A landmark restaurant on a major road near Harrogate will reopen under new ownership this autumn.

The former Millstones restaurant on the A59 near Kettlesing has been bought by Mark and Teresa Trickett, who have already begun work on the site.

As well as renovating the accommodation to create a family home, they are transforming the restaurant into a large cafe, with new kitchen, toilets and more.

It will be known as the Outside Inn, but the site will continue to be known as Millstones in recognition of its history.

Mark said:

“It’s a behemoth of a coffee shop. Most days we’ve been working until two in the morning for the last six weeks.

“What we’re doing to it reflects our personality: it’s not on trend, it’s just us – an eclectic mix that we like.

“I’m hoping when we open the doors people will say they like it and they will come back for another cup of tea.”

The couple have run a motorhome business for the last few years. However, they were looking for a new site after struggling to get the right permissions to operate the business from their home, just half a mile from Millstones.

Mark approached the former owner of Millstones, which was on the market, and the sale completed in July. The couple got straight to work with their plans for the site.

Aiming to be as sustainable as possible, they are re-using as many of the fittings as possible, such as repurposing skirting boards to create a counter in the ladies’ toilets.

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Millstones was well-known over many years for catering for large groups, from local organisations to coach trips passing by on the A59.

More recently, it had begun offering fish and chips, and had added a farm shop. However, Mark and Teresa plan to simplify what the venue offers and ensure it is good value, with Teresa drawing on her previous experience in the catering industry.

The couple said they hope to open the doors in the next few weeks. They have a clear vision of what they want the business to offer, as Mark explained:

“We’ll have a bit of retail but not a farm shop with veg and a butcher. If you’re trying to integrate into a community, you don’t want to tread on toes, and there are three or four farm shops around here already.

“The one thing Millstones did excel at was the Sunday carvery. We’re trying to reignite that for this side of Harrogate.

“We’re very nervous, because of the way things are going with the economy, but we’re excited because we feel we’ve got something where people would genuinely want to come.

“It’s my wife’s baby. She wanted somewhere that people could come and have value. If people can come here and have tea and cake for £5, £6, £7, and it’s good, they can walk out of here thinking, ‘that wasn’t half bad’.”

Police today issued an appeal for witnesses following a crash near Harrogate in which a man suffered serious injuries.

The collision, on the A59 near Kettlesing, involved a white Transit van and a motorcycle.

Both were travelling in the direction of Harrogate.

The incident happened at about 2.30pm on Friday and led to the road being closed for several hours.

The motorcyclist sustained life-threatening injuries.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for any witnesses to the collision, or anyone with relevant dashcam footage.

If you wish to do so you can call 101 and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number NYP-17062022-253.

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Plans have been approved to expand a Harrogate district business park to create five new buildings in an effort to boost the local economy.

Springfield Farm, on Cold Cotes Road at Kettlesing Head, just off the A59, will expand to include a new warehouse and office space.

The site’s car park will also be extended and will include electric vehicle charging points.

Harrogate Borough Council approved the proposal last week.

Quarters Commercial Ltd, the developers behind the application, said the scheme will help to “enhance an already important commercial site”.

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As part of the plan, a 9,000 square foot warehouse will be built to provide additional storage space for Kirsty’s, a gluten-free food supplier, which is based at the site.

Masterplan for the Springfield Farm business park expansion.

Meanwhile, three buildings will be built to provide nine separate units for smaller businesses. A further building will also be provided to offer office space for companies.

The developers said in its planning statement:

“Springfield Farm presents a fantastic opportunity to sensitively expand the already established commercial centre and ensure its future success and ongoing contribution to Harrogate.

“This is an exciting chance to enhance an already important commercial site, preserving the character of the area, with a quality masterplan, and well designed buildings where businesses’ can thrive, within a sustainable environment.”