One of the best known gastropubs in the Harrogate district has gone on the market for £1.2 million.
The General Tarleton at Ferrensby, near Knaresborough, closed several months ago.
Leeds business broker Christie & Co is now marketing the freehold for the property, which comes with 15 en-suite bedrooms, a 90-seat restaurant and a private dining and function room. The 0.8-acre site also includes a car park and outdoor terrace.
The marketing details say:
“This impressive and imposing coaching inn boasts a wealth of period charm including oak beams and exposed stone walls and flooring and has been recently refurbished and upgraded to an excellent standard by the present owners, and very much deserving of its AA five-star inn accreditation.”
Father and daughter Jonathan and Sarah Morris spent £500,000 refurbishing the venue after taking over from previous owners, Suzanne and John Topham, in 2021.
The marketing information adds:
“The sale represents an excellent opportunity for an owner operator or hospitality-led group to capitalise on the significant capital investment made by the current owners, as well as the enviable reputation and client base, and to take the business to the next level.
“The business has only been trading in the hands of the current owners since mid 2021 but in that time, they have carried out a significant revamp and overhaul or the building and the operation. Turnover for the 12 months to the end of October 2023 is around £850,000 with trade splits as follows: food 42%, drinks 26% and rooms 32%.
It also says the site has “the possible option of further expansion and development, subject to appropriate planning permission”.
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Firefighters respond to hot tub blaze near Knaresborough
Firefighters from Knaresborough were called to a hot tub that went up in flames near Knaresborough today.
Flames from the wood-fired hot tub, which didn’t have anyone in it, spread to the surrounding canopy on Arkendale Road in Ferrensby.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:
“This was extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire service using five small fire extinguishers, buckets of water and garden hose pipes.
“Crews assisted the owners with damping down the area. The hot tub and canopy were 100% destroyed by fire. The cause of this was a jammed motor.”
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Harrogate district road closed as crane catches fire
A main road in the Harrogate district was closed this morning when a crane caught fire.
The incident happened on the A6055 at Ferrensby, which is almost midway between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.
The fire was extinguished but no further details are currently available.
The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which does not have a phone number for media inquiries, to request further details.
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New owners give General Tarleton £500,000 refurbishment
The General Tarleton’s new owners have given the restaurant, bar and hotel a major £500,000 refurbishment.
Father and daughter team Jonathan and Sarah Morris took on the venue earlier this year and have just reopened after months of work.
The family took on the business after the previous owners, Suzanne and John Topham, put it into voluntary liquidation in September 2020.
General Tarleton, which is in Ferrensby, near Knaresborough, has built up a good reputation for fine dining over the last couple of decades.
Ralph’s is the new fine dining restaurant side of the General Tarleton. It serves up a seven course tasting menu for £55 per person.
The new owners want to keep that reputation going but have also expanded the offering with a more informal and accessible menu for the bar and Sunday lunch menu.
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Sarah Morris, a general manager and one of the owners, told the Stray Ferret:
“We want to make sure that this is a real destination for people. Hopefully people will see the effort we have not only put into the building but also the new menus.
“You are still getting the tip top in terms of produce but it is more accessible, more casual. We still have the fine dining, which is what we have worked very hard on.
“The reputation of the General Tarleton is why we wanted to jump at the opportunity. We plan to not just maintain that reputation but also to improve upon it.”
Not only have they given the bar and restaurant a new lease of life, but they have upgraded the rooms and added a further two so there are now 15 hotel rooms in total.
Jonathan Morris, who has overseen the refurbishment and is one of the owners, also said:
“We took on the business in January and when we saw the coronavirus roadmap, our target was to open for indoor dining.
“It has taken a lot of work and a lot of money. At one time we had around 20 contractors here. But the results speak for themselves.
“We have got a good team. The attention to detail is second to none so I am confident we can build on the great reputation of the General Tarleton.”
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