Sneak Peek: Starling shows off new spacious bar after major renovation

Harrogate’s Starling Independent Bar Cafe and Kitchen has been showing off it’s impressive new space this week following a major renovation.

The restaurant and bar on Oxford Street serves craft beer, hot drinks and pizza, as well as a brunch menu.

The venue, which launched in 2017, now boasts a ground floor three times the size after expanding into the former TSB bank next door.

The refurbishment, which was completed in just three weeks, offers a more fully accessible space and a more vibrant bar atmosphere.

Dan Howard, general manager, said:

“The main idea was we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. We didn’t consider the concept broken. We just wanted to expand on what we were offering already.

“We offer a great service and a great selection of products that people already liked. We definitely didn’t want to break that.

“We wanted to make sure people who come to Starling already would enjoy what we have done with it and that it would attract a new crowd as well.

“During a testing time in hospitality, we’ve managed to push through with the refurb and now it’s onwards and upwards.”

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Mr Howard said the increased capacity would also allow the upstairs area to be used more.

He said:

“We are looking at putting football on up there. We already get quite a lot of bookings for functions and we now have the space available to allow those to happen more frequently.”

Starling, which is owned by Simon Midgley, will still offer full table service during the day. This will continue upstairs, however from 3pm the new downstairs area will operate as bar service only.

Mr Howard said:

“We are hoping that will just create a bit more of a social environment. It will just create a bit more of a bar vibe on an evening and really get the place buzzing. We will still be offering the same great service we always have done.

“We have got much more of a presence on the street now and when you look in you can see what we’ve got to offer.”

Starling is also well known for its charity quiz nights, with ‘Dan’s Questionable Quiz’, returning this Sunday.

The quiz raises money for the Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity and will now be held in the downstairs bar area.

Sneak peek: New Harrogate grill and bar opens this weekend

A new restaurant is opening in Harrogate this weekend with a special set list of musicians and DJs to entertain diners.

HG1 Grill and World Bar opens its doors for the first time at 4pm tomorrow. To celebrate the launch, the venue will be offering 50% off food until Sunday, November 27 which has been extended to thank its diners.

There will be limited spaces available as the restaurant looks to improve with feedback from customers during its initial, soft launch.

The 80-seat independent restaurant with a cocktail bar and terrace replaces the building formerly occupied by Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre on Cheltenham Crescent.

Jas Gill, the owner, told the Stray Ferret:

“People are going to have a great time here. We’ve got a great team here, who are all passionate about food and are fully on board with our vision.”

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Jerome Lacheure, general manager, said:

“Everything is on track, I am really looking forward to it. Very excited, very nervous. A mixture of emotion. We’ve put a lot of work into the place during the last few busy weeks.

“It’s not just about the food or drink. We are here to provide a full evening for our customers and the music offering is going to form a big part of that.”

The menu will change with the seasons. Currently there is a range of dishes on offer from grilled whole fish to beef tataki, burgers and a vegetarian choices like ginger and chilli tofu stir-fry.

The drinks list will also be ever-adapting, focusing on new trends from across the world. There will also be plenty of the classics and local tipples to enjoy too.

Bookings are now open and can be made by clicking or tapping here.

Pic shows: Staff outside the venue, including head chef (centre right) Javier Oitana, general manager (first in from the right) Jerome Lacheure and bar manager (right) Joe Oliver.

New Harrogate restaurant offering live music to replace Samsons

A new restaurant offering live music is set to open in the Harrogate building formerly occupied by Samsons.

Samsons opened in the former home of Le Bistrot Pierre in Town Centre House on Cheltenham Crescent in March.

But it proved a short-lived venture, closing just months later.

Now signs advertising HG1 Grill and World Bar have gone up on the building.

The Stray Ferret understands the spacious restaurant will offer a seasonal menu featuring Mediterranean cuisine and seafood.

There will also be live music and a cocktail bar.

An opening date has yet to be announced but it is expected to be within days or weeks rather than months

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HG1 grill restaurant

Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes

Catch Seafood, which bought the former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant in Harrogate, has closed.

A spokesman for the company confirmed today all five Catch restaurants had ceased trading and the company had gone into administration, with the loss of 60 jobs.

It is the third major blow for Harrogate’s hospitality sector in a matter of days, with Samsons restaurant and restaurant and cocktail bar 63rd+1st also closing.

Catch bought Graveley’s in 2019 and reopened the restaurant on Cheltenham Parade in April last year after a £250,000 refurbishment.

Changing such a well known name was controversial.

Many people made a beeline for Graveley’s on trips to Harrogate, with former chat show host Michael Parkinson once describing his perfect day as watching Joe Root score a century in an Ashes Test at Headingley followed by a big plate of fish and chips at Graveley’s.

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A Catch spokeswoman said at the time the restaurant reopened.

“Graveley’s is an institution in Harrogate so we appreciate it is going to be a big thing to change the name.”

The new venue boasted a champagne and oyster bat as well as cocktails. But 18 months on it has served its last customer.

Catch also had fish and chip restaurants in Holmfirth, West Vale, Headingley and Street Lane.

The spokesman for the company said today he had been advised not to comment until the liquidation process was underway.

 

 

New owners prepare to open cafe at Millstones on A59 near Harrogate

A landmark restaurant on a major road near Harrogate will reopen under new ownership this autumn.

The former Millstones restaurant on the A59 near Kettlesing has been bought by Mark and Teresa Trickett, who have already begun work on the site.

As well as renovating the accommodation to create a family home, they are transforming the restaurant into a large cafe, with new kitchen, toilets and more.

It will be known as the Outside Inn, but the site will continue to be known as Millstones in recognition of its history.

Mark said:

“It’s a behemoth of a coffee shop. Most days we’ve been working until two in the morning for the last six weeks.

“What we’re doing to it reflects our personality: it’s not on trend, it’s just us – an eclectic mix that we like.

“I’m hoping when we open the doors people will say they like it and they will come back for another cup of tea.”

The couple have run a motorhome business for the last few years. However, they were looking for a new site after struggling to get the right permissions to operate the business from their home, just half a mile from Millstones.

Mark approached the former owner of Millstones, which was on the market, and the sale completed in July. The couple got straight to work with their plans for the site.

Aiming to be as sustainable as possible, they are re-using as many of the fittings as possible, such as repurposing skirting boards to create a counter in the ladies’ toilets.

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Millstones was well-known over many years for catering for large groups, from local organisations to coach trips passing by on the A59.

More recently, it had begun offering fish and chips, and had added a farm shop. However, Mark and Teresa plan to simplify what the venue offers and ensure it is good value, with Teresa drawing on her previous experience in the catering industry.

The couple said they hope to open the doors in the next few weeks. They have a clear vision of what they want the business to offer, as Mark explained:

“We’ll have a bit of retail but not a farm shop with veg and a butcher. If you’re trying to integrate into a community, you don’t want to tread on toes, and there are three or four farm shops around here already.

“The one thing Millstones did excel at was the Sunday carvery. We’re trying to reignite that for this side of Harrogate.

“We’re very nervous, because of the way things are going with the economy, but we’re excited because we feel we’ve got something where people would genuinely want to come.

“It’s my wife’s baby. She wanted somewhere that people could come and have value. If people can come here and have tea and cake for £5, £6, £7, and it’s good, they can walk out of here thinking, ‘that wasn’t half bad’.”

Frustration over delays to new Harrogate steakhouse

The team behind a steakhouse which was set to move into an empty Harrogate restaurant almost six months ago, have spoken of their frustration over the delay.

Last November, Tomahawk Steakhouse revealed it was planning to move into the former Solita Food Hall. 

It was set to open in April, but the unit on Parliament Street, which was also formerly Jamie’s Italian, has remained empty.

A spokesman for Tomahawk told the Stray Ferret:

“At the moment Tomahawk are tied up with legalities that have unfortunately been completely out of our control.

“We were all prepared and ready to go, but with liquidators from the previous owners comes a lot of red tape. We have had to sit on the sidelines whilst it gets thrashed out between the relevant parties.

“It is a shame because we would love to get going with everything and get open, but it’s completely out of our hands.

“So if the people of Harrogate are wondering what is going on with the venue, we are in exactly the same boat.

“We are, however, hoping this will draw to a close very soon and are waiting for information due to come our way anytime over the next few days.”

The steakhouse had initially planned to move into the empty Bistrot Pierre unit on Cheltenham Parade in January, before deciding to change its location to Solita Food Hall’s space.

Instead Samsons brasserie and bar moved into the Cheltenham Parade site in March. However it is currently shut “for essential works”, according to a spokesperson for the restaurant.

Tomahawk Steakhouse has restaurants in a number of locations, including Chester, York and Newcastle.

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Harrogate’s Hustle & Co renamed as new owner takes over

The owners of Hustle & Co have thanked their customers after announcing that a new owner will be taking over the business today.

Nici Routledge and Jo Bradshaw launched the healthy cafe and restaurant on Harrogate’s prestigious Prince Albert Row in December 2020.

However, it was put up for sale this year to allow the best friends and business partners to explore other projects and new opportunities.

This week they revealed that the venue was now under new ownership and would be renamed Jesper’s Bar and Kitchen, with the new owner starting work today.

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Ms Bradshaw stressed that the staff and menu would remain the same and it would be “business as usual”.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We feel we found the perfect fit to move our business forward. We wanted to find someone who shared a similar ethos. It’s business as usual at least for now.

“The chefs and the staff are the same and the dishes are the same, so it is the same food and drink and excellent service that customers are used to.”

The owners of Hustle & Co, Nici Routledge (left) and Jo Bradshaw.

Ms Bradshaw said both she and Ms Routledge would miss their loyal customers.

She said:

“Many of them are now friends. But we are looking forward to a drink with them on the other side of the bar.

“Congratulations to Jesper and his family. We wish them every success for the future. Jesper has years of experience in the hospitality industry.

“We are super excited about our future plans. It’s the right time to hand over the reins and move on. Watch this space, there are great things to come.”

London restaurant defends legal challenge to Harrogate’s Frog

A Michelin-starred eatery in London has defended issuing a legal challenge to a new Harrogate bar and restaurant that forced it to give up the name Frog.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that Frog on King’s Road has changed its name to Lilypad after a challenge by the Adam Handling Restaurant Group, which owns the Frog trademark.

The news came as a personal blow to owners Charlie Moorby and Tom Moxham as they named the Harrogate bar and restaurant after their favourite amphibian.

It prompted a debate on social media about whether the legal challenge was fair.

Some felt the London-based business was well within its rights to protect its intellectual property but others thought that a business 200 miles away posed little threat and should be left alone.

Frog By Adam Handling Restaurant Covent Garden received its first Michelin star this year. Award-winning chef Adam Handling said he gave it that name because “frogs live in water, so they are either going to sink or swim”.

A spokesperson for company sent us a statement that expressed some sympathy for the Harrogate restaurant but said the name Frog is “very valuable and important to us”.

The Adam Handling Restaurant Group also owns three other restaurants and the spokesperson said some diners had incorrectly believed the chef had opened a new restaurant in Harrogate.

“The Adam Handling Restaurant Group has been in touch with Frog Harrogate because its choice of name conflicts with our earlier rights and has caused confusion amongst many of our diners and within the hospitality industry, as they thought that we had opened a new restaurant in Harrogate.

“The directors of Frog Harrogate have responded and we anticipate resolving matters amicably soon.

“Our Frog name is very valuable and important to us, to our existing restaurant group and to our expansion plans. We have no choice but to protect it from both deliberate and accidental conflicts.”

The spokesperson warned other fledgling businesses to undertake due diligence on intellectual property before opening.

“If you don’t protect and enforce your trademark against these types of conflicts, you become exposed and could lose your rights.

“We appreciate that these conflicts can be accidental but, in this instance, Frog Harrogate have advised that they were actually aware of our name. We urge new business owners to conduct the relevant due diligence through the IPO website as unfortunate situations like this can become costly for both parties.”

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Harrogate’s Frog restaurant forced to change name after legal challenge

Frog bar and restaurant on King’s Road will change its name to Lilypad after a legal challenge from a London restaurant with a similar name.

Frog opened in April by friends Charlie Moorby and Tom Moxham to rave reviews.

The area is not known as a foodie hotspot but they have hopes it could help turn King’s Road into a destination hub.

But around a month ago they received legal contact on behalf of Michelin-starred Frog by Adam Handling Restaurant Covent Garden, which said the Harrogate eatery had used its trademark.

The news came as a personal blow to the owners as they named the bar and restaurant after their favourite amphibian and there are around 70 images of frogs around venue. Mr Moorby told the Stray Ferret:

“Frustrating is one way to put it. We named it Frog because of personal connections.”

He said they were aware the London restaurant owned a trademark on the name ‘Frog’ before they opened, but said: “we did not think we would be perceived as a worry or would be confused with themselves.”

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Whilst the owners will shortly be removing all signs with the name Frog, Mr Moorby says the new name, Lilypad, retains the DNA of its former title.

He assured customers that nothing about the restaurant will change, except the name.

Mr Moorby added:

“We’re a fledgling business so it wasn’t welcome, but we’ll take the challenge on and roll with the punches.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Frog By Adam Handling Group for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.

Sneak peek at Harrogate’s new Cosy Club

Cosy Club is set to open the doors to its latest bar and restaurant in Harrogate today – so we went for a sneak peek.

The new venue is designed to bring “relaxed dining and drinking with a touch of timeless glamour” to Cambridge Street.

Cosy Club Harrogate has an arts and crafts feel with wallpaper originally designed in 1895.

Diners will find handmade table lamps throughout the restaurant and an eyecatching bar with bespoke, handmade stained-glass.

The all-day menus will include “fresh and modern classics” with “extensive brunch, gluten free and vegan options”.

The venue had a special opening evening last night.

Loungers Ltd runs the Cosy Club and Lounge brands. As of March 2022 the company operated 193 sites in England and Wales, including Claro Lounge in Ripon.

Amber Wood, managing director at Loungers Ltd, said ahead of the opening that Harrogate “has been a target of ours for some time”. She added:

“Our new restaurant offers a very strong location, linking the main retail and leisure pitches within the town. The externals of this historic building have been extensively renovated by our landlord, Broadland Properties.”

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Loungers Ltd was founded by a trio of friends from Bristol: Dave Reid, Alex Reilley and Jake Bishop.

They opened their first first venue in Bristol in 2002 and then opened the first Cosy Club in Taunton eight years later. They set up the separate Cosy Club brand to cater for larger sites.

More photos from inside the Cosy Club