60 Years of the Red Lion
Celebrating 60 Years of the Red Lion Through the Eyes of Renato Savino
This year marks 60 years since Santi & Sheila Garcia Pérez began the refurbishment of The Red Lion, a period that would help shape the restaurant’s reputation for great food, exceptional service and genuine hospitality.
Family has played a defining role in the story of The Red Lion Restaurant at Peak Edge Hotel. While the restaurant welcomed guests long before their arrival, it was the passion, personality and vision of Santi and Sheila Pérez that transformed it into one of Derbyshire’s best-known dining destinations.
Through hard work, innovation and an unwavering commitment to hospitality, the family built a reputation that drew diners from across the region. Generations of guests celebrated milestones within its walls, while staff became part of an extended family culture that remains central to the business today.
As The Red Lion Restaurant marks this special anniversary, former Restaurant Manager Renato Savino reflects on the people, stories and ambition that helped transform a respected local restaurant into a name recognised throughout Derbyshire and beyond.
Renato himself is an important part of that history. Having joined The Red Lion as a young waiter before becoming Restaurant Manager while still in his twenties, he became a familiar face to generations of diners. Remarkably, some of the guests who visit The Red Lion today still remember Renato from those early years.
His career in hospitality continued beyond The Red Lion, and he went on to become a well-known restaurateur in the area, running his own successful restaurant, Renato’s.
But Renato’s connection to The Red Lion and the Pérez family did not end when he moved on. Almost five years ago, a chance connection brought Renato and Steve back into each other’s lives when Renato’s nephew became Steve’s guitar teacher. Through him, the two got back in touch and a friendship first formed decades earlier was quickly renewed.
Today, Renato remains very much part of the family and a familiar face in Steve and Angie’s lives. He helps in the polytunnels at Walton Lodge Farm, tending vegetables, as well as dog-sitting and house-sitting for Steve and Angie. It is a relationship that has come full circle, from working alongside the family during The Red Lion’s formative years to still being part of their lives, and the wider Red Lion story, today.
That makes Renato much more than someone looking back on a place where he once worked. He is a significant part of The Red Lion’s history, remembered by guests who knew the restaurant all those years ago and still very much part of its story today.
Looking Back: Six Decades of Hospitality
The Red Lion already had an established reputation when Santi and Sheila Pérez became part of its story. However, according to those who worked alongside them, it was their ambition, energy and flair for hospitality that elevated the restaurant to another level.
Renato remembers a period of growth and excitement that transformed the business into a destination venue. Guests travelled from across Derbyshire and beyond to experience The Red Lion’s distinctive atmosphere, exceptional service and memorable dining experiences.
“They made the place what it was,” Renato says.
The restaurant was incredibly busy. There were often two sittings each evening, while Wednesdays and Saturdays featured dinner dances in the ballroom for around 100 guests. Ladies arrived in long dresses, live musicians provided entertainment and many of the area’s leading businesspeople, professionals and families gathered to dine and socialise.
“The top-class people came here,” Renato recalls.
Santi and Sheila’s influence could be seen in every aspect of the guest experience. Santi brought inspiration from his Spanish heritage alongside the style, service and presentation more commonly associated with London’s finest restaurants.
Word spread quickly, and The Red Lion became known not only for its food but for its personality. It was a place where guests returned time and again because they felt welcomed, recognised and valued.
Through the Eyes of Renato
While the story of The Red Lion spans generations, few people experienced its transformation quite like former Restaurant Manager Renato.
Renato first joined the restaurant as a waiter after hearing they were looking for staff. After meeting Santi, he was offered a job and quickly found himself immersed in one of the busiest venues in the area.
“I was thrown in at the deep end,” he remembers.
His dedication, professionalism and natural ability with guests saw him quickly rise through the ranks. Despite being in his twenties, Renato soon became Restaurant Manager.
When asked why Santi chose him, Renato believes the answer was simple.
“I could deal with the customers. I welcomed them very nicely.”
That skill was invaluable in a restaurant like The Red Lion. Renato needed to recognise returning guests, manage service flow, guide diners through the menu and ensure every customer enjoyed a seamless experience.
Businesses including JCB and Robinsons regularly hosted events and Christmas parties at the restaurant, helping reinforce its reputation as one of Chesterfield’s leading dining destinations.
More Than a Restaurant
For Renato, the success of The Red Lion was never just about the food.
It was about the people.
The front-of-house team and kitchen brigade worked closely together, creating a culture that extended well beyond the workplace. Staff socialised together after service, celebrated together and formed friendships that often lasted a lifetime.
Every January, The Red Lion hosted a party for the entire team and their families. Husbands, wives and children were all invited. There were games, food, dancing and entertainment in the ballroom.
“It was a family business, really,” Renato says.
At the centre of that culture was the Pérez family. Renato remembers Santi’s larger-than-life personality, his passion for hospitality and the Spanish evenings that became legendary among guests. Complete with authentic food, music and traditional dancers, they helped distinguish The Red Lion from other restaurants across the region.
Renato also worked closely with a young Steve Pérez, who joined the business at just 15 years old.
Santi entrusted Renato with helping to guide his eldest son through the world of hospitality.
“I want him to be the best,” Renato remembers Santi telling him.
Steve worked hard, though Renato still laughs about the fact that, like many teenage boys, his attention occasionally wandered.
“He always liked his cars.”
Looking back on everything Steve has since built through Peak Edge Hotel, Casa Hotel and Walton Lodge Farm, those memories carry even greater significance.
“It makes me emotional,” Renato says.
Favourite Memories from a Remarkable Era
For Renato, the success of The Red Lion was never just about the food.
It was about the people.
The front-of-house team and kitchen brigade worked closely together, creating a culture that extended well beyond the workplace. Staff socialised together after service, celebrated together and formed friendships that often lasted a lifetime.
Every January, The Red Lion hosted a party for the entire team and their families. Husbands, wives and children were all invited. There were games, food, dancing and entertainment in the ballroom.
“It was a family business, really,” Renato says.
At the centre of that culture was the Pérez family. Renato remembers Santi’s larger-than-life personality, his passion for hospitality and the Spanish evenings that became legendary among guests. Complete with authentic food, music and traditional dancers, they helped distinguish The Red Lion from other restaurants across the region.
Renato also worked closely with a young Steve Pérez, who joined the business at just 15 years old.
Santi entrusted Renato with helping to guide his eldest son through the world of hospitality.
“I want him to be the best,” Renato remembers Santi telling him.
Steve worked hard, though Renato still laughs about the fact that, like many teenage boys, his attention occasionally wandered.
“He always liked his cars.”
Looking back on everything Steve has since built through Peak Edge Hotel, Casa Hotel and Walton Lodge Farm, those memories carry even greater significance.
“It makes me emotional,” Renato says.
Coming Home
Returning to The Red Lion after so many years was an emotional experience for Renato.
The building had changed dramatically. Walls had moved, familiar spaces had been transformed and Peak Edge Hotel had grown around the restaurant he once knew. At times, Renato admits he struggled to recognise where parts of the original building had once stood.
Yet despite all the changes, something remained exactly as he remembered it.
“We were family.”
Looking through old photographs and sharing memories with Steve brought back the people, the laughter and the experiences that had shaped such an important part of his life.
For Renato, seeing everything Steve has achieved carries a particular significance. He remembers the young boy who joined the restaurant at just 15 years old, and Santi’s determination that his son should learn the very best of hospitality.
Today, Renato’s friendship with Steve and Angie is a continuation of that family connection, rather than simply a reunion with people from his past.
And perhaps that is what makes his story so special. More than half a century after first walking through the doors of The Red Lion, Renato is still part of the family.
Looking Ahead
As The Red Lion marks this special anniversary, it is an opportunity not only to celebrate its history, but to reflect on how far the restaurant has come.
Today, The Red Lion Restaurant at Peak Edge Hotel continues to build on the foundations established by Santi and Sheila six decades ago. Their passion for exceptional food, genuine hospitality and making every guest feel welcome remains central to the restaurant’s identity.
For Renato, seeing what Steve has achieved is particularly special. He remembers working alongside him as a teenager, and Santi’s determination that his son should learn the very best of hospitality. Today, he sees that same ambition reflected in everything Steve has created, from Peak Edge Hotel and Casa Hotel to Walton Lodge Farm.
Much has changed since the days of silver service, flambé trolleys and Wednesday evening dinner dances. Yet the importance of great food, memorable experiences and genuine hospitality remains as relevant today as it was then.
As The Red Lion looks to the future, those values continue to shape its next chapter, ensuring that the restaurant remains a place where guests come together, celebrate special occasions and create memories of their own.
Celebrating 60 Years of The Red Lion
As we celebrate this special milestone, we want to thank the generations of guests, staff, suppliers and members of our local community who have each played a part in The Red Lion’s story.
It is particularly special to welcome guests who remember The Red Lion from the days of Santi and Sheila, some of whom have been returning for decades. Their memories, alongside those shared by people like Renato, are a wonderful reminder of just how much this restaurant has meant to so many people over the years.
Because perhaps that is what 60 years of The Red Lion really looks like.
Not simply a building, a menu or a collection of photographs.
It is people. It is stories that are still being told. It is friendships that can disappear for decades and somehow pick up again. And it is people like Renato, who arrived looking for a job as a young waiter and, all these years later, remain part of a story that is still being written.
