King's Road Archives - Page 2 of 4

The independent businesses bringing a new vibe to King’s Road

Towards the Skipton Road end of the almost mile-long stretch of King’s Road in Harrogate is a substantial cluster of largely independent shops and businesses.

For decades this row of around 30 businesses has offered an eclectic mix of shops and services. There are hair and beauty salons alongside a carpet shop, a dog groomer and a wedding dress boutique, a cake maker and funeral director.

There’s always been the odd deli or sandwich shop too, a role currently filled by the well-established and popular Little Breads. Food shopping needs have been met over the years by a succession of independents including the renowned Ramus Seafoods and Regal Fruiterers. Graham Sanderson Interiors has been going strong for nearly 60 years.

In recent years, however, some of the biggest and most long-standing names have gone. Ramus closed its doors in early 2020, while the fruiterers relocated to Otley Road in March last year. Victoria Lane ladies clothes shop closed in January after 17 years.

But as these mainstays have been lost, a new group of businesses rarely seen on the street before are bringing a whole new vibe to the area.

Two years ago, within a matter of months, coffee shop Pink Door, café Mamma Amelia, and restaurant and bar Lilypad opened. And with the news last week that a pizzeria is due to launch in the former Regal Fruiterers premises, the street has begun to attract a new kind of lifestyle customer.

“There’s nowehere like us this end of town”

As Lilypad prepares for its second birthday celebrations later this month, co-owner Jan Moxham said they’d been overwhelmed by the support of the local community since they opened. She said:

“It’s been incredible. We get a lot of people from Bilton and the other side of Skipton Road who tell us there’s nowhere like us at this end of town. We’ve now got a huge cohort of regulars from around age 25 upwards. We are very busy on Thursday evenings, and Fridays and Saturdays are rammed.”

Jan, her husband Roger and son Tom offer South American and Asian inspired dishes, with a menu that’s completely gluten free and mainly vegan. Chef Tom makes all the dishes from scratch and runs special menus such as the ramen-based Tokyo Tuesdays and bao buns ‘baonanza’.

Tom, Jan and Roger Moxham of Lilypad.

Jan said they were pleased to see a cluster of cafés and restaurants developing:

“It’s becoming more of a destination to come to, it will be more vibrant. We’re only five minutes’ walk from the conference centre so we need to entice people from the direction of town.”

Next door to Lilypad, Becky Keown at the long-established Regal Flowers is looking forward to the pizzeria opening next door. She said:

“This end of King’s Road has always been busy but recently there seems to be a new, younger vibe. When Ramus shut it had an impact because they brought a lot of footfall here. Covid didn’t help either, and people are now shopping more online and watching what they spend. But places like Pink Door and Lilypad are bringing people back again.

“We take a lot of orders online now but we do have regular customers and also work with a lot of local wedding venues and funeral parlours. We have a good relationship with many of the businesses on Kings Road and recommend them to our customers.”

The florists’ new neighbours will be Sally Hall, who grew up in Harrogate, and her Italian fiancé Stefano Dell’oso. The couple are leaving their hospitality jobs in London to open the 50-seat Stefano’s restaurant, which will feature a traditional wood-fired pizza oven, in June. Sally said:

“We love King’s Road; we think it’s an up-and-coming area. It’s a different kind of vibe, it seems quite young. We also like the outdoor space we’ll have here.”

“It’s close to town but you know everybody”

Mamma Amelia’s owner, Antonio Cavinato, successfully ran his previous venture, Caffé Lago di Como, in the town centre for five years, before looking for somewhere quiet and more relaxed. He said:

“Here, it’s still close to town but it feels like you know everybody. You can chat to people, the businesses support each other, and it’s easy and free to park. We get regulars from the local community, as well as visitors and conference guests.”

Antonio Cavinato and his team at Caffé Mama Amelia.

The former pastry chef and his team serve a selection of cakes as well as a lunchtime menu that includes pasta dishes and meatballs, all of it home made. He welcomed the growing number of food and drink businesses, saying: “Competition is good.”

A positive impact

Dan Brady of The Harrogate Butcher said the new lifestyle businesses are attracting a new generation of customers to the street, which will have a positive impact on the other businesses as people realise they can drop by for everyday essentials as well as a coffee or a beer.

It’s only a few months since Dan opened his business in the former Ramus Seafood shop premises and he has already seen a significant month-on-month increase in customers. He is already planning to add a selection of fruit, vegetables and bread from other local independents to his offering. He said:

“It’s been fantastic. We’ve got regulars as well as new customers coming in. There’s a really good community around here, there are nice houses and a lot of young families. We also get visitors who are staying in Air B&Bs.

“It’s a great location. I looked at a lot of different places in Harrogate but I liked the history here as well as the good mix of shops. Customers can park up outside and all the businesses champion each other.”

Kings Road Harrogate butchers and food store

Dan Brady of The Harrogate butcher, left, and Robertas Bernotas of Delikata.

Robertas Bernotas at the Lithuanian food store, bakery and cafe Delikata agrees. Since opening two years ago, the store, which serves coffee and cakes alongside cheeses, meats, vegetables and other produce from Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia and Poland, has had a core of non-English regulars.

But Robert said they had recently seen an increase in English customers too.

“People like to support independents”

Neil Thomson and Natalie Inger’s jewellery and gift shop Shine has been on King’s Road for 18 years. They sell affordable design-led gifts such as bags and scarves, along with greetings cards. Their core offering is silver jewellery, with Natalie herself making some of the pieces and taking bespoke orders as well.

Neil Thomson and Natalie Inger at Shine.

Neil said:

“King’s Road has been its own entity for a long time, but things have changed in recent years. It’s gone from a shopping road to more of a lifestyle road. We get fewer customers who would once have popped in as part of their everyday shopping visit, but we still have our regulars and we’re getting a lot more visitors as there are so many Air B&Bs and guest houses down here.

“People definitely like to support independents, and the fact you can park here too is a bonus.”

Jail for Harrogate man who supplied drugs on electric scooter

A Harrogate man who was caught with Class A drugs while riding an electric scooter was jailed for two years and three months today.

James Latham was caught by officers from North Yorkshire Police’s drugs team Operation Expedite on King’s Road on the afternoon of September 25 this year.

A police media release today said officers saw two known drug users being approached by Latham. The three people walked behind a shop and out of view. Within seconds one of them returned and was seen placing an item in their mouth.

Officers suspected a drug deal had just taken place, with Latham supplying the drugs.

Latham, who was riding on an electric scooter, was stopped a short distance away. He was searched and found to be in possession of a large amount of cash and suspected illegal drugs.

Heroin and cocaine

Following his arrest, officers found drugs paraphernalia at Latham’s Harrogate home, along with heroin and cocaine with a street value of over £700, and a significant amount of cash.

Latham, 44, was remanded in custody and brought to court where he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Through mobile phone analysis, investigators were able to show Latham was involved in the supply of class A drugs, and had a customer base within the Harrogate area.

At York Crown Court today, Latham was given a custodial sentence of two years and three months.

After the sentencing hearing, PC Christopher Thompson, of Operation Expedite, said:

“The sale of illegal drugs will not be tolerated on the streets of Harrogate. It causes untold misery and suffering, and forces people who are addicted to them to commit other serious crimes to feed their habit.

“Latham was willing to exploit other people’s addictions for his own cruel and selfish gain.”

New butchers to open on Harrogate’s King’s Road tomorrow

A new butchers shop will open in Harrogate tomorrow.

The Harrogate Butcher, which has taken on the former Ramus Seafood site, will be owner Daniel Brady’s first solo venture.

Mr Brady, who is originally from the Midlands but has lived in Harrogate for the last 15 years, said he will bring a mix of traditional Anglo-French, American BBQ and Asian-style butchery to the town.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve been a butcher for almost 10 years in Harrogate.

“My background has always been food-related. I grew up in a pub that served food and was always involved in the kitchen from a very young age.

“I’ve worked as a chef in kitchens across Yorkshire but this is my first butchers shop that I’ve opened.”

The Harrogate Butcher will focus on locally-sourced meat and products, with pork, lamb, beef and chicken on offer. But Mr Brady said he “won’t shy away” from international meats, such as Japanese wagyu, Spanish Iberico pork and American meat cuts.

He added:

“The focus will be on high welfare, high quality, delicious meat.

“The inspiration for the business was mainly due to my passion for butchery and high-quality produce.”

There will also be a range of prepared food on offer once the shop gets going, Mr Brady added, including dauphinoise potatoes, curries, homemade kimchi and sauces.

As well as butchery, Mr Brady said another driving factor for his new venture was his family.

After working as a freelance chef, he realised he needed “more stability and less late nights” to get home and read his young children bedtime stories.

He also said:

“This project has been in the pipe line for almost 18 months at this location, but I got the lease five months ago.

“I waited so long as I really love this historical Harrogate building that has been providing the local community with food since at least the 70s.

“I have taken on most of the renovations myself, from plastering, tiling, plumbing, decorating. It’s been a tough five months but I’m really happy with how it’s looking.

“I can’t wait to get open and start serving the beloved people of Harrogate.”

The Harrogate Butcher will open from 9am tomorrow.

It will be open every day in the lead up to Christmas. In the New Year it will be open 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

New South Indian restaurant opens in first for Harrogate

Harrogate’s diners now have a broader range of cuisines to choose from, following the opening yesterday of a new restaurant offering South Indian food.

Illam, on King’s Road, is a family-run establishment specialising in Keralan dishes, and customer manager Rahisa Kombath believes it’s a first for the district.

She said:

“You can find authentic South Indian food in Leeds and York, but not in Harrogate – until now. We’ve had a lot of Indian and English friends asking why we don’t open a restaurant here, so now we have.”

Illam, which employs six people, has 60 covers – 24 on the ground floor and 36 upstairs – and is currently offering an introductory discount of 20%, with no booking needed.

The restaurant is owned by Rahisa’s husband Sadiq Kattil, her father Abdul Majeed, and their business partner Sharaf Malayampadi. Sadiq is an experienced restaurant manager and head chef Abdul previously worked at award-winning Leeds restaurant Tharavadu.

Rahisa said:

“My dad has worked in restaurants for over 20 years as a chef, and it’s always been his dream to have a family business with our own stamp on it, so we’re all very much excited to open Illam.

“We love our authentic South Indian food and we always love to serve it to people who have never tried it before. I’m sure people in Harrogate will love it!”

Seven weeks of roadworks begin today in Harrogate

Seven weeks of roadworks are due to get underway in Harrogate town centre today.

Some of the main routes in town are likely to be subject to traffic lights and delays.

Parliament Street, Ripon Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road are among the roads affected.

The disruption will enable gas distributor Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Cold Bath Road could be the worst affected route, with “multiple lights” operating for five weeks.

The roadworks are the second phase of delayed works that were “paused” a year ago.

Here’s what motorists can expect.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights

A lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road and Ripon Road along with four-way lights at the junction of Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road for two weeks. The existing lights will be bagged, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation from 7am to 7pm.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks saud traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.

Gyles Brandreth endures sleepless night in ’tilting’ Harrogate hotel bed

TV personality Gyles Brandreth has bemoaned the state of a Harrogate hotel after enduring a sleepless night on a tilting bed.

The author and raconteur appeared at the Royal Hall last night for his one-man show Gyles Brandreth Can’t Stop Talking.

His prolific tweets indicated the evening went well — until it was time for bed.

At about 7am this morning, he posted the following unappealing image and said:

“The view from right here right now … very little sleep on a bed that tilted to the left so that I had to cling on all night. The hotel is in King’s Road but has no number so in the dark we couldn’t find it. Taxi couldn’t find it either. Eventually we did. Rather wish we hadn’t.”

In response to a tweet suggesting he should have called reception, he said:

“There was no reception. At midnight we tried to book in to the Crowne Plaza opposite, but it was full.”

Mr Brandreth declined calls to name and shame the establishment to his 208,000 followers.

After his show last night he hailed the “warm and wonderful audience” and said it was “a privilege to be be on the stage that both Ken Dodd & Marlene Dietrich once appeared on. Not together. (Though wouldn’t that have been glorious?)”.

He later praised The Ivy for its “delicious post-show supper: cheese soufflé followed by iced berries”.

Mr Brandreth added:

“Normally at this time of night, we’re perched on the edge of our bed in the local Premier Inn with a Pret sandwich. Tonight we’re in Harrogate being treated to this …. Thank you.”

However, his night appeared to go downhill once he left The Ivy.

Seven weeks of roadworks set to begin in Harrogate town centre

Roadworks are to begin next week on some of Harrogate town centre’s busiest routes.

The work, which is due to start on Monday and last for seven weeks, will see traffic lights on key routes including Parliament Street, Ripon Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road.

The disruption will enable gas distributor Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Cold Bath Road could be the worst affected route, with “multiple lights” operating for five weeks.

It is the continuation of road works that were “paused” a year ago following delays.

Northern Gas Networks said last week it would be digging up Skipton Road in a separate scheme over half-term.

Here’s what the company said is involved with the latest work starting next week.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights

Traffic on Parliament Street is likely to be affected.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

Multiple traffic lights will be on Cold Bath Road.

Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks said traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said the work was vital “to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate” and apologised for any inconvenienced.

He added:

“We completed phase one of this project in autumn 2022. It was a complex scheme during which we faced multiple engineering challenges because of the depth of the gas main.

“This caused a delay to our timescales and meant we were unable to complete the following phase within a reasonable timeframe without impacting customers and businesses during the busy Christmas period.

“Collaborating closely with North Yorkshire County Council, we’ve worked hard to review the remaining work and plan this final phase in a way that minimises impact to residents and local businesses as much as possible.”

Harrogate NHS dentist to move to ‘membership only’ patient scheme

A Harrogate dentist has announced it will only see patients on a membership only basis from December.

Chatsworth House Dental Clinic, which is based on King’s Road, announced it will move to a monthly payment scheme once its NHS contract comes to an end.

The move comes as concern has been raised about the lack of access to NHS dentistry within the Harrogate district.

In a letter to patients seen by the Stray Ferret, Chatsworth House said it made the decision to “reduce appointment waiting times” and “improve prevention of dental disease and decay”.

It said:

“After careful consideration, we have decided that from 1st December 2023 we will be seeing patients on a membership basis only.

“We know this decision will allow us to spend more time with you, reduce appointment waiting times, improve prevention of dental disease and decay, and offer you a greater choice in the variety of treatments we are able to deliver in a much more relaxed environment.”

The letter adds that patients will be offered a membership plan of £21.45 per month – or 70p per day.

The practice had previously proposed plans to refer NHS patients to Starbeck Dental Centre in August 2020, but later dropped the proposal.

The Stray Ferret approached the clinic for comment on its plan, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

NHS dentist fears

It comes as politicians have raised concern over the lack of access to NHS dentistry in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans and Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, raised the issue in the House of Commons in February.

She said only half of children in North Yorkshire managed to see an NHS dentist last year, adding:

“In Harrogate if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist taking on any new patients you face a two-and-a-half year wait to see them. This is a shocking state of affairs.”

Meanwhile, Conservative Cllr Andrew Lee, chair of North Yorkshire Council’s health scrutiny panel, wrote to the government’s health and social committee in February with evidence over “extremely problematic” access to dentists.

A review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Lee said:

“Radical reform is absolutely needed. The solution lies in the management of dental services. Recruitment and retention remain difficult, and dentists themselves are frustrated with the service they can provide.

“The problem does not lie with recruiting dentists, the problem lies with a broken and dysfunctional dental contract with severe underfunding. Dentists themselves cannot rectify this and it is creating by default a two-tier system whereby those that can afford to go private do so and others struggle to access any kind of care.”

New street art café opens in Harrogate

A café serving sweet and savoury dishes has opened its doors in Harrogate – with street art covering its walls.

Salt N Sugar, on King’s Road, sells coffees and teas, sweet and savoury waffles, pancakes, and crepes, as well as traditional brunch dishes, such as eggs royale and breakfast sandwiches.

The café’s interior is less than traditional, however, as the walls are covered in graffiti – hand painted by owners Marina Prokoiosifi, 23, and Danjel Mulla, 24.

They moved from their hometown of Athens to Harrogate in search of a brighter future.

The pair explained that “everything is painted and vandalised” in Athens, so they chose to add street art to the walls of the café to bring a “taste of home”.

Ms Prokoiosifi told the Stray Ferret:

“We were surprised how little street art there is in Harrogate when we moved – it’s so normal for places to look like this is Greece.

“I began graffitiing at the age of nine and continued until I was 12. My friends and I would paint on school walls, parts of our town and even our walls at home.”

The dog-friendly cafe also operates as a co-working space for remote workers.

It hopes to begin delivering online takeaway orders in future.

The owners said:

“People got to know us over the last few months while we were preparing the unit and have since come into the café to show their support.

“We really look forward to welcoming the residents of Harrogate to our café.”

Salt N Sugar is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

Eight fire engines tackle blaze at former Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate

King’s Road in Harrogate was closed for several hours last night due to a fire at the former Kimberley Hotel.

Eight fire engines were called to the large site, which has been the subject of drugs and crime concerns lately.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said the incident happened at about 11pm.

The eyewitness, who lives and works nearby, said the road was closed until about 2.45am.

The cause of the fire and extent of damage. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Tadcaster, Northallerton, Skipton and Malton along with the aeriel ladder platform responded to reports of smoke issuing from a disused hotel.

“Crews used 20 breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, one main jet and lance, lighting, thermal imaging cameras, small tools, door enforcer, hydraulic spreaders, reciprocating saw, drills and a triple extension ladder to fight the fire.

“The fire caused 100% fire damage to the annex measuring 10m by 10m and caused 5% fire damage and 50% smoke damage to the main building.

“One crew is currently still in attendance. The cause is under investigation.”

“There’s nowehere like us this end of town”

“It’s close to town but you know everybody”

A positive impact

“People like to support independents”

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