Stephen Jackson hangs up his apron at the Weavers Shed in Golcar

Apr 2 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Stephen Jackson hangs up his apron at the Weavers Shed in Golcar

ONE of Huddersfield’s best-known chefs is selling his restaurant – but already has a new venture planned for Huddersfield.

Pioneering Stephen Jackson is selling the Weavers Shed restaurant in Golcar after 17 years in charge.

The 40-year-old chef – who used locally-sourced food long before it became popular – plans to take on a less demanding role.

Stephen – who writes his own food column in the Examiner and will continue to do so – said: “After 17 years the lack of free evenings has finally taken its toll. You won’t find many chefs of my age working all the shifts. Gordon Ramsey certainly doesn’t – he just dabbles.

“It’s a young man’s game. I’ve decided I need a change of lifestyle and a little bit of my life back.”

The Weavers Shed, which has featured in the Good Food Guide, relies on locally-sourced food and produce from the kitchen garden.

Stephen and wife Tracy, 46, work long hours in the restaurant and B&B.

He said: “We live above the restaurant which means we have a fantastic commute of 10 seconds. But it means we’re never away from the business and the phone is always ringing.

“I start work at 10am and finish around 11pm with a few hours off in between. It’s a lot of time on your feet. There’s no real time to shut down – there’s always something to do.”

The couple will sell the Weavers Shed and open a much smaller business.