Caterers give Leeds tourist destination a new lease of life

Last month saw the re-opening of the Mansion, which dates back to 1826, following a major restoration, renovation and refurbishment project undertaken by Leeds City Council and Dine. Designed to accommodate a variety of catering requirements, the Mansion comprises the Garden Room Café Restaurant, a separate takeaway facility for visitors looking to dine alfresco in this 700-acre conservation parkland setting, as well as conference and wedding and banqueting facilities for up to 220 people. Roundhay Park, which attracts six million visitors per year, has a busy programme of community, international, sporting and music events arranged throughout the year, and has previously hosted concerts by the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Michael Jackson, U2 and Robbie Williams. Christie + Co's director of Leisure & Development Jon Patrick who oversaw the letting process on behalf of the council, said: "With a brief to attract a high quality tenant capable of working in partnership with the City to deliver the council's vision and aspirations for the Mansion in a competitive environment, we believe that Dine has delivered and that visitors to Roundhay Park now have a facility they can be proud of for many years to come." A Leeds City Council spokesperson added: "The marketing and selection process we followed enabled our shortlisted operators to grasp our long term vision for the Mansion and we are delighted, having selected Dine as our partner, with the results achieved." Dine Managing Director Daniel Gill concluded: "The Mansion is a truly special property and we at Dine were passionate about how we could sensitively return the building to economic use, uncovering many beautiful and historic features along the journey — we hope the people of Leeds will be pleased with the end result."