Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery has announced a partnership with professional snooker player, the ‘Tyneside Terror’ Gary Wilson.
Mr Wilson is world number 12 and the brewery will be his sponsor for the Tour Championship, which ended yesterday, and this month’s World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield. Mr Wilson won the first Welsh Open in February, as well as back-to-back Scottish Opens in December.
He said:
“As a fan of northern beers, being sponsored by Black Sheep Brewery holds special significance for me. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds with an iconic Northern brewery now supporting me, game after game.”
Jo Theakston, executive director at Black Sheep Brewery, added:
“We always seek to collaborate with individuals who resonate with our commitment to excellence, which is precisely why we are sponsoring Gary, as he looks to continue his remarkable run of form into the next major tournament.”
Black Sheep Brewery also sponsors local teams such as Harrogate Town AFC and Otley RUFC, as well as England’s inaugural Long Course Weekend, set to be hosted in Masham this summer.
Salon and academy opens in Harrogate
Sarah Verity (right) and Alex from Harrogate laser clinic
Northern Beauty has opened on Tower Street in Harrogate. Owner Sarah Verity has been self employed in the beauty industry for eight years after having an epiphany during pregnancy working as an events manager.
The salon employs multiple businesses under one roof and is set to begin training fully accredited beauty courses. Ms Verity said “big things happen when women support women and that’s what I am trying to do here”.
The business began as a chair in a lodge in Ms Verity’s back garden. She said:
“Lockdown is the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the push to create something amazing.”
The salon is set to get a halo head spa in the next few weeks. Ms Verity said:
“It is very exciting. I believe it is the first outside of Manchester and people love a new beauty treatment.”
Harrogate law firm plant a tree for every will created
Senior associate Hana Gwyn and head of personal law Neil Shaw from LCF Law.
LCF Law is set to plant a tree every time a client makes or updates a will. The initiative aims to encourage more people to make a will, whilst also having a positive environmental impact.
It is part of a partnership with Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, a charity that helps people, landscapes and wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding urban areas.
The law firm has already planted 1,000 trees, which will capture an estimated 160 tonnes of carbon over the next 50 years. LCF plans to plant another 1,000 this year.
Neil Shaw from LCF Law said:
“New research from The Association of Lifetime Lawyers shows that almost half of UK adults don’t have a will in place, which is as an alarming figure. The only way to ensure a person’s wishes are carried out is by properly communicating them legally through a will.
“By working with YDMT to plant a tree in the name of every person making or updating a will with us throughout 2024, we will not only be protecting their assets, but creating a sustainable legacy for future generations.”
He added that once a client has made or updated a will they will receive details of the woodland’s location, so they can visit it and see it grow.
Richard Hore, a development officer for Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust said:
“Our growing partnership with LCF Law will play a key role in our woodland creation efforts that help to tackle climate change and nature loss.”
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Jobs lost at Black Sheep Brewery in Masham
The new owners of Black Sheep Brewery have made redundancies at the Masham firm.
Keystone Brewing Group, which acquired the brewery from administration in May last year for £5 million said a “strategic restructuring” resulted in the “reduction of a small number of roles” within Black Sheep.
The company attributed the redundancies to “enormous challenges” faced by the hospitality sector and said “efficiency measures are essential” to secure the future of the brewery.
Chief executive Mark Williams said the organisation was “forced to consider all options available”, adding:
“This is an incredibly difficult time for all, and we are saddened the impact of this decision will have on our valued colleagues.
“Making redundancies is always the last resort, but unfortunately we have been forced to consider all options available to us.
“This is about making the brewery as efficient as possible, and securing its legacy for years to come.”
The Stray Ferret asked Black Sheep Brewery to confirm whether those made redundant had been paid. The team responded:
“The Black Sheep Brewery team can confirm that all staff who’ve since left the business as a result of this restructuring have been paid as agreed within the terms of their redundancy.”
We also asked the company to confirm exactly how many redundancies were made, but did not receive a response.
The news comes just weeks after the firm announced former chief executive Charlene Lyons had stepped down after nine years in post.
In a press release issued last month, the company said Ms Lyons had left “to pursue other interests”.
Ms Lyons was kept on following last year’s sale of Black Sheep, which also resulted in a “small number” of staff losing their jobs at the time.
Administrators Teneo Financial Advisory revealed sales fell from £19 million in 2019 to £14 million in 2022 – resulting in a £1.6 million loss.
Creditors, including HMRC, were owed nearly £3 million.
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