The historic Harrogate Arms is set to reopen as a café tomorrow.
The grade two-listed building, which closed a decade ago, will finally be brought back to working order.
Originally built in 1844 by Henry Wright, the then-owner of the estate, the Harrogate Arms and Bath House were set in pleasure gardens, which are now part of The Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Harlow Carr.
The Harrogate Arms had several faces during its time, including a hotel, inn, nightclub, restaurant and pub, before closing to the public in 2014.
But the RHS was granted listed building consent in 2019 to convert the site into a café.
The horticultural charity today said it has been “working hard to restore the premises”, which will offer indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a menu focused on “seasonal ingredients”.
It added the café will offer a breakfast, lunch and an all-day menu, along with artisan coffee.
The new landscape of RHS Garden Harlow Carr by planners Gillespies.
In a press release, the RHS said:
“Each day will feature a special menu utilising produce directly from our Kitchen Garden to champion the use of fresh ingredients.
“It will also showcase some fantastic ways for preserving foods from the garden from the summer so they can be used in the colder and less productive months. Think anything from pickled cucumber to chilli oils and kimchi!”
New jobs will be created as part of the café opening, the charity said, adding it hopes to use as much locally sourced produce as possible.
Liz Thwaite, head of RHS Garden Harlow Carr, also said:
“We can’t wait to re-open this building which holds so many memories for members of the local community and really look forward to welcoming them back to the brand new Harrogate Arms Café.
“This project has been a long time in the making, as we wanted to create something fresh and exciting for our visitors that celebrates our rich heritage.”
The Harrogate Arms Café will open to the public from around 11am tomorrow (April 25), an RHS spokesperson said.
Read more:
- 18-month Harrogate road closure to end
- Planning application clue reveals Toys R Us plans for Harrogate
