Small independent businesses in Ripon are hoping to “blow the roof off” the city on Monday with an Easter bank holiday street party, organisers say.
From 10am to 4pm, the day will feature artisan sellers, street food and live music, all designed to raise the city’s profile as a thriving cultural centre.
The event will be part of the Totally Locally scheme and is supported by Ripon Business Improvement District (BID). All BID members will have £10 offers on the day.
The event, which will be centred on the south side of Market Place, has been organised by Richard Hughes, owner of Manchega, the Spanish tapas restaurant on Kirkgate, and Paul Page, owner of street food vendor Squid & Tonic.
Richard told the Stray Ferret:
“Grassroots independent businesses like ours are at the sharp end of interacting with visitors, and we want to work together to raise the level of what Ripon has to offer.
“Events like this really showcase the city and help to promote our great independent businesses. We’re looking to blow the roof off Ripon!”
Manchega and Squid & Tonic will be joined on Monday by food providers including The Portly Pig, Prima, Mario’s Restaurant 27, Syrian Street Food and Jaflong, which last month was named Bangladeshi Restaurant of the Year at the National Curry Awards.
The day’s soundtrack will be provided by a range of acts on two stages, including Time Machine, Knaresborough Vista Social Club, Jack & Amy, Mark Truelove, Freddie Cleary, Paul Astley, Ukrainian violinist Nadia Violin and Ripon’s own All For One Choir.
Richard said:
“We’re very excited. North Yorkshire Growth Hub have told us there are more independent businesses per head in Ripon than in any other town or city in the UK. We’re inviting the whole community to help us celebrate that.”
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Ripon prepares for a Bank Holiday weekend of free family entertainment
Ripon is preparing for another bank holiday weekend of free family-focused entertainment, featuring live music, fairground rides and a Spanish-flavoured fiesta.
Tomorrow (Saturday) a ferris wheel and Mini Miami ride will be among the attractions on Market Square from 12 noon until 8pm, as part of the last public event of the summer organised by Ripon City Council and financed through the parish precept.
From 7pm until 11pm music will take centre stage, with tribute acts performing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, before the Big Boyband Reunion provides a rousing end to the entertainment.
Popular tunes and ancient tradition will come together at 8.55pm when a member of the Ripon hornblower team sets the city watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.
The Easter street party in Kirkgate brought hundreds of visitors to the city
Bank Holiday Monday street party
As a follow-up to the highly-successful Easter Bank Holiday Monday street party held in Kirkgate, Ripon’s independent businesses have joined forces once more to arrange an event designed to draw visitors into the city and entertain local residents.
Kirkgate will close to traffic from 9am, for a day of entertainment running from 11am until 4pm and including buskers and on-street food and drink offers.
Between 5pm and 9.30pm, Minster Gardens will be transformed into a musical fiesta venue, with decorative lighting for a paella picnic among the trees.
The entertainment will be provided by Knaresborough Vista Social Club, Bailey Brown and virtuoso Ukrainian violinist Nadia.
There will be a horsebox bar and a pop-up paella restaurant supplied by Manchega Tapas Restauarant, whose owner, Richard Hughes, said:
“Ripon should be the destination for anyone visiting the north of England! It has everything to offer.”
He added:
“This whole event is an example of the local business community promoting a can-do attitude. It has been funded almost entirely by donations from local businesses and also by sponsorship from Voneus Broadband, along with ongoing administrative support from the Ripon BID, as part of the excellent Totally Locally initiative.”
Visitors brave showers to join Ripon street party
Today’s Totally Locally party in Ripon provided a taste of how Kirkgate could be utilised throughout the year if the street was permanently pedestrianised.
The event, which was organised by independent traders in the city with the backing of Ripon Business Improvement District, attracted hundreds of visitors.
Despite an unfavourable forecast, the day of sunshine and showers saw family groups and individuals arrive from 10am to listen to live music, purchase gifts and enjoy some alfresco dining, as cafes, restaurants and other retailers lined the street with their stalls, tables and chairs.
Performers included the Hyde Family Jam (main picture) the All for One Ripon band (pictured above) and the Knaresborough Vestal Social Club Band.
Richard Hughes, one of the event’s organisers and owner of Manchega Tapas Bar on Duck Hill, told the Stray Ferret:
“Independent businesses, not just in Kirkgate, but throughout the whole of Ripon, have made this happen.”
Mr Hughes, (pictured above, centre) with colleagues from the left: Tilly Whild, Brad Lucas and Felix Lees, added:
“It shows what Ripon could do by properly pedestrianising Kirkgate and enabling small businesses to work together to unlock the street’s full potential by making it a vehicle free area.”
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“It has been great to see how traders in Kirkgate and other parts of Ripon have collaborated to create such a tremendous community event under the Totally Locally banner and we hope that there will be many more to follow.”
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Kirkgate to close for Easter street party in Ripon
Live music, al fresco dining and entertainment will draw residents and visitors into central Ripon on Easter Monday.
The day of entertainment will see Kirkgate closed to traffic on April 10 from 10am to 4pm, allowing people to enjoy the party atmosphere and businesses to see the impact of pedestrianisation.
The street party will feature live music from Hyde Family Jam, as well as pop-up entertainers and street food from Jaflong Indian and Manchega’s tapas.
The event will be part of the new Totally Locally scheme being adopted by traders and Ripon Business Improvement District, designed to encourage people to spend with independent businesses in the city.
Promoting the event, the BID said:
“Totally Locally have calculated that if every adult in the population were to spend just £5 per week in local shops and businesses, that would contribute £13.5 billion per year to the local UK economy.
“If every adult in Ripon spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops that would result in an extra £3.1 million per year going into our local Ripon economy.
“Kirkgate is the heart of independent business. The street party on Easter Monday is a celebration of the ‘buy local’ movement.”
Independent businesses interested in getting involved in the event can contact Manchega.
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Stray Foodie: Manchega Tapas Y Vinos, Ripon
Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, Frances was impressed with Ripon’s Manchega Tapas Y Vinos.
A chance meeting at a local dinner we were producing resulted in catching up with a colleague I hadn’t seen for years who used to have a delightful small restaurant on Duck Hill in Ripon, of which he achieved great acclaim.
Reminded of past good times my friends and I revisited this part of the city on a dark November evening. We were looking for a tapas bar we had heard great reports of.
A small warm and vibrant frontage presented Manchega Tapas y Vinos. It was such a pleasure to come across a real, authentic Spanish Tapas Bar.
Manchega offers a warm welcome – and the exposed bricks have been signed by previous guests.
Immediately my friends and I felt the warmth of the hospitality offered as we entered. A charming young man greeted us and showed us to our comfortable table upstairs.
Surrounded by different wines, black boards of exciting authentic tapas dishes, bright coloured walls with Spanish hats and spoons on, exposed wall bricks signed by previous happy guests we ordered some great Rioja by the glass.
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A vivacious lady helped us with our choices and talked us through the specials.
One of my friends declared the environment ‘just like being on holiday’, and that indeed was the happy atmosphere.
Frances was impressed with the food on offer, including the paella (pictured right).
The vegetarian sharing platter we chose was a great dish to have in the centre of the table. It included artichoke hearts, grilled peppers, sun dried tomatoes, feta, rocket, olives and bread.
Pigs cheeks, spicy sausage, calamari and gambas were many of the other dishes that kept arriving for us that evening. All the dishes were well defined with the use of quality ingredients and balanced seasoning.
A magnificent paella that tasted just as paella should usually only found in Spain took centre stage!
Having fond memories of my first small restaurant, the effort and work that goes into producing good hospitality and great food is not for the faint hearted!
This small open plan kitchen in this rustic and charming restaurant-bar is an inspiration to what a dedicated family team can achieve, especially in these difficult times.
Star rating: 4.5. Ripon is lucky to have such a joyful place!
Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise Food at Daleside Nurseries, alongside fellow Michelin-starred chef Roger Olive and front of house manager John Tullett.