Chef Tim Bilton to step back from Spiced Pear as cancer returns
Chef Tim Bilton is to take a step back from his Spiced Pear restaurant and tearoom in Hepworth, West Yorkshire, after being told that his eye cancer has returned.
This will mean that his wife Adele will take over the day-to-day running of the tearoom and that the tasting menus and a la carte options in the restaurant will not be available.
Bilton was diagnosed with eye cancer two years ago soon after the site first launched, but managed to overcome the disease and went on to successfully run and develop the venue.
Unfortunately, a recent check-up found that the cancer had returned, with Tim concluding that he would need "to concentrate on his recovery" and would no longer be working in the kitchen for the duration of his treatment.
Adele Bilton said: "Tim and I have been overwhelmed with the support shown by customers and suppliers since we opened in 2013. Although this is a difficult time for us personally, our mission continues to be to provide a lovely place for people to eat, drink, relax and celebrate special occasions in Hepworth."
Specifically commenting on her plans to take over the tearoom, she said: "The popularity of the tearooms has exceeded all our expectations over the past two years and so we feel it's the perfect time to make the tearoom the hub of the business, headed up by myself and our brilliant team."
Tim opened the Spiced Pear in May 2013 after leaving a five-year career at the Butchers Arms in Hepworth. He was diagnosed with eye cancer just 12 weeks after it launched, after asking his GP to take a look at a mark on his eye during a routine appointment for a back injury.
Tim Bilton moves from Butchers Arms to Spiced Pear this week >>
