Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?
The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.
Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.
The Institute of Directors and the Family Business Community have teamed up to hold an event around the theme of “the art of decision-making”.
Sponsored by Harrogate firm LCF Law, the evening event will feature speakers from two North Yorkshire family businesses: Rudding Park, in Harrogate, and Skipton-based Whitakers Chocolates.
Rudding Park director Matthew Mackaness will share insights into his family’s 50 years of ownership of the estate and some of the decisions that had to be made to sustain the growth and ambition of the business.
Rudding Park now has 90 bedrooms and suites, a spa, two restaurants, two golf courses, a private cinema, and conference and events space set in 300 acres of grounds. Earlier this year, it revealed plans to create Yorkshire’s first ever five-star country club at a cost of “between £30 million and £40 million”.
The Whitaker family has been in the chocolate business for over 135 years; they started with a small greengrocer’s shop and now have a factory making over 10 million chocolates per week.
In recent years, managing director William Whitaker had a key decision to make. At this event, he will play back his scenario to a team of business owners and gain their perspectives before revealing the decision he actually made.
‘When you run a family business don’t be afraid to make decisions’ will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday, November 16 at Rudding Park.
Tickets cost £25 and include drinks and canapés throughout the evening. Booking fees apply.
Roosters celebrates anniversary with new supermarket listing
Harrogate‘s Rooster’s Brewing Co is celebrating a decade of selling its flagship IPA with a new supermarket listing.
From today, Waitrose will stock 440ml cans of the international award-winning Baby-Faced Assassin, which is already available at Asda and Morrisons.
Baby-Faced Assassin was first brewed as a hobby homebrew recipe by Rooster’s commercial director, Tom Fozard, in 2011 while he was working at a local specialist beer shop in Leeds, and the 6.1% ABV brew gained some notoriety among fellow enthusiasts due to its strength. Later that year, Tom, alongside twin brother Oliver, now Rooster’s head brewer, joined Rooster’s as part of an eventual change of ownership spearheaded by their father, Ian.
The first commercial, cask-only batch of Baby-Faced Assassin was released in November 2013 and eventually added to Rooster’s core range in 2014. It went on to pick up awards at the International Brewing Awards in 2015, 2017 and 2021.
Tom Fozard said:
“Having first created Baby-Faced Assassin as a homebrew recipe back in 2011, I never could have imagined the success the beer would go on to enjoy in the years since. As a small, family-owned, independent brewery, we’re delighted to mark its 10th year of being a Rooster’s beer with the news of its continued success.”
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate directors shortlisted for industry awards
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
Two local directors have been named on shortlist for the Institute of Director’s awards.
Astrid Wynne and Rich Kenny, both of Harrogate firm Interact DC Limited, have made the shortlist in two separate categories.
The Institute of Directors 2023 director of the year awards will be held on September 29 and includes nine categories.
Ms Wynne, who is head of partnerships at Interact, has been named in the sustainability category while Mr Kenny, managing director, is up for innovation.
Jon Geldart, director general of the IoD, said:
“Britain’s directors have had to dig deep over the past few years to overcome business conditions which continue to prove challenging.
“These awards are about people, not profits, and celebrating those who celebrate others. It is therefore particularly pleasing to be able to bring together all our finalists to share and celebrate the achievements of innovative directors across the country, for their businesses, the environment and the communities within which they work and live.”
Free business workshop in Harrogate
A free business networking session will take place in Harrogate on Friday.
ActionCOACH Harrogate is hosting a ‘better business’ masterclass at Roosters Brewery at Hornbeam Park from 9.30am.
The session will focus on business coaching and will include tips on marketing concepts, sales promotion and profit building systems.
For more information on the networking session, visit the Eventbrite page here.
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Ukrainian who fled to Harrogate sets up vodka and sunflower oil business
A Ukrainian entrepreneur has moved to Harrogate and launched a vodka and sunflower oil import business.
Fedir Haidai undertook a 14-day journey across Europe with his wife Katya and three-year-old son Misha after finding a sponsor family in Harrogate through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
He said:
“I was on a business trip to Kherson in February when we heard that Russia was assembling soldiers, tanks and military equipment around 100km away. I spoke to my wife in Kyiv and said we must go now.
“She left work, picked up our son from nursery and a few belongings from home. We crossed into Moldova where we were able to stay with friends. A few hours later we watched on TV as the invasion started.
“My parents are still in Ukraine and I am afraid for them.”
Mr Haidai was forced to abandon two businesses that employed 30 people in Kyiv.
His outdoor paving tile manufacturing company was destroyed by Russian attacks. A second company that imports central heating pipes became unsustainable because his main supplier was based in Russian ally Belarus.
He has now joined the North Yorkshire branch of the Institute of Directors to forge new connections and support as he restarts his business journey.
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Three months after arriving in the UK, he has three new ventures.
Sunflower Ltd – named after the Ukrainian national flower – will import Ukrainian sunflower oil, which Mr Haidai will market under the Holla Oils brand.
He is also to import Hetman-branded vodka. Lviv-based Hetman is one of the largest producers of alcoholic drinks in Ukraine, with a history dating back to 1782.
He plans to sell the products through online, physical retail and the hospitality trade.
A third business will help to relocate IT experts from Ukraine to safe European locations.
Mr Haidai said:
“The main thing is that we are safe but we don’t have any savings so I need to set up in business here.
“I know how to organise a company and build relationships with suppliers and clients. My idea is to import products from the west of Ukraine, where it is safer. There is a need for sunflower oil here and significant demand for Ukranian vodka.”
Harrogate ‘like a Harry Potter film’
Mr Haidai has faced challenges in setting up his business – not least finding a bank prepared to open a business account for him – but doors are now beginning to open.
“I need a lot of money to import vodka due to alcohol duty but I have found some people who want to help me,” he said.
“I am surprised and happy that so many local people want to help us in different ways. People are so open and friendly. We have been introduced to so many new people.”
Mr Haidai has been joined in Harrogate by his sister and 17-year-old niece, who have also found a sponsor home in the town. He said:
“My first impression of Harrogate was it looked like a Harry Potter film, with all the old buildings.”
Free business group memberships available to Harrogate district SMEs
Free business group memberships available to Harrogate district SMEs
The Institute of Directors is offering free memberships to all small and medium sized businesses in the Harrogate district.
The IoD provides advice, discounted professional development and events to businesses and also lobbies government.
The free memberships are being offered with the support of Harrogate Borough Council, using government covid recovery funds.
The IoD, which was founded in 1903, has 20,000 members.
Caroline Pullich, chair of IoD North Yorkshire, said:
“The IoD exists to supports members to become better directors and develop their businesses.
“We look forward to hearing from directors in the Harrogate district and welcoming them to our community.”
To be eligible, directors must work for an SME business based in the Harrogate district and not have held an IoD membership within the previous two years from the date of enquiry. A maximum of two memberships are available per eligible business.
To apply email senior branch manager Helena.drake@iod.com.
Harrogate funeral directors partner on annual conference
Full Circle Funerals, which is based in Harrogate, is the lead partner for this year’s annual conference of Leeds Bereavement Forum.
Next month’s conference will focus on the Lancet Commission’s recent report The Value of Death: bringing death back to life.
Held on May 19 at the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds, the event includes talks with experts including palliative physician Dr Ros Taylor MBE.
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