The Craven Arms

The Craven Arms, Giggleswick, North Yorks

Johnothan Ditchfield

Johnothan runs The Craven Arms, a freehouse with a cosy bar, restaurant and letting rooms, with his wife Lynn

What have been the highlights of 2023?

“We took over the pub on a lease from a local farmer in 2016 but in April we bought the pub ourselves. It secures our future. You always want to improve the business but, as a lessee, you are reluctant to spend anything big on it. Now everything we spend on the pub will come back to us.”

What new trends have you seen in 2023?

“Things have returned to normal patterns for the pub and the letting rooms since Covid. We had a very good 2023, even though the weather’s not been good, and we didn’t notice any impact from the higher cost of living. We’re in the Yorkshire Dales and get lots of tourists as well as local people so we’re busy weekdays and weekends.”

What are your expectations for 2024?

“We’re hoping for better weather as that does make a difference. We have plans for building a gazebo in our garden for the summer. We have eight letting rooms and want to update them in 2024. We have a few bookings already for 2024 and one from a rambling group for 2025. But we are always looking at the figures in case the cost of living does start to hit.”

www.craven-arms.co.uk