Extra staff are being recruited at a restaurant and wedding venue as work on impressive new facilities nears completion.

The 315 Bar and Restaurant at Lepton is set to unveil a new purpose-built annexe in the next few months featuring eight hotel rooms, a spa, hair salon, lounge and three beauty treatment rooms.

The business has already begun advertising for spa therapists – and expects to employing five or six in that role. It will also recruit staff to work in the lounge area as well as a receptionist, cleaners and laundry staff. In total, up to 12 jobs are likely to be created as a result of the expansion.

The Wakefield Road venue currently employs about 40 full and part-time staff.

Chef and manager Jason Neilson said: “These are really exciting times for us. Most of the building work is done, but it is still ongoing. It’s the interior work such as tiling.

Jason Neilson, head chef at 315 restaurant, Lepton
Jason Neilson, head chef at 315 restaurant, Lepton

“Once it is up and running we will have five or six spa therapists in total and two or three staff in the lounge area where we will serve breakfasts, nibbles and afternoon teas. We will also need more cleaners.”

Jason added: “We expect the bedrooms to be open for December and the spa up and running early in the new year. It will be stunning when it’s finished.”

Work on the extension began almost two years ago – but hit a major snag when it was discovered that a Yorkshire Water pipe was in the way.

Work on spa extension at 315 Bar and Restaurant, Wakefield Road, Lepton.
Work on spa extension at 315 Bar and Restaurant, Wakefield Road, Lepton.

“We had to go back to planning and re-design how the spa was meant to be,” said Jason. “It knocked us back by a good nine months.”

Once the new facilities are complete, Jason said the next task would be to landscape the grounds to provide a water feature and seating to enhance the bar and restaurant’s appeal as a wedding venue.

“It is going very well,” said Jason. “We had an extremely busy week with four weddings over the August bank holiday weekend.”