Help at hand for families struggling to put food on the table in Harrogate and KnaresboroughConcert and family fun day to be held by Harrogate charityFinancial woes force Harrogate café to close

A café set up to reduce food waste, loneliness and food poverty in Harrogate has been forced to close due to financial pressures. 

Resurrected Bites’ Give As You Can café has been held at St Paul’s United Reformed Church in Harrogate on Wednesdays, but low footfall and high costs have made it unviable. 

Michelle Hayes, director and founder of Resurrected Bites, told the Stray Ferret: 

“We’re making such a loss that we’re getting to the point where we can’t cover staff wages. We can’t sustain it.” 

Resurrected Bites also runs a community groceries scheme with bases in Harrogate and Knaresborough for people in food poverty, as well as two other cafés, at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough on Fridays and at Killinghall Methodist Church on Thursdays, which she said are still doing well. 

Resurrected Bites’ expenditure for the first three months of this financial year varied between £15,000 and £17,000 per month, resulting in a shortfall of £8,000 to £10,000 to be made up from grants or fundraising. 

To help stabilise the organisation, Ms Hayes has split it, with the Resurrected Bites charity as the main fundraising body covering the community groceries and environmental aspects of preventing food waste. As a charity, any donations are eligible for Gift Aid, boosting them by 25%. 

But the cafés are not eligible for charitable status because there are no restrictions on who may provide custom. 

Ms Hayes said: 

“Charitable status would restrict us to only serving people who are lonely or in food poverty. We feel that our existing model of focusing on the environmental aspects of food waste enables us to support people who are in food poverty or are lonely without stigmatising them.

“Legally, the charity cannot support the shortfall in finances for the community interest company, and so we have to ensure the cafés raise enough revenue to cover their costs.

“That’s why we had to make the very difficult decision to close the Harrogate café whilst we consider how we can generate more income to cover its costs.

“We’re hoping that it’s temporary. We may be able to find a new venue with a bigger space so that we can get more people through, and attract a wider range of customers who can pay more.

“Once we get through this rough patch, I think we’ll be alright.”

Photo: The Killinghall Methodist Church cafe run by Resurrected Bites remains open.

Read more:

Resurrected Bites founder thanks Stray Ferret readers for ‘godsend’ employee

An employee hired using money raised by last year’s Stray Ferret Christmas campaign has been a “godsend”, the founder of Resurrected Bites has said. 

Michelle Hayes said the £30,000 raised by the Stray Ferret’s campaign was more than expected and a “massive bonus”, enabling the charity to take on ex-military man Chris Lidgitt. She said Chris had helped to bring a dose of order and professionalism to operations since joining in April. 

Michelle, who set up the charity in 2018 to combat food poverty in the Harrogate district, said: 

“I was covering more roles than I could reasonably do, so the time had come when we needed to employ an operations manager. Chris came at just the right time – he’s been a godsend. 

“I’d just like to say a huge thank-you to Stray Ferret readers for all the support they’ve given us – not just for the money, but also for the opportunity to showcase how it is for people living in food poverty. It shouldn’t be hidden away – we should be talking about it.” 

Chris previously had a farm shop, and before that ran hotels and pubs, but it was his time in the army that arguably made the greatest impression on him.  

He spent four-and-a-half years as a soldier in the Life Guards, which is part of the Household Cavalry. He said: 

“I loved it, but then I stupidly said I could play the trumpet, so that’s what I did!” 

He played at numerous state occasions, including the State Opening of Parliament, and even played on the Champs Elysées in Paris for France’s Bastille Day celebrations. 

Chris’s role as operations manager for Resurrected Bites is a far cry from playing for presidents, but he says it’s not an easier job. He said: 

“It’s been quite hands-on over the last six months – a baptism of fire. I’ve done everything: worked in the warehouse, in both groceries, and in the kitchen as a chef – just making sure everything is operationally working to a high standard. 

“It’s been a real eye-opener. We live in such an affluent town that you wouldn’t think there’d be so many people in need, but there really are. Hearing the stories of some of the people who use our services can be heart-breaking, but this is a damn sight more rewarding than anything else I’ve ever done.” 

Tackling food poverty in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Michelle set up Resurrected Bites with the aim of reducing food waste, loneliness and food poverty in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

It now runs Give As You Can cafés and shops at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough on Fridays, at St Paul’s United Reformed Church in Harrogate on Wednesdays, and at Killinghall Methodist Church on Thursdays. These are open to everyone and visitors are simply asked to pay whatever they feel the food is worth or what they can afford.

The charity also runs a community groceries scheme with bases in Harrogate and Knaresborough for people in food poverty. 

Research shows that one in five children are living in poverty in the Harrogate district, and Michelle says the problem is growing. 

She said: 

“One the one hand, the cost-of-living crisis is really biting, and on the other hand, the amount of food we’re intercepting from landfill is less than it was five years ago. Supermarkets are better now at reducing waste, and some are also giving their own employees first refusal on leftover food. 

“That makes it harder to meet the needs of local people living in food poverty, so we’d really like to find new suppliers who can give us any food that would otherwise go to waste.  

“It costs about £15,000 a month to do what we do, but our income is under £6,000, which means we’re still running at a significant deficit, so we’re also looking for corporate sponsorship and individual donors.

“Winter is coming and we’ll need all the help we can get, so if you can help in any way, please get in touch.”

Read more: 

 

New weekly cafe aims to bring Killinghall community together

A pay-as-you-feel cafe will open its third branch in the Harrogate district this week – and is hoping to offer a menu fit for its surroundings.

Resurrected Bites will run every Thursday in Killinghall Methodist Church, which has just undergone a £248,000 renovation.

The community interest company has been serving up food waste meals at West Park United Reformed Church in Harrogate and Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough for the last two years.

But Chris Lidgett, who has joined as operations manager, said he hopes the new cafe will offer something a little different both on its menu and to the community. He told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re trying to promote to a different audience. It’s a refreshed church in an affluent village, so it’s not necessarily about food poverty, but about isolation.

“We want people to come out, use the new facility, and meet people. If it goes well, we might look at rolling it out to more places.”

What the Killinghall cafe will have in common with the others is that its menu will be entirely made up of food that would otherwise go to waste.

Donated by supermarkets and other commercial operations, the food is still perfectly edible and just as tasty as the day it arrived on the shelves, but does not meet the exacting requirements of some retailers.

That means the menu for each week is only confirmed the day before the cafe opens, depending on what has come into the organisation’s warehouse on Hornbeam Park. Mr Lidgett said:

“You never know what you’re going to get through the door. It’s Ready, Steady Cook every day! It’s definitely a challenge, but a good one.”

Chris Lidgett and Sam O'Brien at Resurrected Bites' Killinghall cafeChris Lidgett and volunteer Katie White

With a background in catering, Mr Lidgett is more than used to coming up with new dishes.

Until earlier this year, he worked at Crimple on Leeds Road. Prior to that, he lived in the south of England, where he and his wife ran award-winning pubs in areas including the Cotswolds.

His CV is varied, however: he joined the Army when he was younger and served in the Household Cavalry – which brought with it slightly unusual responsibilities. After “stupidly” putting his hand up when asked if anyone could play a musical instrument, he became the Queen’s trumpeter.

He performed at events including Trooping the Colour and the State Opening of Parliament. On one memorable occasion, he travelled to Paris with Her Majesty for the Bastille Day celebrations in 2005.

He described the Queen as “a lovely woman” who would always take the time to speak to those taking part in events and ceremonies. However, Chris is quite clear he has no plans to return to that life, even after seeing the pageantry of the coronation over the weekend.

“It’s like a throwback. People say, ‘it looks amazing’. I just look and yes, it is amazing, but you don’t realise how much work goes into that and the sacrifices that are made.

“Three weeks beforehand, you’d be getting up at 1am and doing the whole parade at 2am.”

Read more:

His new role is a world away from Royal pomp and protocols. It has been funded by donations made as part of the Stray Ferret’s Christmas appeal which, with match-funding from local firm Techbuyer, raised more than £30,000 in just four weeks.

Since joining Resurrected Bites in early April, Chris has spent time getting to know the small team of staff and the 200 volunteers who help to keep it running.

He has visited the community groceries in New Park and Gracious Street, where people struggling to afford food can become members, entitling them to a weekly shop for a fraction of the price it would be in a supermarket.

Chris said:

“I do quite like being on site so you can see some of the service users and just realise what we actually do for people. They say, ‘we wouldn’t have survived without you’ and ‘you might not think you’re doing much, but what you are doing is incredible’.

“We want to be able to get the word out there a bit more and reach more people because there must be so many people struggling.”

Although run on a pay-as-you-feel basis, to enable everyone to afford a meal out, Resurrected Bites’ cafes rely heavily on those who can afford to donate giving generously to cover running costs across the organisation.

A few ‘dry runs’ have already been held, when some of Resurrected Bites’ 200 volunteers have been treated to a meal by the team in Killinghall as they get to grips with the practicalities of cooking, serving and clearing away. They’re now ready to open the doors this week.

Cafe manager Sam O’Brien said:

“We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who have signed up so far. They are such a lovely bunch and so keen to make a success of the cafe.

“We still need more volunteers though, particularly people who can help with the cooking, so if you can help on a Thursday, please apply to volunteer via the website or pop in to speak to me.”

Resurrected Bites’ Killinghall cafe will be open from 11.30am to 2pm every Thursday at Killinghall Methodist Church.

Opening date for new pay-as-you-feel cafe in Killinghall

A pay-as-you-feel cafe will open in Killinghall next month thanks to food waste organisation Resurrected Bites.

It will run its weekly cafe in the newly-refurbished Killinghall Methodist Church every Thursday from 11.30am to 2pm.

The grand opening takes place on Thursday, May 11, when the team of volunteers will be serving hot meals made using food that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

Customers are invited to pay whatever they can afford for their lunches, as well as a selection of hot and cold drinks, pastries and cakes.

Ian Booth, who has run the kitchen for the organisation’s cafes in Harrogate and Knaresborough for the last two years, previously told the Stray Ferret:

“Often, people don’t come because they think it’s just for people who are struggling. We’re absolutely dependent on people who can afford to give generously.  

“At the same time, it’s great when people come who can’t afford to, knowing that someone who is struggling has had a good hot meal.” 

As well as the weekly cafe, a new toddler and parent creative group is being launched to run in the morning. Therapeutic Creatives will offer creative sessions for children as well as activities for parents and carers, aiming to make the first few years of parenthood easier.

Participants will then have an area set aside in the cafe for them to enjoy lunch together and build new friendships.

Resurrected Bites, a community interest company, also runs community groceries in Harrogate and Knaresborough. They allow people who are struggling to afford food to get a weekly shop for a small sum.

The organisation uses food from supermarkets and other commercial businesses to fill its grocery shelves and create its cafe menus. All the food is still safe to eat, but does not meet the exacting requirements of retailers.

The Stray Ferret supported Resurrected Bites as part of our first ever Christmas appeal in 2022. With support from the public and match funding of £5,000 from Harrogate firm Techbuyer, we raised more than £32,000 in just four weeks.

Read more:

 

Stray Ferret Business Award winner says it felt “extraordinary”

The Stray Ferret Business Awards saw 11 finalists, and one very lucky prize winner, crowned the winners of their categories.

The winners shared their reactions in the LCF LAW Winner’s Lounge.

Employee Development Award – sponsored by Jones Myers Family Law Solicitors

Winner: Grantley Hall

Grantley Hall is a luxury 5-star hotel and wellness retreat near Ripon.

Grantley was crowned the winner of the Employee Development Award.

In the LCF Law Winner’s Lounge, the Grantley team said:

“To be recognised for our employee development makes us immensely proud and is a great accolade to each and every member of our team.

“It’s our responsibility to develop our team and give them the skills that they need. This is great recognition for us”.

Digital Marketing Award – sponsored by Next Chapter

Winner: Ogden of Harrogate

Traditional jewellers, Ogden of Harrogate, took first place in the Digital Marketing Award.

The Ogden’s team with Clare Frisby and Daniel Swepson of Next Chapter (R)

In the LCF Law Winner’s Lounge Ogden of Harrogate’s directors said:

“We are absolutely delighted to win the Digital Marketing Award. It was extraordinary to be stood on that stage.

“We are a bricks and mortar business, but it was the tech and sales team that brought this to life. We are very grateful to all the staff getting behind the campaign”.

Sustainable Business Award – sponsored by the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub

Large Business Winner: EnviroVent

EnviroVent is a Harrogate designer and manufacturer of sustainable ventilation systems.

The company’s efforts towards becoming Net-Zero merited first place.

Clare Frisby (L) with EnviroVent and James Farrar, of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (R)

The EnviroVent team told the Stray Ferret in the LCF Law Winners Lounge:

“To be recognised by the local business community is probably one of the biggest accolade’s you could ever have.

“It is a bit of a cliché, but sustainability is not a destination, it is a journey”.

Small Business Winner: Resurrected Bites

Resurrected Bites is a food waste organisation, operating in Knaresborough and Harrogate.

Resurrect Bites was crowned the winner of the small business award for its sustainable endeavours.

Clare Frisby (L) with Michelle Hayes of Resurrected Bites, and James Farrar (R) of York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership

Michelle Hayes, Founder of Resurrected Bites, said in the LCF Law Winners Lounge:

“I just can’t believe we won, I really can’t. It is incredible – thank you so much.

“I am extremely passionate about the environment, so it is incredible to have won this award.

The Stray Ferret would like to thank everyone who entered the awards and everyone who attended our event.

Thank you to all our sponsors, including all the businesses supporting our individual categories, and our lead sponsor, Prosperis.

Keep an eye on our site and social media over the coming days to see more news and photographs from the awards ceremony.

Stray Ferret Business Awards: The winners

Despite multiple weather warnings and a rather inconvenient March snowfall, the first Stray Ferret Business Awards was a roaring success.

With nearly 400 guests, a crowd of paparazzi and a lot of laughter, last night’s event was a fitting celebration of business across the Harrogate district.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards showcased a variety of talent from across the area, and 11 finalists were crowned the winners of their categories.

The Harrogate district boasts a high calibre of business, which was reflected in the submissions, but the winners’ entries particularly impressed the judges.

The Winners

 

Dynamic Leader – sponsored by Succession Wealth

Winner: Ian Baker, The Soundproofing Store

Ian Baker is the founder and managing director of The Soundproofing Store.

Ian has led the company to become the largest online retailer of soundproofing equipment and solutions in the UK.

Ian’s employees say “his style of leadership is instrumental in the success of the business and solutions offered to customers”.

The judges agreed that Ian’s innovative, open and creative approach to leadership merited first place.

Highly Commended: Suzanna Prout, Xenonex

Suzanna Prout is the founder and managing director of  Xenonex, which offers leadership coaching and development programmes.

During covid, Suzanna shifted the business to be entirely online, which included online training and bespoke portals where users could access resources and track progress.

Suzanna also led the business to win the CorporateLiveWire Innovation & Excellence Award for Management Training Specialist of the Year – UK.

The judges felt Suzanna demonstrated incredible resilience and established necessary flexibility during challenging times.

Best Independent Retailer – sponsored by York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub

Winner: TravelGate

TravelGate is an independent travel agency in Harrogate, offering clients bespoke expertise and advice on holiday destinations.

As chaos ensued during covid, TravelGate was inundated with policies to follow and holidays to amend. However, the agency remained open throughout several lockdowns to provide support for clients, both locally and abroad.

The judges believed TravelGate’s relentless resilience and ability to adapt to such hardship made it deserving of the award.

Highly Commended: Whittams Hire

Whittams Hire offers luxury motorhome hire to the people of North Yorkshire and beyond.

Since launching in 2018, the company now boasts nine motorhomes and has even opened a coffee shop alongside the office space.

The judges felt the company keeps customer service at its core, – evidenced with a 100% 5-star Google review record – which merited a highly commended.

Highly Commended: Watermark Gallery

Watermark Gallery is a Harrogate art gallery selling original, contemporary and modern British art.

During the pandemic, the gallery offered customers the opportunity to watch live artist exhibitions through the gallery window – growing a large customer base.

In 2020, the gallery also adapted its space into becoming a workshop space to teach and learn.

The judges felt Watermark Gallery’s business growth and dynamic approach to retail was deserving of a highly commended placing.

Digital Innovation – sponsored by ASE Computer Services Ltd

Winner: Strive Group

Strive Group is a connected experience agency in Harrogate.

The company used its Interactive Customer Experience (ICE) software to establish a virtual specification configurator for Volvo.

The immersive software permitted customers to explore the features of the car, including testing the sound system, in aid of the Volvo C40 Recharge launch.

Strive Group’s cutting-edge innovation dazzled the judges.

Employee Development – sponsored by Jones Myers Family Law Solicitors

Winner: Grantley Hall

Grantley Hall is a luxury five-star hotel and wellness retreat near Ripon.

Grantley Hall offers staff an on-site training facility, as well as live-in accommodation, free meals and wellbeing support.

Staff can access additional training services from senior staff members, including Michelin-starred chef, Shaun Rankin.

Grantley Hall stood out to the judges with its five-star staff development programme.

Best Digital Marketing Campaign – sponsored by Next Chapter

Winner: Ogden of Harrogate

Historic jeweller Ogden of Harrogate impressed the judges with its virtual advent calendar.

The campaign enabled the jeweller to bring its annual Christmas catalogue online.

Each day, an animated image featuring the corresponding door was emailed to subscribers, showcasing a piece of jewellery.

The judges were impressed by Ogden’s strategy to marry the digital and traditional retail, delivering impressive results in sales.

Sustainable Business – sponsored by York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub

Winner: EnviroVent (Large Business)

EnviroVent is a designer and manufacturer of sustainable ventilation systems in Harrogate.

The company has recently moved from two separate sites into one zero-carbon building that uses low carbon heating and energy sources.

EnviroVent also aims to plant 5,000 trees a year in partnership with MoreTrees.

The judges were impressed by EniroVent’s clear objectives to becoming entirely net-zero carbon.

Winner: Resurrected Bites (Small Business)

Resurrected Bites is a food waste organisation, with pay-as-you-feel cafés and community groceries in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The business collects short shelf life and excess food from local producers to distribute via the cafés.

Any food not fit for human consumption is passed onto livestock and peelings are gifted to allotments to make compost.

The judges felt that Resurrected Bites is solving an important issue by aiming to fill bellies instead of bins.

Rising Star Under 30 – sponsored by Thompsons Chartered Accountants

Winner: Laura Mounsey, Harrogate Family Law

Laura Mounsey qualified as a solicitor with Harrogate Family Law four years ago and is already a director of the firm. An equity stake in a legal firm usually takes at least 10 years to achieve.

Laura is the chair of the advisory board to the Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS), as well as the youngest ever president of the Harrogate & District Law Society.

Laura’s clients describe her as “extraordinarily approachable and knowledgeable”.

Laura’s incredibly impressive career stood out to the judges. They agreed she would continue to rise throughout her career.

Highly Commended: Tiffany Snowden, Willow Heritage

Tiffany Snowden is the lead heritage consultant and director of Harrogate environmental consultancy Blue Willow Heritage.

Tiffany is just one of 500 women in the UK to be granted membership of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CifA), the highest level of accreditation that the most senior archaeology body in the UK offers.

Tiffany was also invited to join the Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB), the UK’s premier body for the study of architectural preservation.

In just two years, Tiffany has led Blue Willow Heritage to become one of the top small heritage consultancies in Britain.

Tiffany dazzled the judges with her career to date and they believe she is certainly one to watch.

Highly Commended: James Owen Thomas, JOT’s Gallery

James Owen Thomas is an environmental artist and owner of JOT’s Gallery.

James was diagnosed with autism aged three and has since used this, as well as his love for the environment, as a means of inspiration for his art.

James is an ambassador the Tree Council, supporting its Force For Nature campaign.

James’s artwork has helped raise funds for The Alzheimer’s Society, Autism Trust, Disability Action Yorkshire, National Autistic Society and many more.

The judges believed James is a star in the making.

Business Growth – sponsored by Raworths Solicitors

Winner: The Soundproofing Store

The Soundproofing Store has seen consistent growth over the last eight years.

The company has recently established a commercial client sector, which resulted in significant growth in revenue and network.

The Soundproofing Store also created the only soundproofing floor mat without the need for an over boarding layer. Sales of the mat amassed to over 11,000.

The judges noted that The Soundproofing Store’s product and service innovation has led it to such significant growth.

Highly Commended: Bamber & Brown

Bamber & Brown is a hotspot for takeaway coffee that trades out of a converted horse box.

Since 2021, the company has seen significant financial growth, developed horse shelter into a pizza van and has recently acquired a premises license, which will be used to create a prosecco bar.

The judges loved Bamber & Brown’s story and were impressed by its exponential growth in just 18 months.

Highly Commended: TMR Foods

TMR Foods supplies premium quality fish and seafood across Yorkshire.

During covid, the new business began doing private deliveries, which resulted in a loyal customer base.

TMR has since added two more vans onto the roads, established a base in Ripon to work from, and is now developing pre-packed ranges to supply to retailers.

TMR Foods’ resilience throughout covid and subsequent growth stood out to the judges.

Unsung Hero – sponsored by Bigbamboo

Winner: Chris Ashby, Harrogate BID

In 2021, Harrogate BID recruited Chris Ashby to keep Harrogate town centre clean.

As the town’s street ranger, Chris Ashby has removed 126 graffiti tags, improved 38 building façades, and disposed of 57 used needles.

His actions in July 2022 hit the headlines, when he rescued a man who was trying to take his own life in the early hours of the morning.

The judges were very impressed by Chris’s commitment to maintaining the town’s beauty, but felt his actions in helping save a man’s life meant he was undoubtedly the Stray Ferret’s Unsung Hero.

Highly commended: Kayti Mewis, Mumbler

Kayti joined Mumbler as volunteer after moving to Harrogate and is now the content creator and social media manager.

Kayti has added value across the whole company, including working in the sales sector, creating inspiration for parents during lockdown and is even due to co-present the Harrogate Mumbler Awards in November.

Sally Haslewood, founder of Mumbler, said:

“To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done if she’d turned down the role, as she had fast become my right-hand woman.”

The judges felt Kayti’s work is exactly why the Unsung Hero award was established – she is a vital cog in the functioning of Mumbler.

Inclusivity Award – sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors

Winner: Artizan Café and Creative Space

Artizan Café and Creative Space is a Harrogate café and workshop staffed entirely by adults with learning difficulties.

The café provides them with work experience and employment opportunities.

The staff learn vital skills such as food preparation, customer service, handling money, food hygiene and more.

The judges felt Artizan Café and Creative Space allows differently-abled people to fulfil a dream of paid employment.

Highly Commended: Horticap

Horticap is a Harrogate charity that has provided training in outdoor skills to adults with learning disabilities for nearly 40 years.

Horticap students can learn about garden maintenance, social skills, craft work and hospitality.

Horticap aims to immerse its students into society and provide them with skills that can be replicated at home and towards new career paths.

The judges commended both Horticap’s long-standing service and the significant impact the charity makes on the students’ lives.

The Stray Ferret would like to thank everyone who entered the awards and everyone who attended yesterday’s event.

Thank you to all our sponsors, including all the businesses supporting our individual categories, and our lead sponsor, Prosperis.

Keep an eye on our site and social media over the coming days to see more news and photographs from the awards ceremony.

Stray Ferret Business Awards: Sustainable Business

The Sustainable Business award is sponsored by York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

The York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub aims to provide businesses of all sizes and sectors effective and impartial business support.

As a local organisation, the service provided is tailored to the needs of individuals and their particular region.

This award recognises those businesses that have put sustainability at the top of their agenda by reducing their impact on the environment.

Finalists

Full Circle Funerals

Full Circle Funerals aims to improve the standards and expectations of funeral services.

Full Circle is the first funeral director in the UK to achieve B Corp status – an international measure of sustainability and business for good.

The company led a crowdfunding campaign in 2022, raising over £20,000 to fund research into the environmental impact of certain funeral choices.

It was also named UK Green Funeral Director of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Sarah Jones, Founder and Director of Full Circle Funerals, said:

“The environment is important to us and to many of the bereaved people we support, which is why it is important to us that we have a sustainable business and share knowledge with others on how to make planet friendly choices.

“Our business was established to be a force for good and it is such an honour to have been recognised locally and nationally as an organisation that puts purpose before profit in everything we do”.

JOT’s Gallery:

JOT’s Gallery in Pateley Bridge is an art gallery dedicated to using recycled materials to showcase the environment.

James Owen Thomas, founder of the gallery, is an ambassador for the Young Tree Champion programme.

James has an artist residency in Fishpond Wood, Bewerley. He leads monthly workshops where he shares his techniques and offers ideas on how to become more creative with recycled materials.

James has also made multiple television and radio appearances discussing his passion for artwork and the environment.

James Owen Thomas said:

“We are all surrounded by the beauty of nature, and this has always been the deepest source of inspiration for me. In my efforts to protect the environment, I always choose to incorporate used materials into my art.

“I hope that my business values will encourage others to creatively recycle and reuse, so we can all do our part to save the planet”.

Number Thirteen

Number Thirteen is an eco-friendly coffee house in Knaresborough.

Everything at Number Thirteen is pre-loved, up-cycled or handmade. From teaspoons to wallpaper – it’s all been sourced from charity shops, auctions and boot fairs.

Supplies are kept local and any spare parts from deliveries, like milk bottles, are washed and reused or recycled, meaning a cup of coffee uses 0% single-use plastic.

The electricity used to power Number Thirteen is 100% renewable, generated from a combination of wind, solar and hydro energy.

Sarah Ward, owner of Number Thirteen, said:

“I wanted to try and create a business that strives to buck the single-use trend, using eco-friendly products that can be recycled or reused. I think we are living in a time where it would be irresponsible to not be aware of the impact we make on the environment.

“I strive to live a sustainable life at home, so why wouldn’t I do it at work too? Creating a business that puts sustainability at the forefront of its values, simply makes me feel better about my business and its overall impact on the environment”.

NEOM Organics London

NEOM Organics is an aromatherapy wellness brand based in Harrogate that has become a national brand.

NEOM is a certified B Corp organisation, an accolade that recognises UK businesses that place sustainability at the forefront of their values.

NEOM measures its significant environmental impacts, include packaging, water usage and ingredient sustainability, in order to establish an entirely green future.

The company has also calculated its carbon footprint and is actively developing a reduction plan.

Oliver Mennell, Co-Founder of NEOM, said:

“The NEOM team are delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist in the Sustainable Business Award. I want to credit the hard work and passion that everyone here has for building a business that doesn’t just look after the welfare of people, but also the wellbeing of our precious planet.

“As we say at Neom: “Let’s build a business we can all be super proud of”.

Source Climate Change Coffee

Source Climate Change Coffee is a conservation coffee company in Harrogate.

Source Climate Change Coffee sources its coffee globally. The company rewards farmers by buying their carbon offsets and then invests these into reforestation activities.

The company recently created a range of coffee capsules, made from entirely plant-based materials that are 100% compostable.

Source Climate Change also supports the Lorna Young Foundation to train farmers on their markets, climate change and sustainable land management practices.

Cristina Tales, Managing Director of Source Climate Change Coffee, said:

“This award recognises the work we have done in our supply chains for coffee.  Source is the only conservation-led coffee company buying coffees from reforestation projects in ecological hotspots.

“Each coffee protects a tropical forest and supports a local conservation project, where farmers are encouraged to focus on organic and sustainable land management practices, as well as plant trees to ensure they have a sustainable source of firewood and building materials. The aim is to reduce their dependency on forests as a resource”.

Resurrected Bites

Resurrected Bites is a food waste organisation, with cafés in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The business collects short shelf-life and excess food from local producers and distributes it via the pay as you feel community cafes.

Any food not fit for human consumption is passed onto livestock and peelings are gifted to allotments to make compost.

Resurrected Bites also uses the café and social media to educate people on climate change. In 2022, the business dedicated a week of its social media posts to educating people on how to reduce food waste at home.

Michelle Hayes, CEO of Resurrected Bites, said:

“Resurrected Bites is passionate about doing all we can to protect the environment.

“The reason I started the organisation is because food waste is such a massive environmental issue and, therefore, sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds when we are deciding how we operate in all areas of our organisation.”

EnviroVent

EnviroVent is a designer and manufacturer of sustainable ventilation systems.

The company has recently moved from two separate sites into one zero-carbon building in Harrogate. The building benefits from low carbon heating and energy sources, as well as solar panels.

EnviroVent has committed to planting 5,000 trees a year in partnership with MoreTrees.

EnviroVent also works with a waste management company to prioritise recycling.

Andy Makin, Managing Director of EnvrioVent, said:

“At EnviroVent, the “enviro” in our name is not just about improving the environment of our customers, but also in improving our environmental impact for the world we live in. We take responsibility to proactively tackle climate change and are committed to achieve Net-Zero targets by 2030!

“The first major milestone for the next stage in our sustainable journey was relocating to our carbon neutral head office. This new self-sustaining building, reduces our environmental impact, utilising greater energy efficient initiatives, including solar panels, the use of additional renewable energy sources e.g. heat recovery units”.

The Stray Ferret Business Award event sponsor is Prosperis. To find more and to purchase tickets for the big night, click here.

Read more:

Refurbished church aims to meet needs of growing Killinghall community

A community building is set to reopen in Killinghall next weekend after a £248,000 refurbishment.

Killinghall Methodist Church has made the investment to help it meet the needs of the village’s growing community.

As well as providing a more modern space, it has reduced the building’s carbon footprint, as part of the Methodist aim to achieve net zero status.

Rev Ron Hicks from the church said:

“It’s becoming an eco-friendly church building. There’s air source heat pumps, and solar panels on the roof.

“Internally we have reconfigured the worship area, taken bits of the partitioning out and opened it up to be one big place for the community to use.”

The first chapel on the Ripon Road site was built in 1793, and its foundation stone still remains in the present building, which was built as a school in 1937. In 1973 the original chapel was demolished and the school room was refurbished, with an extension built around the same time.

The latest work has seen a new kitchen installed along with new windows, carpets, heating, insulation and a cycle rack. The building has also been redecorated.

Before and after photos inside Killinghall Methodist ChurchBefore and after photos inside Killinghall Methodist Church

It has been funded by Methodist Church sources, along with a grant of almost £100,000 from the FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Additional money was provided by the Benefact Trust and the Congregational and General Charitable Trust.

Rev Hicks said:

“Now, we’re into the next phase of the building’s life.

“It’s a really good congregation of all ages, from youngsters through to people in their 30s and 40s, right through to much older.

“Upgrading the facilities now is important because there are people coming in who are new to the village. We want a modern building that suits their needs.”

Read more:

The church is also set to become home to a new community cafe run by Resurrected Bites.

The food waste organisation will open its third pay-as-you-feel cafe this spring, using food that would otherwise go to landfill to deliver a menu of breakfasts, lunches, cakes and drinks.

Founder Michelle Hayes said:

“We hope it will be the perfect opportunity for people to congregate and get to know other people from Killinghall.

“We are hoping to find someone to run a great toddler group on Thursday mornings as we are particularly concerned about loneliness for stay-at-home parents or carers. The café will also be a nice venue for people working from home to have their lunch and a chat with people.”

Resurrected Bites is seeking a cafe manager for the new venue. The paid role of eight hours a week involves an hour of prep on a Wednesday and seven hours leading the team on Thursdays.

Volunteers are also being recruited to help prepare, serve and clear away in the cafe each week.

For more information, email Heather Memmott at Resurrected Bites.

An official reopening of the church will be held on Saturday, February 4, from 1pm to 3pm, when the community will have the chance to look at the new facilities.