Saturday, June 14, 2025
Teesdale Mercury
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Teesdale Mercury
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Dale’s People – Rima was born into a big, close-knit and supportive family

by Teesdale Mercury
October 20, 2021
in News
Dale’s People – Rima was born into a big, close-knit and supportive family

TOWN MAYOR: Rima Chatterjee

RIMA Chatterjee has already made a big impact after only six years in Barney. Well known as the licensee of the Old Well Inn in the town, earlier this year she was re-elected as a town councillor and immediately voted in as town mayor.

“It was quite a shock,” says Rima, whose mayor’s charity is Quinns Retreat, providing respite for the bereaved.

Born into a “big, close-knit, very supportive” family in Calcutta in 1972 Rima is the middle of three sisters. Her father Shauri was in sales, loved music, food and cooking.

ADVERTISEMENT

“My dad often cooked for us, which was quite usual in India” says Rima. Her mother Ranu worked in special education and has a masters degree in the field.

“Mum and dad were very supportive when I decided to go into hotel management and hospitality after leaving convent school at 18. Dad in particular encouraged me with cooking,” she says.

Rima attended university in Goa and Calcutta. At 22 she married Roy following a seven-year courtship. “No, it was not an arranged marriage, we met through friends,” laughs Rima. They have two boys, Aayush, now 25, and Aaryav, 20.

ADVERTISEMENT

The “double-A” names are there for a reason: Indian children are listed in class by their first names, and Rima wanted them to be first!

The young family moved to Nigeria when Roy, who was born in Ethiopia and had lived in Kenya, had a good job offer. Then in 2015 came what Rima and Roy hope will be their final move to start again with their own business in Teesdale.

The couple were already familiar with the area after visiting a cousin living in the UK. They even stayed at the grade II-listed Old Well Inn, on The Bank in Barnard Castle, which first gave them the idea of running a pub with bed and breakfast.

“We were looking to buy a B&B/pub here in the UK. Imagine our surprise when we saw the Old Well was available to lease, and we jumped at the chance to buy the business,” says Rima.

“After overcoming a whole load of bureaucracy with visas and so forth, it was still a steep learning curve for us,” says Rima.

“They upgraded the premises with new furnishings and fittings, a much-improved beer garden and seven en-suite rooms.

The Chatterjees look set to be a fixture here for many years to come.

By Chris Foote-Wood

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

This week’s paper is out today

Next Post

Football round-up: Six of the best as West wallop Whitley Bay

ADVERTISEMENT
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Most popular

Memorable season for Cockfield Juniors

Memorable season for Cockfield Juniors

June 11, 2025
Former army officer takes charge at Barnard Castle School sixth form

Former army officer takes charge at Barnard Castle School sixth form

June 13, 2025
Tractor run raises over £3,500 in epic coast to coast challenge

Tractor run raises over £3,500 in epic coast to coast challenge

June 10, 2025
Sheepdog sells for record price at Skipton

Sheepdog sells for record price at Skipton

June 12, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

15C Harmire Enterprise Park
Barnard Castle
Co Durham
DL12 8BN

Email: [email protected]

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190

VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Art & Leisure
  • Business
  • Country Life
  • Features
  • News
  • Sport
  • Test Drive
  • Digital edition

Useful links

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Buy your paper
  • Photosales
  • Digital edition
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact

© 2024