A hotel in the beautiful northern countryside has become the first fully vegan hotel in England.
It’s not every day that plant-based customers can eat literally everything on a menu, but Beck Hall is now offering exactly that from breakfast until bedtime.
The beautiful hotel, which stands at the foot of the staggering Malham Cove, announced the news in October and launched its plant-based commitment in December last year, The Hoot reports.
In what’s a first for England, Beck Hall has shunned any hint of animal products in exchange for a completely vegan offering.
They acknowledged at that time that ‘some guests may be opposed to this change’ but maintained that they wanted to ‘showcase innovative, exciting and delicious vegan dishes’.
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Owners Andy and Louise Macbeth took over Beck Hall a decade ago and turned what was a walkers’ hostel into a stunning boutique hotel with cosy, traditional rooms.
Their menu now includes breakfast dishes like lox bagels made with cured carrot instead of salmon, scrambled tofu baps, and vegan pancake stacks.
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There are plant-based Sunday roasts (mushroom Wellington or seitan roasts), and full traditional afternoon teas, complete with cashew cream-loaded scones.
And then Beck Hall’s a la carte menu features everything from seitan short rib with hasselback potatoes to mushroom stroganoff pudding to vegan twists on pub classics.
Andy and Louise said their decision was driven by their own shift to a plant-based diet for their family.
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They also assured their followers that nothing else about Beck Hall – its ‘magical location, friendly staff, wholesome menus and dog friendliness’ – would change a jot.
Their full statement on their shift to becoming a vegan hotel read: “Since taking on Beck Hall almost 10 years ago it has always been a place that has reflected us and our values. Beck Hall has thrived on these values, evolving into a special place loved by many.
“During this time, we’ve also been on a personal journey which started at a place of compassion for animals and eventually led our family to a plant-based / vegan diet. We also recognise the positive impact eating more plants can have on the environment and on health. We’ve never looked back.
“Our menus at Beck Hall are already around 50% plant-based and if you’ve ever tried our sticky vegan ribs you will know that plant-based food doesn’t have to mean compromise.
“Recently, we’ve been developing some of the most innovative, exciting and delicious vegan dishes we’ve ever tried, anywhere! We believe that our food, from breakfast through to dinner, is for everyone.
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“We have so many loyal customers who love Beck Hall for its magical location, friendly staff, wholesome menus and dog friendliness and we want to reassure you that none of that is changing, if you give us a chance, I’m sure you’ll agree.
“We realise that some guests will be opposed to this change and that’s okay, we thank you for the times we’ve shared and we’re sure you’ll go on to find a new special place – there’s so many meaty menus to choose from. But wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same!
“We hope you’ll support us in our new beginning and we look forward to welcoming back loyal guests alongside those new ones, who – like us – would love to visit a fully plant-based hotel offering the most incredible food, location and team.
“This isn’t a profit-led decision, if anything, it is a big step for our family, but the time has come for us to align our business values with our own.”
One person wrote in response: “I’m not vegan but I will make a point of visiting now because this is a courageous decision and very different to everything else locally.”
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Another said: “We have visited and stayed at Beck Hall many a time, and love the place. As meat eaters who enjoy a veggie or vegan meal this will not stop us from coming back. It is a very brave thing you are doing and we applaud this. We were only talking yesterday about when to rebook, so we will look forward to our next visit to enjoy the new menu.”
And someone else said: “I think it is great that you are aligning your business with your values even if some people don’t understand or agree. Not many people are brave enough to do this.”
Featured Image – Supplied
Travel & Tourism
No trams to run on major Metrolink line as ‘essential’ work to repair Victorian-era tunnel starts this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Travel disruption is expected across the next couple of weeks as ‘essential engineering’ work begins on a major Metrolink line.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that a reduced service will run on the Bury line this weekend, as work to replace ‘defective’ beams supporting the roof at Whitefield Tunnel means that no trams will run between Crumpsall and Bury on Saturday (10 May), or between Whitefield and Bury on Sunday (11 May).
Some weekend and overnight working is said to be ‘necessary’ to secure and protect the overhead line equipment, so that the beam replacement work can be completed as ‘safely and quickly as possible’, according to TfGM.
A crane is planned to be in use for the beam replacement work at times.
Closures on the line from this weekend come after the successful completion of preparatory work at the site, following the discovery of a defective beam.
No trams will run on a major Metrolink line as ‘essential’ work to repair Victorian-era tunnel starts this weekend / Credit: TfGM
As well as the suspension on services this weekend, as mentioned above, several other chances throughout this month and into the next on the Bury line are also to be expected.
No tram services will operate between Crumpsall and Bury on Sunday 25 May, and no again from Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June, while no trams will run between Whitefield and Bury from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 May.
For the duration of all closures, replacement bus services will run between the affected stops on all the above dates.
Any so-called ‘noisier’ work is set to take place during daytime and evening working hours where possible, and several noise reduction measures – such as acoustic blankets and enclosures – also to be put in place during this.
Essential upgrade work to protect the historic Whitefield Tunnel means no trams will run between Crumpsall–Bury (Sat 10 May) and Whitefield–Bury (Sun 11 May).
We're replacing a defective beam to keep the line safe and reliable.
As always, the Greater Manchester public is being advised to ‘plan ahead’ if they are travelling.
“Whitefield Tunnel dates back to the 19th century,” explained Ian Davies, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, “and this essential work will ensure tram services can continue to safely pass through it for decades to come.
“This is a complex job, but we will do everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers, residents and businesses.”
He added: “I would encourage people who use the Bury line to plan ahead and check the Bee Network website, app, and social media channels for the most up-to-date travel information.”
But it arguably doesn’t get much better than a title like this.
For a long time now, the city has been cementing itself as a tourist hotspot, with new hotels popping up left, right, and centre, and integrated transport systems being introduced to make it easier to get around.
And it looks like all that has paid off, as Manchester has now been named one of the best cities in the whole of Europe for 2025, thanks to a new ranking by Resonance Co.
Manchester has been named one of Europe’s ‘best’ cities / Credit: Josh Taylor | Chris Curry (via Unsplash)
This year, the global placemaking company’s research encompassed 128 cities across Europe with metropolitan area populations of 500,000 or more, and evaluated each of them based on 30 performance indicators and perception metrics derived from surveys of more than 7,500 respondents across 10 European countries.
Once each of these performance indictors had been evaluated, every city was given its own ‘Place Power Score’ to determine its ranking.
A city’s ‘Place Power Score’ examines three core dimensions – liveability, which takes into account things like housing affordability, healthcare access, green space, air quality, and cycling infrastructure; loveability, which encompasses culture, nightlife, culinary scenes, and more; and prosperity, which includes business environment, talent density, GDP per capita, airport connectivity, and more.
While Manchester may have missed out on both the top 10 and top 20, considering it’s a top 100 list, our city has claimed the respectable 36th spot, beating out mega cities such as Venice, Nice, Athens, and loads more.
In fact, 18 British cities are included in the top 100.
Our city has ranked alongside 17 other British places / Credit: Mangopear Creative
Explaining why Manchester has been ranked, Resonance Co said in its city description: “You’ll be hearing a lot more about Manchester this decade, as the historic engine of English industry shifts into high gear across both culture and development.
“While the UNESCO City of Literature continues to shape global music – with 2024’s opening of the 23,500-seat Co-op Live arena, and a festival lineup that includes Beyond the Music and Worldwide Music Expo – Greater Manchester is also writing a new chapter in urban reinvention.
“A newly centralised ‘single pipeline for growth’ coordinates £1 billion of planned annual investment across six targeted Growth Locations, aiming to deliver tens of thousands of homes and jobs at a pace unmatched in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics. Among the boldest is the Western Gateway, anchored by the regeneration of Old Trafford around Manchester United’s stadium, projected to generate over 90,000 jobs.
“The Central Growth Cluster includes innovation districts like Crescent Salford and Victoria North. These ambitions build on an £80-billion economy that’s grown 50% since 2000 and now leads the nation in FDI outside London.
“Add a mature devolved governance model and transformative transit investments – like bringing commuter rail into the Bee Network – and the city’s Top 10-ranked airport and 15th-most Instagram Hashtags start making sense.”
Which city took the title of the best city in Europe though? Well unfortunately, we have to give it to the southerners on this one, as London took the top spot.
But at least it’s an impressive win for the UK, if nothing else.
Daisy Jackson -
12th January 2024 
