How family holidays in Italy inspired spectacular pasta restaurant’s menu

This article is sponsored by Pranzo Italian.

Yorkshire chef Marco Greco’s fondest childhood memories are of family summer holidays in Calabria, Southern Italy.

From the age of 4, every morning, up in the mountains, he and his sister would stand on chairs to help his Grandmother, ‘Nonna’, make traditional hand rolled fresh pasta on a rickety table with a red checked tablecloth.

While they played at the beach, Nonna would make a fresh tomato sauce for lunch to go with the pasta.

It’s Marco’s love of traditional pasta – and these nostalgic memories – that inspired him to open Pranzo Italian in Ilkley and now Harrogate. It’s a modern restaurant specialising in pasta, handmade every morning.

“Pasta’s always been my thing. A lot of Italian restaurants in Harrogate do similar things, but I wanted to do my own thing which is a bit different.

“I really wanted to focus on the pleasures of having a nice big bowl of fresh pasta and a glass of red wine with your family.

“I have what I like to call a ‘modern pasta menu’. It’s a small menu, but it really puts fresh, homemade pasta front and centre.”

So what makes fresh, handmade pasta so much more superior?

“Fresh pasta has a unique texture and flavour, especially the kind of pasta we make in Calabria. The recipe we use is very simple, and doesn’t use egg, just flour and water. When you’re eating something that’s been made fresh that morning, there’s nothing better.”

After opening in Ilkley in 2018, Harrogate was always top of Marco’s list for another restaurant. He signed the lease for the Cold Bath Road site during the first lockdown, and Pranzo Harrogate opened in October last year.

Marco says he’s been “very lucky” to have amazing support from locals in the town. But with a menu as delicious as Pranzo’s, it’s not hard to see why.

Although there are only about a dozen items, it ticks every box – with creamy, meaty, seafood and veggie options. Arancini appetisers are made on site, with fillings ranging from mushroom, truffle and gorgonzola to crab with lemon aioli.

A favourite from the pasta menu is the Calabrian nduja spicy sausage pasta in white wine, spinach and cream – paired with bigoli pasta, a kind of thick spaghetti.

Seafood fans can sample the lobster ravioli, in a lobster and parsley sauce that offers a uniquely creamy and sweet flavour. From the dessert menu, the grappa tiramisu is not to be missed.

There’s also an extensive wine list from around the world, and a unique cocktail menu – the After Eight espresso martini is not to missed.

For Marco, it’s all about respecting the traditions and creating a family atmosphere:

“It all started with my Nonna, and now it’s what I do best, and it’s what I love. I learned a lot from my Nonna, and now I teach my son Antonio to make fresh pasta the same way. I just want everyone to share my love of fresh pasta – and make my Nonna proud”.

You can find Pranzo Italian on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road, or visit pranzoitalian.co.uk to book your table.

Harrogate councillor calls for new ‘no cycling’ signs on Stray

A Harrogate councillor has called for new ‘no cycling’ signs to be painted on footpaths on the Stray after local residents raised concerns.

Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Valley Gardens on Harrogate Borough Council, said calls from concerned residents had prompted him to act.

He told Harrogate and Knaresborough and Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ Community News website:

“Cyclists were using the footpaths and travelling at great speed.

“The Stray should be enjoyed by everyone but cycling should only be on the routes that are permitted.”

Cllr Gibbs said signs should be painted on footpaths around Byron Walk Mews, which backs onto the Montpellier stretch of the Stray.

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The 200 acres of Stray land includes some routes for cyclists but they are prohibited to use many areas.

Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said:

“One of the best things about the Stray is the freedom but if you’re walking along and a cyclist comes behind you when you aren’t expecting it, it can be distressing.

“If people are getting worried or feel unsafe we would agree with Cllr Gibbs that it was a good idea.”

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said more needed to be done to offer safe routes for cyclists so riders didn’t feel they had to use the Stray:

“Most responsible cyclists don’t use them. But until there is proper, safe cycling infrastructure people will use the Stray.”

Parents’ tribute to Harrogate girl on acne drug who took her life

The heartbroken parents of a Harrogate schoolgirl who was on an acne drug when she took her life paid tribute to her at an inquest today.

Annabel Wright, 15, was found dead in her room on the evening of May 1, 2019. Her parents discovered her body.

Harrogate District Hospital had prescribed the schoolgirl, who attended St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate, the drug Roaccutane, also known as isotretinoin, to treat her acne.

Giving evidence at an inquest in Northallerton today, Helen and Simon Wright said Annabel was a happy child with no history of depression.

Ms Wright said:

“Annabel was the brightest child. She was easy going, happy and she never had any issues. She enjoyed school and had a great set of friends there.

“I believe that Roaccutane led to her suicide. Normal, happy people like Annabel don’t just commit suicide without any signs or anything leading up to it.”

Concerns about drug’s link to suicide

The inquest heard that in January 2019 Annabel had self-harmed. Mr and Ms Wright discussed the incident with their daughter but did not mention it to the doctor, as they did not think it was linked to her medication.

When Annabel was first prescribed Roaccutane in October 2018, Ms Wright raised concerns about the drug after reading articles online linking it with suicide.

The doctor told Ms Wright she believed there was no causal link between the drug and increased risk of suicide.

Mr Wright said of his daughter:

“She was perfect. We adored Annabel and she adored us, we were a close-knit family.

“My wife and mother-in-law had taken our son out to a young farmers’ club on the day that Annabel died.

“I came home from work late at around 8pm and went to see Annabel in her room when we had a chat about the Spanish exam she took that morning.”

Mr Wright later went downstairs for dinner. When the rest of his family got back they went to check once again on Annabel.

Mr Wright found his daughter’s body and called for an ambulance, which took Annabel to hospital in Harrogate where she later died.

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Parents say risk should have been made clearer

Mr and Ms Wright both said they believed Roaccutane was the cause of Annabel’s suicide and blamed the hospital for not making the risks clearer.

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to respond to the Wrights’ claims.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at the trust, said:

“We wish to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Annabel Wright.

“Following Annabel’s tragic death, the trust commenced an investigation and our findings have been shared with Annabel’s family and HM Coroner.

“Until the inquest has concluded we are unable to comment further.”

The inquest into Annabel Wright’s death continues.

Samaritans are available 365 days a year for people in need of support. You can call them free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Andrew Jones MP bids to help Harrogate animal testing firm expand

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones is to meet the science minister to help a controversial Harrogate animal testing firm expand.

Labcorp Drug Development, which is on Otley Road and was previously called Covance, has been subject to regular demonstrations by animal activists.

A group held banners with slogans such as “puppy killers work here” during a demonstration last month.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Jones said Labcorp was “one of the largest employers in my constituency”.

The Conservative MP added the firm planned to expand and asked whether George Freeman, who was appointed science minister in this month’s government reshuffle, would meet to discuss it. Mr Jones said:

“One of the largest employers in my constituency is Labcorp, a business that is at the heart of new medicine development both in the UK and across Europe and has played a role in the life science industry response to covid.

“It is considering UK expansion over the next five years at a number of sites across the UK.

“Will my honourable friend meet me to discuss that opportunity, and also some of the obstacles that may get in the way of it, with a view to securing expansion in the UK as a whole but in Harrogate in particular?

Mr Freeman replied:

“I should be delighted to meet my honourable friend soon to discuss that.

“Labcorp is a major global corporation whose investment in the new clinical pharmacology site is vital. It is in such companies that we need to be investing to drive private investment in research and development.”

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The Stray Ferret contacted Labcorp but did not receive a response by time of publication.

It previously told us it “takes very seriously our ethical and regulatory responsibilities to treat research animals with the greatest care and respect”.

It added:

“In addition to being the right thing to do, the proper care of research animals is fundamental to sound scientific research and the ability to develop life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines.

“New drugs must be tested in animals before human clinical trials to ensure the safety of patients and volunteers and there are clear links between excellent animal welfare and medical breakthroughs.”

Calls to stem escalating cyclist vs motorist conflict in North Yorkshire

A local authority that has seen surging numbers of cyclists on rural roads since it staged the Tour de France Grand Depart has defended its record in safeguarding riders.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive heard yesterday the upward trend in cyclists on the county’s 9,000km road network since the 2014 race had increased sharply since covid.

Opposition members questioned whether more could be done to resolve an escalating conflict between cyclists and motorists in rural areas.

It comes at a time when the council is under sustained pressure to reconsider its policy of focusing on cycling road improvements in urban areas, particularly Harrogate.

Officers told the meeting statistics showed while cyclists and drivers were equally to blame for cycle collisions in urban areas of the county, cyclists were at fault for about 70 per cent and drivers 30 per cent of cycle collisions on rural roads.

Councillor Stuart Parsons, leader of the authority’s Independent group, called for twin educational campaigns to teach motorists what they need to do when encountering a large group of cyclists in places like Wensleydale and to teach cyclists how they should be riding on the lanes.

He said cyclists were “making themselves a great number of potential enemies and therefore dangerous situations by their approach to using the roads, especially when they are not road taxpayers when using it for their cycles”.

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Coun Parsons added:

“Cyclists do drive motorists somewhat insane, especially when they are travelling two or three abreast, which they seem to be doing more and more. On these winding roads it makes it difficult for anybody to pass safely.”

Councillor Don Mackenzie, the authority’s executive member for access, replied that while some cyclists needed to learn not to “create obstructions on the highway”, his sympathies were with cyclists as their equipment weighed a few kilograms as opposed to cars that weighed one or two tonnes.

Highway Code changes

Government changes to the Highway Code this autumn will require drivers to give greater space to cyclists and require cyclists to ride single file to help vehicles overtake.

The council’s Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Bryn Griffiths said the council’s highways department appeared to be “reactive rather than proactive” over dealing with risks on the roads.

He said despite some roads being riddled with potholes and being popular cycling routes they never appeared to reach the council’s criteria for road repairs.

Coun Griffiths said:

“In industry it is considered good practice to look at near misses and be proactive and engineer or manage out issues that they have.

“Because of the state of the road cyclists are having to meander all across the road to avoid bumps, lumps and hollows and you get near-misses. But these near-misses aren’t recorded and used to help manage the highway.”

Record spending on road repair

The meeting heard the council had higher maintenance standards for popular cycle routes.

Coun Mackenzie said the authority was aware sides of roads tended to get potholes, which forced cyclists to swerve, but added the council had spent a record amount on road repairs this year.

He said near-misses were difficult to measure and because the council had limited funding for road safety it focused on locations which accident data showed were the most hazardous.

Coun Mackenzie said:

“I hear every day ‘this road is an accident waiting to happen’. I’ve heard that about certain roads since I took on this portfolio in 2015 and we’re still waiting for the accident to happen.”

 

Starbeck residents raise concerns over street drinking

Residents in Starbeck last night raised concerns about an increase in street drinking and elected a new committee and chair who pledged to tackle the problem.

Starbeck Residents’ Association, which awards grants and campaigns to safeguard local facilities, had its annual general meeting at St Andrew’s Church. It was well-attended with about 80 residents packed into a room inside the church.

Some raised concerns about the “massive issue” of street drinking, with others saying they felt intimidated.

One said:

“Street drinking is a massive issue that needs to be addressed. People drinking during the day using Belmont Park. It’s not good and it’s a continuous problem.”

Another said:

“Older people feel extremely intimidated. It’s in doorways and in parks.”

Some residents suggested the problem had increased since the council’s homeless shelter Fern House opened this year.

Maggie Gibson, a housing officer from Harrogate Borough Council who works at Fern House, rejected this.

She said:

“There is an assumption it’s our residents. That is unfair. We monitor their behaviour.”

The work at Fern House was praised by SRA treasurer and nearby resident Leisa Mark, who encouraged residents to speak to the people that live there.

“Rather than being intimidated, we said hello. They are aware of how people perceive them.”

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New chair

Chris Watt was voted in as the new SRA chair, replacing the outgoing Geoff Foxall.

Mr Watt was voted in by all but two residents, including Starbeck post office owner Andrew Hart who objected to his appointment due to Mr Watt’s affiliation with the local Labour Party.

A new 15-person committee was also elected. It included people who had lived in Starbeck for decades as well as 16-year-old Emily Mark, who spoke of her pride in living in the area.

Mr Watt told the Stray Ferret:

“We as a committee are focused on issues that are important to Starbeck, such as the high street, green spaces and anti-social behaviour. It’s great to have that mix of youth and experience on the committee.”

Grants awarded

The SRA also announced the recipients of four grants to local charities and organisations.

The grants come from interest on a £300,000 gift that was given to the Starbeck community by Taylor Woodrow, a steel fabrication company that moved away from Starbeck in the early 1990s. The grants are administered by Harrogate Borough Council.

These were:

£1,000 to Harrogate Railway Football Club for new nets.

£1,000 to Starbeck in Bloom to improve the area around the war memorial.

£1,000 to the charity Henshaws for new IT equipment

£400 to Starbeck Methodist Church to promote events.

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly dedicates England goal to late dad Martyn

Harrogate’s England football star Rachel Daly last night dedicated a goal to her dad Martyn, who recently died.

Daly, who went to Saltergate and Rossett schools and now plays in the United States for Houston Dash, scored the final goal in a 10-0 win against Luxembourg.

After the match Daly, who has 168,000 Twitter followers, dedicated the goal to her dad.

"I dedicate that to my Dad." ❤️

Amazing, @RachelDaly3. pic.twitter.com/46v5KPB7Sz

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) September 21, 2021

 

Martyn Daly died days before two recent England fixtures.

Daly started in both matches, including an 8-0 win over North Macedonia in which the players wore black armbands in memory of her father.

Speaking to the BBC, England manager Sarina Wiegman praised Daly:

“How she has performed this week and been focused on football is really incredible”.

Defender Millie Bright scored twice against Luxembourg and dedicated the goals to best friend Daly and Martyn.

She said:

“One was for Rach and one for her pops. She’s done him proud.”.

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The Stray Ferret met Martyn shortly before the Tokyo Olympics and he beamed with pride talking about his daughter’s journey from Killinghall Nomads boys team to the pinnacle of her sport.

Mr Daly, who lived in Harrogate and worked in IT in Leeds, played football semi-professionally for Harrogate Town and Knaresborough Town in his younger days.

He said in July:

“She’ll never realise what she’s done in the game until it’s over.

“Every pro has a cockiness about them but she’s down to earth too, she’s just my daughter.”

Dame Emma Kirkby to sing at Bach masterpiece in Harrogate

World renowned soprano Dame Emma Kirkby will be one of the soloists at a performance of J S Bach’s Mass in B minor in Harrogate next month.

The event will take place at at St Peter’s Church on October 8.

The combined choirs of St Peter’s Church and Vocalis chamber choir will be joined by the Harrogate Bach Players.

The other soloists include James Micklethwaite, Aoife O’Connell, Emma Stannard, and Andrew Greenan.

Dame Kirkby, who started as an amateur singer, was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2011.

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John Longstaff, director of music at St Peter’s, has organised the performance.

He said:

“it’s a wonderful and very difficult piece of music, extremely joyous and celebratory at times.

“I’ve loved it all my life but never had the opportunity to direct it and to perform it with the line-up of soloists and orchestral players who we have joining us, is a dream come true.”

Tickets cost £15. Call 07425161425 for more information.

Call for police action against Harrogate Asda car park ‘boy racers’

A Harrogate resident has called for police action against ‘boy racers’ who regularly descend on the town’s Asda car park.

The resident, who lives on Mayfield Grove within earshot of the car park, told the Stray Ferret he would organise a demonstration if nothing was done.

He said people on streets near the store were tired of the noise and had safety concerns about vehicles speeding.

According to the resident, who asked not to be named, about four to six cars belonging mainly to young men congregate nightly in the car park and rev their engines and pop their exhausts.

The resident said they had raised the matter with Philip Allott, the police commissioner for North Yorkshire, and a police community support officer had agreed to visit the supermarket this week to discuss the matter,

They said they would now wait to see what ensued before deciding whether to mobilise support for a demonstration.

“Every night for years these idiots gather in the rear part of Asda car park where they rev their engines then race out of the car park and round Harrogate.

“I have video and pics that I gave to Philip Allott of a Mercedes that is there most nights and which nearly wiped out a couple of customers.

“If the police don’t do anything about it, we are going to arrange a demo at Asda.”

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A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are aware of anti-social-behaviour problems around the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate, in particular issues with speeding vehicles.

“We will be actively deploying specialist resource to the area which will include roads policing officers who will be robustly dealing with any offences.

“Officers will also be linking in other local organisations and utilising local CCTV to help us build intelligence.”

The spokesman said these measures were in addition to North Yorkshire Police’s ongoing Operation Crome initiative to tackle anti-social and illegal driving.

An Asda spokesman said:

‘’We thank the vast majority who use our car parks responsibly and we will work with the authorities to ensure that the spaces around our stores remain safe for our customers.’’

91 more covid cases in Harrogate district

91 positive covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today, according to Public Health England figures.

It means the district’s seven-day case rate has crept back up above 300 to 309 infections per 100,000 people.

It is the second highest rate in North Yorkshire, with Scarborough’s rate of 318 the highest.

The North Yorkshire rate is 270 and the England rate is 264.

The death toll at Harrogate District Hospital from covid-related illnesses since March 2020 remains at 186.

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