Emporium marks 21st anniversary

Clitheroe’s legendary Emporium is coming of age and celebrating its 21st birthday this month.

The former Methodist Chapel on Moor Lane was the first venue developed by the James’ Places hospitality group and it trailblazed the ‘dining with retail’ concept in the Ribble Valley.

The Emporium set itself apart from other eateries when it first opened in 1996 after a transformation by James’ Places md James Warburton, who bought a derelict chapel with the vision of turning it into a brasserie and interiors shop.

Today, The Emporium is still the interior design heart of the group. A glance around the shop reveals clocks which you can see in The Royal Hotel at Kirkby Lonsdale, wall hangings like those in Holmes Mill, sculptures reminiscent of those found in Falcon Manor at Settle, throws from the Shireburn Arms, wallpaper as seen in the 1823 Spinning Block and numerous finishing touches shared with Mitton Hall, Eaves Hall and the Waddington Arms.

Said Christine Lee, interiors guru for James’ Places: “The Emporium is the creative hub of the design style for which James’ Places is famous. It’s where our venues find their inspiration and it’s the home of our expert interiors team, which after 21 years knows exactly what will work and what won’t in a range of rooms. The team excels at creating beautiful interiors and can be relied upon to find the most interesting and stylish finishing touches, whatever the setting.”

Since 1996 the Emporium has seen demand for its great food continue to grow. The menu constantly reflects the lifestyles of its customers as is seen by the recent addition of special menus for vegans and the gluten intolerant.

Mel Oxley, general manager for The Emporium said: “The Emporium doesn’t have a typical customer, we truly welcome everyone and this can be seen in the way that the vibe changes throughout the day. We see the early crowd for breakfast or brunch, mums for coffee, friends for lunch, business people having a meeting and there is always a great buzz in the evening – it’s the people that make this venue so special.

“The original principle of dining with retail has never left, and everything on display can be bought. As James likes to say, ‘everything is for sale except the staff’ and yes, we have had customers who have bought the table at which they were dining!”

The Emporium, is part of the James’ Places portfolio of hotels, inns, interior design and hospitality businesses across the Ribble Valley and Yorkshire Dales sharing the same service values and ethos.