AWARD-WINNING North East restaurateur Terry Laybourne is planning to sell his stake in a top Tyneside hotel.

The
man who brought the first Michelin star to the region and his brother
Laurence have given notice to leave Jesmond Dene House Hotel and
Restaurant, in Newcastle, and have effectively announced their
intention to sell their 50% stake in business.

Renowned chef
Terry has admitted that he and the business directors at the boutique
hotel have “very different ideas” over its future, which is one of the
factors in his decision to quit the hotel sector. He is now set to
focus his energy on the continued expansion of his successful
restaurant business, 21 Hospitality Group.

Terry and Laurance
officially resigned in 2009 as directors of the successful 40-bed
hotel, which was named as Hotel of the Year 2008-9 in the AA Centenary
Awards.

While Terry has retained his interest in Jesmond Dene
House he has now entirely relinquished any operational role in the
business.

Terry said: “In the last five years, the directors have created and built a very successful business from scratch.

“With
the support and valuable input of the general manager and staff,
Jesmond Dene House has been developed into a nationally recognised
hospitality venue.

“Looking forward, all the directors had the
same ambitions on where we wanted to take the business but very
different ideas on how to get there.

“We decided the time was
right to end our involvement to focus our energies on 21 Hospitality
Group and other restaurant plans we have. We leave a business that has
a strong operations team and is in very capable management hands.”

The
Laybourne’s opened the Grade II listed hotel and restaurant in
partnership with Durham-based property developers Peter Candler and
Tony Ganley in 2005.

Mr Candler and Mr Ganley are to maintain their role within the hotel.

The
decision to resign and stop any day-to-day involvement has not affected
staff or operations at Jesmond Dene House where it remains ‘business as
usual’.

Jesmond Dene House was the culmination of an ambitious
multi-million pound refurbishment project which Terry and Mr Candler
embarked upon around five years ago when they, along with their two
fellow directors, bought and rescued the almost derelict historic
building located in two acres of gardens in the heart of Jesmond Dene.

The
popular hotel and restaurant has since gone on to win widespread
regional and national recognition for the quality of its accommodation,
service and food.

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