13/08/2026
📣 Sad announcement 📣
This is a long one so bear with me….
We love being in Ilkley and we’ve made some ace friends 🫶🏼.
We love our little restaurant too, however, when we took the lease in our little corner of Ilkley we made sure it was clearly stated that the atrium that sits aside Forde was permitted to be used as a seating area.
After trialling the area with just tables and chairs, we realised that not everyone was able to enjoy the space without a struggle.
Those who use wheelchairs, walking frames, are unsteady on their feet, have babies in high chairs, dogs to accompany them, or those who have children who enjoy drawing at the tables were not able to enjoy their meals comfortably without the tables or chairs wobbling in the cobbled floor; risking hot drinks or food spilling on them or falling/tripping.
Since we want everyone to be able to enjoy our restaurant, not just a select few; or the perfectly able bodied, we contacted the Landlords Agent requesting permission to make the seating area more safe and enjoyable.
They sent their representative to a meeting where we gave details of the adaptations we wanted to make to the area.
We requested permission to build a solid platform to create a safe and stable floor to seat our guests.
Ramped access compliant with DDA regulations and pushchair accessible.
We detailed the planters we wanted to install around the edge to create a warm and comfortable environment and bring some colour to the atrium; complimenting the space that they otherwise don’t maintain very well.
We wanted to distract and protect guests from the roof leak we have reported to the Landlord for 18 months.
We wanted to provide our own lighting in our area, as the Council have left the lighting in the atrium broken for months in the past.
We wanted a clear boundary of our area so we could provide a clean area for dining, that we ourselves could maintain, away from the cobwebs and birds nests the Council allow to gather without providing a cleaner or proper maintenance in their area.
We were told it “wouldn’t be a problem” and later started work.
We appreciate it took some time for us to complete this and that it may have caused a temporary eyesore whilst there were delays, but we have been met along the way with changing goal posts.
Bradford council and their managing agents have now, apparently, received a complaint.
1 single complaint, and they have now insisted that this lovely seating area be ripped out, whilst refusing to discuss any other ways we could adapt the space to make it safe and compliant for all of our guests.
They have simply said we can leave tables and chairs on the cobbled floor, but who wants to have dinner in an unkept atrium that doesn’t provide safe seating? We don’t want to ask that of our guests.
This seating area was an important part of our business plan before signing the lease and it is essential not just to survive, but try and thrive in this difficult industry!
So - that said - we will soon be activating the break clause in our lease and we will, sadly, be leaving our lovely little corner of Ilkley.
This won’t see us leaving until late next year, but with the state of hospitality right now and Bradford council now making it even harder, we just can’t make this particular property work long term whilst Bradford Council are the Landlord.
If you’re made it this far thank you.
We wanted to give as much notice as possible to anyone who may have bought vouchers specifically for Ilkley, or those who have been meaning to come and not found the time yet.
We appreciate all of you and look forward to welcoming all our customers, old and new, between now and us leaving this building 💚🫶🏼
