About Cafe Glas

A NEW £50,000 bistro has opened in the heart of the Esk Valley.
Café Glas owners Marie and Graham Benn hope the new venture at the Arncliffe Arms will put Glaisdale on the culinary map.

The new venue opened on Friday (November 4) and the couple, who have had the village pub for almost 18 months, hope it will soon attract fine food lovers from across the region.

They are aiming to turn Café Glas into one of only a handful of “two rosette” eateries in the north within just 12 months.
Mrs Benn said: “Graham is an outstanding chef with many years’ experience and talent.

“And with a lot of help from an excellent team of staff, turnover in the pub has exceeded expectations this year.

“Graham has worked in fine dining and it’s something we’ve thought about doing for a while – it’s been one of Graham’s goals since he was a trainee chef.

“All chefs have a dream of having their own restaurant but not all of them achieve it.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here and it has been a struggle at times but we think people who love fine food will seek us out and keep coming back.

“We want to build a reputation for food and service of the highest quality and we think being in Glaisdale is an advantage rather than a hindrance.

“We are surrounded by stunning countryside and that in itself will add to the experience of eating in Café Glas.

“And we hope in turn we can provide a boost for the village and the North York Moors.”

The new bistro takes its name from Glaisdale itself – which according to some experts means Valley of the River Glas.
Glas is the Celtic word for fresh or blue and Mr and Mrs Benn decided it fitted well with the image they wanted to create.

Café Glas has been launched in a former function room/ranch bar in the ground floor of the Arncliffe Arms.

The room had become run down and tatty and was only occasionally used.The transformation has been a year in the making with architects first drawing up plans in November last year.

Building work, carried out by Stockton-based firm S&E Builders, started in the summer and was completed just before the bistro opened.

Some of the designs which feature in the bistro were developed by Louise Bell who lives in Glaisdale before they were turned into a reality by Egton iron worker James Godbold.

“We wanted to create the perfect dining experience,” Mrs Benn added. “It’s important to be comfortable and have your every need catered for when you eat out.

“Every thought has gone into every detail and we hope we have created an eatery with exactly the right ambience.”