Restaurant owners track stolen cheese across HarrogateHead chef admits assault and knife offence at Harrogate restaurant

A head chef has been given a suspended sentence for causing criminal damage at a Harrogate restaurant and carrying a knife in public.

Daniel Woodward, 35, of Oakdale Drive, Harrogate, was also charged with assaulting a staff member, racially aggravated harassment and affray.

He appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to all charges.

Woodward had worked at William and Victoria restaurant on Cold Bath Road for three years as a head chef, the court heard.

When he turned up at the restaurant on October 9, another staff member noticed he was “concerned about his girlfriend”.

Woodward was told to calm down and sit upstairs, where he began raising his voice and banging his fists on the table.

Later Woodward was in the kitchen where staff found him swearing and bowls were smashed.

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The prosecution said the female staff member became scared as Woodward began shouting and swearing, some of which was racial.

The court heard how staff found Woodward with a chef’s knife “clutched to him” and had “blood on his hands”.

Magistrates were also told how Woodward had assaulted a male staff member and left him with a cut to his right hand finger.

At 2.30pm, police arrived at the scene and took Woodward to hospital. He continued to swear and use racially insulting words.

The officer said Woodward called him a “pig” and repeatedly told him to “f*** off”.

The prosecution said:

“The officer said the abuse that the defendant subjected him to is by far the worst in his seven-and-a-half years in the force.”

‘Sorry for his actions’

Brian Nuttney, defending Woodward, told the court that Woodward had “no recollection of much of what happened”, but was sorry for his actions.

Mr Nuttney said the defendant’s girlfriend was supposed to come to see him the night before, but did not turn up which led to him becoming concerned.

He told the court that Woodward was also offered bottles of wine at the restaurant and another staff member made a remark which “could have tipped him over the edge”.

Mr Nuttney said the defendant had been in care at a young age and had felt abandoned, but had gone on to start a family and train to be a chef.

He said:

“Mr Woodward did not have the best start in life.”

Woodward was given a 21-month total sentence suspended for two years. He was also sentenced to eight weeks and four weeks in prison for harassment and affray, which were also suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to undertake 25 days of rehabilitation and to wear an alcohol abstinence tag for 90 days.

Woodward was also subjected to court costs of £472.

The magistrates also awarded £100 in compensation to William and Victoria and another £100 to the injured staff member.

Hospitality businesses hopeful of summer boom in Budget

Hospitality businesses across the Harrogate district say they are optimistic about their prospects over the coming months.

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to unveil the details of his Budget tomorrow, restaurant owners and business leaders say the summer could see a bounce back in their fortunes after months of uncertainty.

With restrictions set to ease, local businesses are anticipating high demand as case numbers fall and the vaccination programme brings renewed confidence.

Jo Straker, who runs William & Victoria restaurant in Harrogate with her husband David, said there was “light at the end of the tunnel” after a very difficult start to the year:

“We expect to be busy when we reopen and I think the local economy will be buoyant with people desperate to socialise, have some pampering, go shopping, enjoy sport, culture and freedom of going further afield. We will be more appreciative of the things we couldn’t have during lockdown and desperate to get out and enjoy living life again.

“The summer is looking promising with many choosing to holiday in Britain this year. Harrogate and North Yorkshire will be a big draw for domestic tourism so I am optimistic that the local economy will start to recover if everything goes to plan, we take the necessary precautions to keep each other safe and get the financial support to help us recover.”

Mrs Straker also said last summer’s Eat Out to Help Out had been positive for the restaurant, though it meant the beginning of the week was very busy before a drop-off in demand on Thursday. She said she hoped for a similar scheme including more days of the week, or perhaps a voucher scheme which would encourage people to spend locally over a period of time.

David and Jo Straker, owners of William and Victoria restaurant in Harrogate

There are also broader measures across all sectors which she said would help the business to survive the coming weeks and months.

“We are hoping, and expecting, the Budget to announce the continued VAT reduction at 5% and business rates holiday as well as an extension to flexible furlough.

“All these have been critical to the survival of the business. Takeaway keeps us ticking along but it’s not enough to cover all our fixed costs.

“We’re expecting Corporation Tax to go up. Although this is something we usually dread, it won’t have a huge impact on our business this year since we have only been able to open for five months of this financial year and that’s with considerable restrictions, so would be fortunate to break even.

“Despite all this, we are optimistic for the future and a full recovery over time with the correct financial help put in place and the continued support of our customers.”

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Across the Harrogate district, as well as businesses directly involved in hospitality, there are many which work with them and have been hit by their lack of trade in the last year. Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins solicitors, said it was not just the hotels, cafes and restaurants that needed help to get back on their feet.

“Those businesses which have been unable to operate, or only able to do so spasmodically, need proper funding so that reopening is sustained, and beneficial.

“With a local economy so heavily focussed on hospitality and tourism, which I think will recover, the businesses serving those sectors need to be helped.” 

The latest statistics show that the Harrogate district is bucking the national trend in terms of employment, with the number of people out of work sitting at 3.7% compared to a UK-wide figure of 6.2%.

For Teresa Bowe, owner of CCF Accountancy, this could help to support the hospitality industry as it tries to get back on its feet. She said:

“From what I have seen in my own clients’ situations, there are more people better off or the same, rather than worse off as a result of the covid situation.

“I think a lot of working practices that came in as a result of the lockdowns will stay, such as flexibility on working. I expect things to bounce back reasonably quickly.

“I think the prospects for the next 12 months are good, assuming that the virus is kept at bay.”

Temperature checks introduced for Harrogate drinkers

People entering some popular Harrogate food and drink venues will be required to have temperature checks from today as part of new measures to combat covid.

The Fat Badger pub, the Yorkshire Hotel, the White Hart Hotel and the restaurant Scran will all operate temperature checks.

New machines will instantly record the body temperature of visitors by scanning their wrists.

If anyone’s temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees centigrade, a red light will appear and the machine will beep loudly to indicate a high temperature – one of the main symptoms of covid.

The person will then be asked to leave the building for 15 minutes before having a second test, in case the first result was an anomaly caused by, for instance, carrying heavy shopping.

If their temperature remains too high they will be refused entry.

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Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, which owns the venues that have installed the new technology, said:

“We think it’s the right time now with covid cases increasing to be stepping up our measures. We want to do it before we are instructed to do so.”

Besides installing the machines, which Mr Cotton said cost several hundred pounds each, HRH Group venues have also required staff to wear face masks in public areas unless they are working behind protective screens.

Who else has tests?

Rudding Park and The Ivy are the only other two Harrogate venues believed to check temperature on entry.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park, said:

“Guests feel reassured by the machines. You don’t want people with a raging temperature coming in and coughing over everyone.”

David Straker, the owner of William and Victoria restaurant and wine bar on Cold Bath Road, said its current safety measures, which include table bookings and no standing at the bar, were working well. But he added:

“We are always looking at ways we can improve.”

Alan Huddart, treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said its reopening had gone smoothly and the cost of new equipment, such as temperature scanners, could be prohibitive to some venues. He added:

“We are open to looking at anything but we have had a professional risk assessment done and are following it closely.”