Business Breakfast: Masham brewery agrees beer listing deal with Asda

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Masham brewery has secured listings at 240 Asda stores for one of its popular beers.

T&R Theakston confirmed the deal with the supermarket giant to sell cans of its Old Peculiar pale ale.

The agreement will also see 140 Asda stores nationwide sell cans of Theakston Best Bitter.

The news comes as the brewery says it has seen a rise in demand for its beers.

Simon Theakston, joint managing director of T&R Theakston, said: 

“These two new listings are evidence of the continued strength of our portfolio. Theakston Old Peculier has continued to capture the attention of the country’s discerning drinkers, and we’re delighted that it is becoming more widely available as a result this growing partnership with Asda.

“Additionally, to see the increased off-trade success of Theakston Best Bitter speaks to a consumer preference for high-quality, handcrafted beers such as our own.”

Harrogate mobile company targets improved performance

A Harrogate telecommunications company is targeting improved performance amid a drop in revenue last year.

Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, saw its reported turnover drop 12% from £2.59m in 2021 to £2.28 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

According to the company’s annual report, which was published in April, the loss of a customer in Canada accounted for 20% of total revenue and 10% of recurring revenues in the prior year comparative figures.

However, the firm said it now intends to improve its performance.

The company recently signed a deal with Leeds Bradford Airport, which will see it provide push-to-talk over cellular equipment for the airport’s workforce.

Jeremy Fenn, chairman of Mobile Tornado, said: 

“The board is fully committed to maintaining the technical advantages that have been established, at the same time driving a much deeper and wider business development operation.

“The outreach campaign that has been running since the start of the year has already generated a good flow of new partner and customer opportunities, many of them in new geographic markets. We believe that this momentum can be accelerated significantly if we can successfully deploy our solution into a public safety organisation.

“Our teams worked hard on multiple trials during the last 15 months and we are hopeful that we will very shortly see a successful conclusion with full platform deployment. This would represent a significant commercial breakthrough, and we are confident will lead to a material uplift in financial performance as we push towards profitability in 2023.”

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Gallery: Sunshine and crowds make Harrogate Fashion Show a hit

Hundreds of shoppers basked in the sun last weekend for the Harrogate Fashion Show.

The event, organised by Harrogate Business Improvement District with the Stray Ferret as media partner, saw retailers show off their latest collections.

Models took to the catwalk throughout the day outside Victoria Shopping Centre, which sponsored the event.

A seated area enabled fashionistas and passers-by to soak up the sun and see the latest styles.

The day was divided up into different fashion themes – the summer season, upcycling, wedding wear, Harrogate on the high street, activewear and children’s celebration.

Here are some pictures from Saturday’s event.

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Teenagers sentenced for damaging Boroughbridge school roof

Two teenagers have been sentenced after causing £660 worth of damage to a Boroughbridge school.

The boys, aged 15 and another 14, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were referred to a youth offenders panel for 12 months after damaging tiles and window seals at Alborough and Boroughbridge County Primary School last year.

The teenagers were charged with intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged.

The incident happened on October 13 last year at the school on York Road.

The pair were also charged with trespassing in the maintenance building at the school on October 10, 2022, and stealing £94 worth of beer and wine. Another boy, aged 16, was also charged with the same offence.

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The three were sentenced to a youth offender panel after pleading guilty.

All three boys were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday (May 19).

Bird flu kills 70 birds at nature reserve near Ripon

More than 70 birds have died at a nature reserve near Ripon after an outbreak of bird flu.

The outbreak has affected a colony of breeding black-headed gulls at Nosterfield Nature Reserve.

Staff and volunteers have been forced to wear specially designed PPE suits, hats and gloves to collect the corpses from the 60-hectare site.

Visitors have been warned that they could see distressing scenes with more birds likely to die from the disease in the coming weeks.

Simon Warwick, director of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust which runs Nosterfield, said: 

“The gullery is in front of the main hide at Nosterfield and is usually a hive of activity in spring, with noisy adults feeding lots of hungry young.

“The disease is affecting many adult birds so you can imagine that what is happening at the moment is traumatic to say the least.

“But we are powerless to stop the spread of bird flu. Our biggest fear is the virus spreading to breeding lapwing and curlew, two species for which Nosterfield is famous.”

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The disease has killed black-headed gulls at several wetland sites across Yorkshire.

More than 1,000 gulls have died across the county so far, with the number expected to rise.

Visitors have been told under no circumstances to go near a dead or dying bird at the reserve. Dogs should also be kept on short leads during visits.

Mr Warwick added:

“Away from the main hide there is so much to see at Nosterfield at the moment, so our advice certainly to people with young children is come along but stay away from the main hide.”

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue to close overnight for pothole repairs

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue will be closed overnight for two nights this week as roadworks are carried out.

The road will be closed from 6pm until 11pm on Wednesday (May 24) and Thursday (May 25).

Parking bays on Victoria Avenue will also be suspended.

The move comes as North Yorkshire Council’s highways department is set to carry out work on the road.

It will see potholes filled on the street.

According to the council’s roadworks map, the authority will “renew 20 patches” as part of the work.

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New vets set to open in Pannal after plans approved

An independent vets is set to open in Pannal after plans were approved.

Claro Hill Vets will be based at Thirkill Park, off Thirkill Drive.

The practice will open this autumn and employ two veterinarians and receptionists.

Laura Keyser, who has been a qualified vet for 15 years, is behind the new business which she says will be a “perfect location” for pet owners in Harrogate, Wetherby and north Leeds.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I decided to open the business as I wanted to offer a real high standard of care and service.

“We are independent, so have none of the constraints of being corporate.”

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Claro Hill will initially be open to dogs and cats and offer a first opinion service, which includes vaccinations.

However, the practice will also offer a CT scanner and have visiting surgeons, ophthalmologists, and cardiologists.

Ms Keyser added:

“We will offer the middle ground between your GP vet and referral elsewhere, but also have the option of referral to a fantastic local hospital if required.”

 The move to open the business comes as North Yorkshire Council approved the proposal.

Work on the new vets, which will be based in two industrial units off Thrikill Drive, is expected to take three months.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate hotel group recognised in national workplace guide

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A hotel company which runs three hotels in the Harrogate district has been listed in a Sunday Times workplace guide.

The Inn Collection Group has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the national guide for 2023.

The firm, which operates the Harrogate Inn, Knaresborough Inn and Ripon Inn, was included alongside organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society Bella Italia, and Octopus Energy.

The inns were previously known as the St George Hotel, the Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel.

Local companies CloudNine and LCF Law were also recognised.

Liz Robertson, people director at the Inn Collection Group, said:

“We’re delighted that our people are enjoying their time with ICG and that we have been officially recognised as a great place to work as a result.

“Supporting our teams is incredibly important for us, be that with our exciting development programmes, our Inn Safe Hands initiative or even just our excellent benefits package.

“Making people happy is what we are about and that extends to our own too.”

Ripon retailers organise bank holiday buskers

Retailers in Ripon have organised for buskers to perform in the city centre this coming bank holiday weekend.

Organised by Ripon Business Improvement District and independent businesses, performers will be situated around the streets to draw in more people to the centre on Monday, May 29.

Visitors will be invited to follow a route around the city, taking in Kirkgate, North Street and Westgate.  

Little Bird Artisan Market will be on the marketplace.  From there, visitors can find maps showing the streets where buskers will perform and where shops are hosting fun activities and special offers.

Busking is throughout the city all afternoon, with music from Ripon and visiting guests from Teeside, York and Leeds. 

For more information on the event, visit the Ripon BID website here.

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Controversial 53-home Harrogate scheme recommended for approval

Council officers have recommended a controversial plan to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Harrogate is approved next week.

North-east property developer Jomast‘s planning application for the Bilton area was deferred for a second time in February this year.

At the time, councillors requested new reports and information about ground contamination and overhead power lines.

However, a report published today in advance of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting on May 31 has recommended the plans are approved subject to conditions.

Among the conditions is that Jomast would be required to pay £64,000 for healthcare, £140,000 for education and £60,000 for open spaces in the form of a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of development on local infrastructure.

Knox Lane

The homes would be built off Knox Lane.

The application in the quiet Knox area has proved controversial with residents.

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Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously called for an independent survey into contamination into the site.

Cllr Windass raised concern that a previous survey into the site was paid for by the developer and requested that an independent report was drawn up.

He told a committee in February:

“I will not vote for this scheme until I know that that land is safe.”

Councillors will vote on Wednesday next week whether to accept case officer Andy Hough’s recommendation to proceed with the scheme.

Police appeal after Transit van stolen in Harrogate

Police have issued an appeal after a Ford Transit T350 was stolen from Woodfield Road in Harrogate.

The van was taken between 10.30pm on Thursday, May 18, and 8am on Friday, May 19.

Officers said the vehicle has blacked out rear side panels on each side as well as red sun stickers on each rear side panel.

It also has an amber light fitted to the front of the roof on the driver’s side and the registration is BN63 WCJ.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“If you see the stolen vehicle, or know where it is, please email ben.robinson-brockhill@northyorkshire.police.uk. You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Ben Robinson-Brockhill

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230089644.”

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North Yorkshire £176,000 robotics contract will not lead to job losses, says council

North Yorkshire Council managers have said a £176,000 robotics contract will not lead to job losses.

The authority has commissioned Reading-based company T-Impact Limited to come up with automative robotic processes to free up work for staff. 

The company has been contracted to carry out the work at a cost of £176,116.

This would include tasks such as changing an address, which would be done through automation rather than manually.

Council officials say the contract, which will run to May 2026, would be “better value for money”.

Madeline Hoskin, assistant director technology at North Yorkshire Council, said the move would also help the new council with its financial challenges.

She said:

“It is anticipated the use of this technology will bring about efficiencies to help counter the financial challenges we are facing, and it will be used for some of repetitive work to free up staff to do other more rewarding aspects of their job.

“The system also enables us to deliver services more efficiently, achieving better value for money.

“There are no projected job losses as a result of this project.”

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