Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in ITV’s Emmerdale, will be the celebrity guest at the grand opening of a new travel agent in Harrogate this week.

The actor, who lives in the town, will be at the new branch of Althams Travel from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, January 6, when there will also be opportunities to win holiday vouchers worth up to £1,000 each.

The arrival of the new branch, between WHSmith and Claire’s on Cambridge Street, has created five new full-time jobs.

Sales development manager Marie Leach said:

“It’s the perfect time to open, people will be looking to escape to the sun and our friendly team will be here to help the people of Harrogate.

“We have been looking to open in Harrogate for a long time now but we have been waiting for the perfect place and we have found it.

“Being independent means we are not tied into selling particular holidays, so we can find the holiday that works best for our clients.”

Established in 1874, Burnley-based Althams now has 32 branches across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire. The nearest ones to Harrogate currently are in Otley and Horsforth in West Yorkshire.

Swinton seafood residency

Rick Stein’s former right-hand man is to hold a five-day seafood residency at the Swinton Estate, near Masham, this spring.

Stephane Delourme, who was previously head chef at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, will host a series of exclusive dining events and masterclasses from May 7 to 11.

The week starts with a gala dinner in Samuel’s Restaurant and continues with a series of hands-on cookery masterclasses, intimate chef’s table experiences, and a Fish and Fire lunch at The Terrace Restaurant and Bar.

Stephane said:

“Guests will be able to experience some incredible seafood and discover the tastes and flavours from many of the dishes that we have become renowned for in the South West.

“I cannot wait to come to Swinton and cook using ingredients sourced directly from the estate, along with those from the east coast. Life is about making memories and I look forward to doing this together.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate district care firm wins £28m domiciliary care contract
• Business Breakfast: New Harrogate College campus to include facilities to boost technical skills
• Business Breakfast: Contractor appointed to build 37 affordable homes in Ripon

Graveleys fish and chip shop in Harrogate served its first customers in more than 1,000 days today.

Owner Simon Pilkington was in town to oversee the reopening of the Harrogate institution, which appeared to have gone for good when it was sold in November 2019.

The takeaway is currently open five days a week and Mr Pilkington said he hoped the restaurant would return in about three weeks, but certainly by Easter, which he said was the trade’s busiest time of year. He said:

“It’s great to be back. My dad would have been elated today to see this if he was still alive.

“Being here has reminded me of all the good times, such as the Great Yorkshire Show week, when we were always absolutely rammed.”

Mr Pilkington said his family had no intention of selling Graveleys until Catch Seafood made an offer.

When Catch went into liquidation last year, the opportunity to return to the same site on Cheltenham Parade proved too tempting for him and his brother Andrew, who own other restaurants elsewhere.

Manager Sarah Knox holds a portion of chips.

Mr Pilkington reiterated the pledge made by manager Sarah Knox yesterday to go “back to basics”, adding:

“We will focus on providing quality fish and chips and then add some seafood delights depending on the feedback.

“Every day is a learning day. We will listen to what customers tell us and go with what they want.”

The takeaway menu includes fish and chips — either cod or haddock — for £9. The takeaway also sells a range of other fish and seafood, including squid, plus other chip shop basics, such as battered sausages and chicken nuggets.

One of today’s first customers

Read more:

• Graveley’s fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
• Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes

This story is sponsored by 63rd+1st.

Harrogate’s answer to a Manhattan cocktail bar, 63rd+1st, launched in November last year and has continued to grow in popularity on the town’s dining scene.

We visited after work on a Monday evening and it was a perfect way to start a busy week.

Decked out in trendy dark blue and gold, and featuring lots of greenery, the restaurant, lounge and bar on Albert Street gives off a relaxed and welcoming vibe.

The menu is inspired by Manhattan street food and features small plates to enjoy with a cocktail or mocktail.

The restaurant area.

It includes a signature burger, steaks and seafood, as well as plant-based and vegetarian dishes and loaded fries.

The idea is you choose a few dishes each and order more if you fancy it – like an American-style tapas.

To start, I had seared king scallops, black pudding and pea puree (£12). The scallops were cooked perfectly and melted in the mouth like butter. The pea puree provided a refreshing accompaniment to the saltiness of the black pudding. My partner went for the Maryland crab bon bons and crab mayo (£10), which had a light, crispy coating and were perfect for sharing.

Scallops.

We followed this up with a mozzarella corn dog on a stick – just like you have in New York – and a sirloin steak. I’ll admit, I’ve never had a steak sharing dish before, so I was delighted to be able to pinch a bit of my partner’s sirloin (£14). It was perfectly cooked and came with a tangy chimichurri sauce. You can also choose a topper to add to your steak from options including garlic and chilli prawns, seared scallops and short rib croquettes.

Sirloin steak.

We decided to order loaded fries with chipotle mayo and crispy onions to accompany our dishes (£5). We could have kept going, but decided to save room for a dessert instead.

If there’s one thing Americans know how to do, it’s dessert. And it did not disappoint. We chose a banana taco, which was served with salted candied pecans, caramel and vanilla ice cream . It was essentially like a banana pancake and the salty pecans added the perfect crunchy texture to the dish. Ridiculously good. Other desserts include peanut butter and jelly donuts (£6) and an NYC baked cheesecake (£7).

We also had some fabulous cocktails to accompany our meal from the (very) extensive cocktail menu, including an old fashioned woodford rye (£15).

If you fancy a drink and a few nibbles after work, this is a great place to visit as you can order as much or as little as you want.

There is also a bottomless brunch available on a weekend for just £20 per person down from £35 with a special Stray Ferret voucher offer. Get your voucher now!

One of Harrogate’s most famous brands, Graveley’s, is to be renamed Catch Harrogate.

The fish and chips restaurant on Cheltenham Parade is currently being refurbished. It is still open for takeaways.

The restaurant is expected to reopen in May under its new name.

Graveley’s was sold to Catch, which is based in Harrogate and has four other seafood restaurants in Yorkshire, in 2019.

A spokeswoman for Catch confirmed it would reopen as Catch Harrogate, bringing it into line with the ‘Catch’ name used at the company’s other seafood restaurants in Leeds, Holmfirth and Halifax. She added:

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

She added the new building will have more fresh seafood on the menu, an oyster bar, a licensed bar and more modern decor.

For decades, people have made the pilgrimage to Graveley’s to enjoy fish and chips.

Chat show host Michael Parkinson once said his favourite restaurant was a toss-up between Bettys and Graveley’s in Harrogate.

He described 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.

Read more:

• End of an era for Knaresborough fish and chips shop
• Ripon fish and chip shop could be turned into flats

A new independent fishmonger will open on Commercial Street today.  

Tarbett’s describes itself as the largest independent fish retailer in Yorkshire and will open its fourth branch in Harrogate this morning.  

It takes over a unit formerly occupied by Save the Children, which has been empty for four years. 

Amy Shaw, the business manager, said: 

“Commercial Street is the perfect place for us because it is very similar to our location in Chapel Allerton, which also has an independent butchers. It makes sense for us to be in Harrogate because we already have a lot of customers here. Our home deliveries are popular and we regularly supply Harrogate businesses.” 

Read more:

• New Harrogate travel agent opens
• Bilton will soon get a new tea shop

Tarbett’s will start trading at a time when Harrogate town centre lacks a traditional fishmongers, following the relocation of Ramus from Kings Road earlier in the year. Ramus is now based at Fodder farm shop and café. 

Amy added: 

“Perhaps other fishmongers were too far out. We hope to encourage the public to shop with us through our convenient location.” 

The business was founded by Liam Tarbett upon leaving university. Starting his enterprise at a farmer’s market in Leeds, he now has shops in Chapel Allerton, Leeds Kirkgate Market and Wetherby. 

The fish retailer offers a wide range of products at its other locations including Shetland scallops, extra-large king prawns, Scottish salmon fillet and sashimi grade tuna. Its arrival on Commercial Street has been celebrated by neighbouring retailers.