Knaresborough’s hospitality offering is undergoing something of a renaissance.
Last week 1858 bar and restaurant opened in the former NatWest bank on High Street.
On Monday, the historic Dower House will reopen as The Knaresborough Inn under new ownership.
Both venues have undergone major refurbishments to offer something more ambitious than the average hospitality business.
The new bar.
The Inn Collection Group, which bought The Knaresborough Inn along with the former George Hotel in Harrogate and the Ripon Spa Hotel, markets its venues as ‘inns with rooms’ rather than hotels.
Its business model therefore focuses as much on attracting local people for food and drink as it does on providing three-star accommodation for tourists.
The Knaresborough venue, which closed last summer, held a VIP preview day today.
It no longer has a spa and gym but the number of rooms has increased from 38 to 56. The inn will serve food seven days a week from morning to night and the outdoor area has been upgraded with more seating.
The outdoor area can seat 100 guests.
A spokesman said:
“The idea is that this is as much a place for locals as it is visitors.
“If you want cake and coffee in the afternoon, a breakfast before work, a quick lunch or a night out for a treat, we will cater for you.”
The Knaresborough Inn employs 47 staff and can seat 125 customers inside and 100 outside.
Operations manager Paul Brown (left) and general manager Ian Durrant toast the inn today.
A new portico entrance has been built on the Grade II-listed 15th century building.
General manager Ian Durrant said:
“This has been a year in the making and it’s wonderful for Knaresborough.
“I’m really excited because it’s a beautiful reincarnation of a well known venue.”
Guests at today’s VIP preview opening.
The Inn Collection Group, which is based in Newcastle, has 33 venues in northern England and north Wales, including eight in Yorkshire.
The Ripon Spa Hotel is due to reopen as the Ripon Inn in October. A precise date has not been revealed but it is expected to be in the second half of the month.
The Harrogate Inn, formerly the St George Hotel, reopened on July 3 after a 152-day refurbishment.
The former Dower House has a new name and look.
One of the rooms in what used to be the spa.
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New bar and restaurant to open in Knaresborough today
A new bar and restaurant is due to officially open today in the centre of Knaresborough.
1858 is situated in the former NatWest bank, which closed in 2017, on the High Street. Councillors granted an alcohol licence to applicant Jaime Wilkinson last month.
The venue, which will launch at 5pm, provides lunch and evening meals and Sunday roasts as well as drinks.
It derives its name from the year in which the building was constructed.
The High Street site was formerly occupied by NatWest.
Kim Lancaster, who was manager of the town’s So Bar and Eats before working with Mr Wilkinson at the Drakes fish and chip shops that he owns, will run the venue.
Ms Lancaster told councillors the venue would feature “elegant fine dining” rather than be a “Wetherspoons quick in-and-out” type experience.
She added:
“We want people coming in not just for alcohol but for coffee and lunch. We’re trying to bring back something to Knaresborough that people can’t wait for. People are going to Harrogate [instead]. We’ve spent a lot of money and want to do it right with the right clientele.”
1858 is permitted to sell alcohol from 10am until midnight seven days a week.
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- Councillors grant licence for ‘elegant’ bar and restaurant in former Knaresborough bank
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