Leon has confirmed its Harrogate restaurant will close in just over two weeks’ time — as speculation mounts over the site’s future.
The Stray Ferret revealed this week the Wetherby Road fast food venue would cease trading, with the loss of about 20 jobs, on April 2.
Staff were informed of the decision on Monday.
A Leon spokesperson said today:
“We’re confirming we have decided to close the doors of Leon Harrogate on Wetherby Road. Our last trading day will be April 2.
“Guests will still be able to get their Leon fix at the drive-thru in Gildersome, and at the Leon Leeds Station restaurant.”
Retailer EG Group operates sites with franchise partners including Starbucks, Greggs and KFC in the UK.
It considered opening a Starbucks on Wetherby Road before Leon was announced instead.
Our Facebook post about Leon’s closure generated about 400 replies, with people eager to know what will follow.
Some local residents had objected to the site being used as a fast food restaurant because of its proximity to homes and the busy junction of Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive.
Vehicles will stop using the site after April 2 — but it could only be a temporary pause until a new business moves in.
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Harrogate fast food restaurant Leon to close
Harrogate fast food venue Leon is to close — just nine months after opening.
The Mediterranean-inspired drive-thru and restaurant opened on Wetherby Road at the end of June.
There were concerns that having a drive-thru close to the junction of Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive would cause traffic problems.
But they failed to materialise and staff were informed yesterday the site will close on April 2.
A source, who asked not to be named, said:
“It is purely down to low sales to my knowledge, it has never been as busy as you would expect a new restaurant to be.”
About 20 staff, most of whom are part-time, are affected by the news. The source added:
“There was some discussion about other job roles in the EG group, which owns Leon, but it wasn’t clear exactly what would happen.”
Leon’s closure will prompt speculation about the future of the site.
EG Group had considered opening a Starbucks on the site and may be tempted to revive those plans.
EG Group is the UK’s largest operator of KFC, Greggs and Starbucks franchises.
It has transformed the derelict former dentist site and installed electric vehicle charging points. There is a large car parking area.
The Stray Ferret has approached Leon for comment.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s Leon drive-thru to open on Friday
- Arson at Harrogate’s Kimberley Hotel: police appeal for witnesses
Graveleys fish and chip shop serves first customers after 1,000 days away
Graveleys fish and chip shop in Harrogate served its first customers in more than 1,000 days today.
Owner Simon Pilkington was in town to oversee the reopening of the Harrogate institution, which appeared to have gone for good when it was sold in November 2019.
The takeaway is currently open five days a week and Mr Pilkington said he hoped the restaurant would return in about three weeks, but certainly by Easter, which he said was the trade’s busiest time of year. He said:
“It’s great to be back. My dad would have been elated today to see this if he was still alive.
“Being here has reminded me of all the good times, such as the Great Yorkshire Show week, when we were always absolutely rammed.”
Mr Pilkington said his family had no intention of selling Graveleys until Catch Seafood made an offer.
When Catch went into liquidation last year, the opportunity to return to the same site on Cheltenham Parade proved too tempting for him and his brother Andrew, who own other restaurants elsewhere.
Manager Sarah Knox holds a portion of chips.
Mr Pilkington reiterated the pledge made by manager Sarah Knox yesterday to go “back to basics”, adding:
“We will focus on providing quality fish and chips and then add some seafood delights depending on the feedback.
“Every day is a learning day. We will listen to what customers tell us and go with what they want.”
The takeaway menu includes fish and chips — either cod or haddock — for £9. The takeaway also sells a range of other fish and seafood, including squid, plus other chip shop basics, such as battered sausages and chicken nuggets.
One of today’s first customers
Read more:
- Graveley’s fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
- Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes
Graveleys fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
One of Harrogate most famous names, Graveleys, is to make a comeback tomorrow.
The fish and chip restaurant and takeaway was a feature of Cheltenham Parade for decades until it was sold in 2019.
New owners Catch Seafood spent £250,000 refurbishing the property and introduced a champagne and oyster bar as well as cocktails.
But all five Catch restaurants ceased trading last year when the company went into administration, paving the way for Simon Pilkington, the son of former Graveleys owner Robert, to buy back the building.
The takeaway will reopen tomorrow at 11am.
The takeaway will open at 11am tomorrow and the restaurant is due to open in the next few weeks. A final date has not been confirmed.
Sarah Knox, manager of Graveleys, said the venue would be going “back to basics”, adding:
“The focus will be on fish and chips. We just want to get back to basics and serve quality products.
“We will listen to what customers tell us and adjust our menu accordingly. Come in and see us!”
Ms Knox, who has worked all her life in hospitality and was previously employed by Catch, said the new venture had come about quickly and she had spent the last week preparing for the reopening. New staff are wanted.
The takeaway will be open from 11am to 2.30pm and 4.30pm to 8pm from Tuesday to Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes
- Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant to be renamed Catch Harrogate
Harrogate Restaurant Week: keep your tummy and bank balance happy
On Monday 5 February, Harrogate Restaurant Week will begin. Restaurants in and around Harrogate are taking part in a promotional week, serving up some tasty discounts and helping us enjoy the luxury of dining out for less.
Restaurant Week is running from Monday 6 – Friday 10 February.
To help you save your pennies, we have curated a list of six participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week offers.
The Fat Badger
The Fat Badger is offering a homemade pie with a pint of bitter for just £10 during the promotional week.
Customers can enjoy a hearty steak, mushroom and ale pie, washed down with Tetley’s Best.
For more information on the restaurant, visit here.
The West Park Hotel
The West Park Hotel is offering two courses for £15, or three courses for £20 during Restaurant Week.
Customers can choose their courses from the new Restaurant Week menu.
Click to find more information on The West Park Hotel.
The West Park Hotel will have a specific Restaurant Week menu.
Cosy Club
Cosy Club is offering customers a main and dessert for £15.
The Restaurant Week menu includes buttermilk fried chicken with fries, coleslaw and smoked red pepper aioli, along with a vegan baked vanilla cheesecake with raspberries.
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William & Victoria
William & Victoria will also be partaking in Restaurant Week, offering customers two courses for £15, or three courses for £20.
Customers can expect to see dishes such as honey glazed goats cheese, fresh Moules Marinière and affogato on the promotional menu.
The menu will be available during both lunch service from 12pm – 2.30pm, and dinner service from 5pm – 9m.
Rudding Park Hotel
Rudding Park Hotel’s Clocktower Brasserie is offering two courses and a glass of Prosecco for £20 during Restaurant Week.
The offer will be available from 12pm – 5pm during the promotional week.
Customers can choose their courses from the Restaurant Week menu.
For more information, click here.
The Clocktower Brasserie will be participating in Restaurant Week.
The Inn, South Stainley
The Inn, South Stainley between Harrogate and Ripon is also offering a starter and main course for £20.
The offer is available during lunch and dinner services.
The Restaurant Week menu includes a homemade soup and giant Yorkshire puddings.
New Masham restaurant wins Michelin Guide accoladeA restaurant in Masham that opened last year has been included in the Michelin Guide‘s list of favourite new restaurants.
Where there’s Smoke is based on the Silver Street site formerly occupied by Vennell’s for 17 years.
Owned by Jon Atashroo and his wife Arlette, it cooks locally sourced produce over coals and embers.
Mr Atashroo began his career training at the Michelin-starred Aubergine restaurant in Chelsea and was head chef at the fine dining restaurant at London’s Tate Modern before moving to Masham to buy the couple’s first restaurant.
Michelin Guide inspectors were so impressed by what the couple and restaurant manager John Goodyear have created they included Where there’s Smoke in a list of 24 favourite new UK restaurants following anonymous visits.
The organisation said:
“Cooking over coals is the USP here – hence the name – and the lovely aroma will hit you the moment you enter this good-looking restaurant.
“It sits in a delightful market town, and the seasonal set menu is comforting, easy to enjoy and comes from an honest heart.
“The chef-owner is also a potter, so take time to admire his creations; oh, and the bespoke wooden table-tops, he made those too.”
Read more:
- Masham Michelin restaurant sold to Tate Modern chef
- Cut-price deals for diners during Harrogate district’s first Restaurant Week
Mr Atashroo told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s great to be put on the map. It’s really exciting for us.
“We are only a tiny restaurant with 16 seats and a small team.”
He said buying his own restaurant had fulfilled a lifelong dream and Masham had proved to be a great location after living in London for 37 years. He added:
“We got the same accolade at the Tate but this feels more special because we have built this restaurant up from the ground.”
The 24 additions to the Michelin Guide precede the naming of the new venues to receive Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmands and Green Stars in March.
New Mediterranean restaurant opens in HarrogateA new Mediterranean restaurant specialising in Turkish and Italian cuisine has opened in Harrogate.
Rubin’s is based in a large unit that used to be a bathroom shop on Cheltenham Parade. It is next door to the former Catch seafood restaurant.
The venue opens at 10am for all-day breakfasts and then serves lunch at noon and evening meals from 5pm to 9pm. It also offers afternoon teas and has its own pastry chef making all the sweet treats.
Named after one of the business partners’ sons, Rubin’s can seat up to 98 customers.
Rubin’s is situated on Cheltenham Parade.
The restaurant, which opened last week, is expecting new signs next week and currently does not have an alcohol licence. Customers can bring their own alcohol until a licence is approved and there is no corkage charge.
Read more:
- New 80-seat restaurant to open in Harrogate on Friday
- Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
Manager David Rogers said:
“We make everything fresh and have created a nice atmosphere. It’s a big, comfortable place and we look forward to welcoming customers.”
The evening menu includes burgers, pasta, Neapolitan sourdough pizzas and Turkish pide. Vegetarian options are available.
The extensive range of pastries and ice-creams.
This story has been sponsored by the Provenance Collection.
A former Masterchef contestant has been appointed as the new head chef at the Coach & Horses in Harrogate.
Formerly executive chef at Harewood Estate and a semi-finalist of the 2016 MasterChef: The Professionals, Josh Whitehead will head up the kitchen at the pub on the corner of West Park and Tower Street.
His new menu will see seasonal produce sourced from the Provenance’s own kitchen garden, or from carefully selected partners across the region.
Pizza butter chicken kieve with polenta fries and dressed leaves. Photo: Claire McClean Photography
Josh, who will work alongside his best friend, Andy Castle, who was head chef at the Ox Club in Leeds, said:
“I am really excited about the Coach & Horses, with a great place in the history of Harrogate and a promising future, myself and Andy look forward to cooking up delicious British classics using the best possible produce with love and respect.
“Our aim to is cook dishes that are comforting and familiar whilst drawing inspiration from British pubs, exceptional ingredients and classic cookery, with a typical Josh and Andy flair.”
Starting his career washing pots in nearby Wetherby, Josh quickly shifted to front of house at Restaurant Bar & Grill, Harrogate, where he helped the head chef to prep shifts in the kitchen. Biding his time, he was promoted to commis, his first paid chef role.
Croissant and marmalade bread and butter pudding. Photo: Claire McClean Photography
However, it was during his training at Thomas Danby college, Leeds, he got a taste for working with fine dining restaurant Anthony’s.
Many subsequent roles, including Harvey Nichols, The Tetley, Northern Bloc Ice Cream and then the opening of House of Koko, all helped to prepare him for his role.
It was during this time that he also met his best friend, sous chef Andy, while working at the Ox Club.
While working as executive chef at The Harewood Food & Drink Project, he learnt about various aspects of livestock, wild game, vegetables and foraging.
To try the new menu, book a table at the Coach and Horses by calling 01423 789777 or visit www.coachandhorsesharrogate.com.
Sneak Peek: Starling shows off new spacious bar after major renovationHarrogate’s Starling Independent Bar Cafe and Kitchen has been showing off it’s impressive new space this week following a major renovation.
The restaurant and bar on Oxford Street serves craft beer, hot drinks and pizza, as well as a brunch menu.
The venue, which launched in 2017, now boasts a ground floor three times the size after expanding into the former TSB bank next door.
The refurbishment, which was completed in just three weeks, offers a more fully accessible space and a more vibrant bar atmosphere.
Dan Howard, general manager, said:
“The main idea was we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. We didn’t consider the concept broken. We just wanted to expand on what we were offering already.
“We offer a great service and a great selection of products that people already liked. We definitely didn’t want to break that.
“We wanted to make sure people who come to Starling already would enjoy what we have done with it and that it would attract a new crowd as well.
“During a testing time in hospitality, we’ve managed to push through with the refurb and now it’s onwards and upwards.”
Read more:
- Sneak Peek: The Nelson Inn reopens this week
- Sneak peek: New Harrogate grill and bar opens this weekend
Mr Howard said the increased capacity would also allow the upstairs area to be used more.
He said:
“We are looking at putting football on up there. We already get quite a lot of bookings for functions and we now have the space available to allow those to happen more frequently.”
Starling, which is owned by Simon Midgley, will still offer full table service during the day. This will continue upstairs, however from 3pm the new downstairs area will operate as bar service only.
Mr Howard said:
“We are hoping that will just create a bit more of a social environment. It will just create a bit more of a bar vibe on an evening and really get the place buzzing. We will still be offering the same great service we always have done.
“We have got much more of a presence on the street now and when you look in you can see what we’ve got to offer.”
Starling is also well known for its charity quiz nights, with ‘Dan’s Questionable Quiz’, returning this Sunday.
The quiz raises money for the Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity and will now be held in the downstairs bar area.
Sneak peek: New Harrogate grill and bar opens this weekendA new restaurant is opening in Harrogate this weekend with a special set list of musicians and DJs to entertain diners.
HG1 Grill and World Bar opens its doors for the first time at 4pm tomorrow. To celebrate the launch, the venue will be offering 50% off food until Sunday, November 27 which has been extended to thank its diners.
There will be limited spaces available as the restaurant looks to improve with feedback from customers during its initial, soft launch.
The 80-seat independent restaurant with a cocktail bar and terrace replaces the building formerly occupied by Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre on Cheltenham Crescent.
Jas Gill, the owner, told the Stray Ferret:
“People are going to have a great time here. We’ve got a great team here, who are all passionate about food and are fully on board with our vision.”
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Jerome Lacheure, general manager, said:
“Everything is on track, I am really looking forward to it. Very excited, very nervous. A mixture of emotion. We’ve put a lot of work into the place during the last few busy weeks.
“It’s not just about the food or drink. We are here to provide a full evening for our customers and the music offering is going to form a big part of that.”
The menu will change with the seasons. Currently there is a range of dishes on offer from grilled whole fish to beef tataki, burgers and a vegetarian choices like ginger and chilli tofu stir-fry.
The drinks list will also be ever-adapting, focusing on new trends from across the world. There will also be plenty of the classics and local tipples to enjoy too.
Bookings are now open and can be made by clicking or tapping here.
Pic shows: Staff outside the venue, including head chef (centre right) Javier Oitana, general manager (first in from the right) Jerome Lacheure and bar manager (right) Joe Oliver.