Have we seen the last of nightclubs in Harrogate?

It’s the Christmas party season, and many of us will remember when a festive do in Harrogate ended, often rather messily, in one of Harrogate’s nightclubs.

The town’s club scene was once so good that names such as Carringtons, Jimmys and Josephine’s live on in fond memories of sticky dancefloors, cheap drinks and great music.

Recollections may be hazy but the love remains for the likes of Legends, Flares, Ministry of Sound, Rehab, The Old Bourbon and the many other nightclubs that have come and gone in Harrogate over the years.

But no more. Next weekend will mark a year since the last club standing, The Viper Rooms, closed its doors. So is this the end of the nightclub in Harrogate and, with it, the end of a guaranteed great night out in the town?

The death of the nightclub

Harrogate is not alone in its declining nightclub scene. Data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows 31 per cent of the UK’s nightclubs closed between June 2020 and June 2023. The report blamed an increase in operational costs, rents, utilities and maintenance, and called for initiatives to help nightclub owners finance their venues.

But even before a pandemic and a cost of living crisis, NTIA research shows that nightclubs were already in decline. Between 2014 and 2019 the number of clubs across the UK fell from 1,924 to 1,446, with Yorkshire seeing a 37 per cent loss.

Jay Smith, the owner of Montey’s bar, says this corresponds to an increase in later bar licences:

“In the halcyon days of nightclubs, bars were open until 11 and then the clubs took over. But as licensing reforms started to take hold and then customer demand followed, we ended up opening later. Now Montey’s is open until 4am on a weekend and we’re not alone. It’s being driven by the consumer and that’s all you can react to.”

Montey’s has just marked its 27th year in Harrogate and Mr Smith says drinking habits have changed during that time.

“People aren’t going out as much as they used to. There’s a whole generation of kids who turned 18 during the pandemic and have never been clubbing. And a large number of our customers don’t drink alcohol. When Montey’s started we had one alcohol-free beer and now we have a whole section on the menu. It’s not a money saving exercise for people either; they are just more health conscious.”

(L) The serviced apartments on the Kings Road site that was previously the original King’s Club, then the Old Bourbon. (R) Best Bar on Parliament Street

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Has demand gone? 

With opportunities for clubbing in Leeds and York and the ease and affordability of sharing an Uber back to Harrogate, is there even any demand for a nightclub in Harrogate?

Jay Smith says:

“To be honest, a town the size of Harrogate probably had a disproportionate number of nightclubs a decade or two ago. If we do get another one I suspect it will be a lot smaller. Nightclubs are really expensive businesses to operate.”

So is Harrogate still a great night out?

You’d think not, judging by the negative response on The Stray Ferret’s Facebook page to a story last week about Harrogate’s best venues. “Go to Leeds or York” was the general response to an appeal from a Bath-based events company for someone ‘with a love of partying’ to report on the town’s bars and clubs for a ‘full night out experience’. “Nightlife is dead in Harrogate” was a common refrain.

But Yannis Dervishi, owner of Best Bar on Parliament Street, doesn’t agree. He thinks perceptions changed when The Viper Rooms closed, and that people who think the closure left Harrogate devoid of nightlife, need to get back out on the town and see what’s on offer.

“Viper Rooms closing down took away decades and decades of that location’s history, which promoted the perception that nightlife in Harrogate is lacking, he says.

“However, this is just perception over perspective. Harrogate contains a variety of bars scattered through the town centre and each one is different and unique in their own way. The face of the town’s night-time scene may have changed but it’s not like there’s no music and no dancefloors.”

The rise of the all night bar

The success of bars in the face of nightclubs’ decline was underlined this week when the UK’s biggest nightclub operator, Rekom, announced it’s going to start focusing more on its bars. And last week The Viper Rooms owner Paul Kinsey’s Harewood Group said it had taken over the Pitcher and Piano bar in Harrogate and is aiming to create a ‘great night out’, introducing live music and DJ Christmas party nights.

Mr Dervishi, who has been in the industry for over 20 years and also runs Mykonos and Santorini restaurants, says the demographic has widened at Best Bar since The Viper Rooms closed. The bar, which is open until 6am at weekends and includes a ‘nightclub’ style room with a dancefloor and DJs, attracts between 300 and 500 people on Fridays and 450 to 750 on Saturday.

“We’ve got customers of all ages, from 20 year olds to the over 70s. We didn’t plan for that kind of mix when we first launched, but when Viper Rooms closed we adapted our offering and it just fell into place.”

Mr Smith also thinks it’s unfair to say the town has no nightlife: “We’ve got some really great places to go on a night. Independent bars are on the rise nationally, and in Harrogate we’ve got some really great players.”

He says the loss of nightclubs is a shame, but times have changed:

“My first job in hospitality was as a DJ at Night Out in Knaresborough. It was amazing. I would get there at 10.30pm and by 11 the place would fill up. For those of us who lived through that generation, you’d finish your night in a club. But what nightclubs have become in the last decade is very different to what they were when I was younger.”

Although he thinks the general trend in the decline of nightclubs will continue, Mr Smith is not sure we’ve seen the last of them in Harrogate.

“I still think there is a demand for a nightclub,” he adds.

Do you think Harrogate should have a nightclub? Do you have fond memories or pictures of nights out in a Harrogate nightclub?
We’d love you to share them with us. Get in touch and send us your thoughts at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Police CCTV appeal after man glassed at Montey’s in Harrogate

Police have appealed for help finding a man they want to speak to following a serious assault in Harrogate town centre.

A man was taken to hospital with facial injuries after being assaulted with a glass at Montey’s on The Ginnel.

The incident happened at 1am on Sunday, September 3.

North Yorkshire Police first issued a CCTV image of a man they wanted to contact on September 18.

Officers today renewed the appeal. The force said in a statement:

“If you recognise the man in the image or have any information that could help please email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Sam Clarke.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference number 12230166084 when passing on information.”

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Police release CCTV image after Harrogate bar assault

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to after an assault in Harrogate.

The incident happened at Montey’s Bar, The Ginnel, at 1am on Sunday, September 3.

Officers said it involved a man being assaulted with glass, causing injury to his face.

The victim was taken to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.

A statement from North Yorkshire Police said:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the man in the image as they believe they could have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or call us on 101, select option 2 and ask for Sam Clarke.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote our reference number 12230166084 when passing on information.”

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Harrogate bar bans Russian vodka in support of Ukraine

Montey’s on The Ginnel in Harrogate has stopped stocking Russian vodka to show support for Ukraine.

The bar, which is celebrating its 25th year, had Stolichnaya vodka on the shelves to pour for customers.

Other bars across the UK have made similar stands and stopped serving vodka produced by Russian companies.

Montey’s owner Jay Smith said the bar has got rid of its remaining bottles of Stolichnaya and will soon stock Ukrainian vodka instead.

He said:

“It’s easy to think that you are unable to help.

“What can a small business do to make an impact on a world event? We figured that if we did what we could, and others did the same, then in the end our actions could be really effective.

“So we removed all Russian vodka from our shelves. We won’t be buying any more and we are sourcing Ukrainian vodka to take its place.”

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Harrogate nightlife institution Montey’s celebrates 25 years

Montey’s has been a favourite haunt of Harrogate night owls looking for quality cocktails and alternative music for 25 years.

The bar was opened by owner Jay Smith on this day in 1996. Back then, The Ginnel was a quiet back street and not one of the town’s most popular food and drink spots.

Montey’s took over a unit that was previously a pine shop, but Mr Smith said he saw the potential the area had.

He said:

“[The Ginnel] was dramatically different. I had looked around the town centre trying to find where hospitality could get driven to, in terms of available space, The Ginnel seemed to fit that brief.”

After working for Tesco in his early 20s, he followed his dream of opening a bar of his own. He combined savings with a loan from John Smiths brewery to open Montey’s as a jazz bar with a strictly over-25s policy.

But it struggled to attract punters during the week, so to save the business, Mr Smith scrapped the policy, recruited as many former Jack and Danny’s and Jimmy’s cocktail bartenders as he could find and shifted towards rock music.

“The over 25’s policy became a millstone around the neck of the business.

“So we went back to licencing at the council and asked them to remove the conditions or it will go up in smoke.”

Mr Smith said the best nights in Montey’s have been themed nights such as Halloween, New Year and whenever live bands perform, although his memory of the 90s is blurry after one too many lemon drops.

He said:

 “We’ve always done live music, we love it.”

Over the years Montey’s has developed a reputation for cocktails delivered with flair and fun.

“Flair bartending is where you’re throwing bottles around like Cocktail. It became popular and recognised bartending as a career and a skill.”

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Many businesses have come and gone around Parliament Street since 1996, including some massive chains such as Jamie Oliver and Ministry of Sound who pumped millions into venues that failed.

Mr Smith said it’s the independents that have been built to last.

“After 25 years in Harrogate there’s been an astonishing amount of bars, some with huge budgets who thought they could stroll into the town.

“A lot of them were in just massive, very expensive buildings.

“But if you look at long-term successful businesses in Harrogate, it’s places like Drum and Monkey, Will and Vics and G23.

“The indies are supported here. It’s a testament to the attitude of the people of Harrogate.”

Mr Smith still runs the bar today alongside his “partner in crime” and director of the business Colin Speirs, who was the first bartender he hired back in 1996. They hope to have a party next summer to celebrate their birthday.

He added:

“25 years is exactly half my life as I was 25 when it opened. I basically grew up in there.

“I’m genuinely proud and astonished we’ve suddenly arrived at 25 years.”