Column: Simon Cotton, Managing director of the HRH Group - Dare I mention the Christmas word?!

​At HRH Group we operate six businesses mainly in Harrogate and York and I can’t believe how many enquiries we’ve received in the month of August for Christmas already!

So, please forgive me for mentioning the ‘Christmas’ word in the middle of summer, but it’s your fault as customers, not mine!

Yes, I’ve been busy hassling our amazing team of head chef’s across the group to finalise their Christmas menus purely because customer demand is putting us under pressure to get this out.

I’m a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person when it comes to planning things too far in advance, so it never ceases to amaze me how organised so many people are when it comes to planning the festive season, whether an office party, a night out with friends, but particularly Christmas Day lunch enquiries are through the roof compared to previous years so clearly time with family is high on many peoples agenda right now.

This seems to be a trend across the hospitality just now, so if you’re thinking about booking somewhere nice for your special day together this year, you can’t say I haven’t warned you if you happen to leave it to the last minute (as I usually do!) and can’t get into your favourite eatery.

Back to the now, I was looking into customer research recently and some of you may have even taken part in a quick survey I did on Twitter, or ‘X’ as it is now. The synergy between food and service is where true greatness resides. A restaurant that excels in both aspects creates an immersive experience that lingers in guests’ memories.

Picture a diner treated to innovative and delectable dishes, each served with impeccable timing and garnished with a genuine smile. The harmonious marriage of exquisite flavours and attentive service transforms a meal into a story, a journey that engages all the senses and leaves a lasting impression.

Whilst fully respecting that, I was keen to know that faced with those two keys things, which held more sway when choosing a top night out in Harrogate?

Interestingly, food quality raced ahead as more important to you, over service level received, but as the survey went on, it quickly changed and finished 60/40 in favour of food.

Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I’ll be reducing our focus on great customer service at the Fat Badger or Pickled Sprout, but it does allow us to ensure that during a time when food prices are still riding extremely high, it ensures we stay focussed on not cutting corners on what is most important to you, our customers.

Until next month, enjoy what’s left of the summer holidays and try not to waste what’s left thinking about Christmas too early and I promise not to mention it again until November!

In the meantime, please keep supporting local hospitality businesses, they need you, but above all, have a good one and stay safe.