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Running restaurants and rearing pigs: Mark Hird speaks to Bdaily

Ever since Mark Hird was a catering student at Newcastle College, he always knew he wanted to own his business. In the ensuing years, he has gone on to establish a number of successful restaurants in the region.

“My first restaurant was 11 Tavistock Place in Sunderland, where we served modern cuisine – something quite revolutionary at time,” he recounts. “My father in law started buying freehold former pub sites, with the idea of refurbishing them, and I soon got involved in that too.”

Eventually he decided to set up Tavistock Leisure, and now owns ten sites across the North East. However, the real jewel in the crown is his Italian Farmhouse restaurant in West Rainton.

“We transformed a community pub into something really special – shabby chic with an Italian feel.”

Although the restaurant serves traditional Italian cuisine, Mark is also keen to support local producers from the region

“In Italy they eat from the land, and we’ve adopted those practices.

“By ensuring that as far as possible we source products from local producers, we can reduce the miles from field to fork.”

Indeed, this ethos is coming even closer to home, thanks to his 11 year old son, Charlie.

“Six months ago, my son was nagging me to buy him computer games,” Mark recounts “ And when I explained tht he needed to earn them for himself, he suggested rearing some chickens to sell.

“Because our neighbors already have some, I suggested he look for something else and after we watched a programme on rare breed pigs, it really struck a chord for both of us.”

After gaining permission to keep the pigs on his grandfather’s land, Charlie and Mark went on a pig-breeding course. Unperturbed by the hard work keeping the animals entailed, Mark purchased a Gloucester Old Spot sow and 12 saddleback piglets for his son.

“I’m incredibly proud of him – he’s never complained once about getting up to feed the pigs in the dark and the cold – and it’s also great that we could end up serving the pork he has reared in our restaurants.”

Mark is now looking forward to establishing a pub partnership over the next 12 months, and is currently searching for new tenants.

“As well as changing pub sites into restaurants, we are also planning to focus on real ales – so all in lots to look forward to!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .