The hotel, food and restaurant industry has a massive crisis on its hands, according to the Northern Chef of the year and chef director of thetop hotel in this year's White Rose awards.

IN THE HOT SEAT: John Benson-Smith, chef director of the Hazlewood Castle hotel and restaurant, takes the pillion seat on the Honda 500 motorcycle of his brother Matthew, front, who is the restaurant's head chef

"There has been a tremendous explosion in food, with everybody selling it from petrol stations to supermarkets," said John Benson-Smith, of Hazlewood Castle, set in 77 acres near Tadcaster, which was once used by the Carmelite order of friars.

"Everyone enjoys food, from looking at it to eating it, but no one wants to prepare it or spend 18 hours in a kitchen cooking it."

John, a controversial and flamboyant character, continued: "The customer is so demanding, wanting the best, but many are not prepared to pay for it. In addition, more pressure is required to comply with Mickey Mouse laws, and in the final analysis, the chef and restaurateur pay the penalty.

"It's a sad world when we know chicken is dangerous, pork can be dangerous, and there are problems with beef. If we are what we eat then we're in trouble.

"France treats food as an experience, and not just something with which to exercise the jaws. It's also quite normal for the chef to run the kitchen and the hotel - chef patron - whereas in Britain, chief executives are expected to wear pinstripes in order to appear intelligent."

Last week Hazlewood's general manager, Richard Carr, left the company. However, John said: "It is a natural progression of any business to re-evaluate where it's at, and I will only say his departure was a private matter between him and myself."

Hazlewood also recently advertised for a number of staff vacancies. "We have 50 full-time and 50 part-time staff, and, at the end of the day, you have to work at being a commercial success by moving forward," he said. "Historically, turnover in the hotel and restaurant industry is high. If you keep a chef for 18 months, you get a Blue Peter badge."

John claims the almost £2 million turnover Hazlewood - now in is its second year of trading - makes other establishments pale in comparison. "Ours is a very diverse business appealing to all sorts of clientele," he said.

"Other establishments have their own mould, and are reluctant to change, whereas I'm willing to take bits away and add bits on to the hotel within reason. This creates a constantly stimulating and exciting environment, in which I'm the whacky daft one, whereas younger brother and head chef Matthew is the professional serious one."

And John's claim to fame so far? "The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, came to stay here when he was guest speaker at Yorkshire International Business Convention, and I served him fish and chips wrapped up in the Financial Times."

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