The Track and Sleeper pub in Knaresborough has won the award for best newcomer awarded by the Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA branch.

The pub opened on Knaresborough train station’s platform two in 2021.

Renovations to the building earned the pub an urban heritage award from the National Railway Heritage Award scheme. Now the Campaign for Real Ale, which promotes real ales and cider, has also recognised its efforts.

Alan Gould, chairman of Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA, praised father and son duo Phil and Cameron Paling for navigating difficult trading conditions.

Alan Gould (centre) presents the award.

Mr Gould said:

“The award recognises the risks taken in establishing a new business especially in hospitality but the bar must serve cask beer of a consistent good quality to be considered.

“A number of newer venues in the Harrogate area don’t meet that criterion as they don’t serve any cask beer.”

Phil runs the family’s Mexborough brewery while Cameron manages the bar as well as another pub in Swinton.

Mr Gould also alluded to the idea of a new Rail Ale Trail – when pubs across a certain train line create a pub crawl with participants travelling between the stops on a train.

He suggested a Leeds to York trail could be created as a number of pubs have now opened along this route. The Track and Sleeper would definitely be an important stop on this possible route.

CAMRA has also recently given a number of awards to other pubs in the area. These include: Major Toms for Cider Pub of the Year and Club of the Year going to the Oatlands.

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Police uncovered a farm of 500 cannabis plants during a raid at a disused pub near Harrogate at the weekend.

Officers swooped on the Star and Garter pub at Kirkby Overblow on the morning of Sunday, May 28, where they discovered the “large cannabis production farm”.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the plants were at various stages of growth, adding:

“Officers remained at the scene to recover the plants and drug production equipment and to allow crime scene investigators to examine the scene.

“The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.”

Villagers told the Stray Ferret that police were on site for more than 24 hours after the raid and were removing large numbers of plants from the building.

The pub closed several years ago and was boarded up last year.

Police were seen outside the Star and Garter pub from Sunday morning onwards.

Following the raid, North Yorkshire Police has urged people to report any suspicions of properties being used to grow cannabis.

As well as a strong, sweet smell of cannabis in the area, suspicious signs might include blacked out windows and blocked up vents, bright lights throughout the night, high levels of condensation on windows, noise from fans inside the building, and large amounts of rubbish including compost bags.

The police spokesperson added:

“We’re continuously tackling ‘cannabis farms’ – sophisticated set-ups in houses or other properties, used by organised crime gangs to produce several crops of cannabis over time.

“Cannabis production is extremely harmful to communities, and often used to fund criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and the distribution of other drugs including cocaine and heroin.

“Furthermore, the electricity supply may have been tampered with (to bypass the meter), creating a high risk of fire – which could spread to neighbouring properties.”

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Hotels, pubs, restaurants, care homes and communities are being called on to be part of a floral competition in Harrogate for the first time since before the pandemic.

Harrogate in Bloom (HIB) has launched its annual contest for businesses and community organisations this summer.

It will be the first time the competition has been run in full since 2019, after being called off in 2020.

HIB member Mary Mann, who helps to organise the competition, told the Stray Ferret:

“We couldn’t meet or go round to see the gardens during covid.

“We did a small competition last year, but we’re determined it’s going to get back to normal this year. We used to have masses of entries before covid.”

The competition has four categories: bars and restaurants, hotels and guesthouses, residential communities, and communal gardens.

The latter is aimed at public places such as churches which have outside space, while residential communities are often blocks of flats with communal gardens.

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The size of the garden is not important in any of the categories – the judges will be looking at the way the space is maintained and the use of flowers, including those in containers.

Each entrant will be judged against RHS criteria and given an award for the standard it achieves, from a certificate of merit up to a gold award. A winner will be announced in each category in September.

Judging will be carried out by Chris Beard and Roger Brownbridge, both experienced Yorkshire in Bloom and Harrogate in Bloom judges.

To find out more about the competition, or enter by the deadline of June 30, click here.

Meanwhile, Harrogate is also gearing up for judging in the regional Yorkshire in Bloom contest.

Members of HIB and other organisations have been working hard to ensure the town is shown off at its best over the summer, maintaining its long tradition of success in floral competitions.

Harrogate BID, meanwhile, has been selected for Britain in Bloom after winning gold in last year’s Yorkshire Contest. The business organisation will be supported by members of HIB to prepare for judging.

A Harrogate publican told to remove the chairs and tables outside his pub to make way for a cycle path says he feels he is “being punished” by the council’s “unreasonable” demands. 

Charlie Tinker, who owns Charlie’s Place on Otley Road, was sent a letter in March from North Yorkshire County Council saying that the pavement in front of his pub “is now a shared footway/cycleway and as such the full width of the footway is required”. It goes on to demand that he “remove all furniture, heaters and A-boards” from the space outside the pub’s front door. 

Mr Tinker, who has owned Charlie’s Place for 19 years, has complied with the letter but said: 

“It’s not easy for publicans – we’re still trying to recover from the covid lockdowns. The last thing we need is the council making things even more difficult for us.

“With the warmer weather coming, this is going to cost me income. I feel like I’m being punished. 

“What the council is demanding is unreasonable. Just down the road, there’s a council bench and a council bin, both closer to the kerb than anything I’ve put out. It’s one rule for them and another rule for the rest of us.” 

Mr Tinker said he accepted there needs to be a cycle path, but does not believe it should require the whole pavement. He said: 

“The section of dedicated cycle path that they’ve purpose-built just up the road is 5ft 2in (159cm) across, but the council wants the full 11ft 9in (358cm) outside my pub.

“Even if you take into account extra space for, say, a double buggy alongside the cycle path, I should still have enough space for a couple of small tables and some chairs. There should be give and take.” 

Charlie Tinker has owned Charlie’s Place for 19 years.

According to the Department of Transport’s guidance published in 2020, the desirable width of a one-way cycle route with a peak flow of fewer than 200 cyclists per hour, as is the case on Otley Road, is 1.5 metres (4ft 11in) – considerably less than half the width of the pavement outside Charlie’s Place.

North Yorkshire Council, which took over the responsibilities of North Yorkshire County Council on April 1, told the Stray Ferret there was no formal street café licence or pavement licence in place, and said there was not enough width to accommodate pedestrians, tables and chairs, adding “this was the case before the Otley Road cycleway was introduced”.

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager, said:

“Independent businesses are at the heart of our communities, and we do everything we can to support them. We recognise the importance of outdoor space for the hospitality sector, particularly in recent years when Covid-19 restricted indoor dining.

“In Harrogate and Knaresborough alone, we have around 16 approved street café licences and have worked with 65 businesses since the pandemic to support and introduce pavement licences alongside the former borough council.

“In all cases, the safety of those using the pavements and roads should take priority. Unfortunately, there are pavements which aren’t wide enough to facilitate outdoor seating, and we will always work with these businesses to find possible solutions.”

However, Mr Tinker insisted a small amount of space could, and should, be reserved in front of his premises for customers – just as it has been, albeit unofficially, for the the last two decades. He said without it, there was a serious danger that one of his customers could be injured by a speeding cyclist. He said: 

“Cyclists coming down this hill can really pick up speed, and having the cycle lane so close to our front door is dangerous. There’s no buffer for the customer – they’re walking straight into it. Someone could easily come out of our pub straight into the path of a speeding cyclist – it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”

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Planning permission to convert a Bishop Monkton pub to residential use has finally been granted on appeal – just days after one of the applicants died. 

Landlords Trevor and Carol Pawson had spent three years trying to get permission to create five new homes from the Lamb & Flag Inn, but Mr Pawson died on March 25. The couple’s appeal was approved on April 5, the day before his funeral. 

Mrs Pawson told The Stray Ferret she intended to press ahead with development work, but did not yet know when it might start. She said:  

“We won, so I’ll carry on, but for the time being I’m just taking one day at a time.”

Mr and Ms Pawson bought the Lamb & Flag Inn 30 years ago and ran it as a village pub until declining trade and ill-health forced them to close it permanently at the start of the covid pandemic in 2020. 

In the autumn of that year, they applied for planning permission to create five new dwellings – two from the conversion of the pub, one from the conversion of some holiday lets in an outbuilding, and two to be built in the pub car-park.  

They withdrew that application a few months later, but reapplied in April 2021, only to be turned down. Harrogate Borough Council planning officers refused the application on the grounds that “insufficient marketing” had been done to demonstrate that the pub could not be used for community use. 

The Pawsons appealed, providing evidence of marketing, leading planning officer Paul Cooper to conclude that there was “no compelling evidence that operation of the facility would be financially viable”. 

In his decision, Mr Cooper added: 

“The proposed dwellings would have a neutral effect on the conservation area and not […] be harmful by their design or impact on the landscape or settlement as a whole.” 

The Lamb & Flag dates back at least to the 1830s and was at one time one of seven pubs in the Bishop Monkton parish. Only one now remains – the Masons Arms, which still opens five days a week. 

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A new pub is set to open in Starbeck tomorrow with the aim of bringing back a “community feel” to the area.

The Office Ale House, which is based on High Street, will be open from midday to 9pm, seven days a week.

Kevin Jones, owner, told the Stray Ferret that he came up with the idea for the pub after finding he had nowhere to go for a pint after working from home in Starbeck during covid.

He said:

“I wanted somewhere to go for a pint and a chat after work and there was just nowhere that suited me.

“I wanted something with a community feel.”

He added that part of the reason for the name was to create that “after work pint” place that he wanted.

Mr Jones, who now lives in Knaresborough, secured planning permission and licensing for the vacant unit on the High Street in the last year.

Inside the Office Ale House in Starbeck.

With the help of Pete Valentine, owner of Yorkshire Bespoke Renovations, the project was complete within four-and-a-half weeks.

It includes an array of seating and tables, bar stools, USB charging points and speaker system.

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Part of the inspiration was also to create somewhere that both Mr Jones and his partner would feel comfortable going in for a drink.

Mr Jones said:

“It is a comfortable place. It’s somewhere where you feel comfortable walking in. You don’t want to feel intimidated walking in.

“It makes no difference if you are having a pint or a coke.”

The bar area inside the new Starbeck pub.

The pub, which is dog friendly, will offer drinks from a range of local breweries including Roosters, Daleside and Turning Point.

There will also be musicians performing, starting with Christopher Taylor playing an acoustic set this weekend.

The Office Ale House in Starbeck will open tomorrow, Friday, April 7, at midday.

The MP for Ripon has backed a campaign to raise £250,000 for villagers to buy a Skelton-on-Ure pub.

The Black Lion, on Skelton Lane close to Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns.

However since then it has stood derelict, leaving locals questioning its future.

After the pub was put up for sale, residents called on people to pledge to buy a share in the pub in order to raise funds to buy it and revitalise it.

Now, Julian Smith, Ripon and Skipon MP, has backed the campaign after meeting with villagers aiming to buy the pub.

Sandy Delf, one of the residents involved in the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub group, said:

“Potential is fantastic for this venue. The village is shared with Newby Hall and is in an ideal position between the Dales, York and North Yorkshire Moors. The pub is on an ideal cycling route and so the opportunities are endless.

“The target is within sight and so the group are wanting to attract new pledgees and also ask existing pledgees to think about increasing their pledge amount.”

Great to visit Skelton-on-Ure and meet the Community Benefit Team trying to save the @blacklionpubhub– an Asset of Community Value. The group is collecting pledges to be able to re-open the pub, more info here, https://t.co/ECPKsoFeae pic.twitter.com/Z3iouStHq6

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) April 3, 2023

The group has currently raised £160,000 towards its £250,000 target.

The group, which has received support from rural community charity the Plunkett Foundation, aims to reach the goal in order to access government match funding as part of the community ownership fund.

Shares in the pub cost £250 each and are open to people and businesses to submit an expression of interest.

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The pub was recently listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council, which gives the group a six-month window to raise cash.

For more information on how to pledge a share in the pub, visit the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub website here.

The Sawley Arms near Ripon has been granted planning permission for a café and shop to be added onto the site.

The plans, submitted by Leeds-based NJ-Architects, were approved by Harrogate Borough Council last week.

The building will be extended to create a village shop and coffee shop, and the current conservatory will be replaced with a new seating area.

The shop will include household essentials, as well as fresh morning goods and takeaway sandwiches.

The deli-style shop will feature ready-to-go food which can be reheated at home, and a coffee shop will also be added.

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The plans will create new jobs roles for the local community.

Steve Harryman, project manager of The Sawley Arms, said:

“We wanted to expand the number of covers and create more space for our guests.

“The plans will increase the viability of the pub.”

The proposals have been under discussion for eight years and are finally coming to fruition. The pub said Sawley is “a delicate area for development, as it is part of an AONB”.

The completion date is not yet certain and “depends on builder availability”, Mr Harryman said.

The sketch outlines the hopes for the pub’s transformation

He added:

“This is a great opportunity to expand the pub’s offerings to the local community. Those in nearby accommodation will be able to pick something up from us for convenience.

“It is great the locals are supportive of the pub, so we would like to give something back.”

The Sawley Arms currently offers all-day dining, as well as on-site accommodation for guests.

A Harrogate pub is hosting free Pancake Day fun tomorrow that gives people the chance to earn the title of ‘fastest flipper in town’.

The Fat Badger will provide pans and pancake mixes and anyone who turns up between 9.30am and 4pm is welcome to make their own treats and then see how quickly they can complete the course.

The event is being held in the pub’s beer garden on Cold Bath Road, adjacent to the footpath so people walking past can see it.

There is no charge to enter and the winner will receive Sunday lunch for two people, including a bottle of wine, at the Fat Badger.

Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, which owns the Fat Badger, said:

“The rules are simple; it’ll be against the clock and each person will need to make a regular size pancake and successfully flip it twice to be entered.

“One go per person but everyone can enter for free as it’s just for fun and community engagement.”

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A petition has been set up after a Masham pub started accepting card only payments.

The King’s Head, which is run by Greene King, has gone “cashless” as part of a trial led by the brewery.

However, punters at the pub have argued that the move has put off some customers who may only carry cash.

Arthur Plumpton told the Stray Ferret that he set up the petition because local customers had stopped going to the pub as they do not possess or use cards.

He said:

“Greene King have introduced this, supposedly as a trial. Many locals do not use cards.

“They have cash they want to spend cash. Some do not even have a card. Greene King seem to forget that Masham is a rural town with many cash based businesses.

“Due to rising prices, many people use cash to budget and keep a check on spending.”

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Mr Plumpton added that many customers had only been informed a few days before it was implemented and that some believe a decision to go cashless “has already been made”.

Greene King told the Stray Ferret that a “small number” of pubs, which includes the King’s Head, had been chosen to trial card only payments as “a significant majority of payments are already by card”.

The company added that going “cashless” would allow it to provide a more efficient service.

A spokesperson for the King’s Head said: 

“We’re trialling card-only payments at the moment, as nine out of every ten payments made in our pub before our trial were by card already. 

“Going cashless entirely helps to reduce the amount of cash we need to secure at the pub, and means less time spent cashing up, helping us provide a more efficient service for our customers.

“With fewer banking facilities in our communities as well this can make securely and efficiently managing cash more difficult. This is just a trial at this stage and we are learning new things every day so people’s feedback is much appreciated.”