Harrogate cafe a ‘hidden gem’ for locals and hospital staffTucked away on a residential street just off the Stray, this Harrogate cafe has become a lifeline for the local community and nearby hospital staff.
Simon Somerville-Frost has the bright smile and bubbly personality that draws people into No 43 Brew Bar, on St Winifred’s Avenue.
While the cafe cannot be the hub it wants to be right now, owner Simon and manager Becky Gilmour have made a difference for many by simply staying open.
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No 43 Brew Bar opened in May 2018 after Simon realised that, after nearly a decade of living in the Saints area of Harrogate, he didn’t know any of his neighbours.
Wanting to set that right, he took on a shop unit opposite his home and soon expanded next door.
Some tried to dissuade Simon from opening a cafe outside the town centre but he was confident that it could become the heart of the local community.
It serves a range of tray bakes, coffees, teas, milkshakes and hot chocolates that can normally bring in people from not only Harrogate, but also Leeds and Bradford.
In reaction to the third national lockdown, Simon is also taking part of the business online, launching a new delivery box of its sweet treats called Brew Bar Bakes.
Simon told the Stray Ferret;
“We knew that within two or three months we had something unique as a business. It was clear to our customers that we were not just in it for the money.
“The cafe has always been a place for people to stay as long as they like and meet new people. Yes, the coffee needs to be very good, but it’s about the experience as well.
“During the first lockdown we really shone. We know our customers who lived alone so we were able to contact them, ask if they were OK, do some shopping for them.”
Not only do people visit No 43 Brew Bar on their walks – and yes dogs are allowed – but it has also been an escape for hospital staff over the last couple of years.
The cafe offers a 10% NHS discount and, drawing on his previous experience of working in the hospital, Simon knows some of the pressures the hospital staff are facing and how to put them at ease.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Mum and daughter team behind floral Ripon ‘hidden gem’A strong mum and daughter team with a keen eye for detail and flair for showstopping centrepieces are behind this hidden gem of florist.
Barbara Yates opened Flower Design on North Street in Ripon 35 years ago with the help of her young daughter, now Sarah Moore.
The pair may have been in the same spot for all those years but people are still stumbling across their shop, whether in person or online.
Over the years the business has changed. Since leaving the Interflora florist scheme, they say they have been able to design bouquets that are unique.
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Weddings have been a big part of Flower Design in recent years. The florist, in an ordinary year, would supply flowers for around 70 weddings.
That side of the business has been decimated in 2020, but the sales of house plants and wreaths have flourished.
Sarah Moore told the Stray Ferret what has kept her happy in the shop after more than three decades:
“It is the look on people’s faces actually. The feedback you get from people when they see the flowers, that’s a really big thing.
“You will find us on wedding days working as early 3am , it is a lot of work. We have to do a lot of prep work and we have to make the arches in situ.
“It can difficult living up to the expectations of brides but we enjoy it because it makes everything different.
“We have our differences as a mum and daughter team but we are lucky because we do gel quite well and we have our separate areas.”
While Sarah’s mum Barbara started the business 35 years ago she has another 25 years of experience under her belt. She added:
“It always need to be cold in here but people always come in and say how lovely the flowers smell. We can’t smell much because we’re used to it though.
“People say they can smell it down the road when we have the doors open in the summer. That’s how some find our shop.”
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Bespoke Harrogate jeweller is a ‘hidden gem’Creativity, craft and lots of conversations. That is what it takes for this unique Harrogate jewellers to turn an idea of the perfect ring into a sparkling reality.
Melanie and Robert Earl started Rubie Rae out of a shed in their back garden and, while they have grown over the years, they never plan to open a shop.
The jewellers have made their name on their engagement rings, which are all made to order and designed with a sheet of paper and pencils.
Many do their designs on computers these days but Melanie feels that the classic style of sketching helps her to create something special.
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One of their main obstacles over the years has been getting over the word bespoke. Robert, who used to work for an Italian gold chain manufacturer, told the Stray Ferret:
“We design to suit your style, your taste and your budget. But that word bespoke makes everyone run for the hills, they think it’s going to cost a fortune.
“But because we don’t have the overheads that come with bricks and mortar or with keeping stock it means that we can pass those savings onto the customer.”
Before Rubie Rae, Melanie was a top designer at a major jewellers in Leeds flying around the world. But when it came to starting a family she wanted to be a little closer to home.
Family is a big part of their business. When they were setting up the jewellers they lost their daughter. Melanie and Robert had planned to call her Rubie Rae, so her legacy now lives on.
Both clearly enjoy their work. It is a major highlight for them when they hear that the ring has finally been used in the proposal.
They get so involved in the process that they are sometimes invited to the weddings. Melanie, with a big smile on her face, told the Stray Ferret:
“It is quite good fun, it is really nice to get involved. We are the people that they can actually talk to about their proposals when they are trying to keep it secret.
“Because we don’t have premises we go out and meet them wherever for a chat. We can meet in town somewhere or at a hotel, so it is very relaxed.
“Some people are a bit wary at first but the more they see what we have done and look at our reviews it gives them confidence.”
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Hidden gem: Harrogate traditional bakery on the riseFlour, water, salt and yeast. This small hidden gem of a Harrogate bakery may keep the ingredients simple but there is so much more that goes into its bread.
The Secret Bakery, on Knaresborough Road, has been on the rise ever since it opened the doors just over a couple of years ago.
Sarah White, who has been involved from the very beginning, believes that there is a real and growing demand for more traditional bread.
The bakery had a humble start in life out of the previous owner’s house in the Saints area of Harrogate. But requests soon flooded in from the likes of Fodder and Weetons.
“Good homemade bread and cakes has always been the ethos of the business. It is tiring work but it is worth it.
“People like the homemade bread, it is a labour of love. They can tell we bake the bread here and they really appreciate it,” Sarah said.
Small bakeries used to be the heart of towns and villages. While factories and supermarkets make the majority of bread these days, the independents are staging a comeback.
It has never been work for the feint of heart. The staff are often at work around 5am to start mixing, folding and shaping.
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As an essential business, The Secret Bakery has been able to keep its doors open throughout the year.
There was plenty of demand in the first coronavirus lockdown, with people queuing of the door and down the street to try and get a slice.
It was difficult at first as some staff had to give up their roles to look after children when schools closed but the bakery got through and thinks it helped put them on the map.
James Spencer has just taken over The Secret Bakery, allowing Sarah to spend more time doing what she loves: baking.
He has big plans for the shop and told the Stray Ferret:
“Ever since I came in it just felt right. There is potential to get some tables and chairs outside, open up the space in here a bit and get some alcohol involved.
“If it goes well we could tap into the football crowds when they come back. I am also thinking about setting us up on one of the delivery services.”
Little Ripon shop is a ‘hidden gem’ for book loversJump into romance, find intrigue in mystery or escape with adventure. It is all on offer on the bustling shelves of this “hidden gem” of a book shop in Ripon.
The Little Ripon Bookshop, founded by husband and wife team Gill and Simon Edwards, is part of the independent book shops resurgence.
While the online behemoths find it easy to offer cut-price books, more and more people have been flocking to the likes of Gill and Simon’s shop.
The shelves are stacked with a mix of new books and classics.
It may have been a daunting task in the beginning and during the coronavirus lockdown, but the Little Ripon Bookshop has thrived on community, friendship and loyalty.
The shop has grown in recent years and even expanded into a vacant unit next door. It has been doing so well that it’s not so little anymore.
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On a rainy weekend in a gloomy year, Gill thinks there is nothing better than the prospect of curling up with a novel by the fire. She told the Stray Ferret:
“I think that people do have a sense of belonging here. We have got a book club that’s really successful. We are doing it online at the moment, but it’s still going well.
There are just loads of people that love books and they know that if they don’t use it then it doesn’t work. So many people are keen to keep us here and that’s wonderful.”
Find the shop on Westgate in Ripon.
Coronavirus has, of course, been difficult for the shop. It closed its doors for three months but adapted to the online world and delivery quite quickly.
Gill and Simon’s customers appreciated the deliveries but the book shop was trading at about a quarter of what it normally would.
Things are a little different in The Little Ripon Bookshop.
But as soon as they opened the doors again in June, customers flocked back to support the book shop and have kept coming back since.
With a few months of consistently busy trading, the shop is now in a good position to weather any coronavirus lockdown storms on the horizon.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Harrogate artisan bladesmith is a ‘hidden gem’The forge gives off a warm glow as sparks fly into the air. The hammer is coming down on a new sharp blade at the hands of this Harrogate bladesmith.
It is an art that may have all but died out in Britain but a handful of bladesmiths are trying to keep this special flame alive.
Dominic Banks, the founder of Forge Art Online, started his craft about three years ago, inspired by the blades in films like Lord of the Rings.
While there is not much of a market for swords, many professional and home chefs want to use homemade and unique knives.
Just some of the knives he has finished recently.
Prices range from £150 to £200 for Dominic’s blades. He keeps a high standard for himself, which means that not every knife makes it out of the workshop.
A perfect storm of increased interest in British manufacturing along with the power of social media has fuelled Dominic’s passion.
He started taking commissions three years ago but the business has really started to boom over the last year.
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On a brisk autumn morning with a new blade freshly forged, bladesmith Dominic told the Stray Ferret:
“You do have to get over that barrier where you avoid using the knife because you have spent so much money on it. But the thing is: If the knife is made right and the heat treatment is really good then it should be really sharp and strong. When you use one of these knives you realise how bad most knives are.”
Working away with the hammer over the anvil.
Dominic makes his knives out of carbon steel. They are more durable and can be sharper than stainless steel but can rust without proper care.
They are not to be left in water or put through a dishwasher for that reason, but that tendency to stain also means it can tell stories.
“Carbon steel has a lot of character. Say if you use a lot of onion in your cooking it stains the knife brown, whereas if you cut really acidic food like fruit the knife can come out in greens, purples and blues. Those colours all mix together and people really like that.”
Carbon steel has a unique look.
What is the future for Forge Art Online? It may not be a full-time job just yet but Dominic hopes that it could be soon.
He is planning to hold workshops when the coronavirus pandemic is in the rear view mirror so he can teach people how to make their own knives. But his true dream is to make swords and other weaponry to be used in films and TV shows.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
‘Hidden gem’ Ripon florist turns wasteland to wonderlandDahlias that smell like chocolate, pink sunflowers and bright blue poppies. It may not be what you think of when you imagine a wasteland but this florist has transformed her small space in Ripon into a blooming oasis for flowers and wildlife.
The Secret Garden, which is – as the name suggests – hidden away just off Studley Road in the city, is trying to change people’s perceptions of flowers.
Victoria Ramshaw started the project four years ago to try and increase biodiversity. Unlike other flower farms, The Secret Garden is a wave of different colours.
The Secret Garden needs 24 hours notice to pick out the perfect bunch.
Someone looking to grab a quick bunch of flowers may need to look elsewhere as Victoria needs a full day’s notice to head out to the garden and pick out the perfect bouquet.
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Victoria’s flowers don’t need any insecticides, any air miles or any plastic. She told the Stray Ferret:
“Florists are used to working with thousands of one type of flower but I don’t think it’s right. What I do is honest and natural. The people who like it really enjoy what I do. I am not here to make a big profit – I am just trying to get by doing something I love.”
The Secret Garden may have only a modest following online, but she gets great reviews from fashion designers, brides to be and those wanting to send gifts to their loved ones.
The former wasteland has been transformed in just a few years.
Coronavirus lockdown has been difficult for lots of businesses but Victoria says that The Secret Garden has seen a spike of interest since summer.
She is trying to get people to enjoy the space she has built more and more. She also plans to host photography and art workshops inspired by the flowers, the wildlife and the river.
Another one of The Secret Garden’s more long term plans is to install glamping pods and renovate an airstream caravan so people can connect with the outdoors.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Harrogate cafe is a ‘hidden gem’ for vegansMushroom burgers, non-dairy cheesecakes, carrot and ginger smoothies. A vegan cafe hidden away on the outskirts of the town centre is serving up much more than twigs and leaves.
Option Ve, 108 Mayfield Grove in Harrogate, has a fully vegan menu and, while it may not be for everyone, it is certainly drawing in customers from across the town and even the country.
It has not been the easiest start for owners Claire Beecroft and David Mitchell. They took over what used to be Bica Cafe and Bistro over a year ago and have changed a lot in that time.
Like many businesses, coronavirus has been a big challenge for Option Ve. It was difficult timing for the cafe, which had been closed for a couple of months to switch from vegetarian to vegan, and reopened just days before lockdown.
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Option Ve adapted to offer home deliveries and reopened the doors for a second time this year on July 10.
She wants people to know that vegan food can be more than twigs and leaves.
Claire Beecroft, who is the chef and co-owner of Option Ve, told the Stray Ferret:
“It is going well, really well. We are just getting the word out there that we have gone fully vegan. Coming from a chef’s point of view I have opened my world up in creative ways. It is incredible how you can make pasta, pizza and chocolate brownies in a vegan way that is good for you.”
Food is not the only thing on the menu. When social distancing measures relax, they hope to ramp up their cookery demonstrations, supper clubs and workshops on health and wellbeing.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Colourful donut shop is a Harrogate ‘hidden gem’Pink wafer donuts, Mr Whippy donuts and rainbow donuts are just some of the flavours on offer. This is far from your ordinary bakery. This bright and colourful donut shop tucked away on the back streets of Harrogate is the first of the Stray Ferret’s hidden gems.
Evie Jackson was worried about footfall when she opened her shop last year. But with an eyecatching social media presence she has managed to draw customers in.
Doe Harrogate on Bower Street serves up an ever-changing and wider range of donuts as well as bakes and speciality coffees.
A vegan friendly ‘cookie doe’ with vegan chocolate drizzle on top.
You may not have heard or seen Doe Harrogate but it is growing in popularity. So much so that the young businesswoman behind it is opening a second shop in York.
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With rainbow walls, glitter tassels, multi-coloured chairs and bright murals Evie has positioned the shop as “an Instagram dream“.
Miss Jackson told the Stray Ferret how Doe Harrogate has managed to get recognition in the town with more than 20,000 followers on Instagram:
“Obviously we are quite hidden away. But I think because we are so active on Instagram, we are constantly tagging where we are and showing our donuts. It spreads the word through social media and that is what we are built on. People like to come in and take photos of our donuts and our coffees.”
A selection of four Doe Harrogate donuts.
She is not afraid of changing things up in the shop. The latest change at Doe Harrogate is the move towards a wider vegan range. Half of the donuts are now vegan and they purposefully baked them bigger to make them stand out.
In fact, Doe Harrogate was changing the flavours up so much at one point that the shop started getting complaints from customers who were looking for donuts from the day before.
Coronavirus hit when the donut shop was still quite young. Doe Harrogate closed for a few weeks for a kitchen refurbishment and then expanded its delivery service.
“We embraced postal in a big way and it has been really positive. If something is not working then we will change it. I did not want to stay closed. I thought I could be sat at home or I could be doing something with my time. You have got to keep moving.”
This is the first in the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eyecatching and unique product. Send us an email with your nominations.