Forest Pines as a whole is a huge venue; 188 bedrooms, nine conference rooms, a 27 hole championship golf course, spa and health club.

Its flagship restaurant, however, is branded separately and exists for both residents and non-residents to enjoy, as a high quality restaurant with a seafood bias.

Working alongside just three sous chefs, Eighteen57’s remit is to produce just 7,000 of the venue’s total number of dishes, but to do so in a way that competes with the county’s highest quality standalone restaurants. Paul’s career seems set to be inextricably linked to the sea, with the Northumberland chef leaving his usual four and five star hotels to pursue a two year stint on a privately owned luxury yacht.

“It was for the Swedish entrepreneur who invented the CD!” says Paul. “He owned the yacht and spent his time travelling on it or chartering it out. Catering for private parties of between 10 and 40, we attended the Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco Grand Prix and spent our time sailing in the Mediterranean.”

"It was an incredible life, and a challenging environment to cater in. You couldn’t nip to the shops so planning was important, but I could get up early and go to Italian, French and Spanish markets when we were moored up, which meant I had a whole world of ingredients to choose from.”

When Paul arrived at Forest Pines some four and a half years ago, his first responsibility was to create a new kitchen amid the investment of over £25m made by owners QHotels. Four times larger than the previous kitchens, he then had the staff, the ingredients and the kitchens to enable the food to compete with the area’s other dining rooms.

Eighteen57 is only open from Tuesday to Saturday evening — deliberately co-inciding with the availability of the best fresh fish from Grimsby’s fish market — and provides just 80 covers. An à la carte menu is offered, with nine starters, 10 main courses and eight desserts, but for those who want a dining experience that’s truly luxurious, a six course tasting menu is also offered, for £39/head.

For those seeking daytime or more casual dining, the venue has another dining room, the 190 capacity Grill which, as its name suggests, provides more casual dining, leaving Eighteen57 to specialise. Two main course specials are also offered, however, changing on a daily basis to reflect suppliers’ best produce.

The à la carte dining experience begins with an amuse bouche, whilst a pre-dessert provides a refreshing palate cleanser. Pre-dinner canapés are currently being mooted as a 2012 feature too.
Bread is freshly baked in-house, and all ice creams and sorbets are home-made. To accompany, there’s a choice of 18 wines.

Highlights during our visit include a seafood starter of Ballotine of Salmon and Poached King Prawn with Caviar and Mascapone, and a main course of 28 day matured Fillet Steak with Seared Icelandic Prawns and Potato Rösti with Baby
Vegetables and Jus.

Our preferred dessert option was the lavishly cocoa-laden Chocolate Fondant with gooey centre and home-made Vanilla Pod Ice Cream.

“Quality is really important to Eighteen57.” says Paul. “Just looking around you can see how many people pass through Forest Pines either on business or to enjoy golf or the spa and health club. It was really important that the restaurant was a separate entity that allowed people to dine somewhere special, away from the more heavily used areas of the hotel. It’s separate because it’s a premium experience.”

Premium is correct; meals are impeccably presented, in the case of our starter, embellished with finishing touches such as caviar and saffron. Service and attention to detail are both commensurate with the cuisine, and initial suspicions about the size of the venue are quickly laid to rest. A committed team, a dedicated dining room and a clear aim toward quality dining has given Eighteen57 its own identity and real credibility.

The AA agrees, and has just given the restaurant its fourth consecutive rosette, whilst the Scunthorpe Telegraph named Eighteen57 the Best Hotel Restaurant in Lincolnshire. It’s little wonder then, that Paul doesn’t regret leaving his private yacht to weigh anchor near Brigg.

“I remember drinking Bollinger and enjoying caviar on the deck overlooking St Tropez, but you know, I’d much rather be here... we’ve created something special, and that gives me just as much pleasure!”