The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

First up is the Inclusivity Award, which is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.

This award is designed to give vital recognition to a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity.

These businesses have made employees and customers feel welcome, safe and free to be themselves, regardless of nationalities, gender, race or sexual orientations.

Companies looking to enter for the Inclusivity Award need to provide details of its policy for inclusivity and, if applicable, provide and example where it has given significant support to an employee or customer.

By giving vital recognition to those who have inclusivity at the heart of their business, we hope others will follow their example.

Does your business deserve to win the Inclusivity Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

This story is sponsored by Events by Cynosure.

Harrogate’s incredible Christmas offering is here to stay until the new year with plenty of festive fun to be had at the incredible Ferris wheel, ice rink, traditional carousel and more.

All of these showstopping attractions are new for Harrogate and will be here until January 3 – so now’s the time to get your skates on!

The giant, illuminated Ferris wheel is in a great location, right in the centre of town.

At its peak of 32-metres, the Ferris wheel offers spectacular views both in the day but also at night with the town centre dressed up for the festive season.

The giant wheel is a great way to experience the town from above.

There’s no need to book ahead for the Ferris wheel so just turn up when you’re ready to experience Harrogate from above.

A true fairground feeling

The fairground feeling at Crescent Gardens is not to be missed either, especially at night when the festoon lighting switches on.

With a traditional carousel, ice rink, fairground rides for children and an aprés ski bar for adults – there’s certainly something at Crescent Gardens for everyone.

The traditional carousel looks the part.

Sessions at the ice rink are 60 minutes, so there’s plenty of time to find your feet and make the most of the experience.

It’s perfect for families, dates, catching up with friends, Christmas parties with a twist or those wanting to learn with the skate school.

John Lowery, Director of Events by Cynosure, said:

“We have been very pleased with the attendance from all over the country this Christmas.

“We are looking forward to seeing more visit us before we close on January 3, 2023. We are even open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day so there are plenty of chances to enjoy this magical experience.

“This is the first year of a three year contract and we already have some amazing plans for 2023 Christmas.”

Book ahead for the ice rink and secure your timeslot by clicking or tapping here.

When you are looking to get recognition for your business, it is key that those on the judging panel are the best of the best.

That’s why we have enlisted the help of leaders from the top business and organisations for the inaugural Stray Ferret Business Awards sponsored by Prosperis, culminating with an awards dinner on March 9, 2023.

There is representation from across the Harrogate district and beyond with Black Sheep Brewery from Masham, Reed Boardall from Boroughbridge, Cloud Nine from Harrogate and the York and North Yorkshire LEP from Northallerton.

We have chosen these judges for their expertise, experience and positions in a wide variety of sectors.

Each judge kindly gives their free time to participate in the process. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a particular category will step away for the duration of those discussions.

We really do have representation from top businesses on board. So it’s time to meet the judges:

Charlene Lyons, CEO of Black Sheep Brewery

Charlene Lyons, an experienced management consultant, became CEO of Black Sheep Brewery in early 2020 after a period as a consultant, helping the business evolve and grow its position as a famous Yorkshire brand.

Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall

Marcus Boardall, a qualified Chartered Accountant, joined the family business, Reed Boardall in 2003 where he continues his father’s legacy of supporting and encouraging his colleagues in the pursuit of excellence.

Martin Rae, CEO of Cloud Nine

Martin Rae is the CEO and Founder of Cloud Nine – a Harrogate-based international haircare brand founded by Martin, his brother and stepdad. Cloud Nine was founded in 2008 with a small team but it is now a global brand.

James Farrar, COO of York and North Yorkshire LEP

James works with the York and North Yorksire Local Enterprise Partnership partners and Board to mobilise the team into action. His experience includes leading responses to recession, grown his own professional services business allowing him to have an understanding of business needs and how to encourage economic growth.

Once the deadline for entries has passed, the judges will assess each entry in the same format and without any material that goes against the terms and conditions.

The judges score the entry according to the criteria of each category. The judges will then meet to discuss their scores and make a final decision during a single day of judging. The judging process is final and all decisions are final.

It’s free and easy to enter. We will profile the great work of all the finalists, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 16.

Harrogate’s only nightclub the Viper Rooms has announced its sudden closure tonight.

The Viper Room’s owner, Paul Kinsey, said the landlord had taken possession of the venue after they failed to negotiate a new lease.

Around 30 staff work at the venue and have lost their jobs, while all Christmas parties booked will be unable to go ahead.

The following announcement was posted on social media this evening:

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the immediate closure of the Viper Rooms after 15 years.

“Having tried for nearly 3 years to negotiate a new lease with our landlord in good faith and after spending £350,000 refurbishing the club in 2019 they have taken possession of the site.

“We would like to thank all of our loyal team members and entertainers who have entertained the town since 2007.”

The post went onto say that Mr Kinsey would release a “new venue announcement soon”.

This is a breaking news story.

Stockeld Park is set to open for its Christmas events this weekend after a £100,000 investment.

The Christmas Adventure at Stockeld Park started in 2007 and has added new features since.

Peter and Susie Grant, the owners, said recent improvements meant visitors were set to experience the park’s “most spectacular light show yet”.

Other new features for the enchanted forest this year include giant butterflies, jackalopes, phoenixes and griffins.

Experience the illuminations in the forest.

As well as the illuminations, the park has Santa’s grotto, an ice skating rink, a Christmas in Oz pantomime, an illuminated maze and more.

The Christmas Adventure opens on Saturday, November 19 and will run until Tuesday, January 3.

Tickets, which start at £12 for ice skating or £15 for access to the forest, maze and illuminations, are available now.

Read more:

• Stockeld Park opens £3.5 million children’s play centre
• Bettys unveils Christmas cracker window display in Harrogate

Mr Grant said:

“Anybody can come to enjoy the illuminations, young or old, with or without children, and they are perfect for romantic evenings in our quieter times which tend to be Mondays to Thursdays in November and early December.”

This investment follows the opening of Stockeld Park’s £3.5 million children’s play centre called Playhive, which opened this summer.

It features a space, aeronautical, subaquatic and jungle themed areas, which are all connected by a 33-feet tall tower, which also comes with giant slides and a toddler zone.

Mr Grant added:

“The Playhive has been very well received, I think as much as anything because it introduces a novel concept of a play space where adults and children can play together, and it gives us the ability to be an all-weather venue.”

A new restaurant is opening in Harrogate this weekend with a special set list of musicians and DJs to entertain diners.

HG1 Grill and World Bar opens its doors for the first time at 4pm tomorrow. To celebrate the launch, the venue will be offering 50% off food until Sunday, November 27 which has been extended to thank its diners.

There will be limited spaces available as the restaurant looks to improve with feedback from customers during its initial, soft launch.

The 80-seat independent restaurant with a cocktail bar and terrace replaces the building formerly occupied by Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre on Cheltenham Crescent.

Jas Gill, the owner, told the Stray Ferret:

“People are going to have a great time here. We’ve got a great team here, who are all passionate about food and are fully on board with our vision.”

Read more:

• Sneak peek: Artist Lucy Pittaway’s new Harrogate gallery
• Sneak peek at Harrogate’s new Cosy Club

Jerome Lacheure, general manager, said:

“Everything is on track, I am really looking forward to it. Very excited, very nervous. A mixture of emotion. We’ve put a lot of work into the place during the last few busy weeks.

“It’s not just about the food or drink. We are here to provide a full evening for our customers and the music offering is going to form a big part of that.”

The menu will change with the seasons. Currently there is a range of dishes on offer from grilled whole fish to beef tataki, burgers and a vegetarian choices like ginger and chilli tofu stir-fry.

The drinks list will also be ever-adapting, focusing on new trends from across the world. There will also be plenty of the classics and local tipples to enjoy too.

Bookings are now open and can be made by clicking or tapping here.

Pic shows: Staff outside the venue, including head chef (centre right) Javier Oitana, general manager (first in from the right) Jerome Lacheure and bar manager (right) Joe Oliver.

North Yorkshire-based artist Lucy Pittaway is ready to open the doors at her debut Harrogate gallery this weekend.

The gallery, which sells original works of art as well as prints, homeware and stationery, had a preview night last night.

The shop replaces the former menswear shop Austin Reed on Prospect Place, which had been empty since 2016.

It’s been a long wait for Ms Pittaway, who has had her eyes on a site in Harrogate for five years.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret ahead of tomorrow’s official opening, she said:

“We have been wanting to be in Harrogate for some time now but we are finally here, and in an absolutely fabulous location.

“The response we have had from local businesses and shoppers has been amazing. We are absolutely thrilled with the interest we have seen already.

“It wasn’t easy but we have managed to get this space turned around in just three weeks which is a testament to our amazing team. I feel very proud looking around.”

Read more:

• Well known Yorkshire artist to open gallery in Harrogate town centre
• Himalayan Garden inspired artist to host first exhibition
• Sneak peek at Harrogate’s new Cosy Club

Ms Pittaway’s best known works are her signature sheep art and her work on the Tour de Yorkshire and UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate.

The Harrogate store will be open Monday to Saturday from 9.30pm to 5.30pm and from 10am to 5pm on Sundays.

A number of promotions are in the pipeline for Christmas and various other initiatives are also on the horizon, including a meet-the-artist event and debut showings of original pieces of art.

More pictures from the preview evening:

Lucy Pittaway with husband Neil and the rest of her team.

The new store looks ready for Christmas.

The gallery also sells homeware, stationery and more.

You can also find some of Ms Pittaway’s original work.

The Stray Ferret has launched our new Photo of the Week feature to highlight the beauty of the Harrogate district captured by talented local photographers.

Send your photos to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to feature here. We are interested in amateur and professional pictures.

This week we feature an eerie image taken by David Burns who has perfectly captured Crown Place in Harrogate at its spookiest ahead of Halloween.

The Stray Ferret has launched our new Photo of the Week feature to highlight the beauty of the Harrogate district captured by talented local photographers.

Send your photos to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to feature here. We are interested in amateur and professional pictures.

This week we are featuring a stunning shot of a herd of deer highlighted beautifully by the autumnal sun at Studley Royal Deer Park. Taken by Ripon based Mike Smith Photography.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

More than 1,000 people attended a business conference in Harrogate yesterday.

Brand Yorkshire held its 12th annual business conference at Pavilions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground. Nearly 60 businesses had stalls at the event.

Staff from companies all over the country networked at the event, which attracted many local firms.

Georgina Pogge-von Strandmann, solicitor and branch manager at Ison Harrison in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:

“The event has been great to attend. We’re here to explain all of the services we can offer at our new Harrogate branch as a full-service law firm. We’ve spoken to a lot of people, everyone is really friendly.”

Sally Bendtson, who owns Limelight HR, said:

“It’s been really good so far, there is a nice mixture of people we know and people we haven’t worked with yet. Last year we just had a stand but this year we’ve got a stand and I’m doing a talk.”

Brand Yorkshire has been holding business events for more than a decade. They are run by Richard and Mona Norman.

Ms Norman told the Stray Ferret:

“People are still wanting to meet people face to face, especially in Harrogate. We have more than a thousand booked to attend.

“What is music to my ears is when the stand holders come to me, even when the day hasn’t finished yet, to say they are already getting business from the event.”

Boroughbridge chamber holds networking event

The Crown Hotel

Boroughbridge Chamber of Trade is to stage business networking event on Tuesday next week.

The event will also feature a presentation from Kevin Charity, the new chief executive of The Coaching Inn Group, which recently bought the town’s Crown Hotel.

Coaching Inns took over the historic 37-bedroom hotel in February after its parent company, RedCat Pub Company, purchased the building from Best Western for an undisclosed fee. It is investing about £450,000 in refurbishing the site.

The event takes place at the Crown Hotel from 5.30pm to 7pm. Non-chamber members are welcome.