£300k barbecue restaurant will cook up 53 jobs

The American-themed Harleys Smokehouse at the Dunsley Hall Hotel will be employing 53 new staff members.

It has already held pop-up nights at the hotel which have been a big hit with diners and on Facebook - with the restaurant's page having been liked more than 7,000 times.

The restaurant offers an authentic taste of American barbecue food.

Manager Simon Beardsmore said: "We've been doing pop-up nights and they've gone extremely well.

"There has been a lot of good feedback and we've asked people what they like and what they didn't quite like.

"We've travelled all over the USA to try to really understand the food of the Americas.

"The barbecue over there is amazing - we love it.

"It's a different type of barbecue to what you get over here."

Mr Beardsmore, age 34, said the venue's head chef Martin Dunn is from a French culinary background so has had to master a completely new style of cooking.

On the trip to America, Mr Beardsmore met American celebrity chef and 'competitive barbecuer' Myron Mixon who offered some tips on the secret of a good barbecue.

The smokers that will be used in the kitchen at Harleys were shipped over from America on Mr Mixon's recommendation.

"We've had to do all this as a family on our own as the banks wouldn't give us a loan, that's why it's taken such a long time," Mr Beardsmore added.

"It's going to be something totally different for the people around here and so far it's gone down really well."

Currently Mr Beardsmore said he was hoping Harleys would be open by October 16.

The restaurant is the latest offering at the hotel, which also has £1 million plans for a new 23 bedrooms and a spa to be added.

In time, there are also plans to open a new cocktail bar in the garden terrace at the venue as well as a dessert venture called United Cakes of America.