Hambleton was until recent times a village based around farming. In the 1320 there were 47 tenant farmers reducing to 6 actual farms by 2017 as many have been amalgamated for, example Millington Farms Ltd includes land and some buildings that were part of Garth Farm, Owlet Hall Farm, Garth House Farm and Hill Top Farm. Other farms, such as Mulberry Tree Farm have been developed to accommodate a growing population.

In the early 20th century there were many shops in the village which would provide everything anyone needed, including school uniform. The other businesses in the village included two public houses, the Red Lion and the Wheatsheaf, H. Campey & Sons a haulage and storage business was based on the jam factory site for many years. The company now operates as Campey’s of Selby Ltd but is no longer based in Hambleton. The Owl Hotel was Hambleton House, a family home, it then became a private club before becoming an hotel.

Industry in the village, for a long time, was based around the Anson Brothers who owned the Jam and Pickle factory and Palframan’s, later becoming Chilvers and Palframan, who owned a mill and produce animal feed. Chilvers and Palframan had the first petrol pump in the village in the 1920’s.