We’re British, so we don’t like to blow our own trumpet too often! But this month we really wanted to shine a light on some of the positive feedback we’ve received, both verbally in the pub, on social media, and on TripAdvisor. Every bit of customer feedback we receive, good or bad, means so much to us because it tells us what we’re doing is either meeting your expectations, or shows us areas where we need to improve. Customer reviews are crucial for the hospitality industry because they can directly impact a restaurant and pub’s reputation, visibility, and ultimately, its...

Here at The Masons Arms in Gargrave, we’re big fans of keeping it seasonal, and we change our menus seasonally to fully make the most of the abundance of British produce. There seems to be a national awareness day for most things these days, but this one really caught our eye because it gives us a chance to shout about one of our favourite ingredients, British asparagus. National Asparagus Day is on 23rd April, but it adorns our menus throughout the spring and summer months. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cooking with asparagus, or have never used it before,...

Let’s face it, we all love St. Patrick’s Day here at The Masons! Who doesn’t love an excuse for a few pints and pretending to be Irish for the day? This year though we thought we’d give a little bit of history about the traditions that surround St. Patrick’s Day and why the 17th of March has embedded itself into Folklore around the world. St. Patrick’s Day – No Guinness? Hang on a minute…! No Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day? That’s right. It actually used to be a dry holiday. Between 1903 and 1970, St. Patrick’s Day was officially a...

Mother’s Day is a chance to get into your mum’s good books, and hopefully stay there…! There’s plenty of ways you can show your mum (or the mother figure in your life) just how much you care. It really all boils down to the type of person she is. Does she like to be wined and dined? Or does she prefer a more understated gift? Read on as we think we’ve come up with 5 of the best ways to show all the mums out there the appreciation they deserve. Let’s dive in and see what we’ve got… 1.   Keep...

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...