A Welcome Note From The New Chef Proprietor Of The Tally Ho Inn At Aswarby - John Blenkiron Chef/Director For Nirvana Hospitality Limited.

May I extend a warm welcome to all potential customers - old and new!

My previous experience prior to taking residence at The Tally Ho Inn started 27 years ago in my home village of Barnby Moor Nr Retford, Nottinghamshire, at Ye Olde Bell hotel where I served a 3 year apprenticeship. Following this, I headed South, first to Camberley's Frimley Hall Hotel Surrey for 18 months, then onto London.

In 1986 I began working with a character called Ainsley Harriot at the East India Gentlemans Club in St James Square SW1, way before he became a household name for Fairy Liquid! Thereafter I moved more into the West End restaurant scene - working mainly in extremely busy and well know restaurants/nightclubs including: Stringfellows, Joe Allen in Covent Garden and Cirque at the London Hippodrome where I catered for many large corporate parties and film premiers.

In 1999, I joined White Starline Restaurants to open up The Sugar Reef in Piccadilly Circus for Marco Pierre White. A brand new super stylish restaurant/nightclub/private members lounge after working for him at The Titanic on Brewer Street. After a year here, I decided to move back to private/coroporate catering for such clients as Dyson at his private Gloucestershire Estate, Cartier Polo match for Chinawhite, Glastonbury Music Festival back stage catering and Carphone Warehouse Christmas party for 10,000 guests at Alexandra Palace.

But a time for change beckoned, and after 23 years in London, I decided to move back towards my roots in the East Midlands to look for my own business. After a few months searching, I was fortunate enough to find The Tally Ho Inn on the market and ripe for the picking. A glorious building brimming with charm and character where I can choose to serve fully freshly prepared Modern British foods alongside fine hand picked wines and great locally brewed real cask ales.

John Blenkiron
Chef Proprietor