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19
May
Michelin-star chef to take over country pub near Knaresborough
Tommy Banks, a North Yorkshire-born chef who boasts two Michelin stars, is taking over a vacant pub near Knaresborough.
Mr Banks, who has an extensive portfolio of prestigious restaurants across the county, today announced he will revive The General Tarleton in Ferrensby alongside three others named Matt, James and Neil, who all form a new pub group, Jeopardy Hospitality.
In a social media post, he said it is becoming increasingly difficult to run a business in the hospitality sector – with “no sign of progressive legislation” to help small and medium-sized businesses.
The post added:
When a pub shuts its doors, it rarely reopens, and it’s devastating to read reports that we’ve lost six pubs a week so far this year and I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Pubs are often beautiful buildings with rich history, integral to British culture.
With Jeopardy Hospitality, we aim to bring some of these great places out of jeopardy and return them to their former glory. Jeopardy Hospitality is an exciting new journey for us, revitalising places with real history, like The General Tarleton at Ferrensby.
The General Tarleton in April 2024.
Mr Banks said Jeopardy Hospitality will not only reopen pubs, but work to revive them with “care, character and a focus on what makes them special”.
“It’s about creating spaces where people can gather, enjoy good food and celebrate local heritage”, he adds.
The General Tarleton, which was one of the best known gastropubs in the Harrogate district, was listed for sale for £1.2 million in April 2024.
It came after the site shut its doors in the months prior.
Father and daughter, Jonathan and Sarah Morris, spent £500,000 refurbishing the Ferrensby pub after taking over from previous owners, Suzanne and John Topham, in 2021.
Mr Banks also said today:
Times are tough, and it’s easy to pull back, but in the UK hospitality scene, growth is the only way forward. With rising costs and changing regulations, expanding helps us use our resources wisely and build something that lasts. With Matt, James and Neil by my side, we’re creating something that’s rooted in community.
We all love a good pub, and it’s so sad to see them close. I can’t wait to get The General Tarleton back open and thriving, then we can get stuck into the next challenge!
Tommy Banks (L) with two members of the Jeopardy Hospitality team.
The Stray Ferret will provide more information on the opening when it becomes available, but Mr Banks encouraged people to contact him about working at the soon-to-be-revived pub.
Mr Banks, a former pupil at Outwood Academy in Easingwold, is a three-time winner of BBC’s The Great British Menu.
The 36-year-old took home first place in 2016, 2017 and 2020, and became a judge on the programme.
His sites, The Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots in York, have both been awarded a Michelin star.
Pie theft
The Stray Ferret reported on a van theft in Melmberby, which contained 2,500 pies, in December last year.
The stolen goods, which belonged to Mr Banks, were estimated to be worth £25,000.
The pies were to be sold at Tommy’s Pie Shop, a pop-up owned by Mr Banks, at York Christmas Market.
Mr Banks issued a personal plea to the thieves at the time, urging them to “drop the pies off somewhere”.
North Yorkshire Police later said the van, which was found with false number plates on, had been abandoned in the Hemlington area of Middlesborough.
It was recovered by Cleveland Police.
Mr Banks told BBC News at the time the stolen pies - which included steak and ale pies, turkey and cranberry pies and butternut squash pies – would have been about a week’s worth of stock for the pop-up pie shop.
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