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Aug 2020

Last Updated: 03/08/2020

Pub's old cupboard becomes new venture in Bilton

by Newsroom

| 03 Aug, 2020

A small antiques shop has been set up in what was a storage cupboard at The Knox pub in Bilton. Foxy Antiques and Interior opened its doors for the first time to customers last weekend.

A small antiques shop has opened at The Knox pub in Bilton as a Harrogate woman aims to follow a new path after lockdown.

Foxy Antiques and Interiors will sell a range of items, from retro furniture to vintage collectables. The small shop is occupying a former storage cupboard at the pub.

Alex Clarke, who previously worked in housekeeping, decided during lockdown that she needed a new challenge. Since November, she has been buying and selling antiques, and decided to expand from a small unit in a local antiques shop to the larger space at The Knox.

She told the Stray Ferret that her previous job was impacted by coronavirus so she decided to pursue a new venture, following something she has always been interested in. She said:

"It's completely new to me. I've worked in housekeeping for nine years but my wages went down as a result of covid so I decided to look for something else. I needed something new and fresh that would challenge me."

Katie Swannie, owner of The Knox pub, hopes that the new shop will be the start of something great. She told the Stray Ferret:

"We hope both businesses will benefit each other. It's always something we've wanted to do. I want to create a little complex of quirky things that all complement each other, so this is the first step. We are hoping it will bring something for the local people in this area."

As well as the launch of Foxy Antiques and Interiors, last weekend also saw the opening of a new beer garden at the back of the pub. As well as providing somewhere to enjoy the sun, it will help the pub to follow social distancing guidelines.