Michelin-starred owner of The Star Inn at Harome vows to make it the best pub in the world after devastating fire

It was a diner who had raised the alarm. “She’d been out to her car to get something and when she came back in she told one of the waitresses that the thatch was on fire, then she sat down and finished her pudding.”

Staff cleared the restaurant and worked to salvage what they could, including the valuable collection of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson furniture. Fire crews from Helmsley were on the scene with in eight minutes followed by crews from Scarborough, at one point 40 firemen were battling the blaze. But it wasn’t until a staff meeting at 3pm the following afternoon that the reality of what had happened dawned on Pern, who had just successfully brought his businesses through Covid lockdowns and restrictions.

"We’d worked through the night with no sleep and then we came together to have meeting and it hit me. I had managed to save a Mouseman balustrade from the fire that was thrown out by the firemen, not realising what it was, and I was holding it. I was covered in soot and tears started to run down my face. But then we picked ourselves up and started again. At the end of the day it’s bricks and mortar and can be rebuilt – the main thing was that no one was injured.” That balustrade became synonymous with Pern and his staff’s determination that the Star would rise from the ashes even bigger and better than before. He has now had it turned into a lamp that has pride of place in the restored bar. But in the cold light of day on Nov 25 it seemed the task of rebuilding the Grade II listed pub was almost overwhelming. The oldest 14th century part of the pub that had housed a private dining room, snug and bar were completely destroyed and the rest of the building was either severely water or smoke damaged. It meant the entire place had to be stripped back and virtually rebuilt

"We had no choice, we had to rebuild. We are pretty resilient,” says Pern. “People kept saying to me that The Star was the heart of the village and the heart of the village had been ripped out. I have always said that I am just custodian of this fantastic place and this is another chapter in its history. People told me to sell but that was never an option. I’m not done yet.” To this end there is a mural of a phoenix rising from the ashes on one of the new walls and the words The Great Fire of Harome and the date 24-11-2021.With the help of locals, including farmers with their tractors moving the water sodden thatch that had been pulled off the roof, they started to clear the site. On the anniversary of the fire Pern held a party for the local community to thank them for their support in the aftermath of the fire and over the last 12 months.

"I just wanted to say thank you to everyone,” he says. At the time police treated the fire as arson and a man was questioned but as yet no one has been charged.

It wasn’t until May this year that work actually started to rebuild The Star. Teams of skilled craftsmen, local builders, joiners and plumbers all wanted to help rebuild the iconic building. Wood from a 150-year-old oak tree which came down on the same night as the fire during storm Arwen at Duncombe Park estate in Helmsley, was used to replace some of the charred timbers in the roof.

"It’s not just the food that’s local at The Star,” quips the father of seven, who never seems to have lost his Yorkshire grit and sense of humour. “It was sense of humour that got us through,” he admits. The renovation has cost something in the region of £2 million – double that if you take into account loss of earnings over the 12 months they have been closed, and staff wages.

But the enforced closure meant Pern could take stock and even redesign parts of the pub. They have rewired, put in a dampproof courses and added a wine room upstairs. It means when they fully reopen they will have 120 covers than before the fire.

They worked closely with Robert Thompson’s in Kilburn not only to restore some of the fire damaged pieces but also to commission new tables. So gone are the white table clothes, replaced with stunning oak tables with the signature mouse carved in them which create a more relaxed yet high end feel to the dining room.

“We are saving a fortune in dry cleaning bills,” laughs Pern. “The tables weren’t cheap but within three or four years they will have paid for themselves. I think we now have more Mouseman furniture than at the workshop in Kilburn.”

During The Star’s closure some staff were redeployed to the nearby Pheasant owned and run by Pern’s first wife Jacquie. Also conscious that the village had lost its only pub he opened a pop across the road in the grounds of his hotel which he said has ‘ticked along’ over the last year.

"It meant people still had somewhere to go for a drink. We are a pub at the end of the day,” says Pern who aowns the Star in the City in York and is also involved in the new pop-up Hutte in York Christmas Market. "It’s a bit of fun,” he say of the Hutte. “And that is what hospitality is all about in my opinion.”

Until recently he also had the Star in Harbour in his home town of Whitby, but after a row with the district council he took the difficult decision to close it. "We will be back in Whitby one day,” he stressed. This is not a man to sit back on his laurels. He is determined and highly competitive, as well as hugely positive.

He was worried the year-long closure could mean forfeiting the coveted Michelin Star which he first gained 20 years ago before losing it in 2011 only to regain it in 2014.

"When we lost the Michelin star it cost us £¾ million in lost turnover and I really didn’t want to lose it again, not just because of the money but for staff morale. Our staff have been amazing, most of them have stayed with us despite what happened. But I spoke on the phone to Michelin who were really good and said that The Star was really important.” And it did the trick as The Star maintained its Michelin in 2022 despite being closed.

Now Pern is looking forward to the festive season and beyond with renewed vigour. “Christmas is always great at The Star – we have a lot of fun especially on Christmas Eve and we have a lot of bookings.”

But he says the real work starts after Christmas. "I want to make The Star the best pub in the world,” he says boldly adding that he hopes one of his seven children might take over one day and keep it in the family. “If anything the fire has galvanised me, Steve and the rest of the staff. We really want to try to get a second Michelin star for Yorkshire.”

www.thestaratharome.co.uk