Sunderland restaurant The Scullery up for WOW247 award

Hayley Scott (3rd right) with staff (let to right) Robyn Fiddes. Claudia Johnston, Francesco Mignozzi, Katie Moreland and Hayley Williams Picture by FRANK REID

The Warwick Terrace-based restaurant has been nominated for a WOW247 award by happy customers.

Director Hayley Scott is hoping she can add to their satisfaction by setting up two more restaurants by April.

Hayley is no stranger to the restaurant trade. Before running her own business, she worked in the profession from leaving school and said: “I worked my way from the bottom to general manager.”

Then, she set up her own company called Abimil Group, which was named after her two little girls.

She began by doing outside catering before setting up her own premises, which now has a team of 20 people working in it.

Further branches will follow in the East End and Roker in the coming months.

Nominations for The Scullery have poured in. One said: “This restaurant ticks all the boxes. It’s clean and tidy. The food is beautiful, the menu has a wide range of different food.”

Another said: “The staff go beyond what they need to, just to see customers leave happy and wanting to return.”

A third praised the “very friendly and engaging” staff as well as the “home cooked food, which is divine.”

The Scullery is a cafe bistro by day, an authentic Italian restaurant on evenings and serves traditional roasts on Sundays.

It becomes the latest entry in a long list of outstanding candidates for this year’s awards. Today is the last day to send in your nominations. After that, judges will meet to draw up a shortlist in each category.

This year, the competition is backed by UK Asbestos Specialists (UKasl), The Marsden Grotto Private Beach and Downey’s Fish and Chip Restaurant in Roker and Seaham. The Best Western Roker Hotel will host the finale of our competition – held in association with our weekly entertainments guide, Wow 24/7 – on Thursday, February 25. To nominate, visit www.jpne-events.co.uk