Having driven past dozens of meadows and verges at the side of the country lanes in North Yorkshire this summer, full of colourful wildflowers, we decided to dedicate one of our paddocks to growing wildflowers. The aim is to attract as much wildlife as possible making the paddock a haven for bees, butterflies, birds, insects and other wildlife essential for continuing nature’s work.

Shared ownership is proving a great way for many people to get on the property ladder. And with an estimated 250,000 people now using the Government-backed scheme, rising numbers are expected to now attempt to buy a home this way.

Sara and Kelly Hirst, operators of the Black Swan in Ripon, are celebrating after being named winners of the ‘Best Community Pub Operator’ category at Craft Union Pub Company’s annual Operator Awards. This award is in recognition of the Operators who has demonstrated a fantastic commitment to supporting and bringing their local community together.

Our personal finance and consumer expert has revealed how she turned her finances around and became an expert saver after starting off as a self-confessed “spendaholic”.

Richard Hurst freely admits he “loves the whole food experience,” but it was a change in lifestyle that inspired him to learn to cook. “In my teens and early twenties I made some bad choices in regard to my lifestyle and diet.

Each year, Halloween sparks a surge in pumpkin purchases across the UK, with an estimated 17 to 30 million pumpkins bought for carving and decoration. Yet, behind the festive glow lies a startling issue of food waste: around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins are discarded annually.

The winners of the Great British Food Awards 2025 have been announced, and Hawkshead Relish, based in the heart of the Lake District, is celebrating after earning accolades in two national categories. Hawkshead Relish’s Brinjal Aubergine Pickle was awarded Gold in the Condiments category.

Nuremberg is carving out a reputation in the gastronomic world—something one might not instinctively associate with Germany. Yet delve into the 2025 Michelin Guide and you'll discover 341 starred establishments across the country, including twelve with three stars, 47 with two, and 282 with one.

As the days grow shorter and colder, Alzheimer’s Society is reminding people to check in on loved ones, friends and neighbours living with dementia. Seasonal changes, including the upcoming clock change on 26 October, can be unsettling, and colder temperatures may bring extra challenges.

With temperatures dropping and bills already climbing, many UK households are bracing for what could be the hardest winter yet. Ofgem has announced that between 1 October and 31 December 2025, the energy price cap will rise to £1,755 per year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit, an increase that will hit budgets already stretched by the cost of living crisis.

It’s that time of year again when I turn my attention to the wildlife on the smallholding and how they might survive through the winter months. I am very aware of the importance of feeding birds and I do this every single day without fail, even through the summer months.

Arriving in the little hamlet of Nun Monkton, where cows grazed on the green, certainly marked a wonderful start to my lunchtime visit to The Alice, which included a sunny afternoon and a catch-up with a friend to celebrate our mutual birthdays. I was very much looking forward to this occasion and was intrigued at what The Alice had to offer.

Home renovations are stressful enough without the confusion of deciphering contractor bids. With prices that don’t match, scopes that rarely align, and details buried in fine print, even savvy homeowners can feel overwhelmed. That’s where AI steps in.

We had our sheep sheared last week. Unlike most sheep that only require shearing annually, our breed, Valais Blacknose, require shearing every six months as their fleeces grow very fast and very thick. I have an amazing lady, Danni Taylor, who shears my little flock and she travels all the way from Derbyshire to North Yorkshire to do them.

Kiera Carolan, a former Academy by Simon Rogan student now working at Henrock at Linthwaite House in Bowness, has been crowned the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year 2026. Fellow Umbel Restaurant Group chef Mitchell Collins from L’Enclume in Cartmel secured third place, with Oliver Redgewell-Welch of Entier Ltd taking the runner-up position.

Tucked just off the A1, down a peaceful country lane, Yorkshire Heart Vineyard and Brewery is a hidden gem in the heart of rural Yorkshire. What began in 2006 with a few vines has grown into a thriving 16-acre estate with 26,000 vines, a brewery, and a welcoming café. The café is bright and friendly, serving hearty lunches and indulgent afternoon teas.

From the outside, Three’s a Crowd looks like most of the other chic gastro pubs that line West Park, but walk through the heavy antique wood doors, and it’s a completely unique story. With its amazing vintage décor, top-notch imaginative cuisine and a ‘secret garden’, Three’s a Crowd is the jewel in the town’s gastropubcrown.

A property care specialist has shared his advice on how to best tackle defects in newly-built homes - as demand for the properties dips. According to Rightmove data the demand for newly-built properties in the UK is actually falling with just 17.7% of new-build listings across Britain marked as “sold subject to contract” (SSTC) in Q3.