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
This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024
Thomas Melia
An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.
The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.
But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Credit: The Manc Group
The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.
With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.
There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.
Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.
If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.
You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.
Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.
That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.
Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.
Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.
A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.
That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.
In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.
The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.
NEWS: Greater Manchester on track with plan for first new rail station in over 20 years. 🚉
✅ 90%+ public consultation support for Golborne station in Wigan ✅ Planning application in to @WiganCouncil ✅ Local area improvements and walking and cycling links
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.
The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.
The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.
A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM
If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.
Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.
“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.
“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”
Daisy Jackson -
12th January 2024 
