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

Extension to be built on former Ali Raj restaurant in Harrogate

Plans to build an extension at the back of the former Ali Raj restaurant on Cheltenham Crescent have been approved by Harrogate Borough Council.

The plans were submitted by the owners of the building, who also own the pub downstairs, The Little Ale House.

Richard Park and his wife Danni opened The Little Ale House in 2016 to recreate a rustic country pub atmosphere in the town centre.

The Ali Raj was a longstanding Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Harrogate that closed in 2021. It was the first Bangladeshi restaurant in town when it opened more than 35 years ago.

A change of use application was approved in February to turn the restaurant into a bar.

The latest plans will create improved back-of-house and toilet facilities and a roof terrace to increase seating capacity.

Mr Park told the Stray Ferret that building work is set to begin next summer when he will say which business will use the space.

He stressed the new venue will not be an extension of the Little Ale House, which will remain a separate business downstairs.

A CGI image of how the extension will look

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Fashion-inspired Harrogate restaurant reopens

A Harrogate restaurant inspired by fashion styles and food trends from around the world has reopened.

Fashion House, which was previously called Fashion House Bistro, has undergone a major refurbishment.

The restaurant on Swan Road is the concept of fashion photographer David Dresser and Leeds-based businessman Joel Feldman.

Fashion House

The kitchen will be run by Peruvian head chef Erika Ramos, who will be serving up dishes from her home country with an Italian twist.

Fashion House hosted a garden party to celebrate reopening this week.

A spokesperson for the restaurant said:

“From London to LA, Italy to Barcelona, this new restaurant has taken inspiration from fashion styles and food trends across the globe and streamlined it together to create Fashion House in Harrogate.”

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Bambudda restaurant in Ripon to close

Asian restaurant Bambudda in Ripon is to close this month.

The eatery on Kirkgate posted a message on its Facebook page this afternoon to say that it will shut its doors for the last time on July 11.

Opening in 2017, Bambudda built a name for itself in the city for offering quality Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai food.

The message said:

 “We are very grateful for your support in last few years. Thank you for all lovely messages, all the amazing staffs in Ripon Team”.

The message added that anyone who has vouchers at the restaurant is able to use them at its Darlington restaurant, which will remain open.

Bambudda is one of Ripon’s most popular restaurants and the post this afternoon prompted a flurry of responses from Riponians who enjoyed eating there.

The comments included ‘Big loss for Ripon, been a few times and always been excellent food and service’ and ‘Thank you for all the support you gave me providing food for the elderly and vulnerable during lockdown — was appreciated by many in Ripon’.

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Harrogate’s Leon drive-thru to open on Friday

Harrogate’s Leon drive-thru restaurant on Wetherby Road will open on Friday from 7am.

The Mediterranean-inspired fast food chain will be open daily from 7am to 10pm, except Sundays when it will be open from 8am to 10pm. It will have 70 covers, including some outdoor seating.

The restaurant has created 20 jobs and will feature digital kiosks.

Alex Parkinson, a Harrogate local who was originally hired by Leon as the assistant general manager at the firm’s Gildersome drive-thru, is leading the team.

The company describes itself as being good for the environment and its menu includes “carbon neutral” burgers, rice boxes, breakfast muffins, egg pots and cakes.

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The opening will end a saga that has gone back several years.

Originally, a Starbucks coffee drive-thru was planned for the site but it was refused by Harrogate Borough Council only for the decision to be overturned by a government inspector.

Concerns remain from residents who live near the site on how the drive-thru will affect traffic on the busy Wetherby Road.

Leon was bought by Blackburn billionaires the Issa brothers in 2021.

Glenn Edwards, Leon’s managing director said:

“Since opening our first drive-thru restaurant last year, we have been eager to grow this style of restaurant in order to  bring Leon to more guests and allow them to experience Leon while on the go – something that aligns with our mission to bring naturally fast food that tastes good, does you good and is kind to the planet.

“Our opening in Harrogate is a massive achievement across all fronts.”

Leon set to confirm Harrogate opening date for early July

A new fast food drive-through restaurant is set to open in Harrogate early next month.

Leon will welcome customers from “early July” to its new Wetherby Road premises, though it has not yet confirmed an exact date.

New manager Alex Parkinson said a 17-strong team is already in training and she is hoping to add three more to that number. She said:

“I love working for Leon as I love the real sense of family within the teams we create – every store I visit has its own family dynamic but you are always made to feel welcome and at home.

“I enjoy the challenge of being a general manager, but my favourite thing about the role and Leon is developing people and watching people grow. Watching my team grow and develop during training has been my favourite part of Leon so far.”

The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant will be open daily from 7am to 10pm, except Sundays when it opens at 8am. It will have a total of 70 covers, including some outdoor seating.

Its menu includes “carbon neutral” burgers, rice boxes, breakfast muffins, egg pots and cakes.

The company has built its reputation on being good for the environment as well as for people – something which is not normally associated with fast food.

Alex, 28, trained with the company in London and helped to open its first drive-through in Gildersome, Leeds. She said she believes Harrogate is ready to welcome a new take on the fast food concept:

“I think it’s something different in the community, fast food that’s good for your gut and a place to come and sit with friends or family…

“We are mindful of our environmental impact in everything we do which is why we have put a number of processes in place to ensure our drive-through [restaurants] do as little damage as possible.”

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The arrival of Leon has proved controversial from the start, long before it was built.

Planning permission was eventually given after the application was initially rejected by Harrogate Borough Council, only for the developer to launch a successful appeal.

It was initially expected to be a drive-through Starbucks, but it was confirmed in March, after construction had begun, that it would instead be a Leon, another brand owned by Euro Garages.

The following month, developers were ordered to remove an 8m advertising sign outside the restaurant which had been erected before planning permission was granted.

However, Alex said now the construction work is complete, she is looking forward to welcoming customers inside.

“I am so excited to launch Leon in Harrogate – it’s probably one of my greatest accomplishments of my career, opening a store as a general manager.

“I could not have done it without the help of my team; they are absolutely amazing.”