Plans to increase outdoor dining space at West Park Hotel

Outdoor dining areas could be created in front of shops along West Park if plans by West Park Hotel are approved.

The owners of the hotel and restaurant have applied to place six tables and 19 chairs in front of 17a and 18 West Park, where Moda in Pelle and Georgie’s trade.

The furniture would only be used outside the shops’ opening hours, no later than 10pm, and would be in addition to the furniture already outside West Park Hotel itself.

As part of the application, the owners said:

“The outside dining does create a pleasant ambience and enhance the attractiveness of the street, thereby making a positive contribution to the vitality and vibrancy of the area…

“The portable barriers will prevent encroachment into this pedestrian space.

“The facilities for pedestrians are maintained. Additional outside dining serviced by the West Park Hotel will help meet the increased demand from customers concerned about, or with vulnerability to, Covid 19. Allowing access for all to outside dining in an attractive and serviced location.”

Full details of the proposal can be found via Harrogate Borough Council’s planning website, using reference 22/01593/FUL.

Director leaves accountancy firm to pursue financial coaching role

The founder of a Harrogate accountancy firm is stepping down in order to take on a new challenge.

Teresa Hitchens, pictured left, who founded CCF Accountancy in 2010, will be turning her hand to financial coaching, after building up her own company for more than a decade.

She said:

“This is all about helping people get their business and personal finances in order and using this as the base to help them get to the position they want to be in their business, either working smarter, working less, or exiting and doing something completely different.”

CCF Accountancy will continue trading under the direction of co-owner and operations director Kelly Chadwick, pictured right, and Andy Lock.

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Mackenzies in Blubberhouses to host art exhibition

Yorkshire artist Lynda Logan and her husband Terry are to display their work at Mackenzies Farm Shop in Blubberhouses to raise money for charity.

Ms Logan, who has a studio near Harrogate, was one of the original Calendar Girls in the 2003 film. She played a model and her husband was a photographer.

Their exhibition, which begins on April 9, will donate 10% of all sales to Blood Cancer UK.

Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in adults and the most common in children.

Paul Palmer, the owner of Mackenzies, said:

“We’re delighted to have Lynda and Terry exhibiting with us in the gallery. Their previous work for charity has been exceptional and we’re excited to help raise even more.”

Events company brings food festival to Pateley Bridge

A previous event hosted by Lily and Lister.

The first Yorkshire Feastival will take place at Pateley Bridge on June 25 and 26.

The event is primarily a food and drink festival but also has an inflatable village, fun fair and a mini farm.

The event will host multiple small business owners, artists and entrepreneurs from Yorkshire. The event is organised by Lily and Lister Events.

Anna Lister, from Lily and Lister, said:

“With so many amazing producers, food, drink and artists from Yorkshire we wanted to create an event celebrating the best of what Yorkshire has to offer and in exceptional countryside in the heart of Yorkshire.

“It’s a great opportunity to come and support local businesses whilst having an amazing day out.”

Two Harrogate restaurants launch charity menu and easter egg hunt 

Provenance Inns & Hotels Group is launching a charity menu and a large easter egg hunt across all its seven venues.

The venues include the West Park Hotel in Harrogate and The Punch Bowl in Marton-Cum-Grafton. Dozens of eggs will be hidden in and around each venue and customers will attempt to find them using clues posted on Facebook.

Anyone who finds one of the chocolate treats can enjoy a free drink at their local Provenance bar.

The Inns group has also launched a new menu.

Tom Patrick, head of marketing at Provenance, said:

“Our Easter egg hunt is going to be quite epic, with not one but seven of Yorkshire’s finest pubs taking part.”

£1 from each Chicken Kyiv dish sold at Provenance venues will go to the Red Cross Ukraine crisis appeal.

Representatives of about 30 voluntary organisations joined councillors and civic dignitaries this week to celebrate the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups this year.

The fund, which will be issuing more grants in the new year, awards up to £3,000 to small voluntary organisations that have a positive impact on the wellbeing of people in the Harrogate district.

It helped Resurrected Bites launch a community grocery store for low income people and enabled Wellspring Therapy and Training to offer reduced costs on counselling.

Other successful applicants this year included Harrogate Clothes Bank, Artizan International, the Wesley Centre, Masham Town Hall Community Charity, Harrogate Bowling Club, Chain Lane Community Centre and Harrogate & Knaresborough Toy Library, Nidderdale & Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed and Boroughbridge and District Community Care.

The fund is a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Read more:

• First Harrogate Christmas Fayre set to showcase local charities
• Harrogate district charities receive £45,000 from Local Fund

At least 60% from each ticket sold on the Local Lotto, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.

Harrogate Borough Council has made a £200,000 endowment donation, which will help the fund provide sustainable long-term funding.

This week’s celebratory event at West Park Hotel.

Jan Garrill , chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, told the gathering at Harrogate’s West Park Hotel that it would match fund any donations to the Local Fund by individuals or businesses.

Karen Weaver, strategic lead at HADCA, which supports charities in the district, said:

“The Local Fund is all about addressing the hidden needs in our district, like loneliness and mental health.

“It’s so important that there is a dependable fund for small groups that make such a massive impact in the district.”

Further details of the fund are available here.

The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is set to reopen under new owners Provenance Inns and Hotels.

Provenance Inns, which also owns the West Park Hotel on the same street, plans to refurbish the historic pub before it reopens.

It is unclear when the Coach and Horses will open but the new owners said in a statement today it will create more than 50 jobs.

Karen French, operations director for Provenance Inns and Hotels said:

“We are delighted that we could take on such a fantastic building and have the opportunity to bring the Coach and Horses back to life. It’s a very exciting time for us all.

“Not only will this opportunity create more than 50 new jobs, but we plan to work with local groups and the community, to be able to offer something that’s accessible to everyone.

“We are pleased that we will be the new custodians of the Coach and Horses, and that we are able to retain the family values of the pub.”

Read more:

• Coach and Horses alcohol licence revoked
• Coach and Horses in Harrogate gets green light to reopen
• Community order for former landlord who breached driving ban

The news comes almost a year since Harrogate Borough Council granted Samantha Nelson a new alcohol licence.

Previous landlord John Nelson, Ms Nelson’s father, lost the licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, she sampled the aged beef at West Park, but was disappointed. 

I have long since admired the position of West Park, overlooking the Stray but never eaten there, so this was a treat to cheer up a good friend.

On a sunny day this is a busy, vibrant area with pavement tables reminiscent of Parisienne café culture. With much investment, what was a downtrodden pub has now produced a sophisticated hotel, with a good vibe in-keeping with the local area.

The planning and operation of this establishment is exemplary considering the difficulties the industry has with the lack of staff. The Front of House service was faultless as we sat outside on a pavement table, albeit rather noisy.

This was lunchtime and one would assume that coffees and pastries had been enjoyed prior to lunch.

The menu 

Light bites, sandwiches and salads start from £9.00 for a fish butty consisting of a Black Sheep beer battered haddock, tartare sauce in a white or brown bloomer… not for the faint hearted! Or you could have an Indian spiced pulled chicken wrap with baby gem, mango chutney, cucumber and mint yoghurt, also for £9.00.

All sandwiches come with a dressed salad and chunky or skinny fries, or as an alternative there is a feta salad with roasted peppers and croutons, also for £9.00.

The light bites include haddock and leek gratin for £10.00, benedict ham, smoked salmon or spinach also £10.00, and other similar dishes.

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Grandly displayed in front of a very slick floral entrance is a more sophisticated menu with a choice of seven starters, including prawns, scallops, and confit of duck varying from £8.00 to £10.00 each.

As a main, there are variations of aged British beef ranging from £24 to £70. The £70 option is sirloin on the bone for two to share. Also available for a main course is a wagu burger, fish & chips, cod fillet, chicken & ham pie, sticky belly pork or a plum tomato & burrata tart, all priced between £15.00 and £20.00.

It was surprising to me that on this extensive menu, all the vegetarian dishes contained cheese.

Frances was disappointed with the aged beef

The verdict

We ordered a Mount St John courgette and Yorkshire fettle tart with ratatouille and parsley crisps. Sadly, the pastry on this dish was the best thing about it. All there seemed to be on the base was some tomato puree. The courgette was shrivelled and in desperate need of lubrication. Ratatouille contains courgette but it didn’t make another appearance, which was surprising as usually anything from Mount St John’s garden is of the highest quality.

If one boasts the quality of the ingredient on the menu, especially when it comes to rare breed aged beef, it needs to be amazing. However, the beef took 50 minutes to arrive after ordering, and we had declined a choice of sauces on the pretext that it would be well charred and full of its own natural juices. Sadly this was not to be.

Menus need to be written taking into consideration ingredient and staffing availability. In an establishment of this quality in these changing times, a humble plate of fresh, well executed food is much preferable to an overly ambitious menu that needs a lot of advanced preparation.

Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise Food at Daleside Nurseries, alongside fellow Michelin-starred chef Roger Olive and front of house manager John Tullett.  

This article is sponsored by The West Park 

Visitors to Harrogate’s West Park can soon enjoy alfresco dining in a whole new style, in The Courtyard. The restaurant’s brand-new offering is open from Saturday 26 June.

Famed for its delicious seasonal menus and warm Yorkshire welcome, West Park already has a stellar reputation as one of Harrogate’s finest drinking and dining spots – but The Courtyard is set to take that status even further.

The contemporary and understated space sits under a retractable roof, allowing guests to soak up the sunshine or be protected from the unpredictable British elements. Along with bespoke heated seating and beautiful tiled flooring, The Courtyard features a living wall – perfect for visitors to capture their favourite moments on camera.

Food lovers can continue to enjoy West Park’s delectable cuisine. With a strong focus on championing local produce, the seasonal menus feature a delightful array of classic British and international dishes.

Guests at West Park are spoilt for choice, with flavoursome new dishes such as the Rump of Yorkshire Warrendale Wagyu Beef and the new Peppered Tuna Sashimi. Those looking for a lighter lunch may look towards light bites such as the Indian Spiced Pulled Chicken Wrap or Warm Goats Cheese & Roast Mediterranean Vegetables.

The Courtyard will also be home to a new bar, stocked with local and international ales, spirits and wines. West Park’s expertly crafted cocktails are available too – and they do not disappoint! The Rhubarb and Wild Berry Sour made with Slingsbury Rhubarb Gin and crème de mure, and the West Park Retreat made with Mount Gay Rum topped with caramel syrup are sure to crave those with a sweet tooth after a magnificent meal.

For those looking to enjoy an extended stay in Harrogate, West Park offers deluxe accommodation, with rooms boasting super king Hypnos beds and Nespresso coffee machines.

Speaking of the refurbishment, Anthony Blundell, West Park Hotel Commercial Manager said:

“The West Park Courtyard is going to be the most amazing alfresco space for our guests to drink fine wines, champagne, enjoy our fabulous cocktails and indulge in our delicious seasonal menu. We’re all so proud of our new space, nowhere else we know of has heated seats in the North of England, let alone Harrogate!”

You can now book your table at the West Park Courtyard.

Hospitality has “lost a bit of its sexiness” due to covid but reopening has given a sense of hope for normality, says a Harrogate hotel boss.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns and Hotels, which runs the West Park Hotel, said the rule of six and asking people how to behave made staff feel “a little bit like the police”.

However, he added that 2,000 guests had booked in with the hotel since reopening last week and that the hotel had kept staff engaged with things like online training while it was closed to keep spirits up.

Speaking at a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing, Mr Blundell said he hoped bars and restaurants could return to some form of normality after June 21.

He said:

“Over the past kind of 12 months, hospitality has lost a bit of its sexiness. Quite often, hospitality is usually about ‘yes’ and what we can do for our guests.

“We have almost had to become a little bit like the police ourselves. Telling people how to behave and that you’ve got to sit down in your rule of six, things like that. We need to maintain that to keep everybody safe.

“But, hopefully, as things are easing and reopening now and hopefully we’re on track for June 21, things will start to get back to some form of normality.”

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Legal limits on social contact are due to be lifted on June 21.

Mr Blundell added that although the last 12 months had been “a bit weird”, he felt the lockdown had gained the sector a newfound respect from people.

“During these periods of closure, I feel our industry has gained more respect from our guests and they realise just how much they miss us.”

As part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, bars and restaurants reopened on April 12.

Until May 17, people can only sit outside in groups of six to have a meal or a drink.

Harrogate basked in the sun today as outdoor dining and shopping returned.

From today non-essential shops, hair and beauty salons, gyms and spas have been allowed to open.

It was a day many people had long looked forward to and it did not disappoint, with lots of people flocking to the town centre and some describing it as “absolutely glorious”.

The Stray Ferret went to North Bar, West Park Hotel and the high street to see how people were feeling about the big day.

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Police and council officers are to conduct checks on outdoor hospitality shelters in the Harrogate district to ensure they comply with government regulations.

Harrogate Borough Council warned of the checks amid concern about whether all of the shelters in the district comply with what is classed as outdoor.

Many hospitality venues have created shelters to take advantage of today’s latest easing of lockdown rules, which allow licensed premises to serve customers outdoors.

Government guidelines say that to be considered outdoors, ‘shelters, marquees and other structures can have a roof but need to have at least 50% of the area of their walls open at all times whilst in use’.

A source close to one small business owner told the Stray Ferret they were ‘surprised’ the council, which is enforcing the national government guidelines, had agreed to some of the structures.

The issue has also raised numerous comments on social media.

A council spokesman said its officers would be carrying out visits across the Harrogate district in partnership with North Yorkshire Police, “to offer support, advice and guidance to businesses and check on compliance with the latest regulations”.

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He added:

“Temporary outdoor shelters are determined by national government advice.

“Any Harrogate district businesses wishing to find out more, or whether planning permission is required, should get in touch and we will be happy to advise.”

Asked to comment on claims some venues breached the guidelines, he said:

“Without knowing the details of the premises who have raised concerns we cannot comment further.”

The council spokesman was unable to say how many venues had applied to erect outdoor structures.

But many large Harrogate hospitality venues, including the West Park Hotel, the Fat Badger , La Feria and Gianni’s Brio Restaurant and Pizzeria, as well as the Fox and Hounds and the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge have done so.

Perhaps the most spectacular is the Cedar Court Hotel‘s £50,000 tipi, which can accommodate 36 people.

Wayne Topley, managing director of the hotel, said it was built in full compliance with the regulations. He added it could be adapted for weddings and conferences.

“It’s a temporary structure but we hope to use it for a couple for years to come.”

As the Eat Out To Help Out scheme comes to an end today, its success has led some local restaurants to extend it at their own expense.

The scheme has allowed restaurants and cafes to boost their profits after being forced to close during lockdown.

Restaurants in the district extending the scheme include:

• Bambudda Oriental Cuisine, Kirkgate, Ripon – £5 off ‘All you can eat’ buffet Monday and Wednesday.
• Blue Bell Inn at Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge – Two-course meal £10 and three-course meal for £15 on Wednesday and Thursday.
• The Pine Marten, Otley Road, Harrogate – 50% off mains, Monday-Wednesday until mid-September, when subscribed to mailing list
• Graveley’s of Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• Gino d’Acampo My Restaurant, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• La Feria, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• Lucia Wine Bar and Grill, Ripon Road, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks, Monday-Wednesday, until the end of September
• Starbeck Tandoori, Starbeck – 50% off food up to £10 Monday – Thursday, until the end of September.
• The Empress on the Stray, Church Square, Harrogate –  25% off food Monday – Wednesday until the end of September.
• The Grantham Arms, Boroughbridge – 50% off up to £5 per person, Monday – Wednesday, until the end of September.
• West Park Hotel, Harrogate – 50% off food up to £10 until Wednesday, September 2.

Customers should contact the restaurant regarding the offer prior to booking.

Simon Wade, owner of The Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge, said:

“It’s been phenomenal – it’s been like having a six-day weekend. We’ve had to bring in new suppliers as many just didn’t realise it would be this busy.

“In terms of money, we lost £250,000 of turnover during lockdown. The scheme has drastically increased our turnover but we have had to employ more staff.

“We are introducing our own scheme – I just think we can’t not piggy back on the back of something so successful. We know everyone loves a bargain and I am pleased to offer it.”

Both restaurants are extending the scheme in order to capitalise the surge in bookings it has encouraged.

The owner of The Empress on the Stray, Sharon Colgan, said:

“Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout August have been a real success changing people’s perspective on early-week dining. We are hopeful it will continue through September and we will look at possibly extending until the end of the year if it continues to be a success.”

Read more:

• WATCH as restaurants in the district are busy following government discount scheme. 
• Harrogate’s restaurants say they are fully booked for the final week of Eat Out To Help Out.

The West Park Hotel is extending the scheme in celebration of its owner Provenance’s 10th anniversary.

Anthony Blundell, assistant general manager, said:

“It has gone incredibly well – it’s been like having Saturdays at the beginning of the week. Lunch and dinners have been much busier, we’ve had to take on more staff to cover demand.

“We’ve had a lot of people who may not have come before the scheme. We saw a high increase in sales, 120 at night and 60 to 80 diners for lunch, whereas before it was around 20. We lost three months of sales and had renovations so it’s good to start paying that back.

“Extending the discount is a great thing and it gives people who missed out the chance to give it a go.”