Summer

Double award win for Chesterfield restaurant

11th June 2015

Chesterfield Champions, The Tickled Trout picked up two awards at the Westside Magazine Restaurant Awards 2015.

Tom Alberts, sous chef at the tickled trout won Young Chef of the Year and the Westside Magazine readers voted the venue the Readers’ Choice Restaurant of the Year.

Chris Mapp said “I am immensely proud of my team and what we have achieved in 10 months. I am very lucky to have such talented young people working for me and we all enjoy what we do because we are more than just a team but a family. We all have the same goals to make our valued customers happy and make sure that have a lovely experience with us.”

The Tickled Trout is independently owned by Chef Chris Mapp and nestled in the idyllic Derbyshire village of Barlow. The team has transformed the former run-down country drinking hole into the award winning dining pub. The food has an Italian influence and wherever possible the ingredients are sourced locally.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Race for Life returns to raise vital funds

9th June 2015

More than 1,600 people are expected to walk, jog and run through Chesterfield town centre on Sunday, 14th June for Cancer Research’s Race for Life.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy said: “We are pleased to support Chesterfield’s Race for Life event each year because it is such a good cause.

“All of us will have been touched by cancer at some time in our lives either through having the disease or knowing someone who has.

“There may be some disruption in the town centre while the race is underway but this will be kept to a minimum and roads and car parks will open as soon as the race participants have passed.

“Good luck to everyone taking part.”

To enable the event to run smoothly Chesterfield Borough Council will temporarily close:

• Queens Park North car park
• Rose Hill car park
• Albion Road car park

In addition, Soresby Street car park will open only for participants in the event. It will reopen to the public once the race is finished.
During the race alternative parking can be found at Saltergate multi-storey, Holywell Cross (Donut), Ashgate Road, Queen’s Park South or Queen’s Park Annexe car parks.

The footbridge from West Bars to Queen’s Park is currently closed while Derbyshire County Council carries out repairs. However, the bridge will be open to participants on the day of the race but not the public. This is because the bridge surface is too narrow to have both spectators and participants while the work is carried out.

Several roads around the town centre including around the Town Hall, Knifesmithgate, Elder Way, around the Crooked Spire church and sections of West Bars, New Beetwell Street, Boythorpe Avenue and Park Road will also be closed for periods between early morning and early afternoon while the race takes place.

(Image Courtesy of Claire Davison Photography)

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

New Spireites Manager Makes First Signing

8th June 2015

New Spireites manager Dean Saunders has agreed his first deal with experienced striker, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Ebanks-Blake played under Saunders at Wolves and scored 61 league goals during his time at Molineux, making 123 starts.

Saunders believes the 29-year-old will be a great signing for Chesterfield. He said: “Sylvan is just what the team needs. He’s strong and when the ball comes into the box, he’s where it should be. He’s hungry to play and he wants to be part of a winning team.”

Ebanks-Blake started his career at Manchester United and had a spell on loan at Royal Antwerp in Belgium before joining Plymouth Argyle in 2006.

A successful time in Devon saw him earn a £1.5million transfer to Wolves in 2008 and he was a regular goalscorer in the Championship.

Ebanks-Blake linked-up with another former Wolves manager when Mick McCarthy took him to Ipswich Town in December 2013. He agreed a short-term deal to join Preston North End in January of this year and was limited to just one league start due to the impressive form of strike-duo Joe Garner and Jermaine Beckford.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Voting now open for 2015 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

8th June 2015

Voting is now open for the Chesterfield 2015 Food and Drink Awards.

Members of the public have until midnight on Sunday 12 July 2015 to nominate their favourite eateries, hostelries, food producers and conference venues in Chesterfield as well as out of town, across 10 categories.

The awards return for their third year and promise to be bigger and better than ever before. Last year hundreds of nominations were received with just 38 businesses and individuals being shortlisted for a prestigious award.

The awards are organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with headline sponsor Chesterfield College whose students will, once again, be catering the entire awards evening at Chesterfield College’s Heart Space Building.

This year, two people could also have the opportunity to attend the glittering awards ceremony as guests of Destination Chesterfield. Everyone who votes in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards will be entered into a free prize draw for two tickets to the awards ceremony. So make sure you save the date!

Vice Chairman of Destination Chesterfield Cllr Amanda Serjeant is now urging people to get voting. She said: “The success of the Food and Drink awards is all down to the general public and they haven’t let us down yet. Each year we get more and more nominations proving that we’re a town that appreciates good food and customer service. I hope people will get behind us once again and vote and help make the 2015 Food and Drink awards the best yet.”

Shortlisting will take place in August with the winners being crowned at the star-studded ceremony in October later this year. Award winning restaurateur Theo Randall, who is a familiar face on prime time TV, and recently published his second cookery book, My Simple Italian has recently been confirmed as the host of the awards.

Voting in the 10 categories is easy and can be done online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards

The 10 categories in which you can nominate in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards include:

• Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by
• Café/Tea Room of the Year – sponsored by Kier
• Gastro Pub of the Year – sponsored by Chesterfield College
• Pub / Bar of the Year
• Best Newcomer – sponsored by BHP
• Best Customer Service – sponsored by East Midlands Chamber
• Best Out of Town (within 10 miles of Chesterfield)
• Chesterfield Food Producer – sponsored by NatWest
• International Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by MSE Hiller
• Family Friendly Award – sponsored by Jumble Design

Other supporters of the awards include the Derbyshire Times, Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, Peak FM, Franke Sissons, Holdsworth Foods, Banner Jones, the Crooked Spire Church, Black Eyed Susan and Reflections.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities still remain. If any businesses are interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2015 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards they should contact Dominic Stevens on 01246 207207 or email dom.stevens@chesterfield.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Sitcom star appearing at the Proact

5th June 2015

John Challis, who starred as Boycie in long-running TV sitcom Only Fools & Horses, will appear in an All-Star Events night at the Proact Stadium later this year.

John will recount anecdotes from his time in the ever-popular show when he heads to Chesterfield on Friday, August 21 (7pm for 7.30pm).

Classic Only Fools & Horses clips will be shown and there will be some fun competitions, with prizes to be won!

Those attending will also have a chance to be photographed with John and secure his autograph.

Admission to the event, which includes fish, chips and mushy peas, costs just £19.95. To book, please email richardkew@chesterfield-fc.co.uk or phone 01246 209765 (ext 4153)

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Do you help Chesterfield bloom?

3rd June 2015

Chesterfield residents can put their green fingers to the test and enter this year’s Chesterfield in Bloom competition.

There are nine categories to enter in the annual completion led by Chesterfield Borough Council.

They are:

Best front garden
Best back garden (up to 80 m²) sponsored by Frederick’s Ice Cream
Best back garden (larger than 80m²)
Best container garden
Best blooming pub/restaurant sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council
Best kept allotment site
Best kept allotment plot sponsored by Dunston Hall Garden Centre and New Leaf Garden Centre
Most improved garden
Best hanging basket

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “Every year, we have so many entries into the Chesterfield in Bloom competition and the standard of them is always remarkable.

“Bloom is not just about growing pretty flowers, people with well-kept landscaping can enter – and if you don’t have a garden, you can enter the best kept hanging basket category. There really is something for everyone.”

Download the Chesterfield in Bloom 2015 – entry form

The closing date for entries is Friday 3 July.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer

Chesterfield Arts & Craft fair returns this June

3rd June 2015

The second Chesterfield Arts & Crafts fair will take place on Saturday 13^th June 2015 between 2pm and 4pm at Chesterfield Studios, on Rose Hill, Chesterfield.

The fair aims to celebrate creative talents in Chesterfield – not just by providing quality locally made products from independent artists and craftspeople but by exhibiting work and giving local performers an audience too.

13^th June 2015 is also the tenth annual World Wide Knit In Public Day, and the StraightCurves Charity Knitting Group will be celebrating this by hosting a picnic (outdoors, weather-permitting, but we’ll move indoors if the British Summer plays its usual tricks!). We would love people to come along and join in – just bring along your current knitting or crochet project and have a natter!

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chiquito to Open in Chesterfield

27th May 2015

Chiquito has confirmed it is to open a restaurant in Chesterfield this autumn creating around 80 jobs for the town.

The popular mexican eatery is coming to Alma Leisure Park this October at the site of the former Wacky Warehouse.

Jody Millward, Regional Marketing Coordinator at Chiquito said:-

“We’re thrilled to announce that Chiquito is to join Chesterfield’s growing food and drink offering and hope to be open to the public in October.

“The combination of our quality food, quality drinks and cocktails, soaked up in our authentic and fun surroundings will take you to places you haven’t been before! Fresh, vibrant and colourful!

“Our team is the heartbeat of our restaurant and we look forward to meeting local candidates who are as passionate as we are about food, drink and all things Tex Mex.”

Recruitment has already begun for Chesterfield’s new Chiquito. More information is available on the Chiquito website under careers.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Classic Car and Bike Show Comes to Renishaw Hall

27th May 2015

Hundreds of classic cars and bikes from all eras will be converging on picturesque Renishaw Hall, Eckington, near Chesterfield this June.

Organised each year by the Rotary Club of Chesterfield, the event, in association with Autoworld, is set to raise thousands of pounds for three local charities, Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, and Ashgate Hospicecare.

Main organiser, Stuart Bradley of Stuart Bradley Ltd Jewellers, said: “Renishaw Hall is the perfect venue for this charitable event which we have run successfully for several years now in support of these important local charities.”

There will be musical entertainment on the day from Direction Theatre Arts, a variety of stalls and amusements, plus refreshments and a bar. Admission is £5 a vehicle.

The Classic Car and Bike Show will be at Renishaw Hall on Wednesday 10 June 2015 from 3.00pm until 8.00pm. For more information please contact main organiser Stuart Bradley on 01246 222777.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

More Young People to Benefit from b_line Scheme

26th May 2015

Thousands more young people are to get help with travel costs after Derbyshire councillors gave the thumbs up to the new b_line scheme.

Plans have been approved to extend b_line − introduced in 2001 – to include all young people aged up to 19 living in Derbyshire. Previously only students in full-time education qualified for the reduction on adult bus and rail fares.

Now, from Saturday 1 August 2015, apprentices and those on training courses or looking for work will also qualify for the discount on local bus and train services – extending the benefit to an extra 6,000 young people.

Councillors also agreed to withdraw the travel discount for the under 16s who instead will qualify for the bus or train operators’ own cut-price tickets. In most cases these are currently better than or match the b_line discount.

Councillor Dean Collins, cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said:

“Since b_line started there are more options, other than more traditional study, open to young people and the extension of our b_line scheme, to include wider groups of young people, reflects this.

“b_line is an optional scheme and although we are having to make unprecedented cuts we recognise the importance of supporting young people in getting out and about, particularly when they may be making the challenging step from education to training or work.”

Under the new scheme the two types of card will be:

b_line1 − an orange card for 11 to 16-year-olds. This provides proof that the cardholder is entitled to a child fare or operators’ discount.

b_line2 − a purple card for 16-year-olds up to 19th birthday. This gets the cardholder 25 per cent off adult fares on all bus and train journeys in Derbyshire and on some trips to nearby towns and cities that start or finish within the county.

For those attending Derbyshire or Derby city schools new cards will, in most cases, be issued automatically through schools. Other eligible young people will need to complete a b_line application form.

b_line is run in partnership with Derby City Council. Both cards also entitle the cardholder to discounts at around 600 local shops and other businesses and to borrow at any Derbyshire or Derby City library.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Talbot Signs New Contract with Spireites

26th May 2015

Long-serving defender Drew Talbot has committed his future to Chesterfield by signing a new one-year contract.

After putting pen to paper, Talbot said:

“I had a career-threatening injury, but I’m over that now and I’m raring to go. Chesterfield have always been good to me – especially over the last 18 months – and I wanted to repay their faith in me.

“I had a couple of offers to go elsewhere and I could have gone for a lot more money, but I love it here and it means I don’t have to move.

“It’s an exciting time. The manager has tried to sign me in the past and I was interested to hear his plans for the club.”

Spireites boss Dean Saunders said: “I’m really pleased to have kept Drew because I can rely on him and that’s the type of character I want. He’ll run through a brick wall for you.”

Talbot, who joined the Spireites after leaving Luton Town six years ago, has made over 200 appearances for the club. After regaining full fitness last season, he had a successful spell on loan at Plymouth Argyle.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting