LATEST FROM THE WHITE SHIRE

Lyn and I called into Castle Keep Tea Room in Middleham for a coffee and found a lovely, cosy independent tea room. Discover our visit and its bed and breakfast accommodation.

Finding a gift that feels genuinely personal isn't always easy. Whether you're celebrating a new baby, searching for a birthday present or choosing something special for Christmas, a personalised gift can turn an everyday occasion into a lasting memory. Creative Mama Gift Shop is a small, family-run business based in Hull, East Yorkshire, offering personalised gifts, wooden decorations and keepsakes for a wide range of occasions.

The Yorkshire Broker is an independent commercial insurance broker based in Castleford, West Yorkshire, helping businesses, property owners and individuals arrange suitable insurance cover with clear, personal advice.

Hull Fence Experts is a local fencing contractor based in Hull, providing fencing installation, repairs, replacement fencing, gates and boundary work for homes and businesses across Hull and the surrounding area. The company has joined The White Shire’s growing Yorkshire Business Directory as we continue adding useful independent businesses and local trades from across West, North, South and East Yorkshire.

Your New Car Ltd is a Leeds-based vehicle leasing specialist helping individuals and businesses find cars, vans and electric vehicles through a wide range of leasing options. They work with customers across the UK and offer both personal and business leasing, with access to a broad range of manufacturers and vehicles. For us though, there is another reason we wanted to feature them on The White Shire.

Lyn and I called into Collab. Coffee in Ackworth one Sunday morning and were really pleased we did. It’s a lovely little independent coffee shop with a relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and very good coffee. It felt welcoming from the moment we walked in and was exactly the sort of local place we like finding for The White Shire.

Reach Electrical Ltd is a North Leeds electrical contractor providing domestic and commercial electrical services across Leeds, Harrogate and surrounding areas. The business is a NICEIC Approved Contractor and works with homeowners, landlords and commercial customers on everything from everyday electrical repairs and upgrades to rewiring, electrical testing, commercial installations and EV charging.

Finding the right DJ can make a huge difference to a wedding, birthday party or special celebration. Aidy Smith is a Bradford-based DJ providing entertainment for parties, weddings and events across West Yorkshire, backed by more than 20 years of experience behind the decks.

Howard’s Way Ltd is a family-run landscaping and building company based in Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, providing garden transformations, paving, driveways and a wide range of outdoor improvement services. The business was established in 1988 by Steve Howard after a career that included construction and the coal industry. More than three decades later, another generation of the Howard family is involved in the company.

Hawkcliffe Farm Produce is a family farm shop in Steeton, West Yorkshire, bringing together farm-reared beef, Yorkshire meats and local produce at the Meat & Tatie Shed. We met Sarah at the Keighley Agricultural Show on Saturday, where she told us about everything they have been doing with their farm shop.

There are two things almost guaranteed to make us stop while exploring Yorkshire: an old mill and somewhere serving coffee. At Cullingworth Mills, happily, you get both. Lyn and I had been looking around Cullingworth Mills, exploring the antiques, vintage furniture and all the unusual things tucked away inside the old building. Afterwards, we called into The Mill Cullingworth for a coffee and a sandwich.

The Yorkshire Renovation Company is a West Yorkshire business with involvement in residential renovation and property improvement projects across the region. Although the company doesn't maintain a large public online presence, there is independent evidence of its work – including recognition in the West Yorkshire Building Excellence Awards – and we also have our own professional connection with the company through landscape design work.

Kirsopp Building Contractors Limited is a South Yorkshire building company based in the Doncaster area, with involvement in residential construction and development projects across the region. Based at Kirkwood House, Swan Syke Drive, Doncaster, the company has been operating for many years and is associated with residential development work in South Yorkshire, including projects in the Barnsley area.

Finding reliable tradespeople can be one of the hardest parts of maintaining, improving or renovating a property. Based in Netherton, Wakefield, WPR Property Maintenance is a family-run Yorkshire business providing a wide range of property maintenance and improvement services for domestic and commercial customers.

Creating Spaces Group: Home Improvements for Inside and Outside Your Planning a major home improvement can quickly become complicated when kitchens, bathrooms, windows, extensions and outdoor spaces all involve different suppliers and trades. Creating Spaces Group takes a broader approach. Based in West Yorkshire, the company offers products and services covering numerous areas of the home, with showrooms in Copley, Halifax and New Mill near Holmfirth. Creating Spaces Group i

Craft Inn Ackworth – Handmade Gifts, Local Artisans and Creative Workshops Tucked away on Wakefield Road in Ackworth is a small shop with a rather different approach to retail. Craft Inn isn't one business filling its shelves with bought-in stock. It's a shared space where local artists and makers can display and sell their handmade work, giving visitors the chance to discover products created by independent craftspeople rather than simply picking something mass-produced from

We came across Violet’s Cafe while doing our Selby Circular Walk and stopped for a coffee. Tucked away on Market Lane in the centre of Selby, it turned out to be a lovely little find and exactly the sort of independent Yorkshire business we like discovering while we're out and about.

SB Paving is a Yorkshire paving and landscaping business based in Pontefract with more than 20 years of experience. The company undertakes a wide range of outdoor projects, including driveways, patios, paths, permeable paving, drainage, retaining walls and wider garden landscaping across communities in Yorkshire

A recent client review from Barnsley highlights an important point about equity release: sometimes the right advice is not to proceed. We look at how Simplified Equity Release helps homeowners understand their options, consider alternatives and make informed decisions.

A garden can change dramatically when water is introduced into the design. From wildlife ponds and koi ponds to contemporary water features, a carefully designed pond can become a focal point while also creating another habitat within the garden. For homeowners in Pontefract and across West Yorkshire, Morgan Ashton provides pond building, pondscaping, landscaping, pond maintenance and fish diagnostics, with services covering Pontefract, Castleford, Wakefield and Leeds.