Stray Foodie: Harrogate Café Culture with a difference

In the Montpellier area of Harrogate there are at least six eateries, all serving to a high standard and all managing to have their own individuality.  They offer a variety of interesting experiences including loaded sourdough toasties, classic brownies, jam-packed sandwiches and nutritious, delicious smoothies, cajun chicken skewers, or perhaps eggs benedict, eggs royale or eggs florentine?

Years ago I used to frequent a café in Edinburgh that served fantastic vegetarian dishes reasonably priced and became very much part of my lifestyle. It was stimulating and tasty.

With that in the back of my mind I set off to investigate Nourish Plant Kitchen on Mayfield Grove, an inspirational vegan café. I set off with great enthusiasm looking forward to a different experience. Unfortunately so did many other people which says a lot for this atmospheric neighbourhood café.

By the very name Nourish one would expect it to be a comforting, fulfilling experience, which it was, but if in a hurry not a good idea.  Juices, smoothies, seeds and all things that are good for you it revealed a very tempting menu. With yoga mats and wellbeing influences adding to the atmosphere.

Read more:

Yoga and wellbeing seem to be the order of the day at the moment as they are on offer at Gron Café, one of the cafés in Montpellier, in the form of a Yoga Brunch, a gentle vinyasa flow sequence with guided meditation at GoYoga followed by Juice and Brunch at Gron. Or perhaps a vegan cocktail that are also on offer.

I worked out I could have breakfast at Hoxton, elevenses across the road at the Brownie Café, Lunch at Gron and Supper at The Old Bell Inn.  Aren’t the residents of Harrogate lucky? This is all in the space of a concentrated area.

Masterchef finalist to open new cafe in Harrogate

A Masterchef finalist will open a new cafe in Harrogate this weekend after a successful trial in the town earlier this year.

Matt Healy’s third Scandinavian-inspired Gron Kafe will take over the site of the Quantro restaurant on Royal Parade when it opens on Saturday.

The cafe will serve up pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes. They could be for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon pick-me-up.

It is good timing for the cafe as the nation comes out of lockdown and the Harrogate district moves into tier two restrictions.

Read more:

Matt had opened a pop-up at the Cold Bath Clubhouse earlier this year, where Paradise Tap and Taco have recently taken over.

With the success of that trial, Gron Kafe has been able to move into its own dedicated site on Royal Parade.

When the cafe opens on Saturday it will serve pancakes, smoothie bowls, vegan mac and cheese, healthy smoothies, coffee, alcohol and more.

Chef Matt Healy, who rose to fame in 2016 as a Masterchef finalist, said:

“There’s something for everyone. Whether you’re after a post-workout refuel, grabbing snacks for the school run, or you’re craving pancakes and strong coffee after a few too many tipples last night.

“We couldn’t miss an opportunity to snap up an amazing spot in the heart of Harrogate.

“It’s been a lot of work transforming it into our new home but we’re looking forward to being a part of the thriving food and drink scene here.”

The new venture follows in the footsteps of Grön in Leeds and York, which have given the team the confidence to expand into Harrogate.