Sneak Peek: The Coach and Horses, Harrogate

The newly refurbished Coach and Horses on West Park in Harrogate opened its doors for the first time this evening.

The much loved traditional pub was bought last year by Provenance Inns, which promised to keep it true to its heritage.

Work to revamp the pub has been extensive: the once central bar has been moved to the back of the ground floor and there is a restaurant on the first floor. In total the pub can seat up to 100 diners and it employs 30 staff.

Staff prepare for the big opening party tonight.

The upstairs dining space and tables.

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The previous landlord, John Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

The new owners want to keep the tradition of raising money for Martin House Hospice. There will be a monthly quiz on Sundays where proceeds will go to the charity and for every burger bought a pound will also be donated.

The Coach and Horses opens to the public tomorrow at 5pm. Normal opening hours are noon to 11pm Monday to Saturday, closing earlier at 10pm on a Sunday.

Harrogate’s historic Coach & Horses pub to reopen this month

A historic Harrogate pub with a history dating as far back as 1830 is set to return this month after a two-year hiatus.

The Coach & Horses, well-known for its traditional charm, Sunday roasts and real ales, will reopen on Friday, July 22.

Provenance Inns, which owns the West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

It has been closed since May 2020 after previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

The refurbishment aims to add “a touch of modernity to the pub”, whilst paying homage to its heritage.

The first floor has been transformed into a dining room, which overlooks The Stray.

A gastropub-style menu will feature dishes including Doreen’s black pudding scotch eggs, beer battered fish and triple-cooked beef dripping chips, as well as a traditional Sunday roast.

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The Coach and Horses burger will see £1 from each sale donated to Martin House children’s hospice, a charity relationship the new owners are keen to foster.

The pub will also offer a selection of pies, while an extensive range of local and international gins will complement a selection of cask ales.

Speaking ahead of the reopening, which will create 30 new jobs, operations manager Chris Cartledge said:

‘’As one of just a handful of Harrogate’s oldest surviving traditional pubs, it’s safe to say that anticipation for the return of the Coach & Horses has been high.

“We’re pleased to say that meticulous care and attention to detail has been taken to ensure the Coach is subtly modernised, whilst restoring original features, where possible, to their best.’

“The new first-floor dining room is the perfect spot to enjoy our hearty and traditional menu, whilst taking in the views of The Stray.

“Along with our fresh food and vast drinks range, we will also be carrying on the tradition of a regular quiz night and of course raffles, all in aid of local charities which we are keen to continue to support.

“We can’t wait to welcome our first guests into Harrogate’s original local pub.”

Harrogate’s Coach & Horses pub set to reopen in early July

Drinkers will be able to finally reacquaint themselves with the Coach & Horses this summer after over two years.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, bought the pub in October last year.

It’s been closed since May 2020 after the previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

Provenance has been busy revamping the bar and kitchen area and reinstating the corner entrance.

The first floor is also being converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

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Scaffolding outside the building recently came down ahead of the Coach & Horses’ new era.

The company has designed a new logo for the pub but has promised to respect its long heritage with the refurbishment.

Provenance’s commercial manager Anthony Blundell said there is still work to do but he is hopeful the pub and restaurant will reopen in early July.

He said:

“Everyone is eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Coach and no one is more excited than us to get to know some of the previous patrons and, hopefully, some new ones too.”

Harrogate’s Coach & Horses pub ‘coming back soon’ as plans approved

New signs in the windows of the Coach & Horses pub in Harrogate have indicated it will be reopening in the near future.

On Friday, Harrogate Borough Council approved the new owner’s plans to refurbish the premises.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

It has been closed since May 2020 after the previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

Provenance will revamp the bar and kitchen area and reinstate the corner entrance.

New branding for the Coach & Horses

It will also convert the first floor into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns, told the Stray Ferret that the company wanted to maintain the Coach and Horses as a “traditional pub”.

He said:

“The idea is to refurbish what is already there.

“We see it as the last traditional pub in Harrogate. We know from our guests how well it was respected.”

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Plan submitted to refurbish Harrogate’s Coach and Horses pub

Plans have been lodged to refurbish the Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

The new owners have now submitted plans to revamp the bar and kitchen area and reinstate the corner entrance.

It would also see part of the first floor converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns, told the Stray Ferret that the company wanted to maintain the Coach and Horses as a “traditional pub”.

He said:

“The idea is to refurbish what is already there.

“We see it as the last traditional pub in Harrogate. We know from our guests how well it was respected.”

Documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council say the refurbishment will create up to 26 full time jobs across “a range of skilled and semi skilled occupations”.

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It is unclear when the pub will reopen, however Mr Blundell said the owners could get started on the work as soon as planning permission is granted.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The Coach and Horses has been closed for 20 months.

Previous landlord John Nelson lost the pub’s licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Mr Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

Coach and Horses set to reopen under new ownership

The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is set to reopen under new owners Provenance Inns and Hotels.

Provenance Inns, which also owns the West Park Hotel on the same street, plans to refurbish the historic pub before it reopens.

It is unclear when the Coach and Horses will open but the new owners said in a statement today it will create more than 50 jobs.

Karen French, operations director for Provenance Inns and Hotels said:

“We are delighted that we could take on such a fantastic building and have the opportunity to bring the Coach and Horses back to life. It’s a very exciting time for us all.

“Not only will this opportunity create more than 50 new jobs, but we plan to work with local groups and the community, to be able to offer something that’s accessible to everyone.

“We are pleased that we will be the new custodians of the Coach and Horses, and that we are able to retain the family values of the pub.”

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The news comes almost a year since Harrogate Borough Council granted Samantha Nelson a new alcohol licence.

Previous landlord John Nelson, Ms Nelson’s father, lost the licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

Community order for former Coach and Horses landlord who breached driving ban

A Harrogate court has issued the former landlord of the Coach and Horses with a community order and extended the driving ban he has admitted breaching.

John Nelson, 65, who held the licence at the Coach and Horses for 33 years until last summer, appeared at Harrogate Justice Centre today.

He was appearing to hear his sentence. Nelson had already pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance at a previous hearing.

North Yorkshire Police had stopped Nelson on Burn Bridge Lane in Burn Bridge on July 13. When they stopped him the officers test him for drugs. Nelson tested positive for cocaine.

However, the court heard how the officers were unable to take a blood test back at the police station so that was not taken into account in sentencing.

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Nelson had been banned from driving for 18 months on May 7 after police pulled him over with cocaine in his system and Class A drugs in his jacket.

In defence for Nelson today, barrister Andrew Thompson, said:

“Mr Nelson has said his reason for driving the vehicle was that a friend of his had left medication in his car when they were in Harrogate.

“So he took the decision, which he accepts was wrong, to drive to Leeds. It appears that someone reported him to the police while he was in Leeds.

“The court is aware of the significant issues Mr Nelson has in his life, which may explain why these offences have occured.

“Mr Nelson is a retired publican who is well-known in the town. He feels he has let himself down again.”

In sentencing, the magistrates issued Nelson with a 12 month community order for breaching the driving ban. As part of that order he will need to do 25 rehabilitation days.

The court extended his driving ban to 26 months which comes into effect from today. Nelson will also have to pay a £364 fine.

What happened to the Coach and Horses?

Nelson is a well-known character in the Harrogate area. He used the profile of the Coach and Horses to help raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

However, he lost his pub licence after police found customers drinking outside the Coach and Horses and not observing social distancing during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Customers of the pub launched a petition to grant the licence to his daughter Samantha Nelson, which Harrogate Borough Council did in October last year.

Ms Nelson said she would refurbish and reopen the pub but it remains closed.

Former Coach and Horses landlord John Nelson admits breaching driving ban

The former landlord of the Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate has admitted breaching a driving ban issued for driving while under the influence of drugs.

John Nelson, who held the licence at the Coach and Horses for 33 years until last summer, appeared at Harrogate Justice Centre today.

He pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance on Burn Bridge Lane in Burn Bridge on July 13.

The court adjourned the case for another hearing on August 27.

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Nelson was banned from driving for 18 months on May 7 after police pulled him over with cocaine in his system and Class A drugs in his jacket.

He had 30 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 10 micrograms. Officers also found three bottles of methadone in his car.

Nelson lost his pub licence after North Yorkshire Police found customers drinking outside the Coach and Horses and not observing social distancing during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Customers of the pub launched a petition to grant the licence to his daughter Samantha Nelson, which Harrogate Borough Council did in October last year.

Ms Nelson said she would refurbish and reopen the pub but it remains closed.

 

Court bans former Coach and Horses landlord from driving over drugs

A court has banned the former landlord of the Coach and Horses pub from driving after police pulled him over with cocaine in his system and Class A drugs in his jacket.

John Nelson, who held the pub’s licence for 33 years until last summer, had his court hearing today at the Harrogate Justice Centre after missing it two weeks ago.

The court issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to show but later withdrew it.

Police arrested Nelson on October 30, the day after the council gave his daughter the licence, on Leeds Road and tested him for drugs.

Officers were acting on a report that the car Nelson was driving was being used by a drug dealer. They searched the car and tested him for drugs.

The test found that he had 30 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood in his system. The limit is 10 micrograms. Officers also found three bottles of methadone in his car.

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As a result, officers charged him with drug driving and with possession of a class A drug. Nelson, 65, entered a guilty plea to both charges today.

In defence for Nelson, barrister Andrew Thompson, said:

“Mr Nelson had gone to Leeds to collect the bottles of methadone and was bringing them back to Harrogate to the same friend.

“The police did not stop him for bad driving. Mr Nelson told me today that he felt fine to drive and that he co-operated fully. In his police interview he said he had bipolar disorder.

“That may partly explain why he committed this offence. It is a well known fact locally what happened with the pub he used to run. He has had a difficult year and has retired with no intention of going back.”

The court banned John Nelson from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay £334 in a fine, surcharge and court costs.

Nelson lost his licence after North Yorkshire Police found customers drinking outside the Coach and Horses and not observing social distancing over the weekend of May 30.

Customers of the pub launched a petition to grant the licence to his daughter Samantha Nelson, which the council did in October last year.

She said she would refurbish and reopen but there has been no movement at the pub ever since. The Stray Ferret has made several enquiries but has received no reply.

Coach and Horses appeals council decision to revoke licence

The Coach and Horses in Harrogate has lodged an appeal against the council’s decision to revoke its licence.

Solicitors acting on behalf of the landlord John Nelson sent the appeal to magistrates last week. There is no set date or location for the hearing so far.

It comes after 429 people signed a petition that called for the council to give his daughter, Samantha Nelson, a licence to run the pub.

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Jonny Hick, who calls himself the pub’s “number one customer”, urged people to support her “responsible and professional stewardship”.

Harrogate Borough Council removed the pub’s licence in July after it showed a “blantant disregard” for social distancing rules.

John Nelson was allegedly “aggressive and abusive” towards council officials and the police when they served him a prohibition notice on May 31.

At the licensing sub-committee where the council revoked the licence, Mr Nelson’s lawyer Paddy Whur said his client “accepted he made a chronic error of judgement”.

Mr Whur suggested that the pub’s licence be suspended until Mr Nelson steps down – a suggestion that councillors rejected.