Editor’s Pick of the Week: Pierce Brosnan in Harrogate, Otley Road cycling revival and vanishing apostrophes

Traffic to our site and app soared this week — not, alas, because of our painstakingly assembled mayoral candidate interviews — but because of an influx of celebrities in Harrogate.

Firstly, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan was spotted drinking in the Fat Badger. A colleague was gutted to later discover she was there at the same time, and even more gutted when she found out four days later she’d missed him again at Rudding Park.

Then Morrissey added to his elusive magic by being photographed on a remote street called Cut Throat Lane in Shaw Mills, which seemed about as likely as the Otley Road cycleway expansion being revived — which then proceeded to also happen this week.

Perhaps the only quirkier story was the news that it’s now council policy to eliminate all apostrophes from road signs. I’ve been canvassing reaction, which you can read here.

Rachel Woolford, who owns fitness venture North Studio on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate, was catapulted into fame this week when Lord Sugar hired her on The Apprentice, which led to another spike in traffic on Thursday night.

Here’s a story worth keeping an eye on: North Yorkshire Council issued its ‘call for sites’ this week as part of the process to draw up a new planning blueprint for the county. Where the boundaries are drawn will have huge significance for years to come.

Finally if, like me, you’ve eaten at the The General Tarleton at Ferrensby, once a well known foodie hotspot, you may have noticed it was put on the market this week after being closed for several months.

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General Tarleton goes on the market for £1.2 million

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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Business Breakfast: Raworths renews Harrogate Literature Festival sponsorship

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Law firm Raworths has renewed its sponsorship of the Harrogate Literature Festival for the next five years.

This year marks a decade of Raworths association with the annual event, which is produced by Harrogate International Festivals.

Festivals Managing Partner, Simon Morris said:

“We are very proud to have supported the Harrogate Literature Festival since its inception a decade ago. Over that time it has grown from strength to strength, bringing a diverse array of speakers to Harrogate, enriching the community and promoting the region.

“We are delighted to be committing to the next five years and look forward to working alongside the festival team in continuing to develop this cultural keystone.”

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals Chief Executive, said:

“This month sees us celebrating ten years of an amazing partnership with Raworths, and I’m thrilled it’s to continue for another five years.

“We are incredibly proud of our relationship, and delighted that the firm has put its faith in us to continue to produce an exciting programme of events as part of our literature festival.”

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The General Tarleton at Ferrensby has been awarded an AA Rosette for culinary excellence after a recent inspection.

The restaurant was recognised for culinary excellence and also achieved a five-star Inn rating for accommodation.

General Manager, Silviu Hasna, said:

“We are delighted to have been awarded two such important awards.

“It’s been a difficult journey out of the pandemic and to be recognised by the AA is an incredible achievement indeed.

“Whilst the hospitality market is constantly evolving, what remains a constant for me is the need and desire to provide the best possible overall guest experience… Whilst quality is key we also recognise customers demand value at the same time.

“I know it’s cliché but as a team we work really hard to source the very best quality ingredients Yorkshire has to offer. Even the toiletries are from H2K in Harrogate.”

The General Tarleton 

Stray Foodie Review: General Tarleton

Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This week, Frances reviews the newly refurbished General Tarleton in Ferrensby.

 

Visiting the GT on a hot sunny day produced memories of Provence, on arrival to a quiet car park with hayfields and a gentle breeze. The GT looked well curated. Wafts of lavender and a glass of chilled Rose came to mind. This was everything it was supposed to replicate when Denis Watkins transformed it from an ordinary pub in the mid 90’s.

After much love and dedication given by John and Claire Topham, the GT has always had a great reputation for its food and hospitality. It’s now in the hands of a new father and daughter team, and no expense has been spared on the venue.

As I walked through the door I felt a spacious sense of calm and creativity, everything was aimed at perfection.

Sitting outside on the Terrace on very comfortable rattan furniture, I waited for my young man. Smart waiting staff offered me the Bar and Terrace menu which consisted of a choice of Small Plates, Brunch Plates, Large Plates and Sides.

Mushroom and truffle arancini (top) and smoked mackerel pate croustini (bottom)

All small plates are £5.00, brunch plates £12.00 and large plates £14.00 – £17.00. What an extensive menu. An example of the small plates on offer were mushroom and truffle aranchini with spring onion dip, smoked mackerel pate croustini, herb aioli and basil, confit duck leg Kievs, brown butter hollandaise.

An example of the Brunch Plates were avocado on griddled rosemary toast, poached eggs, pumpkin seed dressing, spinach, cherry tomatoes and garden leaf, eggs benedict with warm crumpets, poached eggs, sliced ham, curried hollandaise sauce and chives.

The Large Plates included market fish of the day served with crushed ratte potatoes, herbs and lemon, seasonal greens and tartare sauce hollandaise or a summer salad of vegetables, feta, nasturtium pesto, pine nuts and mint. Oh what choice! All things to all men.

The Bar and Terrace puddings consisted of brownies, sticky toffee pudding, posset, cheesecake and cheeses. All puddings are between £8.00 and £10.00. What more could you want?!

If you have a penchant for hollandaise sauce and a love of decadent food, this is your place!

The market fish of the day: sea bream

The market fish of the day turned out to be sea bream, a deliciously oily fish usually served with fresh crispy greens. This was slightly different but cooked with care and knowledge. The crushed ratte potato looked like a roast potato, and the seasonal greens as one would have expected to be fresh and light was piece of vintage blanched Broccoli. Once again the hollandaise sauce made its popular appearance here.

The summer salad of vegetables turned out to be red chicory and mature heritage tomatoes with cress. It was beautifully presented, but somewhat lacking was the nasturtium flavour and other vegetables.

Summer vegetable salad

This menu on a busy day is ambitous but I am sure exceedingly popular.

I was told that the beer was superb, Landlords Special, by my young man and there was a comprehensive and good wine list.

Ralph’s Tasting Menu is on offer for 7 Courses at £55.00 which seems to be exceedingly good value. It includes smoked salmon, chicken liver mousse, coronation crab, beef, brioche, strawberries and chocolate. Once again an exciting and complex menu with a lot of work.

The Verdict: 3 stars

Given the shortage of chefs in hospitality at the moment, to produce such a choice of food will require a brigade of many hard working chefs to keep freshness and consistency at the level expected of the atmospheric General Tarleton.

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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.”

See the rest of the gallery below:

General Tarleton goes into voluntary liquidation

The General Tarleton pub, on the outskirts of Knaresborough, is to be wound-up.

According to a resolution posted on The Gazette, agreed by director Suzanne Topham, a meeting took place on September 30 on the premises in Ferrensby.

At the meeting the owners agreed to a voluntary wind-up of the business.

Leeds company Begbies Traynor was appointed as the joint liquidator of the company.

Suzanne and John Topham have owned the gastropub since 2005. The venue had acquired a fine reputation for food but had not reopened since closing during lockdown.

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The owners also run The Alice Hawthorn pub and restaurant in Nun Monkton.

The Stray Ferret tried to contact the couple for comment but they had not responded by the time of publication.

Uncertain future for General Tarleton

The fate of the General Tarleton is unclear as it shows no sign of reopening after being closed for five months. 

Award-winning chef John Topham and his wife Claire have shared full ownership of the hotel and eatery in Ferrensby since 2005, according to information on the Companies House website.

Over the past 15 years the couple have built a reputation for serving quality food.  

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In 2016, the couple also gained a stake in the Alice Hawthorn, a country inn in Nun Monkton.  

The Alice Hawthorn is managed by the Tophams and in 2017 it was named the Yorkshire Life Dining Pub of the Year. 

The Alice Hawthorn has reopened since the coronavirus lockdown but the General Tarleton remains closed.

The Stray Ferret contacted the Alice Hawthorn yesterday to inquire about the future of the business but it declined to comment.