New head chefs for Bistro 21 and The Bell at Skenfrith

North East based 21 Hospitality Group has welcomed back former staff members Robbie Bell and Rebecca Tofield as head chef and assistant manager respectively at its Durham restaurant Bistro 21 after a year out in Australia.​

Bell was junior sous chef at Café 21 in Newcastle and sous chef at Jesmond Dene House Hotel before he traveled to Australia to work at Quay and Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. Tofield was restaurant co-ordinator at Café 21 before leaving for Australia.

Terry Laybourne, founder of 21 Hospitality said the pair were full of 'fresh ideas' from their time abroad. "I am certain that their enthusiasm and recent experiences will help take Bistro 21 to the next stage of its development," he said.

"We are looking to embellish what we do, building for the future by attracting new customers while retaining the elements that make Bistro 21 such a favourite."

The Bell at Skenfrith​

Monmouthshire restaurant with rooms The Bell at Skenfrith has also appointed Rupert Taylor head chef.

Taylor worked at Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck for three and a half years and Fifteen, Cornwall before taking a year out to travel the world where he worked for holiday company Mark Warner.

In his new role, Taylor will uphold the Bell's ethos of using local ingredients for a seasonal menu and will work with the restaurant's organic kitchen gardener Michele Civil to ensure as much of his menu is created using home-grown produce.

Dishes on his menu include starters of baby leek, garden herb and beetroot risotto and seared breast of local pigeon, caramelised figs and radish salad and mains of fillet of Brecon beef and miniature steak and kidney pudding with horseradish bubble and squeak and breast of local duck, puy lentils, braised red cabbage and pomme anna potatoes. Desserts include calvados panna cotta with apple cloud and cider apple sorbet and chestnut and chocolate pave.