News Beat
The Little Ale House opens in Stonegate, York
The Little Ale House’s doorbell rang for the first time on Thursday (December 4).
Staff working at the traditional country-style pub, set in Stonegate, warmly welcomed their first customers, who were invited to try the pub’s large selection of whiskies, wine, ale and craft beer.
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Owner Richard Park, who launched his pub in Harrogate in 2016, said he wanted to encapsulate the Grade II*-listed building’s history.
He kept the three-storey building’s traditional brickwork, adding numerous open fireplaces, repurposed church pews, chairs and wooden beams to create a cosy and comforting atmosphere.
Richard said: “I wanted to create a warm space where people can meet and chat without music and other distractions.
“It’s a place where you can just relax with your family and friends and meet new faces.”
The building has been left vacant since Bettys announced the café’s closure in spring 2021.
Richard said: “I wanted to retain the incredible history of the business and Taylors Tea before their merge.
“We kept the original Taylors Tea counters on the ground-floor, the drawers of which still smell of the original blends more than 100 years on.
“The shelves now stock our variety of whiskies – a selection which I am proud to say is one of the largest outside of Manchester, Edinburgh and London.
“I hope to expand upon this, introducing new tasting and event rooms for local brands in our soon-to-be-renovated rooms on the second floor.”
Aside from its whisky offering, The Little Ale House stocks gin from local distillery Cooper King and independent micro-breweries.
Its focus, Richard said, was on providing customers with “quality, local brands”, and is working on producing a house gin.
Its current opening hours are from 2pm till 10.30pm throughout the week, with dogs also welcome.
