'You did us proud' is the message to Harrogate public as 'Super Saturday' is hailed a huge success

Months of planning had gone into Saturday's big relaunch. Many and varied social distancing measures had to be put in place while a host of new regulations were introduced by the Government for both landlords and customers to adhere to.

Hailed as a 'Super Saturday' by the business community in Harrogate, this weekend was an opportunity for the town to kick-start its £200m hospitality industry which had been so drastically stalled by the coronavirus pandemic.

It may have been a hard road getting there, but Harrogate Advertiser columnist Simon Cotton, MD of the HRH Group which owns The Yorkshire Hotel, White Hart and Fat Badger says he was delighted with the way it turned out and believes the buzz is definitely back in the town's hospitality businesses.

North Yorkshire Police thank landlords and drinkers after 'Super Saturday' passes 'without major incident' in Harrogate district

"What a day July 4th was for the hospitality sector," he said. "It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces smiling and enjoying themselves and our industry springing back to life. We’d taken a lot of bookings for lunch and dinner at the usual prime times but it was great to have a steady flow of people coming and going all day, everyone being responsible and respectful of the new rules.

"I’d like to say thank you Harrogate, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, you did us proud. To everyone who popped in for just a quick pint, to those who sat in the sun with a few more, thank you. Thank you for understanding and being respectful of the guidelines we have put in place, listening to the team keep everyone safe and for putting your trust in us to do the right thing.

Here are ten pictures showing Harrogate's busy bars on 'Super Saturday'

"One of the days highlights was seeing our Mayor and Mayoress sat in a deckchair on our new Badger Beach enjoying a well-deserved cocktail. The duo also spoke to so many of our customers and really supported hospitality opening back up again, thank you, your ongoing support means so much to us. Another highlight was seeing our local police officers joining in the fun during their check ins by having their photos taken on Badger beach.

"Our teams worked hard to put so many mechanisms in place to keep everyone safe from QR codes to online menus and staff continually monitoring the social distancing across the pub. It was wonderful to see that all the hard work really paid off with The Fat Badger being at our new full capacity from 3pm onwards.

Wetherspoons has announced 9 rules customers must follow from 4 July

"Importantly though, the buzz was back, the atmosphere alive with chatter, laughter and people enjoying themselves in a safe environment. Here’s to another great day of it all again today."

Did your businesses reopen this weekend? We would love to feature your views on our website and possibly in print this week. Let us know how your weekend went by sending us your thoughts on email to [email protected]