FOR the last five years up until the Covid pandemic forced its closure, Cookfellas Restaurant has been the bastion of travel-inspired dining in Guisborough.

However the owners, Wayne and Helen Leonard, put lockdown to good use, and decided to move the restaurant from Church Square, acquiring the old Black Swan pub 200 yards away in Westgate. The Black Swan had been at the site since the 1800s, but shut during the lockdown.

Mr Leonard said: “The whole reason we’ve moved is because we maxed out in our previous establishment and, obviously, we were very food orientated there. When we opened, we used to have a really good drinks trade at the beginning and that sort of fizzled out because every table was required for food and there wasn’t really space to accommodate drinkers. So, we came to have a look at this and initially we were going to have a look at the back. We looked at the bar and thought that we could capture our drinks trade again and that it would facilitate the restaurant at the back, particularly the Courtyard.

"It’s to build up our drinks trade that we once had and offer a quality drinking establishment alongside our dining operation.”

The bar area of the building has been redesigned to accommodate a wine bar for drinkers. However, Mr Leonard reassured beer drinkers: “We've got a selection of eight beers and ciders there – a good range of beers from London and Spain and America. We sell good wines, a large selection and it’s hand-crafted cocktails as well.”

Mrs Leonard outlined the new design for the building. “We have always had a wonderful following for food and we also have people who want to enjoy our environment for a drink," she said. "So, we’ve moved sides so now we’re able to offer a 75-seater wine bar, alongside the 75-seater eatery and a 60-seater courtyard (for food and drinks). We now have a central location and we’re going to make it a bit of an oasis in the middle of town.”

The Courtyard area of the restaurant

The Courtyard area of the restaurant

The menu at Cookfellas has been inspired by the Leonards' travel experiences. “All of our experience is from living and working abroad," said Mrs Leonard. "We’ve had restaurants out in Spain, we’ve worked in Greece and Turkey, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Greece. I’ve worked in Lebanon as well. I was brought up in Indonesia. Travel and food have always been part of our lives. We’ve got a very similar menu so it’s fresh fish, world-inspired food dishes, travel inspired dishes. It’s what in season as well whatever’s coming into season as well. Whatever’s landing in Hartlepool, we use that fish.”

Food will be served in the Eatery restaurant, in what was an Indian food restaurant until recently. Mrs Leonard said: “It’s fresh fun food with warm, friendly service – informal."

The couple have been awarded the Good Food Award for four years running and the Trip Advisor Gold Award for nine years. In 2020 they were awarded the Lux Life Magazine Best Casual Dining Venue in North Yorkshire.

The front of the old pub, now Cookfellas Restaurant

The front of the old pub, now Cookfellas Restaurant

However, the changes have not met with universal approval and Mr Leonard said that there had been some feedback on social media that people didn’t want to see the name of the Black Swan changed. “It’s always been the Black Swan since the 1800s," said Mr Leonard. "It had become a run-down pub – not very salubrious. We wanted to bring life back into it but we couldn’t cross-over on identity so we had to call the whole building Cookfellas. We respect that we’re only tenants in looking after this old historic building and we’ve put a nod to the Black Swan on the front of our signage – it’s got a nice Swan on the bottom. We’re getting a history plaque put on the side of the building. A local professor has managed to trace back some history how the Black Swan was found and who the first tenant was. All this is going to go on the plaque so we are respecting the history of the place.”

Cookfellas will open Wednesday, May 19, and the Eatery will then be open from noon, with last orders at 9pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and the Wine Bar will be open from Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 11pm. Reservations can be made on e-mail at sales@cookfellas.co.uk or call 01287-658700.