Hambleton Hall hotel and restaurant

"Great concepts are two a penny but in the hotel and restaurant business it is the people that make the difference"

When the time comes to move on its often hard to make a clean break. But after ten years of working as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, Tim Hart realised that was exactly what he needed.

"I woke up one morning and became aware that I wanted to do something else", claims Hart.

So, in 1980, armed with some of his own capital, a loan from the bank and ten years’ worth of experience and resourcefulness from his days in the City, Hart purchased Hambleton Hall hotel and restaurant in Rutland, it's grounds and gardens. He then set about creating a luxury hotel with a high quality restaurant that guests and diners would soon flock to.

Right first time

On setting up the venture Hart says: "I was able to speak the financial language, so that helped, but I still had to believe in the product and concentrate on getting it right first time. The eighties was a great period in which to do this and at the time were only about four or five pioneers, so hardly anyone else was doing the same thing."

So Hart had the concept but it still had to be realised, especially as it was such an ambitious project. However he knew there was scope for Hambleton Hall, especially at the higher end of the market.

"I knew it was a very stylish and comfortable house but also realised that I didn't have to make it look like a hotel - I could combine the two elements. For example, before we opened we had some issues such as would we be able to deliver an appropriate standard in all departments?

“Great concepts are two a penny but in the hotel and restaurant business it is the people that make the difference and they are a key factor in raising standards."

This industry has a reputation for high turnover of staff and one of Hart's main priorities when opening Hambleton was to have the right people in all the right places. This, as he puts it, is "what makes it happen". He adds: "If you can produce an environment where staff can express themselves and flourish then the rest will come along naturally."

Core values

Twenty-two years on, Hart realises that some things have changed but that the core values remain with staff being one of the most vital ingredients. He says: "These days there a lot more young people who want to work in the hotel and/or restaurant business. This is down to there being many more role models, such as Marco Pierre-White, than in the past. It's comparable to the fascination with Manchester United - it's now hip and trendy to go and play for them."

However, Hart didn't just stop at being a successful hotelier and restaurateur. In 1997, following encouragement by his Nottingham based regulars that visited and stayed at Hambleton Hall, he opened a restaurant in the heart of Nottingham called Hart's.

Described in the Good Food Guide as a 'bright and cheerful space with vivid geometric paintings, a lovely city view, comfortable chairs and serious professionalism', Hart had translated his experience from Hambleton to a city-based location with ease. But why did he make the move?

"It is all very well starting a business but, as the old phrase goes, you have to enjoy what you do. I enjoy great meals, indulging in my enthusiasm for wine as well as tree planting and this is a good starting point for someone who wants to run a hotel or restaurant. It's all very well, for example, for a policeman to want to open a pub because he's been going there as a regular for many years but it's different once you get behind the bar. In other words you have to be more than prepared for what you're taking on."