service – sponsored by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)

Bottle & Thyme

Third time winners at the award, owners of Bottle & Thyme, Hannah and Gavin Grainger, said: “It feels brilliant to win an award for customer service as we work so hard with the team to get it right. We have lovely customers so it’s a real pleasure; delivering great service feels really instinctive as it’s a pleasure to have a chat and catch up with them.

“Moving forward, as a business we’re going to continue to push to be more environmentally friendly. That has been a big focus for us in 2019 and will be in 2020.”

Best Out of Town – sponsored by Shorts Chartered Accountants

Southgate Brasserie at Van Dyk by Wildes, Clowne

Nick Wilson, Executive Chef at Southgate Brasserie said: “It’s amazing to win and the culmination of a year’s hard work – it’s the cherry on the cake. People like us because we’re accessible and cater for all tastes from a simple roast dinner through to Rosette-winning cuisine.”

Chesterfield Food Producer of the Year – sponsored by Edge Events Management

Derbyshire Distillery

David Hemstock, Co-founder and Head Distiller of Derbyshire Distillery said: “This award means everything to us. It’s far beyond what we thought we could achieve when we established the business only 14 months ago. We’ve now got purpose-built premises at Markham Vale, which has given the business space to grow and develop even further. Despite the growth in production, our focus will remain on quality; from the ingredients in our products to the fact that the entire gin making process is all done under one roof and by us – that’s what really sets us apart.”

Young Chef of the Year – sponsored by Owen Taylor & Sons

Jake Parkin

Jake Parkin said: “When I heard my name called out, I was absolutely thrilled. I was confident I’d done well in the cooking element of the competition, but to actually win the award means the world to me. The Young Chef of the Year award is the start of my career to eventually become a head chef. The whole experience has been exciting but nerve wracking.”

International Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by MSE Hiller

Cocina at Casa Hotel

Luke Gregory, Resident Manager at Casa Hotel said: “It feels absolutely amazing to win the award. We’re overjoyed. We pride ourselves on our service and locally sourced food to deliver an excellent experience for customers and this comes through in our customer feedback – they tell us they love Cocina’s relaxed atmosphere and quality food.”

Family Friendly Award – sponsored by Jumble Creative Design

Chesters

Chris Ioannides, Owner of Chesters said: “To win this award for the fourth time in a row feels brilliant. The whole team is so proud as we all work hard to ensure we have the best environment for families who dine with us as we know that keeping the kids entertained is the key to the whole family enjoying their meal.

“We’re hoping to give even more families a taste of Chesters soon as we’re expanding the business into Markham Vale next year with the opening of a new restaurant and drive through. Exciting times are ahead.”

Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Apprentice Town (Led by Chesterfield Borough Council)

Donna McMahon, Van Dyk by Wildes

Donna McMahon said: I am astonished to have won Apprentice of the year as I am an older apprentice and people just assume that apprenticeships are for younger people. I decided to do a business administration apprenticeship because my employer wanted to invest in me and it was an opportunity to develop myself. Everything I have learnt in the apprenticeship so far is really helping me in my job role. I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone, regardless of their age, who wants to develop themselves and build their knowledge.”

Apprentice Employer of the Year – Sponsored by Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group)

Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa

Michael Nash, Operations Director at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa said: “The apprentices work really hard in the business and this award also recognises their contribution. Apprenticeships bring immeasurable value to the business and are a double-edged sword for both us and the apprentices. Everyone benefits.”

Conference Venue of the Year

Casa Hotel

Maroslava Hanatova, Conference Manager at Casa Hotel said: “We’re delighted to win the award. It is well deserved by all the team – from sales to operations. We offer the whole package – from food, passionate staff and accommodation – and I believe it is this, which really sets us apart from other venues in the area.”

Chesterfield Food Hero

Chris Mapp, Head Chef at the Tickled Trout

Chris Mapp, Head Chef and owner of The Tickled Trout said: “I am over the moon, surprised and humbled to receive this recognition. I am passionate about the industry and Chesterfield because it’s home, also because we have such fantastic produce on the doorstep in the Peak District and South Yorkshire. Youngsters beginning their career need to understand how food works – taste over presentation using locally sourced food is an excellent starting point. It’s an amazing industry to work in.”

Other supporters of the awards include Derbyshire Times, Distinctive Magic, Elder Way (Jomast Developments), FEAST 2 – Food and Drink Forum, Hoods Florist, Franklins & Sons, Magnifica, Peak FM, Reflections Magazine (Bannister Publications Ltd) and Vicar Lane Shopping Centre.

For more information about the Chesterfield Food and Drink awards, please visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards/.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Using social media to show what Chesterfield has to offer

18th October 2019

In a political climate where Brexit seems to be dominating the headlines and creating economic uncertainty, I am pleased to report that Chesterfield continues to buck the trend.

And nowhere was this more evident than at the recent Chesterfield Investment Summit held at Casa Hotel.

We’re boasting some of the biggest developments in the region, including Markham Vale, HS2, Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway and Peak Resort, and this feels the tip of the iceberg. There is huge opportunity for Chesterfield’s high street.

In a room packed with members of the business community, we heard how the regeneration of our high street is taking shape. Excitingly, footfall at Vicar Lane Shopping Centre has increased by 36% over the last six months thanks to their use of social media.

I was stunned to hear that we are spending an average of 136 minutes a day scrolling through 300 feet of content on our phones. For the first time ever, people now spend more time on their mobile phone than watching TV. While I don’t think I fall into this category, my adult children definitely do.

There has been a huge shift in human behaviour over the last 15 years which has been driven by our use of social media. But, as always, Chesterfield is ahead of the game. The town and its retailers are using their social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram, to engage with people and draw them not just to their business but to the town in general.

Partnership and collaboration have been at the heart of the town’s marketing campaign since we launched Destination Chesterfield in 2010. It’s reaping rewards for everyone – investors, residents, businesses and visitors. But there is still room for improvement.

If you are active on social media, then consider using it to help Chesterfield grow further. The next time you’re visiting Chesterfield town centre, ‘check in’ online to the businesses you visit. If you’ve had good service, leave them a review on their social media pages or on TripAdvisor. Share pictures of the many town centre events, food and drinks and tag Chesterfield in your post.

With a smart phone and a social media account at your fingertips, you can become an unofficial but valued member of the Chesterfield marketing campaign.

Chesterfield is a town of opportunity and the more people that know this will drive forward our ambitions to not only deliver our current development plans but also attract further investment and continue to help our high street to not only survive but thrive.

If you want to keep up-to-date with all the developments, news and events in Chesterfield on social media, then you can on Twitter (@chesterfielduk), Instagram (@chesterfielduk) and Facebook.

Blog by Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting