'Seize £30 billion opportunities' to tempt back Harrogate customers is rallying cry

After seeing ‘Super Saturday’ in action for himself at the weekend, Mr Cotton says he was delighted with the way it turned out and that Harrogate “did itself proud”.And he is determined the way ahead as economic storm clouds gather is to stay positive and grasp the opportunities out there still.

He said yesterday’s Government announcement of a £30 billlion package to support the economy would act as a tonic to the hospitality sector, in particular.

Mr Cotton said: “This is particularly good news for Harrogate because of the amount of jobs that rely on hospitality in our town.

“Without question, I believe this will help save jobs.”

Mr Cotton said The Fat Badger was acting now to tempt customers back.

He said: “The 15% cut in VAT is going to make eating out more affordable and, at the Fat Badger, we’re not going to wait until next Wednesday to offer that to our customers as per the announcement.

“As of today, we’ll be giving an immediate 15% cash back on all of our menus on all dining, from the restaurant to the pub.

“Next month we’ll be participating in the government’s £10 per person discount scheme and will be taking bookings for that with immediate effect.”

Mr Cotton, who writes a regular column for the Harrogate Advertiser, said: “What a day July 4 was for the hospitality sector.

“The buzz was back, the atmosphere alive with chatter, laughter and people enjoying themselves in a safe environment.

“It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces smiling and enjoying themselves and our industry back to life.

“I’d like to say thank you Harrogate, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, you did us proud.

“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 great to have a steady flow of people coming and going all day, everyone being respectful of the new rules.”

Harrogate cinema delays reopening as Hollywood keeps hold of new blockbusters

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.