16 | Aycliffe Today Business
NEW JOB IS A WORK OF ART
FOR LITHUANIAN CHEF
Chef Arturas Lapinskas has
realised a long-held ambition of
becoming a head chef at one of
the region’s newest restaurants.
The Lithuanian, who has lived in County
Durham since taking on a job with Bishop
Auckland College in 2009, has been
appointed to head up the kitchen at the new
ROF 59 complex in Newton Aycliffe.
Born and bred in Lithuania, his love for
food started while watching his mum cook
when he was a child.
“Lithuanian food is rich in flavour and
is very diverse so appeals to his culinary
senses in every way,” says Arturas, known as
“Art” for short.
“I remember the very first meal I ever
made, cold beet soup or saltibarsciai and
how proud I was to impress my mum. After
this I wanted to cook more and more!”
Arturas also recalls helping his grandad to
prepare and smoke their home-reared pigs,
learning invaluable butchery skills from a very
young age and how to utilise every part of
the animal, with smoked pig ears a particular
favourite.
At the age of 19, Arturas first took the leap
to England
when he
moved to
Kent, where
he held his
first job in the
UK picking
strawberries.
He moved to
the North-East
to be nearer
his partner’s
family and
started a
training course
with Bishop
Auckland
College in
2009, where he qualified and took his first
cooking job.
Since becoming qualified he has held roles
as a chef at Jersey Farm Hotel in Barnard
Castle and junior sous at Rockliffe Hall in
Darlington, before taking a sous chef position
at the Talbot in Bishopton.
As a husband and father to two daughters,
Arturas is already sparking their interest by
cooking and baking with his girls when he’s
at home.
Now the 31-year-old is relishing his new
senior role at The Blitz restaurant, within the
ROF 59 leisure complex on Durham Way
South, Aycliffe Business Park.
“It’s not like any other venue in the
country,” says Art, who studied English and
Russian languages at University before
moving permanently to the UK in 2006.
For all enquiries and bookings at ROF
59, call 01325 728222 or email hello@
rof59.co.uk
ROF 59 is a new, multi-purpose activity centre – built on one of the
former Royal Ordnance Factory sites on Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe.
Custom-built for the war effort in the early 1940s, ROF 59 was used by the Aycliffe Angels,
who built bombs and bullets for the boys in the battlefield.
After an extensive redevelopment, which has preserved much of the original brickwork
and history, ROF 59 is now a 21st Century entertainment venue for all the family.
Bounce at ROF59 is home to more than 75
trampolines, including a dodgeball court and
three slam dunk basketball hoops, plus jumps
bags!
Bounce costs just £10.50, which includes
socks – check out www.rof59.co.uk for times.
PA RT Y
BOO KIN GS
FI ND US
Climb at ROF59 can be enjoyed by most. If
you fit a harness you can enjoy the challenges
of the 14 Adventure Walls – no experience is
needed
Adventure Climb at ROF 59 costs £7.50.
See www.rof59.co.uk for more details.
And, relax...After you’ve tried climbing or
bouncing at ROF 59, visitors can relax in
The Blitz restaurant or The Bunker bar/lounge
– with great food and a variety of drinks
to choose from!
We accommodate school groups, private parties, corporate events and team-building days.
Get in touch with us today to find out more.
ROF 59 Durham Way South Aycliffe Business Park Newton Aycliffe Co. Durham DL5 6XN
t. 01325 728222 e. [email protected]
www.rof59.co.uk