The new owners of The Coppice guesthouse on Studley Road have reopened it with a twist – it will be the first in Harrogate that caters primarily to coeliacs.

Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system attacks human tissue when the body eats foods containing gluten, which can include bread, pasta, and cereals.

Coeliacs have to follow a strict diet but finding hotels that offer an exciting menu of appropriate food is difficult, as Joel Thompson and Mindy Shergill discovered on a road trip a couple of years ago.

The couple are both coeliacs and moved up to Harrogate earlier this summer after pursuing careers down south in HR and publishing respectively.

Joel said:

“We went on a very beautiful road trip of northern England and Scotland. It was our first experience driving through the country. 

“But even if you get basics right, you’re not being spoilt or celebrated with choices that you do get with. You feel like a burden.

“So we had a desire to set up a gluten-free guesthouse.”

Mindy said non-coeliacs will be welcome too, but every ingredient that will come from the kitchen will be gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.

She said there is often a lack of understanding about the condition:

“A lot of people are undiagnosed, it can affect you quite badly. Symptoms vary – it can get quite serious and you have to be quite strict.”

Read more:

• ‘We’re not giving up on our Harrogate B&B dream’
• Andrew Jones calls for long-term support for ‘severely impacted’ Harrogate events sector

They will cook up everything you’d expect from a four-star B&B, including continental breakfasts, porridge and cereals, but all no ingredient will contain gluten.

They may even open up their kitchen for gluten-free takeaways to non-hotel guests if the demand is there.

Joel said he believes their refurbished Coppice is one of around 12 gluten-free hotels in the country, and he hopes he can win everyone over with his nutritious and unique fare.

“It might enlighten people. We’re very good at making gluten-free food, we might convert a few people!”

The guest house is open for bookings now. To enquire, contact info@thecoppiceharrogate.com or call Joel on 07858 840789.

Hospitality bosses in Harrogate have said they are worried after staff are being forced to self-isolate due to rising covid cases.

Increasing covid rates in the district and across the country have seen thousands of people pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app just days before remaining lockdown measures are lifted.

Currently, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 416 cases per 100,000 people and infections have soared with 127 reported yesterday – the highest since January 11.

In Harrogate, hotels and restaurants have had to either close temporarily or offer a limited service as a result of staff being told to self-isolate.

Neil Mendoza, general manager at The Studley Hotel and Orchid Restaurant, told the Stray Ferret that the current situation made it “twice as hard” to operate.

He said:

“It is indeed a difficult time for our industry as with others. On top of current staffing shortage, this self-isolating and quarantining make it even twice as hard for us to operate.

“We are very worried with the current situation of cases going high and I am personally concerned that it might be a repeat of August 2020 when the government encouraged everyone to eat out.”

Mr Mendoza added that staff would continue to wear face masks and social distance in the hotel and restaurant after July 19 when restrictions are lifted.

Read more:

• Vaccine passports for nightclubs ‘impractical’, says Viper Rooms boss
• Sneak peek: The return of Ripon’s department store

Across England, 520,194 alerts were sent to NHS Covid-19 app users up to July 7 telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus and to self-isolate.

But, the rules on 10-day self-isolation for those who have received two jabs and people aged under 18 will not end until August 16.

Meanwhile, William and Victoria Restaurant in Harrogate has had to close temporarily due to staff being told to self-isolate.

Some of our team have been instructed to self isolate after coming into contact with a positive Covid-19 case. Rather than take unnecessary risk and continue without a full operational team, we have made the decision to close for a few days.

— William & Victoria (@Will_and_Vics) July 15, 2021

In a post on its social media yesterday, the restaurant said it did not want to “take unnecessary risk and continue without a full operational team”.

Instead, it will reopen on Tuesday July 20.

Elsewhere in the town, Baltzersen’s cafe on Oxford Street posted on Facebook and Twitter that it would be operating a limited service due to staff being forced to self-isolate.

WE'RE SORRY
One of our team has had a positive lateral flow test and so much of the team need to isolate.

WE ARE STILL OPEN with limited service (Paul has dusted off his apron!) & outside only, serving from the coffee shop window.

Please bear with us – safety of all is priority pic.twitter.com/jHJnMQQkZw

— Baltzersen's (@Baltzersens) July 16, 2021

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones has said a bid to extend the reduction on VAT for the hospitality and tourist sector would help a “huge number” of companies in his constituency.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in this year’s Budget the 5% reduction on VAT for the sector would be extended until September.

Now a clause in the Finance Bill proposes further extending it until March next year.

Speaking in a Commons debate yesterday, Mr Jones said the move would cost £5 billion a year but would help organisations that were “running on empty”.

He said the sector employed 9,464 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough before the pandemic, which “puts us in the top 10% of constituencies across the country”.

He added:

“The industry needs a period of stability where it can rebuild.

“One challenge will be when businesses have been through the summer and they face the standard seasonal reduction but may not have built up the cash flow in reserve to see them through the leaner months.

“This initiative recognises that risk, so the continuity of support through the winter is welcome.”

Read more:

• ‘We’re not giving up on our Harrogate B&B dream’
• What has Harrogate council spent its High Street grants on?
• Hospitality has lost ‘sexiness’ due to covid, says Harrogate hotel boss

Mr Jones said the sector’s supply chain had been particularly badly affected, adding:

“I know that, in my own constituency, some businesses in the supply sector will not be reopening, and businesses that have served the industry well for many years are at a crisis point.”

Extending the 12.5% rate of VAT would, he said, stimulate demand, especially in the quieter winter season, and that demand would generate the cash flow that businesses need. 

He quoted Ian Fozard, who runs Roosters brewery in Knaresborough, saying “most businesses like ours need a sustained period of good trading to build back some reserves”.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa, told the Stray Ferret in March the reduction in VAT meant “that my team will still be able to pay their mortgages”. He added:

“We are lucky that we as a business have more fat on our back, but there are lots who live hand to mouth.”

Hospitality has “lost a bit of its sexiness” due to covid but reopening has given a sense of hope for normality, says a Harrogate hotel boss.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns and Hotels, which runs the West Park Hotel, said the rule of six and asking people how to behave made staff feel “a little bit like the police”.

However, he added that 2,000 guests had booked in with the hotel since reopening last week and that the hotel had kept staff engaged with things like online training while it was closed to keep spirits up.

Speaking at a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing, Mr Blundell said he hoped bars and restaurants could return to some form of normality after June 21.

He said:

“Over the past kind of 12 months, hospitality has lost a bit of its sexiness. Quite often, hospitality is usually about ‘yes’ and what we can do for our guests.

“We have almost had to become a little bit like the police ourselves. Telling people how to behave and that you’ve got to sit down in your rule of six, things like that. We need to maintain that to keep everybody safe.

“But, hopefully, as things are easing and reopening now and hopefully we’re on track for June 21, things will start to get back to some form of normality.”

Read more:

• ‘We’re not giving up on our Harrogate B&B dream’
• What has Harrogate council spent its High Street grants on?

Legal limits on social contact are due to be lifted on June 21.

Mr Blundell added that although the last 12 months had been “a bit weird”, he felt the lockdown had gained the sector a newfound respect from people.

“During these periods of closure, I feel our industry has gained more respect from our guests and they realise just how much they miss us.”

As part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, bars and restaurants reopened on April 12.

Until May 17, people can only sit outside in groups of six to have a meal or a drink.

A 20-year-old woman from Harrogate has set up a business giving restaurants a platform to make a website and take bookings without paying commission.

Marina Prokoiosifi moved to Harrogate 4 years ago from Greece and has worked in hospitality since.

During her years in various restaurants Marina said she became aware of the huge amounts businesses would spend using commission-based platforms for bookings and takeaway orders.

After losing her job in December, Marina spent time working with a developer to set up the website Dinerly.

The platform allows restaurants to build their own website to use for orders and table bookings. They then pay a subscription fee each month, ranging for £25 to £65 a month. Marina says this makes it much cheaper than using other websites.

She already has two Harrogate restaurants signed up, Taverna and Doe Bakehouse.

Marina has dreams of having a 1,000 restaurants signed up in five year times.

She said:

“I thought why not make something that is easy and sleek to use. It also means restaurants have direct contact with their customers. I was always baffled why businesses had to use the big companies and pay lots of commission.”

Read more:

• Plans revealed to boost Harrogate district economy after April 12. 
• Council’s former offices, Crescent Gardens, set to be turned into office space with rooftop restaurant. 

Since setting it up Marina said she has faced some hurdles. She said her lack of formal qualifications and young age has meant some businesses have “questioned” what she has proposed.

She added:

“People don’t always take me seriously. It’s been difficult at times but it’s been a learning curve.”

Marina now has a new job at a branding agency but will continue to work on the website as her “side hussle”. She said she is very passionate and will continue to build the platform and encourage other restaurants to sign up.

Hospitality businesses across the Harrogate district say they are optimistic about their prospects over the coming months.

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to unveil the details of his Budget tomorrow, restaurant owners and business leaders say the summer could see a bounce back in their fortunes after months of uncertainty.

With restrictions set to ease, local businesses are anticipating high demand as case numbers fall and the vaccination programme brings renewed confidence.

Jo Straker, who runs William & Victoria restaurant in Harrogate with her husband David, said there was “light at the end of the tunnel” after a very difficult start to the year:

“We expect to be busy when we reopen and I think the local economy will be buoyant with people desperate to socialise, have some pampering, go shopping, enjoy sport, culture and freedom of going further afield. We will be more appreciative of the things we couldn’t have during lockdown and desperate to get out and enjoy living life again.

“The summer is looking promising with many choosing to holiday in Britain this year. Harrogate and North Yorkshire will be a big draw for domestic tourism so I am optimistic that the local economy will start to recover if everything goes to plan, we take the necessary precautions to keep each other safe and get the financial support to help us recover.”

Mrs Straker also said last summer’s Eat Out to Help Out had been positive for the restaurant, though it meant the beginning of the week was very busy before a drop-off in demand on Thursday. She said she hoped for a similar scheme including more days of the week, or perhaps a voucher scheme which would encourage people to spend locally over a period of time.

David and Jo Straker, owners of William and Victoria restaurant in Harrogate

There are also broader measures across all sectors which she said would help the business to survive the coming weeks and months.

“We are hoping, and expecting, the Budget to announce the continued VAT reduction at 5% and business rates holiday as well as an extension to flexible furlough.

“All these have been critical to the survival of the business. Takeaway keeps us ticking along but it’s not enough to cover all our fixed costs.

“We’re expecting Corporation Tax to go up. Although this is something we usually dread, it won’t have a huge impact on our business this year since we have only been able to open for five months of this financial year and that’s with considerable restrictions, so would be fortunate to break even.

“Despite all this, we are optimistic for the future and a full recovery over time with the correct financial help put in place and the continued support of our customers.”

Read more:

• ‘Long slog to May’ Harrogate businesses react to covid roadmap
• Harrogate Nightingale closure expected to be announced next month

Across the Harrogate district, as well as businesses directly involved in hospitality, there are many which work with them and have been hit by their lack of trade in the last year. Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins solicitors, said it was not just the hotels, cafes and restaurants that needed help to get back on their feet.

“Those businesses which have been unable to operate, or only able to do so spasmodically, need proper funding so that reopening is sustained, and beneficial.

“With a local economy so heavily focussed on hospitality and tourism, which I think will recover, the businesses serving those sectors need to be helped.” 

The latest statistics show that the Harrogate district is bucking the national trend in terms of employment, with the number of people out of work sitting at 3.7% compared to a UK-wide figure of 6.2%.

For Teresa Bowe, owner of CCF Accountancy, this could help to support the hospitality industry as it tries to get back on its feet. She said:

“From what I have seen in my own clients’ situations, there are more people better off or the same, rather than worse off as a result of the covid situation.

“I think a lot of working practices that came in as a result of the lockdowns will stay, such as flexibility on working. I expect things to bounce back reasonably quickly.

“I think the prospects for the next 12 months are good, assuming that the virus is kept at bay.”

Bookings have surged at Harrogate district campsites since the government’s ‘roadmap’ announcement, raising hopes of a staycation summer.

After almost 12 months of opening and closing, the campsites welcomed the clarity provided on Monday about when they could welcome holidaymakers once again.

When restrictions were lifted last summer, there was a staycation boom locally, with several campsites saying there had been an influx of people wishing to holiday closer to home.

They now hope for a repeat this year.

Marie Laverick manager of Woodhouse Farm caravan park, said the phone “has been ringing off the hook” since the announcement. She said:

“The phone hasn’t stopped, so many people are either booking their pitch or rearranging dates for the new restrictions.

“We are gutted about Easter; we lost it last year too and we’ll lose the first May bank holiday but it looks good going forward. We had 50 bookings overnight!”

Phil Brierley director of York House Leisure, which owns four holiday parks in North Yorkshire including sites in Boroughbridge and Ripon, said it was important for the industry to continue to be supported by government.

He said:

“We are very happy that there’s a plan in place and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s great news but it’s bittersweet because the parks industry was originally shut down in March so this year will be the second Easter in a row that we have missed. We have effectively experienced a year-long winter so there’s an awful lot of ground to make up.

“We have certainly seen an increase in enquiries at our parks since the announcement. We would hope as an industry to see continued aid from the government, such as 5% VAT, extended business rate relief and the furlough scheme.”

Woodhouse Farm Caravan Park. Photograph: Facebook

The roadmap allows caravan parks to open on April 12 but without any facilities such as toilet blocks. On May 17 the sites can fully reopen.

Similarly in Great Ouseburn, Burrows Park has seen an increase in bookings. Co-owner Richard Kay said:

“Assuming the government roadmap targets for easing covid measures are met we will have a full opening on May 17. We look forward to welcoming back all our regular site users and to a very busy summer. We hope that the weather is with us and all our guests enjoy their time!”

Read more:

• North Yorkshire Police say it is preparing for “influx” of visitors once lockdown is eased.
• Harrogate businesses react to covid roadmap.

Richard Flinton, chair of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, said at the county’s weekly media briefing yesterday:

“We are optimistic in terms of what the future is for our hospitality sector. People can start booking and should enquire about refunds should they not be able to go ahead.

“This is a real opportunity for us. We do look forward to welcoming people back to our beautiful county.”

Hospitality businesses in the Harrogate district have called for a clear plan as they await the Prime Minister’s “road map” out of lockdown.

Boris Johnson is expected to announce the next steps to ease lockdown in his public broadcast later today.

For local hospitality, the most important thing is for there to be sufficient detail to allow them to plan the next steps in reopening – and that enough businesses can be opened to make the whole sector viable.

Kimberley Wilson, chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, said reopening hotels would only be viable if other facilities were also able to open:

“Visitors want to know everything else is open before they book. One guy said to me, ‘I don’t want to come and sit in my hotel room with nothing to do – I want to know the shops are open and I can eat out’. It has to be a package.”

Dan Siddle, general manager of the Crown Hotel, said he doesn’t want to see restrictions eased and then reintroduced, and would rather wait longer until the country is “clear of the woods” before welcoming guests back. He added:

“Hospitality has suffered from March last year, and while there has been some positive support throughout, it’s important that we as an industry are not forgotten about and that that support continues. The VAT reduction, business rates cut, [and] furlough pay to support teams, could all be continued to help us through the recovery period.”

Harrogate BID said it was working on supportive measures for businesses which had been forced to close repeatedly, and will be carrying out projects including street cleaning and floral displays to make the town centre attractive again.

Harrogate BID carried out extra street cleaning at the end of the first lockdown

Chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Ideally, we would like to see all non-essential shops and the hospitality industry back open in time for Easter. This traditionally marks the start of the tourism season, and with hopefully warmer weather and lighter nights, those in the hospitality sector will again be able to make use of the pavements and other open spaces.

“However, I have a feeling the hospitality sector will be lockdown until after the holiday as the Government won’t want to face the issues it did at Christmas.

“Any rules and guidelines, national or local, must be clear and not leave room for any ambiguity which has occurred in the past. They also need to be strictly and consistently enforced.”

---

Read more:

• Harrogate hotels ready to offer beds for coronavirus patients
• Harrogate theatre boss hopes for covid clarity

---

While it is likely indoor events on the scale which Harrogate is used to seeing will be some way off, outdoor events are being planned from March onwards.

Harrogate International Festivals is working with other organisations on projects to encourage people back into the town centre from next month, if restrictions allow. Chief executive Sharon Canavar said:

“We must have made 50 plans and torn them up last year. What we’ve done this year is look at how we could put on events if rules are relaxed but there is still social distancing in place.”

Plans are also being made to stage the organisation’s larger festivals later in the year. The first of these is likely to be the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July – though it could be under canvas with reduced numbers compared to previous years.

All the changes needed will impact on events’ viability, but HIF – which has already cut its staff numbers down to just three – is looking at the long-term picture, both for its own events and as part of the town’s overall attraction to visitors. Sharon added:

“Do we want to just survive or do we want to make sure there’s a recovery there? What will the diary in Harrogate look like after this, for the arts and for business events? It’s not just about this year, but about what we’re creating for the future.”

Yesterday morning Ripon Market Square was busy, but as dawn broke on a city entering Covid lockdown today the area fell silent – except for the sound of the on-going sewer repair work.

In Market Place East, the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop – an earlier retail casualty of the spring and summer lockdowns – had already had its final day of trading after years of featuring on the Ripon high street.

Hairdressing salons, gyms, barbers and a bookmakers, along with all other businesses classed as ‘non-essential’ shut their doors last night and headed for weeks of uncertainty.

In Fishergate, the message from cafe owner Lou Grant was that Oliver’s army fights on. She told the Stray Ferret:

“We have decided to give it a go and see if a takeaway-only service can sustain us and carry us to safe shores when this virus is under control.”

Lou Grant, co-owner of Oliver’s Pantry

Mrs Grant, who is co-owner of Oliver’s Pantry with her husband, Tim, added:

“We are entering our ninth year and have taken every measure possible to keep our staff and customers safe, with screens, sanitisers and signs calling for people to maintain social distancing.

“Having come this far, we were not going to give up – as we feel we are in touching distance of  the end to all of this hardship that we are other small businesses have had to face.”

Business owners from the Harrogate district have given their reaction to last night’s announcement of a new national lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at 8pm last night that a new lockdown would begin from today, with a stay at home order in place.

Other than for essential trips such as food shopping, medical needs, exercise, work where it cannot be done from home and to escape an unsafe home situation, people are instructed not to leave home.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the measures would be difficult but were necessary to reduce transmission until the vaccination took effect. She said:

“It’s going to be incredibly tough for all businesses over the coming months, and sadly not all will survive into the spring.

“Until we can resume life as we knew it in pre-Covid days, the Government is going to have to continue its support to businesses, and extend it to those self-employed people who have so far not received any financial help at all.”