He believed there was a demand for quality food, in luxury surroundings, that was going uncatered for in the area so he re-mortgaged his house in a make-or-break venture, Vasco in Bawtry Road, Wickersley, which draws customers from Sheffield, Leeds and Derbyshire.

Trevor lives in the Broom area of Rotherham with his partner Jenny and runs Vasco with his daughter Heidi and 21 staff. Tel 01709 531 999; website www.vascobarandrestaurant.com

Thyme at Crosspool

When I was planning Vasco I took my lady, Jenny, to a few choice venues in Sheffield for ideas and inspiration. A difficult job but someone had to do it…

I think the first place we visited was Thyme at Crosspool and we loved the experience. I like to see someone who's successful and owner Richard Smith certainly is. Our head chef at Vasco, Daniel, is proud to have worked at Thyme for 18 months after he returned from Jersey. The service was exemplary and we really enjoyed the food.

West 10 at Ranmoor

Owner Jonnie Higginbottom's set-up is probably every restaurateur's dream and he really enjoys living his dream. The ambience and the food are just magic. And John's knowledge of wine is legendary.

Mitchell's Wine Shop at Meadowhead

I was recommended West 10 by my old friend John Mitchell (I say this because John is the oldest person I know!). Mitchell's Wine Shop is like a Tardis with an enormous variety of wines, spirits and beers. John's tasting room upstairs is akin to an Aladdin's cave with a fantastic selection of fine wines and brandies.

Crystal, Carver Street

This was a surprise and showed me what could be done if enough money was available. The downstairs bar was absolutely heaving with well-dressed drinkers and I took a trip upstairs to find a group of people from Rotherham having a superb meal in the restaurant.

I had already decided that I wanted to do the same with the building in Rotherham and to see the concept in action at Crystal gave me a lot of encouragement.

Wig and Pen, Campo Lane

Another super place we visited was The Wig and Pen one night after a trip to the Crucible, which of course is another favourite place. Does anyone remember the Crucible's production of Peter Pan as a pantomime? My son Richard, who was six then, and I do. It was just fantastic and memorable for the way in which they changed scenes using the revolving stage.

We called at the Wig and Pen to try Abbeydale Brewery's Moonshine real ale, which was so good we served it at Vasco from day one. I also had a pint of Acorn Brewery's Barnsley Bitter and we also serve that from time to time.

Having read the Wig's menu we decided to call for a meal and I found the whole experience so different and of such good quality that it will always be on my favourite places in Sheffield list.

Rafters, Nether Green

Rafters is another favourite restaurant with a chef proprietor for whom I have great admiration. Once I had found it – we Rotherham types always have difficulty with anywhere in Sheffield which is not at the side of a main road – we found the idea of eating upstairs in the rafters very romantic. And being small I immediately appreciated Marcus Lane's dedication to producing and serving the very best food possible.

He deserves his accolades more than most.

This modern way of running a restaurant with attention to detail and quality of ingredients is the model on which Vasco is founded. Vasco is in Rotherham, so it has to be right at the side of a main road to make it easy for locals to find – and it is.

The Blue Room, Woodseats

My better half liked the Blue Room best of all. We visited for Sunday lunch, which was perhaps less formal than on a Friday or Saturday evening but quite hectic. I could sense an organisational hand on the tiller in the background and enjoyed the professional yet relaxed ambience.

The food was not typical of Sunday lunch and in many ways was quite brave but it was excellent. Who said all customers want to eat roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on Sundays? I certainly don't.

Old Manor at Dronfield

A lovely traditional setting serving top quality food in a relaxed atmosphere. A little step back in time but with superb state of the art food. We visited once for lunch and once for dinner. Both were good value for money. We are in the North of England, and in Rotherham we must offer good value. Having said that, I believe that people will travel and gladly pay for quality of product and service.

Aston Hall

Finally, and close to my heart, is Aston Hall. I was brought up in Aston and sang in the church choir next door to what is one of the region's finest catering establishments.

I recently ate there as a guest of Jamie Oliver along with 83 other Rotherham folk. The occasion was the culmination of Jamie's intensive training of 16 people who had never cooked until three months ago when they showed interest in Jamie's Ministry of Food launch in Rotherham.

He took over the banqueting kitchen and his 16 trainees produced an excellent two-course dinner and served us all in one go. The event was inspiring and it will be shown on TV on Channel 4.

This apart, Aston Hall's kitchen has consistently served up food of the highest quality for many years. The restaurant and bar offer a classic yet modern eating experience in which the quality of the ingredients shine through.