ABOUT
The Seahorse
WORLD CLASS FOOD
The Restaurant
No 7 Church Walks is a Grade II Listed Building. The Seahorse is a 50 seater restaurant with two contrasting dining rooms.
Downstairs is an intimate bistro-style dining area which offers a more informal atmosphere.
Original oak pews and priests’ chairs make surprisingly comfortable seating. The original Victorian stone walls have been restored to their former glory and give warmth and character to this cosy space.
The upstairs dining area seats 30 people. The feel here is definitely “Victorian” with comfortable red leather chairs, red and cream tablecloths and many of the 19 th Century features still evident.
Two hand-painted murals adorn the walls. At the bottom end of the restaurant you will find yourself sitting in a Mediterranean garden overlooking the vineyards tailing off into the distance.
At the top end you overlook St. Stephanos in Corfu from the balcony of a hill top villa. The latter mural has just been completed by local artists, Tony and Caroline Costa.
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Chef Proprietors Don & Gill Hadwin
We extend a very warm welcome to you. Our motto is, “Fresh, local produce prepared with love, thought and care.” Don has had a passion for cooking for as long as he can remember and as a child his favourite television programmes were “Fanny Craddock” and “The Galloping Gourmet.” He was the first boy at his school to do domestic science (after a long-fought battle with the headteacher, Mr Crofts, who said that boys didn’t do cooking!)
After passing this “girls” subject with flying colours, Don went on to train at the 5 star Hotel Picadilly, Manchester back in 1974 entering into a five year apprenticeship. (Don is on the far right in this very old photo!) He catered for the rich and famous during this time and won many apprentice awards. Once qualified he went to work for many companies in the Manchester area including ICL Computers, Head Chef at Ilford Films in Mobberley, Cheshire, Manchester City and Manchester United Football clubs catering for the Directors. His last employment before opening The Seahorse in 2004 was at the Alderley Edge based drugs company, Astra Zenica
Don has had a passion for fishing since he was four years old and lived with his grandparents in a small fishing community in Dunbar, Scotland. His nickname is “The Codfather” and in this photograph you can see him with his biggest catch, a 55lb cod caught on a fishing trip to Norway. We are so lucky in Llandudno to have so much local fresh produce from Great Orme Lobsters to Conwy and Menai mussels.
Don and Gill were actually childhood sweethearts in the same year at secondary school and have known each other from being 12 years old. Don would frequently go around to Gill’s house (only 100 metres away) and they would watch “Crackerjack” together, but being closely watched by one younger sister and eagle-eyed parents. However, at the age of 18 they went their different ways and eventually lost touch until Don contacted Gill on the website “Friends Reunited” in 2002. As you can see from the photograph it resulted in them marrying in September 2003.
Gill’s career history is a little different. After gaining a BA(Hons) in English and Drama from Lancaster University back in 1981 she went to London to train as a professional actress at The Drama Studio. A few roles followed her training, but in 1986 she decided to return to Manchester and re-train as a teacher. She taught English and Drama in schools in Manchester and Stockport for 14 years before, once again, returning to her acting career. From her show reel (left) you can see some of her more well known roles.It would be great to say that Don has taught her everything he knows about the catering industry, but that is not the case. However, he has passed on his valuable knowledge about desserts, which is now where Gill’s role lies as the dessert chef.