‘Disappointment’ as Stray dining and drinking hopes dashed

Harrogate councillors have expressed disappointment after hopes that hospitality businesses could use the Stray this summer were dashed by legal complications.

There was widespread optimism that reopening restaurants, pubs and cafes could be given outdoor dining space when Harrogate Borough Council revealed the plans in March but historic laws protecting the parkland have since thrown up a series of challenges.

As landowners by law, the Duchy of Lancaster is guided by the Stray Act to ensure access to all residents and visitors.

The body had entered into negotiations with the council but took a firm stance that use of the Stray for commercial purposes, except for some large events, was not permitted by the Act.

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While the debate rumbled on as Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones intervened with calls for further flexibility, the bad news for businesses was all but confirmed until a meeting on Monday when a senior council official said the authority had stopped pursuing the plans.

Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“I certainly share the view that the Stray potentially provides a fantastic opportunity to help businesses come out of a very difficult period.

“But our custodian role for the Stray is to ensure it is maintained free and open for the use of all rather than what appears to be the use of all but effectively is for the use of individuals visiting an individual commercial premises.”

Cllr Pat Marsh said she was “very disappointed” by the decision.

She said:

“The Stray is for the people and we must remember that.”.

Cllr Chris Aldred added:

“At the start of lockdown everybody seemed to be in favour of this happening and then suddenly it got lost in bureaucracy somewhere.

“We really do need to look at how we use the Stray in the future. As a council that should be one of our priorities to see it developed for everyone.”

Mr Watson responded:

“Whilst I share some of the frustrations, it is not bureaucracy, it is legislation. The terms of the legislation we have got to work with are very restrictive.

“It is essentially what is wrapped up in the Stray Act that has led to the view that we should encourage its use for open and regular enjoyment but not perhaps for the benefit of individual businesses.”

The idea of businesses using the Stray was put forward to help those with little or no room for outdoor dining under the current lockdown restrictions.

The Duchy of Lancaster said in a statement that while it was keen to support the economic recovery, the Stray “exists for the benefit of all the people of Harrogate,” not just certain businesses.

It said:

“Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for the management of the Stray in accordance with the Stray Act.

“The Duchy has no legal grounds to object to management proposals permitted by the Act.

“It is not the role of the Duchy to act as arbitrator in what should be a local discussion among the affected stakeholders.”

Rewards card launches today to boost Knaresborough economy

A rewards card that gives people incentives to shop in Knaresborough is being launched today.

The community website Knaresborough Online is behind the Love Knaresborough Rewards Card initiative.

It hopes the card will boost footfall in the town centre after a difficult 12 months for businesses.

The card offers a wide range of discounts, such as a free flake and sprinkles on ice cream, two for one cocktails and a free yoga class. Seventy-five businesses are taking part in the scheme.

The card costs £10 to buy and is valid until March 31 2022. Knaresborough Online is holding a stall on the market today selling the cards it is also available in 10 other designated sellers.

Susanna Lewis, owner of Knaresborough Online, said if each of the 13,000 adults living in Knaresborough spent £5 a week in the town it would bring an additional £3.4million into the town’s economy. She added:

“We have researched and visited over 30 other similar card schemes within the UK to try and develop the best possible card scheme for Knaresborough.

“We want the scheme to be attractive to both consumers and businesses and we hope the card will help encourage confidence in local shopping once more.”

A European funded post-covid recovery grant was used to fund the initiative.

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One of the designated sellers is Alex Chaytor, owner of The Black Mulberry on Waterside, said:

“As a business owner in Knaresborough I am really excited about this new card scheme. It has been a difficult year for us all, but this project gives us positivity and hope for the future.

“Anything that helps increase footfall through the town is welcome and I am excited to see the launch of this card.”

Knaresborough Online has worked throughout the pandemic to work with local businesses offering them support via social media, writing press releases and promoting the area.

Slug and Lettuce closes Harrogate branch

Slug and Lettuce has closed its Harrogate branch permanently.

The chain pub, famous for its cocktails and food menu, has occupied the Montpellier Building on Montpellier Parade for nearly 30 years.

However, it will not reopen with other pubs and restaurants next week on May 17 under the latest easing of lockdown restrictions.

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Today there is no movement at the Harrogate pub and all traces of it have been wiped off the internet.

Slug and Lettuce no longer includes the branch on its list and the pub has deleted its Harrogate Facebook page.

The Stonegate Group, which also owns Yates and Walkabout, revealed the closure. A spokesperson said:

“We can confirm the closure of Slug and Lettuce in Harrogate and the building has been returned to the landlord.”

Harrogate companies face recruitment ‘nightmare’

A Harrogate recruitment agency has said it is struggling to fill positions with new workers following the recent ease in covid restrictions.

Travail Employment Group in Harrogate said it has plenty of jobs available but is unable to find the people to fill them.

It has seen a change in employment trends post-pandemic, going from some of the busiest months ever for recruitment to having more vacancies than they can fill.

Lisa Headford, branch manager at Harrogate Travail Employment Group, said:

“We’ve found that now we could grow further if we had more candidates. We have a lot of vacancies we are struggling to fill.

“I think the pandemic has definitely shaken things up for recruitment. We have plenty of jobs available so no one should be out of work.

“There are lots of reasons why, but everyone is struggling to recruit.”

Two Harrogate companies have also said they have experienced similar difficulties in finding new staff.

The companies have both advertised for a number of jobs but only received a small number of applicants.

Cleaning company It’s Clean received a huge increase in applicants during lockdown, with many people on furlough eager to pick up hours elsewhere.

Recruitment manager Louise Brear said now she was struggling to fill positions:

“Over the last couple of weeks I’ve advertised lots of jobs and had nothing. I’m not sure if it’s because people came to us from hospitality over lockdown and are now heading back.

“We had so many applicants during furlough and now it’s completely stopped. We have more customers now too so we need more cleaners.”

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It was a similar story for The Wild Plum in Harrogate, which has been looking for a new supervisor and chef for around a month.

The chef role has now been filled and interviews organised for the supervisor position, but the cafe’s general manager Rachel Atkinson said it had been a “struggle”.

She said:

“We did struggle, it was a bit of a nightmare actually. I know of other people who also struggled to fill jobs. We have someone coming in to be interviewed so hopefully it is successful.”

Ms Atkinson thought the reason for their difficulties may have been due to people changing careers during lockdown.

Both businesses were hopeful they would find recruits, but said they had not experienced issues like this before.

Harrogate company wins Queen’s Award for second time

A Harrogate company that operates around the world has today won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the second time.

Primeast, which is based at Cardale Park, was founded in 1987 by John Campbell. It provides training and development in more than 40 countries.

The company, which was named in a list of 205 award winners, employs 30 people in Harrogate and now has a team of four based in its US office.

The business also won a Queen’s Award in 2015, as seen in the above picture.

Founded 55 years ago, the Queen’s Award is widely recognised as the top business accolade in the country.

The focus of this year’s awards was ‘promoting opportunity through social mobility’.

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Coronavirus restrictions make it unlikely for winning businesses to get the customary invite to Buckingham Palace to accept the award.

A representative of the Queen will present the award at Primeast’s Harrogate office, later in the year.

Russell Evans, chief executive of Primeast, said:

“This is such fantastic recognition for the entire team who’ve worked with such commitment and passion and the clients who continue to support and partner with us.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

“In the last 12 months, British businesses showed the entrepreneurial spirit that this country is renowned for.

“They are continuing to drive social mobility, find new markets to export to and produce innovative products and services.”

Harrogate indoor play centre aims to raise £3,500 before reopening

A Harrogate indoor play centre is hoping to raise £3,500 with a raffle before it opens its doors on May 17 as lockdown restrictions ease.

World of their Own, which is based at Hornbeam Park, has been hit particularly hard over the past year: since March 2020 it has only been able to open for 10 weeks.

Although its owners have no intention of closing down and are determined to find the cash somehow, they hope the raffle will cover the costs.

Both Winkies Harrogate, which was based in Starbeck, and Goose, which was based at Hornbeam Park, have permanently closed as a result of the pandemic.

It means that Harrogate now only has two indoor play centres in World of their Own and Little Bees Harrogate, formerly Kidzplay.

Christa and Lee Webber, of World of their Own, have said that while they have made full use of government grants and have a supportive landlord, they still have a funding gap.

To plug that gap they are raffling off a year’s unlimited play pass, afternoon tea in the fairytale parlour for four and a wild west birthday party for 20 children.

There are 700 tickets available at £5.50 per ticket. So far they have sold 185 tickets and the deadline to buy a ticket is at 5pm on May 1. Raffall, the platform they are using, takes a 10% cut.

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Crista Webber told the Stray Ferret how this funding gap is their final hurdle:

“Every ticket sold is a massive help. We have been very frugal over the last year. When we needed to develop more space upstairs Lee built it by hand.

“We will reopen no matter what happens. If we cannot reach the £3,500 then we will need to find the money another way.

“We opened a World of their Own and it was just two months before the pandemic hit. Since then it has been an incredible struggle, which we hope we are coming to the end of.”

What has Harrogate council spent its High Street grants on?

Harrogate Borough Council has so far spent £90,000 of government grants which aimed to support businesses on the high street to reopen.

Last June, the authority was given £144,714 as part of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to help support businesses to open up after the first lockdown.

Ministers have also allocated further funding, which will also be £144,714, as part of the Welcome Back Fund to help the council support the town centre after the third shutdown.

Both grants have been funded from the European Regional Development Fund.

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The Stray Ferret asked the borough council how much of the first grant has been spent and what it had been used to fund.

A spokesperson for the council said £90,000 of the funding has been spent so far on:

They added that plans for the new funding, which was announced last month, have yet to be confirmed.

Government guidance published as part of the grant scheme says councils should “engage with stakeholders including local businesses, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Destination Management Organisations (DMO), town and parish councils”.

When asked who it consulted with on the measures, the authority said its business development team had a “distribution list for businesses” which it said it would use for plans for the next grant.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate BID, said she hoped the authority would listen to ideas from the businesses:

Ms Ferguson said:

“It is great news that Harrogate Borough Council has been awarded this money on top of the funds it received last year.

“In terms of the £144,000 Welcome Back Fund, we look forward to working with HBC and other business organisations, such as the Chamber and Independent Harrogate, to make Harrogate more welcoming to visitors and residents alike.

“Whilst we recognise the pot of money it has been awarded is to help the District’s ‘high streets’, we have a number of proposals which we believe will help our town centre retail and hospitality businesses get back on their feet and bring in customers.

“These include discounted parking and public transport to encourage residents to shop, eat and drink local.”

Harrogate entrepreneur sets up website to boost local hospitality

A 20-year-old woman from Harrogate has set up a business giving restaurants a platform to make a website and take bookings without paying commission.

Marina Prokoiosifi moved to Harrogate 4 years ago from Greece and has worked in hospitality since.

During her years in various restaurants Marina said she became aware of the huge amounts businesses would spend using commission-based platforms for bookings and takeaway orders.

After losing her job in December, Marina spent time working with a developer to set up the website Dinerly.

The platform allows restaurants to build their own website to use for orders and table bookings. They then pay a subscription fee each month, ranging for £25 to £65 a month. Marina says this makes it much cheaper than using other websites.

She already has two Harrogate restaurants signed up, Taverna and Doe Bakehouse.

Marina has dreams of having a 1,000 restaurants signed up in five year times.

She said:

“I thought why not make something that is easy and sleek to use. It also means restaurants have direct contact with their customers. I was always baffled why businesses had to use the big companies and pay lots of commission.”

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Since setting it up Marina said she has faced some hurdles. She said her lack of formal qualifications and young age has meant some businesses have “questioned” what she has proposed.

She added:

“People don’t always take me seriously. It’s been difficult at times but it’s been a learning curve.”

Marina now has a new job at a branding agency but will continue to work on the website as her “side hussle”. She said she is very passionate and will continue to build the platform and encourage other restaurants to sign up.

Knaresborough company expands into mortuary industry

Coronavirus has forced a Knaresborough manufacturer to adapt its trolleys and racks for use in morgues, rather than catering venues.

Craven & Co has been in operation for more than 60 years, with 80% of its products used in the catering and hospitality industries.

During lockdown many of these orders dropped off, but the company’s previous work making medical supplies meant that it won a vital NHS contract.

It was tasked with making frontline medical equipment for the Nightingale hospitals, including 12,500 IV stands, which were transported across the country.

Wez Dance, its director, said this came as a “godsend” that led to further NHS work. The new contract also encouraged Craven & Co to move into the mortuary industry as it had previously planned.

Its existing products such as racks and trolleys can be easily adapted for mortuaries.

Mr Dance suspected the high numbers of catering and hospitality orders they received pre-lockdown would never return and that diversifying was necessary.

He said:

“The world changed last March and the impact on the hospitality industry was a massive, massive hit for us. We knew we had to diversify and go into new markets to survive.”

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The company appointed a new sales manager, Trevor Russ, with previous experience in the mortuary industry to help with the expansion.

Mr Dance added:

“We are delighted to welcome Trevor at such an exciting time in Craven & Co’s story. Over 60 years, we’ve become known for our high-quality British-made products, quick turnaround, competitive pricing and great customer service, not to mention our bespoke solutions. We’re hoping these elements, combined with Trevor’s knowledge and expertise, will help us break into a niche market.”

Artisan market heading to Harrogate this summer

A Harrogate church in the Duchy area is set to welcome a monthly artisan market from summer until December.

The Little Bird Artisan Market will sell locally produced arts and crafts, ceramics, jewellery, clothing, flowers, food and drink.

St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road will host the first outdoor market on Saturday, June 19 between 10am and 3pm.

The outdoor market will then be at the church every month until December 18.

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Organisers hope lockdown easing measures permit the market to go ahead as planned.

The team has already launched artisan markets in Boroughbridge, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Wetherby and Easingwold.

St Wilfrid’s Church will host the market.

Jackie Crozier, from Little Bird Artisan Market, said:

“This will be my first artisan market in Harrogate and I’m really looking forward to welcoming an exciting range of different local stallholders, who’ll be showcasing their fantastic local produce.

“It has been a difficult year for small businesses and so to start a new market and get people out shopping again benefits everyone.

“We hope that visitors to the market will also wander into Harrogate and enjoy a day out. I really hope the community will get behind this and come and meet the makers.”

Each month the market will also offer a free space for local charities and community groups. Interested parties should send an email here.

The market will be at St Wilfrid’s Church on June 19, July 17, August 14, September 18, October 16, November 20 and December 18.