Residents and visitors are being urged to try something new as Restaurant Week comes to Whitby.
Whitby is synonymous with fish and chips and while there is always space for a chippy tea, the town has numerous other eateries offering a wide choice of culinary delights.
Organised by Visit North Yorkshire, who are part of us, 16 cafes and restaurants across the popular coastal resort are taking part in the event, which runs from 3 to 9 March, and has already proved a success in Harrogate and Selby.
Those that have signed up to Restaurant Week will offer special set-price menus for either £10, £15, £20 or £30 to customers who visit their location and quote the offer.
One of those taking part is Becketts, a small independent café on Skinner Street.
Owners Liam and Julie Fitzpatrick offer breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee, homemade cakes and a range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options and describe the venue as “a place of calm”.
The couple, originally from the Midlands, took early retirement from careers in education and moved to Whitby four years ago.
“Our focus is on serving good quality, healthy food that is home produced and sourced locally, wherever possible,” said Mrs Fitzpatrick.
“People always say that we are cosy, welcoming and calm which is really important to us. When we started the business, we said we wanted people to leave the café feeling better than when they came in.”
The couple said they were very keen to take part in Restaurant Week.
“We think it is important that we have a Restaurant Week here because it promotes Whitby and highlights the variety of establishments there are in the town. It is not just fish and chips, there are a lot of independent cafes such as ours too,” said Mrs Fitzpatrick.
“We are on a street out of the harbour, so you have to make a bit of an effort to come to us,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “We will often get people coming in who say, ‘we have been coming to Whitby for 20 years and didn’t know this street existed’. So, any awareness that we can get both for our business and others is brilliant – it is community driven.”
Executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “The hospitality industry can be a tough environment in which to operate, and we are keen to help where we can.
“Restaurant Week offers businesses the opportunity to boost awareness, attract new customers and, hopefully, encourage them to return.
“But it’s also a chance for customers to try new places, new menus, and perhaps even new food at a great price. It’s a real win-win for all involved and I would urge people to help make it a success."
Visit North Yorkshire are working with local radio station, This is the Coast, to promote Restaurant Week. See details of participating restaurants.