The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker.
Boroughbridge based Reed Boardall has been accredited with a Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
The award recognises an employer that has supported defence personnel and inspired others to do the same. Reed Boardall has 23 veterans, serving personnel employed part-time and reservists in its team.
Over the last year, the company has formalised its support of former and serving defence personnel and built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders.
It has partnered with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.
Daniel Delacoe-Eyre, a veteran who served for over 17 years in a number of regiments before joining Reed Boardall said:
“As a former soldier and officer myself, I understand only too well the concerns and even fear felt by service personnel as they contemplate leaving the armed forces. It’s vital that businesses do what they can to ensure there is a job for them when they return to civilian life and we have, therefore, embarked on a pro-active campaign to help them transition into a new career in the logistics sector.”
Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, add:
“We are extremely proud not only to number so many defence personnel among our staff, but also for our efforts to have been recognised with a Bronze Award from the MOD. We will be working hard towards gaining our Silver award next year and even have our sights set on Gold.
“We believe it’s very important that people are given a second chance, whether that’s veterans embarking on a new career, or ex-offenders trying to secure employment and, as a responsible, people-focussed business, we are committed to doing all we can to support this. It’s extremely rewarding to see such talented people redeploying their skills and seizing the opportunity to become part of the Reed Boardall family.”
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Ruth Hansom takes up residency at Swinton Estate
Swinton Park in Masham has announced that Ruth Hansom will be taking up a six-month residency at Samuel’s Restaurant and launching her first signature menu in April.
Ruth originally from Darlington, trained at Westminster College, followed by a three year apprenticeship at the Ritz under John Williams.
Both a finalist in the Roux Scholarship and winner of a Caterer Acorn Award in 2022, Ruth has become a familiar face on the TV as a finalist on the Great British Menu and regular appearances on James Martin’s Saturday and Saturday Kitchen.
Ruth said
“Swinton is a fabulous environment, aligned very closely to my love of cooking with seasonal, local and regional produce. I’m particularly looking forward to developing a signature menu, encapsulating the flavours of produce from across the Swinton Estate”.
Iain Shelton, chief executive of Swinton Estate said :
“Ruth is an incredibly talented chef and we are looking forward to her developing a menu that demonstrates the amazing produce we have here and reflects the elegance and heritage of the Estate”

Chef Ruth Hansom