Terry Laybourne

Born in the North East and trained in European restaurants, Terry returned to Newcastle in 1980 as Head Chef of the Fisherman’s Lodge, turning it into the region’s finest fish restaurant.

In 1988, he opened 21 Queen Street, on Newcastle’s Quayside, winning a Michelin star three years later, a first for the region. This significantly raised the culinary profile of the city. Further restaurants followed, including Bistro 21 in Durham in 1996 and Café Live in 2002, while 21 Queen Street was refurbished as the more relaxed yet stylish Café 21 in 2000.

Never happy to do one job if he can do several, Terry opened Jesmond Dene House, a boutique hotel and restaurant, in a leafy suburb of Newcastle in 2005 followed, two years later, by Café 21 at Fenwick. In the same year, he moved the original Café 21 to Trinity Gardens and, in 2008, opened the Italian-style Caffè Vivo, also in Newcastle. A consultant chef to several organisations, he is a passionate advocate of the artisan regional food producer whom he celebrates in his book, ‘Quest for Taste’.