Hare Inn Ladies Help Haven in Haiti

A North Yorkshire inn has raised around £500 for a charity helping those affected by the earthquake in Haiti by holding a special ‘ladies night’.

The Hare Inn at Scawton near Thirsk staged a fabulous evening of fashion, food and fun in aid of the Haven Partnership, a charity which helps to build communities in Haiti, training and employing local people in the process.

Ladies who attended the event enjoyed shopping for beautiful jewellery, clothes, handbags and pottery before feasting on a four-course supper created specially for the occasion by the Hare’s celebrated head chef, Geoff Smith.

Twice a year the Haven Partnership’s Haitian workforce is joined by a team of volunteers who take part in an intensive ‘Build It’ week, living and working on site in very basic conditions. One such volunteer out in Haiti at the moment is Dr Judy White, a friend of the Hare Inn’s owner, Jan Smith.

Jan says “We’ve all seen and been moved by the upsetting images of devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti. Here at the Hare we just wanted to do our bit to help and we’re delighted by the response we’ve had to our special event. As well has having great fun we’ve raised a lot of money for a really worthy cause. We’d like to say a great big ‘thank you’ to all the ladies who came along and took part!”

One of Yorkshire’s oldest pubs, the Hare Inn is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and has experienced a recession-defying boom in business over the last eighteen months. This is due in no small part to its award-winning cuisine. In 2009 The Hare was voted one of the top 20 places to have Sunday lunch in the Observer’s Food Awards, described by the newspaper as “How Sunday lunch should be; friendly staff, local suppliers and a stunning location”. Chef and Yorkshireman Geoff Smith is passionate about using the very finest local ingredients to create his dishes, the most popular of which are his famed Yorkshire Cheese Soufflé and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The inn is said to derive its name from a local legend whereby a witch in the form of a hare, pursued and injured by the local hunt, sought refuge in the building and changed back into human form to die at the fireside. The building has been known to have a resident ghost ever since…

For further information on the Haven Partnership, or to make a donation, visit www.havenpartnership.com.

ENDS

 For further details on the Hare Inn visit www.thehareinn.co.uk

 For further editorial details please contact Angela Shepherd at CopyCat on 07885 207212 or email angela@thecopy-cat.co.uk