The owners of a bohemian-style cafe in Harrogate will open a farm shop today after the demand for groceries soared in the coronavirus lockdown.
Kyrensa Bentley set up 53 Bo’Grove Cafe, based on Grove Road, just under a year ago and it has been growing ever since.
The grand opening is tomorrow.
Following in the footsteps of the antique shop, the refill shop and the garden centre, the new rustic farm shop also has an environmentally-friendly focus.
Read more:
- Ripon Spa Hotel closes after failing to find a buyer
- Messages from the heart link Ripon and Rajasthan
53 Bo’Grove Farm Shop will officially open its doors today at 10.30am with a selection of fruit and vegetables as well as oils, chutneys, jams, bread, cakes, and more.
The farm shop is based at 53 Bo’Grove.
The shop will have a mix of Yorkshire-based suppliers as well as some continental offerings. Ashley Johnson is taking up the reins as manager and said:
“We’ve got balloons, we’ve got banners and we’re giving away some big fruits and cheese hampers. It will be a great day to celebrate, we are still in the coronavirus lockdown but we can enjoy something a bit closer to normal.”
It will sell fresh fruit and vegetables.
The cafe had set up a cart out front to sell fruit and vegetables and it went so well they decided to set up a more permanent offering in the farm shop.
Kyrensa Bentley, the owner of 53 Bo’Grove also told The Stray Ferret:
Cafés in Harrogate say they won’t enforce face covering rule“We started planning for a little farm shop about halfway through lockdown. This project didn’t start out with a lot of money, we have just saved up as it has grown. It has grown quite organically.”
Café owners in Harrogate have told The Stray Ferret that they won’t be enforcing the new face coverings rule as it should be a “mark of respect” from the customer.
Guidance was released today about the wearing of face coverings, which saw a change for businesses offering a takeaway service.
The new guidelines state that coverings will be mandatory when buying takeaway food and drink but can be removed when seated at a table. However, the government has outlined that it is the responsibility of the individual to wear a face covering, with shops and cafés encouraged to enforce the rule where possible.
Read more:
- Police say fines are a last minute resort for not wearing a face covering
- Police Federation say face coverings are impossible to enforce
The owners of Bean and Bud on Commercial Street in Harrogate said that the new rules are “common sense”. Co-owner Helen Dolby told The Stray Ferret:
“If you’re coming in for a takeaway and there’s other customers around you, then as a mark of respect you should wear a mask but we wouldn’t enforce it. We deal with hundreds of customers a day, people just need to have a bit of common sense and a bit of respect.”
Owners of Bean and Bud, Phil and Helen Dolby.
Similarly, Dan Bell, the owner of Thug Sandwich Company on Albert Street, told The Stray Ferret that he believes the procedures he already has in place are enough but will follow guidelines and enforce the rule.
He said:
How Harrogate cafés will cope with track and trace“People who are coming in are literally here for less than 60 seconds, they place their order and then they stand outside and I give them a shout when it’s ready. There’s very little risk of infection.
A number of cafés in Harrogate have come up with different ways to take customer details as part of the track and trace system.
The track and trace system involves making a record of staff and customer details so they can be contacted if they have come into contact with someone who tests positive for the virus.
Restaurants, bars and cafés have been advised by the government to collect details of those customers who dine in. Customers can choose whether to give their information but are encouraged to do so to help track the spread.
Outside LMDC Espresso Bar on John Street.
Read more:
- What to expect as pubs and restaurants reopen
- A number of pubs across the district will not be opening this weekend
LMDC Espresso Bar on John Street in Harrogate will take the name and contact number of one member of each party as they order and the details will be kept for 21 days, then destroyed.
Similarly, Slingsby’s on Tower Street will be taking the details of everyone who sits in the café. Andrew Ford, the owner of Slingsby’s told The Stray Ferret that it will be difficult because he can’t make people do it. He said:
“We will put books and pencils on every table and every guest will be asked to put their name, contact number and the date they were in. Every day I will take them off and file them. Pens will be wiped with sanitiser after every use.”
Slingsby’s are getting ready to reopen table service tomorrow.
However Phil and Helen Dolby, owners of Bean and Bud on Commercial Street argue that most of their customers don’t stay for more than 15 minutes. They said:
Councils could pave the way for pop up beer gardens in Harrogate“I think out of respect for the customers it is a dilemma and it is the one think we haven’t settled on.”
Councils in the Harrogate district could soon pave the way for pop up beer gardens and outdoor cafes to help boost hospitality businesses.
There are plans to allow pubs, restaurants, and cafes with space outdoors to reopen on July 4 with special safety measures in place.
Many in Harrogate’s hospitality sector do not have those spaces and would, under the current rules, need to stay closed or continue with takeaways.
Harrogate BID has urged both local authorities to help speed up the application process for businesses to open up on pavements.
Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said at the cabinet:
“Even if it’s at a one metre distance but, as it stands, it’s a two-metre distance it is going to be very difficult for those businesses to survive. I believe we should give businesses space where there is currently tarmac. I think that is something absolutely mission critical.”
What Mr Cooper means exactly by “space where there is currently tarmac” will be closely scrutinised – any proposal that would cut on street car parking spaces or lead to permanent changes such as pedestrianisation will be fiercely opposed by retail group Independent Harrogate.
Read more:
- Why the Harrogate Borough Council leader has promised not to close Starbeck Baths
- How North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough plans to tackle coronavirus shortfalls
- Is the future of Harrogate town centre more homes, less shopping?
Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for granting the premises licence and North Yorkshire County Council licenses the use of pavements, so they will need to work together.
The BID board is concerned that if the hospitality industry isn’t supported, Harrogate’s economy could be irreparably damaged.
Harrogate Borough Council is now in talks with North Yorkshire County Council.
David Bowe, Corporate Director for Business and Environmental Services, said:
“We are working with the Harrogate BID, Harrogate Borough Council and retailers at a local level to create as much space within the public highway as is practicable to support safe social distancing, café culture and safe access. It is important to understand that there are inevitably differing demands on the public highway and these have to be safely balanced.”
Robert Ogden, on behalf of Independent Harrogate, said:
Bettys to reopen Harrogate and Harlow Carr shops“It is extremely important that Harrogate’s businesses are able to thrive in the current crisis, and Independent Harrogate supports measures that will enable smaller cafés or restaurants to open while respecting social distancing guidelines. We know the councils will do their best to balance the commercial imperative with reserving sufficient space for the public to walk on, without resorting to road closures.”
It may not be the traditional tea room experience, but Bettys will reopen its Harrogate and Harlow Carr shops later this month.
The flagship Bettys store in Harrogate will be one of the first to open on June 22, with the Harlow Carr shop following in its footsteps on June 29.
All of the Bettys cafes will remain closed until further notice.
Read more on this story
Both will offer a range of wrapped cakes, chocolates, biscuits, teas, coffees, gift boxes, hampers, and takeaway hot drinks. Freshly baked products on sale will include the famous Yorkshire fat rascals, as well as a selection of breads and pastries.
The Bettys management team will limit the number of people in its shops, provide hand sanitiser by the entrance and floor markers to guide people.