Lapicida’s exciting new collections blends outdoor and indoor life

Lapicida has sponsored this article.

Lapicida is set to launch an exciting new range designed to seemlessly combine outdoor and indoor life at an exclusive event next week.

On Wednesday June 16 and Thursday June 17 from 9am to 4pm Lapicida will unveil the ORNAMENTI collection at its delightful show garden recently opened at its headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Knaresborough.

The UK’s leading specialist in tile and stone has curated ORNAMENTI as an inpirational collection of ornaments and objects designed for private gardens and interiors.

ORNAMENTI comes in the form of planters, fountains, furniture, sundials, obelisks and more.

Technogym’s Personal Line of gym equipment.

The event will also see TechnoGym, which has been the official supplier to eight Olympic Games, present its stunning new Personal Line range of premium cardio equipment.

The Personal Line collection of premium home fitness equipment includes a treadmill, bike, recline, elliptical, kinesis and power station.

Lapicida is also exclusively launching FYSIK in the UK market. FYSIK is a beautiful collection of handmade leather and wood weights and gym equipment, which brings that spa resort feel home.

A new beautiful collection of weights and gym equipment.

These three new lines will be presented alongside Lapicida’s existing lifestyle collections from Albatros Spas and Saunas and Luke Irwin Rugs.

All readers of The Stray Ferret are invited to this premium event where they will be able to:

Visit the Lapicida website for more information by clicking or tapping here or arrange a visit to the showroom at St James Park in Knaresborough.

Caffeine boost: The rise of the independent coffee shops in Harrogate

One thing Harrogate isn’t short of is independent coffee shops.

Once associated as a trendy hangout for hipsters, now the majority of the population are queuing up to get their caffeine fix – and it better be a decent flat white.

New venues on the scene include Swedish coffee house Fi:k, in the Montpellier Quarter, which has also recently opened a branch in Knaresborough, Cortado, on Leeds Road and Heal, also in the Montpellier. There is also Bamber & Brown, a barista bar at Birk Crag, where you can enjoy an artisan coffee in a tipi, and Constellation Coffee, which opened on East Parade last month. Another Swedish coffee shop, Nord, is also set to open on Otley Road.

But what is it about these coffee shops that everyone is going nuts for? And can the town handle the increasing number?

Opening its doors on Leeds Road in August last year, Cortado is one of the new kids on the block.

Meeting spot

Manager Erin Seelig said:

“We felt like the Leeds Road area was missing the market as most of them are directed towards town and this area really needed something.

“Coffee shops are now slowly starting to expand out into the neighbourhoods, which is great.

“It’s a hub and a meeting spot for a lot of people, especially in Harrogate.”

Erin said she believed each coffee shop in Harrogate had it’s own community and offered something slightly different, with Cortado focusing on takeaways to cater for an increase in the number of people who grab one and go for a stroll.

Find your niche

She said this was a habit that had been formed on the back of the lockdown daily walks.

“We see the same people – and their dogs – every day and for us it’s lovely to serve the community.

“For us we are trying to create our own identity. You have got to find your niche.

“If you look at the coffee shops in Harrogate, some focus on the cakes, some do brunch and they all attract different types of people.”

Manager Erin Seelig at Cortado on Leeds Road.

Erin said customers cared more about the different blends of coffee than ever before and often liked to know where the beans were roasted.

Affordable luxury

She said:

“It’s an affordable luxury and it’s a part of the day a lot of people look forward to as there is also the social element.

“I think there is plenty of room for new coffee shops as Harrogate has a big population of residents, as well as tourists. It’s always nice to have choice, and if one of them is full, you can pick another.

“All the independent coffee shops support each other as well. We get massive support from Bean and Bud, Hoxton North and No.35. They have been in here lots and we go to them. We can share ideas, which is really nice.”

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Matthew Edmonds and Oliver Highland Edmonds launched HealMedical and Wellness Spa around seven years ago and last month they added artisan coffee and gift shop to their business, which is based in the Montpellier Quarter.

Coffee and chat

Matthew said:

“The vision for the coffee shop is to enhance the wellness spa with a relaxing, calm space in which having a coffee and a chat becomes an integral part of your experience.

“The retail gifting area aims to highlight independent businesses who strive to give back, whether it be working with the learning difficulties community or supporting environmental causes. This sums up the ethos of Heal.”

Matthew Edmonds, owner of Heal.

Unique experience

Matthew agreed that all new coffee shops in Harrogate should bring the community a unique experience.

He added:

“This is what we are aiming to do at Heal by also stocking quirky gifts and cards that you don’t see everywhere.”

Heal’s coffee and gift shop in the Montpellier Quarter.

Northern Aldborough Festival returns with stellar line-up

Northern Aldborough Festival is making its comeback this year with acts such as Lesley Garrett and the Rev Richard Coles set to draw crowds.

It was cancelled in 2020 but this year organisers are promising a spectacular line-up.

The usual 10-day festival has been reduced to six days and is thought to be one of the first larger events in the district being held after almost all restrictions are lifted. It will begin on June 21 – the day of the government’s anticipated full reopening of society.

Headline performances include an appearance by soprano Lesley Garrett, an evening with the former Communard turned cleric Rev Coles and a performance from the Russian virtuoso violinist Viktoria Mullova, with her son, rising jazz star Misha Mullov-Abbado.

The festival will end with its traditional Last Night outdoor pop concert, which will be 80s themed, at Aldborough Manor on Saturday June 27.

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Robert Ogden, festival director, said:

“We have an incredible line-up of artists, including some of the music industry’s biggest names alongside up-and-coming talent from around the region.

“While the quality of the musical offering will be ensured, so will the welfare and comfort of the audience, and therefore numbers will be limited and other measures taken to allow for safe, social distancing. With that in mind we are inviting people to book their places early.”

Since setting up in 1994 the festival has offered a platform for up-and-coming artists. Young talent will have an opportunity to perform on June 23 in a Young Artist’s Showcase.

Some covid restrictions are still expected to be in place, such as a reduced crowd capacity and social distancing measures.

Three Ripon museums prepare for reopening

Three Ripon museums are preparing to reopen next month after receiving further government funding.

The Workhouse, Prison & Police and Old Courthouse museums plan to welcome visitors from May 17.

Before then, the Workhouse Museum gardens will be open until 3pm today.

Ripon Museum Trust, which maintains the attractions, has received two grants totalling £186,850 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, which helps cultural organisations recover from covid,

The latest grant of £69,350, announced last week, will help the trust develop digital learning for schools and reconnect with tour groups, older learners and communities.

Photo of Ripon Police & Prison Museum

The Police & Prison Museum – one of the three heritage attractions run by Ripon Museum Trust

This additional funding comes as visitor attractions and tourism destinations aim to make the most of the relaxation of lockdown restrictions and boom in staycations.

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust, said:

“The Arts Council’s cultural recovery funding has been an absolute lifeline during a very challenging time.

“This grant puts us in a strong and positive position to reopen our museums again and welcome visitors back – which is what we love doing and what we are all about.

“It will be so wonderful having our doors open again on 17 May.”

The Workhouse Museum gardens will also be open between 11am and 3pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Bank Holiday Monday 3 May.

To manage numbers and ensure social distancing, people should book timed ticket slots online for this and the ‘Inside Out’ Museum Trail. Visit riponmuseums.co.uk for bookings.

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Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, said:

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.

“We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

Last autumn, the trust was awarded £117,500 from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Picture Quiz Answers: Jan 27 – Feb 2Lockdown 2.0: Six tips on how to stay happy

Once was hard enough, but twice feels pretty bleak. And, this time we’re doing it as we enter the darker and colder winter days.

It will be a challenging month for everyone; whether it’s being separated from loved ones, worrying about older relatives or closing your business once again… It’s an uncertain time, and for some this can really impair mental health.

Judith Williams, Director of Complete Life Coaching, Harrogate.

So I have turned to Harrogate life coach, Judith Willliams, Director of Complete life coaching to get some tips on how we can  keep happy and healthy during lockdown

‘With the announcement of a further national lockdown, the country is now facing more separation, stress and concern for their own safety and that of their loved ones. During lockdown the importance of connecting was clear. But with the nights drawing in and the weather changing, how can we stay positive and connected?’
  1. ROUTINE–  Make sure you have one.. Whether you are working from home or not, it is really important to have some routine in your life. Focus on healthy lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, sleep)
  2. STAY CONNECTED– Schedule regular times to connect (preferable via video chat). We are actually less likely to reach out when we are feeling low, so commitments to people help us avoid isolating ourselves.
  3. GET CREATIVE – This is an opportunity to spend time creating Christmas gifts that are meaningful. Things like personalised playlists (or mixtapes as they were known), photo books or a homemade knitted scarf. It’s a great way to spend time and keep loved ones in mind. It can also help to keep costs down when finances may be stretched.
  4. SPREAD SOME LOVE– This year spend time personalising your greetings cards. We are so much more aware of how important the people in our lives are to us, tell them why.
  5. VOLUNTEER– There was a huge feeling of togetherness in the first lockdown, in which thousands of people signed up to volunteer. This may be needed again and is a fantastic way to spend your time and improve your mood.
  6. ZOOM- QUIZ  Bring back the Zoom quiz. So many did it the first time around and it brightened a lot of peoples weeks.

During the last lockdown we had the weather on our side, which really helped. Days were warm and the sun shone which meant people took to gardening, enjoyed BBQ’s and did plenty of walking… I actually got to the point where I was having a little competition with myself on how many steps I could do in a day..

This time around we are faced with shorter colder days now, which means outdoor activities arent so fun… BUT we adapted last time and we can do the same again…I think it is really important to plan little events and milestones, both things to look forward to when restrictions lift, and also little things within lockdown… So maybe a bake-off with your family, a zoom fitness class, getting your house ready for Christmas or even just making a note of the release date of a Netflix drama you are looking forward to..

Harrogate has the most amazing community spirit so let’s look our for each other, stay safe and get through lockdown 2 together.

If you have anything lifestyle related that you would like me to cover please get in touch- ami@thestrayferret.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stray Foodie: The Wild Plum, Harrogate

Stray Foodie is a monthly food review 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.

The Wild Plum, Hookstone Road, Harrogate, HG2 8BW

 

Frances’ Lunch: Crazy A-Bao You for £13.50 and a cup of coffee for £3.25

Looking up at the pink neon ‘Wild’ sign I thought to myself, am I in the Hardrock Café or is this a dream?

I was in fact in a restaurant located above a very popular ladies’ couture venue, The Snooty Frox, in Harrogate.

The Wild Plum Café is busy, modern, clean and bright and I’ve been told customers queue to enter such a hallowed space. It certainly is the place to be; it’s a vibrant and trendy space. A great contrast to the entrance, where I was met by the Lady of the House who was most charming. I was shown upstairs and found Girl Power at its best.

Head Chef, Bethany, daughter of the Snooty Frox owners, rules with her two female colleagues dressed in great ‘modern Chef’ gear.

The three chefs, including the head chef, Bethany (middle).

They were dishing out bags of style from an open kitchen with fabulous bottles of fermented fruit and vegetables. This immediately says, ‘serious kitchen’.

This is clever food; artistic, creative and hot (in every sense of the word). The Menu included the sort of food you can eat at any time of the day, assuming the seasoning is taken care of.

I was spoilt for choice but had the home-made Crazy A-Bao You with Carrot Kimchi, Sesame Soy Crispy Egg and Sriracha Mayo with the Crispy Cornflake Chicken. It arrived as Bao Buns – which were as pink as the Neon sign – in a bamboo steamer.

Would you like Frances to review your restaurant or café?

From pop-up to fine dining, Frances would like to hear from you. If you’d like her to write a review on your food, send her an email to: foodie@thestrayferret.co.uk.

The Carrot Kimchi was on its base with Cornflake Chicken-style burgers and Crispy Eggs topped with a wonderful array of culinary flora. It had a syringe of Mayo at its side and some sweet jam. This was a very generous portion.

There were plenty of other choices and I was very tempted to have the Butternut Squash Fritter (GF) which was Mexican-style with smashed avocado, poached egg, rocket, sweet chilli jam, roasted garlic yoghurt and homemade salsa.

The indoor seating area of The Wild Plum. Above (and featured) image credit: Ben Bentley.

The Wild Plum Buddha Bowl sounded so exciting but with so much going on. Maybe – for a slightly reserved palate – a little confusing?

This food was exciting, tasty and young and I was told everything is made fresh on the premises. Looking around the Café, the other dishes were colourful and lovely.

Knowledge of flavour and ingredients comes with experience and perhaps not always so exciting but leaves a longer lasting impression.

These are exciting times in the culinary world, as it is all changing. It is young dedicated female chefs, like Bethany, who will shortly be leading the way in our industry, certainly in Harrogate.

To find out more about The Wild Plum click here. To read more about Frances’ fantastic career click here.

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Stray Kitchen with Stephanie Moon: It’s Apple Time

Stray Kitchen is our monthly column all about food written by renowned local produce expert, food writer and chef, Stephanie Moon. Stephanie studied at Craven College, Skipton. She then did a work placement at London’s five-star hotel/restaurant, The Dorchester. Stephanie was offered a full-time job, where she worked for world-famous chef, Anton Mosimann. 

In the spirit of Autumn and Halloween, Stephanie’s first column will be talking about the delicious ways of using apples in various dishes.

 

I love this time of year. Our region has a real history with the Great British Apple. Did you know the Ribston Pippin was grown back in 1708 from apple pips which were sent to Henry Goodricke of Ribston Hall? This was the runner up of the Cox’s Orange Pippin.

In Little Ribston, there is still a Ribston Pippin tree growing in the grounds. Nick Smith, the Director of the Harrogate Flower Show, took me along to cook the apples under the tree years ago. This was filmed for Look North. I created my version of an 18th Century recipe ‘A Fraze of Pippins’ (basically a batter-like pancake, heavy on the spices with lots of apples). It was great fun.

Do you have an Apple glut?

My advice is to invest in an ‘apfelschaler’; a plastic contraption (you can get metal ones too) that peels an apple in seconds whilst you wind the handle. When you literally have kilos to peel it really helps.

The apfelschaler peeling an apple.

My Dad gets given boxes of apples and I help him to cook through an apple mountain (not even an exaggeration). We peel, cook the apples and place them in take away pots, lots of apple sauce, and freeze them. I now have a whole shelf of apple sauce in my freezer that is not mine.

Chutney made with apples is mind-blowingly good and great for Christmas gifts. If you make batches it becomes easy (just watch out for apple volcanos), then you cook the chutney as a hit with some boiling hot apple chutney will smart.

But perhaps you have no apples?

If you are lucky enough to look around villages surrounding Harrogate, they give them away for free by the side of the road. Local farm shops and fruit and vegetable shops have fruit racks that are groaning under the strain with every variety – much better than the supermarket fruits that can sometimes be months old.

Stephanie cooking.

There is always the plan to let someone else do the work. Nothing beats an Elite Meat pork and apple burger, a Taylor’s apple cinnamon tea or a Rosebud Preserves wild crab apple jelly.

Can you Adam and Eve it?

Till next time!

For more information on Stephanie Moon’s career in food click here.

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