Christmas is in full swing here at The Masons Arms in Gargrave. The World Cup has been and gone, so we can get fully Christ-Messi now! Sorry, that was a terrible joke, even for me…! It’s less than one week until the big day, so we thought we’d put together our top tips for keeping your Christmas Day as stress-free as possible. Whoever gets landed with the job of cooking the dinner, has the most amount of responsibility on their shoulders, and with that, often comes a huge amount of pressure. And as we all know, the only thing that...

Well, it certainly feels like we’re on the countdown to Christmas, doesn’t it?! We’ve got Halloween out of the way, Black Friday is in full swing, and the Christmas Lights are being switched on in Skipton next week (Sunday 27th November). Also, if you’re in an energetic mood, the now traditional Santa Fun Run is also taking place, so if anyone fancies getting their costumes on and partaking in the 5km run, Santa hats off to you!   Back here at the pub in Gargrave, we’ve been quite busy ourselves over the last few weeks. Our winter menu is now...

So, the nights are drawing in, the heating’s gone back on, and our Head Chef Chris is currently tinkering with his Autumn/Winter menu, a sure sign that the seasons are turning! But before we can start getting excited about Christmas and all the indulgence that comes with it, Turkey, mince pies, Baileys… – sorry my mind wondered for a second there – we have the small matter of Halloween to get out of the way. We know this is as much a big deal for some parents as it is for the kids, so we thought this month we’d put...

Well, what a strange period we find ourselves in, 10 days of mourning. We, like the entire nation, we’re saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last week, and even at the age of 96, it still came as a shock to us all. The Queen lived a life of duty and dedicated her life to her throne and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She was known to have a wicked sense of humour, as well and a down to earth personality, something which is clear to see when you watch...

We’re flying through Summer at a rate of knots, and what a Summer it’s been so far! Two heatwaves and counting, the Commonwealth Games have been and gone, and England’s long wait for European glory was ended by the simply wonderful England Women’s Football Team, at Euro 2022. Obviously, all the sun we’ve been having is great for some, especially those who haven’t been able to get abroad on holiday this year, but the heat also comes at a cost for some of our farmers and food producers not just in Gargrave but across the country, who are all praying...

So hopefully we can all agree that there’s nothing better than a cold drink on a nice hot day. And what a few hot days we’re having! As I write this it’s currently 28c outside and Gargrave is looking spectacular in the summer sun. As is our beer garden which is currently bustling with people enjoying a refreshing beverage after work! This month though, I wanted to focus on an element of the hospitality trade, which is often taken for granted, sometimes by consumers, but more so, and more surprisingly by some establishments! That is the ancient art of cellar...

So, The Queen’s Jubilee has finally arrived and there’s lots to look forward to during the unprecedented June four-day weekend! Not least the guilt-free indulgence of party food and drink, sweet treats, and celebrations, which let’s face it, would be rude to turn down. So, we thought we’d run through some party food and drink ideas to get you in the spirit of things, whether you’re ‘going large’ on the celebrations and having a garden party at home, or keeping things low key and simply raising a glass to Her Majesty. What’s going on locally? Let’s start by briefly mentioning...

Here at The Masons Arms, it’s one of our favourite times of the year. Not only are we slowly but surely getting some warmer weather (I even took my coat off for the first time since September!), but it really does make a nice change to get up in the morning and not have to put the lights on! How good is that feeling when you open the curtains, and you can see the nice blue sky and hear the sound the of birds tweeting. Here at the Masons we’re lucky enough to be situated right opposite St Andrew’s Church...

In our humble opinion, The Masons Arms in Gargrave is situated in one of the most idyllic spots in the country. The village of Gargrave itself is a small community hub, with thriving local businesses, and plenty of local folk with huge personalities to go along with it! Not far from our little village is the town of Skipton, 5 miles down the road by car to be exact, or if you feel like a gentle walk, there’s the picturesque Leeds & Liverpool Canal. You can take a jaunt down the towpath which takes you directly into the heart of...