Raising Ilkley’s profile across Yorkshire
In October 2025, Ilkley BID worked with lifestyle publication Muddy Stilettos to secure a dedicated feature showcasing Ilkley as one of the best places to live in Yorkshire.
Published as part of the Muddy Stilettos Top 260 Places to Live series, the feature presented Ilkley to a wide regional audience and celebrated the many qualities that make the town such an appealing place to live, work and visit.
From the beautiful surrounding countryside and excellent schools to Ilkley’s independent shops, cafés, restaurants and leisure facilities, the article provided a valuable opportunity to promote the town and strengthen its reputation as one of Yorkshire’s most desirable destinations.
Showcasing Ilkley’s businesses and attractions
A key aim of the campaign was to ensure that Ilkley’s independent businesses were placed at the heart of the story.
The feature highlighted a broad selection of local businesses and amenities, including:
Nora’s Interiors & Gifts
Martinez Ilkley
The Ilkley Cheese Shop & Wine Bar
The Box Tree Restaurant
Galo’s Kitchen
Friends of Ham Ilkley
Outside the Box Café
Lishman’s of Ilkley
Dillons Premium Fitness
Ilkley Pool and Lido
The Grove Bookshop
Moss & Moor
Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
Together, these businesses demonstrated the breadth and quality of Ilkley’s retail, hospitality, food and drink, health, leisure and lifestyle offering.
The article also celebrated Ilkley’s independent high street, boutique cinema, lively hospitality scene and location on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, presenting a rounded picture of life in the town.
Reaching a valuable lifestyle audience
Muddy Stilettos is an established lifestyle platform covering food, shopping, travel, culture, wellbeing and things to do. Featuring Ilkley on the publication gave the town valuable exposure to readers across Yorkshire and beyond who are actively looking for attractive places to live, visit, shop and spend their leisure time.
The campaign supported Ilkley BID’s wider objectives of:
- Raising the profile of Ilkley
- Promoting local independent businesses
- Encouraging visits and increased local spending
- Strengthening Ilkley’s reputation as a thriving place to live and work
- Showcasing the town’s distinctive character and quality of life
- Supporting Ilkley’s long-term promotion
This feature formed part of Ilkley BID’s ongoing work to market the town through high-quality regional and national media coverage.
By bringing together Ilkley’s landscape, lifestyle, amenities and independent business community, the campaign helped communicate what makes the town so special and introduced its businesses to a highly relevant new audience.
The feature was published on 14 October 2025 and remains part of the publication’s wider Top 260 Places to Live series. View the original feature.
