Cheers North East magazine #93 - September 2019

cheers WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK // SEPTEMBER 2019 // ISSUE 93

I T ’ S

A B O U T

P U B S ,

P E O P L E ,

BIRTLEY BELGIANS’ WITBIER WISDOM EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS

ON BEING CREATIVE WITH BOTTLE TOPS ARTIST ASSEMBLES GIANT STRAWBERRY

THE ISSUE WITH PUBS THE ANSWER LIES IN THE TOIL

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THERE ARE STILL SOME FIRES BURNING BRIGHT IN CONSETT

THE GREY HORSE HOME OF

The Grey Horse, 115 Sherburn Terrace, Consett, Co. Durham, DH8 6NE. Telephone: 01207 591 540 www.consettaleworks.co.uk

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WELCOME We can’t please everyone. The schools are back, the evenings are getting gloomier earlier – have you looked outside around 8pm? Shudder – and we’re heading for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

We’ve had our summer break and Cheers is back with a flourish, bringing you a wide range of pub and beer topics – with a dash of wine and a splash of humour thrown in to keep the pot boiling.

It’s been a bit of a stop-start summer and while most of us were pleased to experience brief spells of (very) hot weather, it hasn’t been plain sailing for many of our pubs.

Those with a beer garden, a terrace or pavement area have benefitted enormously while shaded town venues prayed for rain to attract custom.

More than one city-centre pub landlord could be heard muttering “roll on winter”.

We’ve got some clever folks doing some great things in a terrific industry. Of course, that industry is all about people and it’s the people who visit our pubs, drink our beer, tuck into our food and listen to our music who keep its wheels turning.

Pub people have to work tremendously hard to keep going and harder still to progress with their plans, so they deserve our utmost respect.

The nights might be drawing in, but the pub is still a huge attraction – see you there.

Cheers, Alastair Gilmour Editor, Cheers North East

EDITORIAL

Alastair Gilmour 07930 144 846 01661 844 115 alastair@cheersnortheast.co.uk @CheersPal www.cheersnortheast.co.uk Photography: Peter Skelton www.thepsp.net

CONTENTS 10

PUBS UNDER PRESSURE

We’re getting to the point where we’ll be happy that there’s only one pub a day closing its doors for good. Happy at a pub closing? From a high of 29 a week just a few of years ago, that figure represents success. This month we’re looking at how different pubs cope with changes in attitudes and people’s needs – from community buy-outs to clever refurbishments. We’re talking to the people with the nous to get on with the job and make the pub what it ought to be; a vibrant social centre brimming with positivity and overflowing with creativity.

COVER: ROY VARTY ASSISTANT MANAGER AT THE PUNCH BOWL HOTEL, NEWCASTLE. PHOTO: PETER SKELTON

BERWICK TO ME IS MUSIC, BEER AND CONVERSATION. PEOPLE CAN COME IN HERE AND HAVE A FUN TIME RAY STOKES, HOP & BOTTLE, BERWICK UPON TWEED

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Gillian Corney 07903 500 401 01661 844 115 gillian@offstonepublishing.co.uk

@cheers_ne @cheersnortheast @cheersmagazine_ne

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved.

04 20 PITCHING IN 24 12 UPSHIELDS PROBLEMS 14 CROSSED 28 FUN WITH 16 30 FUN STUFF LATEST NEWS

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THE WITBIER AND THE WISDOM

PUBLISHED BY: Publishers: Jane Pikett & Gary Ramsay Unit One, Bearl Farm Stocksfield Northumberland NE43 7AL Email: enquiries@offstonepublishing.co.uk Website: www.offstonepublishing.co.uk Twitter: @offstonepublish

When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it

CHEERS NORTH EAST

brings out the best in pubs and brewing that exists in the region. The magazine, published ten times a year, is distributed to almost 300 pubs, bottle shops and specialist outlets from the Borders to North Yorkshire and across to the fringes of Cumbria. It is packed with stories from them with suggestions on where to go and what you’ll find there. But most of all, Cheers is about people – after all, it’s people who make beer and people who make pubs what they are. And to be able to bring you more information, our A-Z pub guide can now be found at www.cheersnortheast.co.uk Tell them who sent you.

NEWS

Thoroughbred: The Grey Horse, Consett. Photo: Peter Skelton

Keith Hudson gets the race started.

Paul Burns is second-right

THE MAGNIFICENT 7MIN, 7SEC The Newcastle Hash House Harriers – “the drinking club with a running problem” – are staging their regular Beer Stop at the Great North Run on Sunday September 8.

Thousands of runners slow down around the 10-kiometre mark of the Newcastle to South Shields half-marathon to grab a beer generously donated by North East brewers and slake their weary thirsts. The target this year is to serve 5,000 runners.

Founder member Keith Hudson also organised a beer run earlier this summer at the City Stadium in Walker, Newcastle.

He says: “The idea of our Beer Mile – this summer’s was the second – is that competitors sink a 330ml beer at the start of each of four laps. We had in excess of 20 people signed up to take part.”

Keith reports that the best time of the day was posted

by Paul Burns in 7min 7secs which included four bottles of beer. Phew!

HORSE CLEARS THE NEXT HURDLE

What better way to begin a Cheers Pubs Special than to congratulate The Grey Horse in Consett, County Durham, for being chosen as the North East’s representative in the annual Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) challenge to find its national pub of the year.

The ultra-community pub on Sherburn Terrace now goes into a super-regional round before the final stage – whittled down to four pubs – with the winner announced in February.

The honour represents years of hard work and dedication from all concerned – owner Jeff Hind and his staff, plus a fiercely loyal and discerning customer base.

The Grey Horse is renowned for its community engagement, traditional values and basic understanding of the needs of the locality. And it definitely helps to have an award-winning brewery – Consett Ale Works – operating in premises behind the pub. The pub dates from 1846 and was previously

BIKERS DO IT GENEROUSLY Refresher: Rock'N'Roll riders stop off at Hadrian Border Brewery 4 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

known as the Target Inn. It’s a real locals’ pub where regulars come from either down the road or a dozen miles away, most of them drawn by the six caskconditioned ales on offer. At one time, it even had a regular customer from the Isle of Man, seduced by Consett Ale Works’ flavours and aromas.

Camra’s national director Ben Wilkinson said: “The 16 contenders boast the perfect mix of the essential characteristics which make a great pub – great service, a welcoming atmosphere, fantastic decor, great value for money and most importantly, quality real ale.”

A mural in the Grey Horse bar depicts local culture with long-gone steel workers portrayed in a moment of relaxation slaking their mighty thirsts. Artist Peter Atkinson also painted a similarly striking work for the Beamish Mary pub – Camra national pub of the year in 1995 – a sister enterprise to The Grey Horse.

We wish the pub well – and if it’s not on your usual beat, now’s your chance to have a look and judge for yourself.

The ninth edition of The Schooner, Gateshead, Rock‘N’Roll Charity Bike Ride raised an amazing £4,754.50 for St Oswald’s Hospice and Daft As A Brush charities.

The event has continued despite former owners Dave and Julie Campbell selling the riverside pub to the company that also operates The Stone Trough and Black Bull in the town.

Dave and Julie are concentrating their efforts on the Mean Eyed Cat in Newcastle where a recent charity auction for prints by Drew Millward fetched £1,164.

And… they’re planning a charity walk from the pub in October which expects to visit Wylam Brewery, The Brandling Villa and The Punch Bowl Hotel before returning to the Mean Eyed Cat, tired and emotional.

NEWS

CALL IN AND GET YOUR KIX

Apart from its fine selection of local beers, the Crown Posada in Newcastle is renowned for its vintage line in music. Landlord Andrew Nicholson is also used to the long list of celebrities visiting the city who call in simply to have a quiet pint.

Putting both together, Andrew says: “Legendary saxophone player and songwriter Lee Thompson – aka Kix – from Madness popped in for a pint after a recent gig in town with his own Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra. He was so impressed with our pub and antique record player he’s sent a couple of autographed gems for us to play.

“Thank-you Kix for such a generous donation to our collection.”

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ARE YOU THE UK’S CHARITY PUB OF THE YEAR? The search is on for the Matthew Clark Charity Pub of the Year 2019. The competition, organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and sponsored by drinks distributor Matthew Clark, recognises pubs who go the extra mile to support charities and good causes.

It’s not just about raising money, but the many other ways in which pubs support their local communities.

So, if you let the local PTA use your function room, put on a spread for the football team, or organise a litter pick, the judges would love to hear from you.

All finalists, selected after the closing date of September 30, will be invited with their Member of Parliament to a reception in London, where they will be presented with a certificate before the announcement of the overall winner.

Entry is free of charge online: www.pubaid.com/ matthew-clark-charity-pub-award/

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NEWS

HAZY BEAST MEETS EAST AND WEST

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Alex Rattray, senior craft brewer (and self-styled Yeast Wrangler) at S43 Brewing in County Durham, has been spending some of his first summer in the North East catching up with other brewers.

Alex was recruited from San Antonio in Texas to bring some American ideas to an already progressive company.

“I had a great weekend in the Yorkshire Dales and visited some great old-school pubs,” says Alex. “I also did more of the usual, visiting local brewery taprooms such as Steam Machine and Anarchy. I also got to have a tour of Brixton Brewery’s new brewing space in London – and it’s amazing. The brew team were so hospitable.

“I’m really excited about our next two can releases at S43. I’ve been brewing a lot of modern, hazy IPAs lately but wanted to do something different that merged the best of them with what I like most about West Coast IPAs. The result is Hazy Beast – juicy, hazy and thick – with the bittering profile and crisper finish of a more traditional West Coast IPA. Hazy Beast was brewed with Golden Promise malt for a nice chewy, biscuity base and is double dry-hopped with Simcoe and Ekuanot hops, so there’s plenty of juice and fruitiness.

But you also

get this really brash, piney, dank earthiness that finishes with quite a prevalent bitterness.

“It’s a blend of East Coast and West Coast styles which I reckon we can call a ‘Third Coast IPA’. The can design is really fun as well.

“Our other can release is Beyond The Pines, a Pineapple Small IPA. After all, there are only so many big IPAs you can drink before you want something a little more laid back. This beer is perfect to enjoy with the last of the warm weather and at 4.3% abv it’s pretty easy going. It’s full of smooth juiciness and lovely pineapple, grapefruit aromas. I’ve chosen a hop combo I hadn’t tried before – El Dorado, Azacca and Cascade – and I think it’s tasting great. The Cascade hops really add a beautiful bright, citrusy element that complements the more tropical, stone fruit of the other two. We also did a huge addition of pineapple purée that really kicks up the juicy factor but still allows the hops to do most of the talking.”

NEWS

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YOUR COACH AWAITS

The Aletaster in Low Fell, Gateshead, has changed its name to reflect its long history as a coaching inn.

Durham Road, where the pub stands, connecting Gateshead with Birtley was constructed in 1824, saving travellers – and horses – the long climb up Sheriff Hill and over Gateshead Fell. New commercial and residential development followed and local magistrates granted licences for four new inns – The Ship, The Cannon, The Engine and The Sovereign, which

always went by the name of The Coach House because if its main trade. The first stagecoach trundled along Durham Road on June 17 1826. Shortly after, the pub had been renamed the George IV, honouring the king’s death in 1830.

Business was so successful it was enlarged in 1898. In 1989 the pub took on The Aletaster mantle as part of Scottish & Newcastle’s TJ Bernard brand before being bought by the Spirit Group then Enterprise Inns but reverted to its Coach House title this summer.

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STAITHS A LITTLE BIT LONGER

The Staiths Café Bar, perched on the riverside at the eastern end of Dunston Staiths has installed three keg taps to supplement its fridge full of local beers in bottle and can. The relaxing atmosphere is perfect for a stop-off while cycling or walking the south bank of the Tyne to and from Newcastle and Gateshead.

A recent art project by illustrator Simon Turner and wordsmith Christine Frazer (pictured above) celebrating the incredible Staiths structure – which the café enjoys as a backdrop – has been unveiled under the auspices of Big Local Gateshead, a community development programme. Its overall aim is to improve the lives of local people and make the area an even better place to live through health initiatives for all ages and improving the built environment while also organising community events and festivals – all of which gets local people involved for their own benefit.

Simon’s charcoal-like imagery and Christine’s poetry can be viewed on the riverside walk artwork where the words “As the café bustles, the gulls soar and dive. The song of the river still very much alive.” spring into life.

More at www.ourgateshead.org/biglocal and thestaithscafe.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 7

NEWS

BEER FEST GOT THE TAPROOM ROCKING

Craft breweries from across the UK, plus one from all the way from Spain, descended upon Anarchy Brew Co last month for a brand new craft beer festival. The Friends of Anarchy Beer Fest featured La Pirata (Barcelona), alongside Hackney Brewery, Atom Brewery, Bad Seed Brewery, Brew York and Neptune Brewery, plus locals Stu Brew, First & Last Brewery, Steam Machine Brewing Co and McColl's Brewery.

The event was a great success, with both daytime and evening sessions offering a great range of beers and street food, plus DJ Graham Wales and local bands Arms & Hearts, Cubs and Fast Blood.

8 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Simon Miles, co-owner of Anarchy Brew Co, said: “Now that we have our new taproom, we want to host more events like Friends of Anarchy to make everyone feel welcome in our brewery. It was great to be able to transform the taproom space into a terrific place to have a few beers, chat to brewers, try some tasty food, and check out some live music at a really affordable price.”

The next Friends of Anarchy Beer Fest will feature ten different breweries and takes place at Anarchy Brew Co’s Benfield Business Park, Newcastle, taproom on Saturday January 25 as part of the national Tryanuary campaign.

Ttickets on sale soon at www.anarchybrewco.com

NEWS

BIG FLAVOURS AT NEW BREW CLUB

The all-new South Causey Inn brewery, near Stanley, County Durham, has launched a series of beer initiatives aimed at those who want to discover more about their favourite drink plus regular brewery tours. South Causey Inn sits in a fabulous countryside setting and has become the place to be for functions, weddings, quick visits and overnight stays.

The brewhouse, run by the highly experienced John Taylor, has a highpitched ceiling and solid stone walls with three sets of glazed double doors that allow light to flood in on an impressive beer-making operation producing best bitters, IPAs, brown ales and lager with tastings and samplings available at a compact bar.

John says: “Everybody who comes to a wedding at South Causey gets a little bottle of gin to take away, so we’re going

to be doing the same with beer. We’re also offering brew days – produce any style of beer you want, then come back in a month and collect your bottles.”

Brewery tours take place on the first Saturday of every month – with also a look at the in-house gin distillery. Other days include every second and fourth Friday with Wednesday and Thursday tours also bookable (see page 19 for details).

An exciting new Brew Club is a collaboration with South Causey and Brewlab, the country’s top provider of brewing courses, training and analysis. Events in September, October and November include the history of beer, beer flavours and training your tastebuds, plus the difference between yeast and microbes. There’s also a great offer on dinner, bed, breakfast and brew.

Again, see page 19 for details. www.southcausey.co.uk

VENUES SET TO CHANGE HANDS A historic Newcastle city centre pub is back up for sale two years after it was bought from leisure giant JD Wetherspoon.

The five-storey Union Rooms, above, was then bought by property entrepreneur Andrew Ward, initiating new investment in the building.

While Mr Ward owns the building, it has been operated for some time by Cyclone Leisure Group, also owners of the San Lorenzo restaurants, who sunsequently unveiled wholesale changes to the Westgate Road pub that included a new pizza restaurant, garden room and sports room. It has a guide price of £4m.

And two prominent Tyneside bar/restaurants are under new ownership after being bought out of administration.

The Fat Buddha was initially bought in 2017t by Gary Hutchinson, a former Sunderland Football Club commercial director, from previous owner Bob Senior as part of a new leisure company. Alpine-themed bar and eatery Antler, was later opened in June 2018. The new owners are believed to be fast-growing developers High Street Group, an experienced leisure operator and owner of a number of hotels, bars and restaurants around the region.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 9

PUBS: THE OFF-BEAT

Engaging: Roy Varty, assistant manager at The Punch Bowl Hotel, Jesmond, Newcastle. Photo: Peter Skelton

THE ISSUE WITH PUBS

We love our pubs and, as with all endangered species, we can’t bear to live without them. Luckily there are people who are gradually turning the tide by – in their own way – giving customers what they want. Alastair Gilmour (AG) takes his seat at the bar The headlines couldn’t be more stark. “Pubs closing down at a rate of one every 12 hours.”

“Pubs closing at a rate of 18 a week as people stay at home.”

“Pub closures are making us all poorer.” “More than 25% of UK pubs have closed since 2001.”

These figures send out a clear message – we must do more to save the unique entity that is The Great British Pub. Pub closures across the UK are a major concern with more than 3,000 shutting their doors for the last time in the last three years. That’s three a day, according to Long Live The Local, a campaign backed by a collective of 10 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

pubs, brewers and industry bodies who form Britain’s Beer Alliance.

The reasons for pubs heading for decline are many and varied – shifting populations, economic and social trends, industrial and agricultural challenges, health warnings, absentee landlords, property valuations, business rates, sheer bad management. Feel free to do your own permutations.

On the following pages we’re looking at the people with the nous to get on with the job and make the pub what it ought to be; a vibrant social centre brimming with positivity and crammed with creativity.

IT’S ABOUT EVERY AGE GROUP More than ever we need pub owners with the vision and determination to do something that will persuade people to venture out on a wet Tuesday when Holby City might seem the better option.

Entrepreneurial publican Dave Carr is one such chap. His ideas for how a pub should look, how it should welcome guests, and how it should function might appear offbeat to some, but it’s safe to say brewing giant Heineken wouldn’t be investing the thick end of a million in the transformation of The Punch Bowl Hotel in Jesmond, Newcastle,

if they had any doubts about his approach. He also operates the Brandling Villa in South Gosforth, Newcastle, with what some might term an out-of kilter approach.

“The Punch Bowl is like those Spanish and Italian bars where young and old gather happily,” says Dave. “The Brandling Villa grew organically and we’ve learnt from that.”

He calls The Punch Bowl “a Saturday afternoon bar” and without analysing the phrase, we kind of get it. It’s busy yet relaxing with Friday’s weekend buzz still in our veins with

PUBS: THE OFF-BEAT Sunday still to come before Monday and work.

Commanding what old-scholars would call the bar is assistant manager Roy Varty – brown coated and ready for service, whether it’s one of seven cask ales or a glass of vermouth. He shares the Carr vision of customer service then runs with it.

“The brown coat is a symbol of the northern boozer; it’s a glasscollector’s coat,” says Roy. “People think it’s a Ronnie Barker Open All Hours coat but it’s more of a Monty Python Dead Parrot one. I was going to wear a white jacket like those Italian waiters, but sometimes they can look wrong and cheap. This works.”

Roy has worked in cocktail bars in Newcastle city centre such as Bierex and DatBar for the past 15 years and though will occasionally continue to show off that skill, he is much more impressed with the keeping and serving of beer.

Anyway he reckons he doesn’t want to serve any drink that takes longer than two pulls of a pint.

It’s what the customer deserves, fast and friendly service with a dash of knowhow. The vermouth bar is also his domain (Vermouth & Patter, says the sign) and there’s very little anybody can tell him about the continental aromatic fortified wine.

He says: “You need to appeal to every age group. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything by not doing cocktails and this is a proper boozer, not a craft beer bar one with really good cask ale.

“The place has gone mental since we opened in late July. We sold

150 litres of vermouth on the first weekend which was incredible – any other bar I’ve worked in you’d sell about two bottles a week.

“Pubs are so important to people; it’s where memories are made. I’ve got friends who met, got married and had kids from pubs. You never know who you’re going to serve and it’s memories you’re making for people. Having two drinks can mean an hour’s wage to someone, so it’s very important that we serve them properly.

“We had a brother and sister come in and they said ‘we were born here’. We’ve got photographs of them on the stairs with their family. They were almost in tears."

So, what else makes The Punch Bowl that little bit different? A small train set loops above head height, the 60-seater cinema and live performance room upstairs is called Bobicks – named after a Russian space dog that ran away instead.

Two record players play vinyl LPs that people of certain musical tastes prefer to digital recordings. At any time it could be Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, Van Morrison, Etta James or Blind Willie McTell. Rows of books that range through Love Your Leftovers, Lonely Planet travel guides, novels, and well-thumbed copies of Soviet Bus Stops Volumes 1 and 2. One end of a bookshelf is supported by a small white bust.

Dymo-taped to it is the quote: “I love owt like that me. Franz Kafka.”

It’s the sort of pub where little things are going on all the time to keep the interest. The beer is great, the food as terrific, and Roy Varty will make you feel important.

TRADITIONAL PUB WITH REAL ALES, A REAL FIRE AND A WARM WELCOME (12 real ales and 12 real ciders on tap) Pie & Peas all day every day £4.95 NEW THAI MENU NOW AVAILABLE

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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 11

PUBS: THE CAFÉ BAR

Play it again: Anthony Winter, left, and Scott Wall at The Two Pennies, North Shields. Photo: Peter Skelton

TWO PENNIES FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

The rich industrial heritage and social history surrounding North Shields is being celebrated by the latest café-bar that has opened in the town. The Two Pennies is a coffee-and-cakes café by day that gradually morphs into a music bar in the evening and into the night.

The premises on the oncegrand (but could still be again) Northumberland Avenue has seen a number of businesses in recent years – tearoom, offices and a pizzeria – but three young local men, Scott Wall, Anthony Winter and Noel Dailey, have taken it on and are doing things their way.

The Two Pennies, named after the coins used in a shipyard pitch-andtoss gambling school, opened in late July and is still finding its feet, although the signs are looking good.

Anthony says: “It’s strange, it went quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays then the weekends were great, then the next thing we’re having our best days ever on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“One night we went through 55

12 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

pints of Cruzcampo in just over three hours. I quickly ordered two more kegs but then everyone was drinking Pravha and nobody wanted Cruzcampo. You can never work it out.”

Scott, Anthony and Noel have known each other for 20 years and always talked about having some sort of place where they could hang out with money not being the driving force.

We all have those dreams and conversations after a pint or two, but Anthony was made redundant in February and that was the catalyst for change.

He says: “I thought do I pay off some of the mortgage or do I do something with the redundancy?

Noel has always been a bit of a gogetter and after talking about it he phoned the next day to say we had five properties to look at. That night we put a deposit down on this place.

“We still didn’t know what we wanted to do with it but Scott is very into his music and beer so we decided it would be something different for North Shields.”

They did most of the work

themselves, hacking away layers of plaster to expose areas of brickwork and stripping back floorboards. The two-roomed premises quickly took on the feel of a place that lends itself to live music, beer and conversation.

The drinks offer includes Camerons Röad Crew and Beavertown Neck Oil, while the menu, based on sharing dishes, is simple, well prepared and good value.

“Industry support has been brilliant,” says Anthony. “Molson Coors and LWC Distribution have been fabulous with us, so supportive, and a lot of other pub managers and club stewards have been impressed with what we’re doing.

“There’s an affluence in North Shields now with a lot of new developments going on, but you’ll still get a pint of Fosters for £2.10.

We’re attracting custom between 4pm and 7pm who want a drink and a bite to eat, while during the day it’s coffee and cakes which is very profitable. Three lattes pay for a kilo of coffee beans.

The two pennies handed down through the family to Scott Wall from

his great-grandfather were used in games of pitch-and-toss during his time in the shipyards. Workers would gamble at every break time, at lunchtime, after work and at every opportunity.

“My great-granddad never gambled, he just ran the game and got a cut so he lost nothing,” says Scott. “He was a bit of a hard man – that’s how he ended up running the game.”

Scott was featured in the December 2016/January 2017 issue of Cheers. A psychiatric nurse by day, he makes guitars out of cigar boxes that end up making the raunchiest blues sounds you can ever imagine. He has plans to revive guitar-making workshops and to host live music sessions at the Two Pennies.

“We didn’t expect this place to make money and not everything is about the bottom line. It was originally a place to hang out in, but so many people are coming in and we’ve had loads of lush compliments. It’s really great when you get that sort of feedback.” AG

DRAGON TREE KOMBUCHA Gently Sparkling fruity tea with natural Flavours of hibiscus and Rosehip a light and fruity taste similar to strawberries and cream.

Drink as an alternative soft drink or mix with gin or vodka for a deliciously different alcoholic spritzer.

Alcohol Free 37 Calories per 100ml Gluten Free Suitable for Vegans Natural Colours Each 250ml can contains 50% Daily NRV* of Vitamins C, B6, B12, Thiamin, Folic Acid, Niacin and Biotin Dragon Tree is a Hibiscus flavour Kombucha drink with Rosehip extract, which has been shown to help increase joint mobility while maintaining healthy and flexible joints. Rosehip is also rich in the antioxidants vitamin C and polyphenols.

Kombucha herbal tea has roots in Chinese culture dating back over 2,000 years and was once considered the “tea of immortality�.

Served in a 250ml can, Dragon Tree provides the perfect alternative to traditional soft drink and mixer options.

Ask your barstaff for more details, or visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

*Daily NRV (Nutrient Reference Values) of an average adult

THE PUB: THE COMMUNITY ASSET

YE OLDE LOOK TO THE FUTURE After standing empty for more than a year, Ye Olde Cross in Ryton, Gateshead, has been bought and reopened by more than 300 members of the community. Volunteers have spent months renovating the former Enterprise Inns-owned pub, adding an accessible toilet and modernising the bar area.

Ye Olde Cross had stuttered and strived for years; its owners not quite knowing what they wanted the pub to be – an Italian restaurant with bar or a pub with little vision. Granted,

it’s difficult even for those with local knowledge to gauge the mood and set a business on a course of profitability, but surely this lovely piece of architecture, built in

the style of a Victorian villa and quite an imposing sight at the edge of the village green, deserved more than slow strangulation.

Ryton resident Colin Cheesman

NE R ME DE GE UNANA M

W

NT

A traditional Countryside Inn where a warm welcome awaits from David, Natasha and their team!

• FRESHLY PREPARED HOME COOKED FOOD AVAILABLE EVERYDAY • FAMILY AND DOG FRIENDLY • PERFECT LOCATION FOR CYCLISTS AND WALKERS • COSY EN-SUITE ACCOMMODATION

SUNDAY LUNCH

1 course from £10.95, 2 course £15.00 & 3 course £18.00 Booking advisable | Tel: 01207 255268

Bookings now being taken for Christmas Fayre and Christmas Day - Ring for details!!

Open 7 days from 12 noon Food served: Mon to Fri 12-3pm & 5pm-9pm, Sat 12-9pm and Sun 12-4pm THE MANOR HOUSE INN, CARTERWAY HEADS, DH8 9LX TEL: 01207 255268 • EMAIL: THEMANORHOUSEINN@AOL.COM WEB: WWW.THEMANORHOUSEINN.COM

14 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

The perfect perfect balance of speciality malts and big hop flavour. flavour. Full Full bodied and bursting with American hops... ...You ...Y ou don’t need to be large large in volume to be big on taste! taste!

LLAUNCHING AUNCHING 5TH SEP SEPTT ‘19 order yours at www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk

THE PUB: THE COMMUNITY ASSET

launched a campaign to save the pub when it originally closed in 2017.

The former taxi driver printed flyers and delivered them to his neighbours by hand. They took advantage of new rules that allow communities to have their local designated an “asset of community value” (ACV), making it harder for the owner to redevelop the site as accommodation.

Once a local council has designated a pub as an ACV, a six-month moratorium is placed on development plans, giving anyone interested in saving the pub time to raise funds to bid for it.

Ye Olde Cross is one of more than 70 community-owned pubs across the UK, none of which have closed after being saved by their community.

Shareholders from Gateshead to Sydney and Hexham to Hungary helped raise almost £200,000 to buy the building and begin renovation work.

Ryton Cross Community Society also secured a grant and loan from the Plunkett Foundation and Power to Change’s More Than A

Pub programme to help with the purchase.

Colin Cheesman said: “I can’t believe how far we’ve come. I said it had to happen, it meant so much to me, and sometimes I can’t believe we’ve actually done it.

We’ve found tenants to run The Cross on a day-to-day basis who are really welcoming and understand the ethos of a community pub, and it’s going to be great to work together to secure its future.”

Ryton Cross Community Society took inspiration from one of the village’s most celebrated sons.

At the White House, yards from the pub on the other side of the green, Charles Thorp created the country’s first “penny bank” that allowed those

THE COUNTY

with small incomes to borrow money at rates they could afford.

Now the ground-floor bar is sparkling and animated. Every design trick in the book has elevated a previously dowdy and run-of-themill interior into a colourful and engaging home from home, such as exposed brickwork and tinted timber panelling.

Local beers feature on the bar from Firebrick to First & Last breweries as part of a revolving programme. Seating has been refurbished (bet you never knew there were so many styles of chair), and there’s always something special about a vase of fresh flowers on the counter.

The pub’s new tenants, Abigail and Andrew Billingham, said: “We

7 0 H I G H S T R E E T, G O S F O R T H , N E 3 1 H B

are extremely excited. We’ve had so much support and wonderful feedback from the community. We’ve already got a quiz night up and running and we’re trying out some dancing in the bar at the moment.

We’re got tonnes of plans for the future and we’re excited to help make this a pub that really serves the people of Ryton and the wider area.”

Future plans include community events from yoga classes, farmers markets and coffee mornings, to schemes to help tackle social isolation and loneliness in the community as well as offering work experience to youngsters. Grants have come via Awards for All and Big Lottery to renovate the exterior of the building and the garden areas. The tenants are working towards letting out apartments for holiday guests and a new kitchen is moving up the priority list.

There’s still a long way to go but what has been achieved at Ye Olde Cross should stand as a model for other community groups hoping to save their local. AG

14 Cask Lines • 5 Keg/Craft Lines 50+ Bottled and Canned Beers 80+ Gins • 30+ Whiskys Beer Garden / Dog Friendly Snug available for Private Hire As featured in Camra’s Good Beer Guide 2019 Street Food every Friday at THE COUNTY - See Facebook for details.

Tel: 0191

285 6919

THE BEST BEER GARDEN IN GOSFORTH.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 15

PUBS: THE HISTORY BOYS

BIRTLEY BELGIANS’ WITBIER WISDOM It’s amazing what you discover in a glass of beer, writes Alastair Gilmour Who would have thought that drinking an innocent can of Belgian-style Witbier produced on Tyneside would lead down a trail of history that has largely been forgotten?

Firebrick Brewery’s Little Belgium (4.7% abv) is in Witbier (white or wheat) style; pale and opaque with a crisp wheat character and refreshing orange peel notes laced with spicy coriander. It is named in honour of the “Birtley Belgians” who were recruited from their homeland to work in armaments factories during the First World War, principally in Birtley (now in the Borough of Gateshead but then part of County Durham). Before the First World War, Belgium was renowned for the quality of its armaments, mortars, artillery and landmines.

The history lesson began with Sheilagh Matheson, former BBC North East journalist (also ITV and Channel 4) who discovered the story of the Birtley Belgians a few years ago when she was on a working holiday in Poperinge, a small town near Ypres.

Sheilagh says: “I go there every year for a fortnight to work in the original TOC H building, called Talbot House, set up during the First World War. (TOC H is an international Christian movement and charity.)

“Four years ago, Talbot House had an exhibition all about the Birtley Belgians.

I contacted (journalist and writer) Dirk Musschoot, who had done all the research and written a book about them and one thing led to another, in particular an eight-minute television film produced for BBC North East.”

Dirk Musschoot reveals his side of the story that includes a long association with the North East. He says: “In 1978 I became friends with a family from Ponteland. Ever since I have been visiting them and the North East at least once a year. More than 20 years ago, they asked me if I knew about the so-called Birtley Belgians. I didn’t, so we visited Birtley (the building in which once the Belgian Hospital 16 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

was housed was still there) and I became interested...”

“The Birtley Belgians were either Belgian refugees during World War I or wounded soldiers who were send to the UK to recover but who never again became fit enough to return to the trenches.

“The British shell crisis in spring 1915 made clear that there was an urgent need of ammunition. So, in no time ammunition factories were built and manned with whoever was available.

“One of those factories, the National Projectile Factory in Birtley, was completely manned with Belgians: 85% ‘rejected’ soldiers and 15% refugees. In total they were a workforce of 4,000 plus 2,000 wives and children.

“Next to the factory in BIrtley a complete Belgian village was erected for those 6,000 Belgians: Elisabethville (written with an ‘s’ – the village was named after the Belgian Queen Elisabeth). It had some 700 houses, about 20 dormitories, a hospital, shops, a restaurant, offices, a school and a church. Today only the food shop and the butchery remain (they are garages now) plus the Belgian cemetery.

“Once the war was over, all the Belgians went home, apart from about 40 men who had married local girls and stayed.”

In all, the Birtley workforce made more than two million artillery shells, making it one of the most productive armaments works in Britain – and were celebrated as heroes helping to end the war.

There are a couple of twists to come in our

Birtley Belgians story, however.

Alistair Lawrence from Firebrick Brewery says: “Funnily enough, the idea for Little Belgium Witbier didn’t actually come directly from the Birtley Belgians. We brewed a beer for the Newcastle Beer Festival in 2017 and wanted to see what we could do with coriander seeds and bitter orange peel, like in a Belgian white beer. We thought if it went OK we’d keep it on in our Heritage Range – and it came top of its category.

“Then I thought how do we tie a Witbier in with the heritage of Gateshead and Newcastle and started googling and came across the Birtley Belgians. What a gift! It was similar to how Giuseppe Lager came

Can do: Firebrick Brewery owner Alistair Lawrence with Little Belgium Witbier. Below: The Railway Hotel, Birtley, Gateshead.

Main photo: Peter Skelton

about – I discovered that Giuseppe Garibaldi (Italian patriot and freedom fighter) stayed in Blaydon with (local MP) Joseph Cowen who campaigned for women’s rights and the emancipation of slavery. Our brewery is on Cowen Road in Blaydon – I’m on the ball with all of that.”

Elsewhere at Firebrick, business appears to be doing well. “Not so long ago, a busy week used to be 80 casks but we’ve done 140 this week,” says Alistair. “It seems to have come from nowhere. We’re 25% up on sales this year and struggling to keep up with demand.”

A canning and bottling line is earmarked for the new next-door unit which also features a shop with eight taps and a visitor area.

But back to Birtley and one of its most distinctive pubs, the Railway Hotel – and another turn in our story. It’s owned by North West-based businessman John Brearley who

fell for the handsome Railway Hotel some years ago and, coupled with his passion for real ale, decided to buy it.

John says: “I was aware of the Birtley Belgians. When I was a young trainee accountant at Coopers and Lybrand (now PwC) in Manchester I was posted on my first ‘away’ audit job to some bleak Royal Ordnance factory in a mysterious place called Birtley.

The company had just been privatised by Mrs Thatcher and had yet to be taken over by BAE.” See how you get carried away when you sit back with a nice drop of beer! *The Railway Hotel, Birtley, will be stocking Little Belgium, possibly on keg and in cans, during October. A precise date is yet to be fixed but we’ll let you know in next month’s magazine and on social media.

*With thanks to Sheilagh Matheson, Dirk Musschoot and Bill Lawrence for the background information – and Firebrick Brewery for Little Belgium. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 17

THE PUB: THE VILLAGE INN

Vision: The Fisher's Arms at Horncliffe.

Below: Landlord Dave Goodwin

BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND

It’s reckoned that if you close the village pub you close the village. It’s one good reason that Horncliffe in North Northumberland just simply has to cling onto the Fisherman’s Arms. Close it and you’re playing with ire. Horncliffe is England’s most northern village, so it stands to reason that the Fisher’s Arms is its most northern pub.

“You can cross the Chain Bridge across the River Tweed from here and have a day in Scotland,” says landlord Dave Goodwin, who has run pubs in North Staffordshire, North Shropshire and Berwick upon Tweed. “We’ll be on the front line – again – if and when Scotland becomes independent.”

The Fisher’s Arms – some five miles west of Berwick – is a lovely roadside pub, the very sort that rural communities should have by right.

Inside it’s one big room but there’s a definite invisible border between bar area and lounge/dining room that suits everybody.

The pub provides three cask ales at one time which is quite remarkable given the catchment

18 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

area – Cheviot Brewery Upland Ale, First & Last Equinox and Firebrick Heatwave.

“If I took Equinox off I’d get lynched,” says Dave. “Even Carling drinkers have switched to it and that’s saying something.

“You can do this if you look after your beer – and clean the lines at the end of every cask. It’s amazing what you can do with vision and a little bit of understanding. If you provide a village with what it needs you can be successful.

“I’ve seen figures where it says losing a pub can knock £10,000 off the value of a property. When people want to buy a house, having

a pub they can walk to is their third most important consideration.

“We came into The Fisher’s Arms in July 2018 and opened in the September – it took us three days to clear all the cobwebs alone. The roof needs attention and hopefully we’ll get that sorted.

“But a place like this couldn’t survive without a kitchen; food is central to what we do as there’s not enough wet-led trade to make a living. My wife Kay helps out on the bar and with the running of the pub and we’ve got an amazing chef in Amanda Herbert who trained at The Savoy as a pastry chef. The desserts here are amazing.” (Today’s special cheesecake is lemon and

ginger. Amazing.) The pub has organised its first beer festival in the neighbouring community hall – a great success – which will be repeated next year (July 11-12) and helps sponsor the annual Salmon Festival, a ritualistic parade that has medieval overtones. Music is a regular feature in the pub with buskers, traditional folk, acoustics, tenor sax and even a zither player.

Dave says: “We’re also clearing a bit of land for an allotment so we can grow our own stuff for the kitchen.

"We’re starting to get noticed for our food and have got people coming from Berwick, Cornhill and Duns which was unheard of before, so we’re slowly getting there.”

The pub’s sign shows fishermen grappling with a salmon in the nearby River Tweed with the 1820-vintage Union Chain Bridge in the background. It is the oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic and is a Category A listed building Scotland and a Grade I listed building in England.

Grappling with big fish appears to be in Horncliffe’s nature. AG

South Causey Inn

Tap Room & Distillery BREWERY TOURS

Here at South Causey Inn, we are offering tours of our NEW Tap Room & Distillery.

- Tours available 1st Saturday of Every Month | 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm - Tours also available 2nd and 4th Friday of every month | 5:30pm – 7:30pm - Wednesday and Thursday Tours available | 2pm -4pm TOURS INCLUDE: • 2 hours with our Master Brewer John Taylor.

• 2 Beer Flights to taste in the Tap Room • Your own engraved Ale Glass to take home • Tap Room & Distillery T-shirt • Brewers Lunch and of course - a Pint of Causey Ale to wash it down with!

All inclusive Tour price only

50

£

per person the first Thursday month BREW CLUB - onof every

DINNER, BED, BREAKFAST & BREW

For further details visit www.southcausey.co.uk

• Thursday 5th September, 7pm - The History of Beer • Thursday 3rd October, 7pm - Beer flavours and training your taste buds • Thursday 7th November, 7pm - What is the difference between Yeast and a Microbe?

Beamish Burn Road, Stanley, Co. Durham. DH9 0LS For more information and to book please contact us on 01207 235555!

www.southcausey.co.uk

ENTERPRISE

HOP ON BOARD

Ray Stokes, the owner of independent craft beer shop Hop & Bottle in Berwick upon Tweed is the self-styled Artisan Beer Monger.

If it’s conversation about his favourite subject you’re after or watching people on Hide Hill go by, it's the place to be. That’s in the interludes between buying beer and sampling it.

The counter and display areas in the light and airy former florists are constructed from polished pallet timber – very effectively, too.

“The town hadn’t had an off-license for about 15 years, since Oddbins closed,” says Ray. “This was a flower shop and now it’s a hop shop.”

Ray’s accent takes some placing but he assures he was born in Berwick then lived over the border in Eyemouth (distinctly Scottish in tongue) and as his mother is from Southampton and his dad is from Shetland, there’s a fair old mixture going on.

He says: “I did get stick at school for sounding ‘different’ but Berwick’s a very open-minded town.”

Before he set up Hop & Bottle, Ray worked in hospitality around the area for about 15 years, at Curfew micropub, The Barrels and The Brown Bear which he always enjoyed, but he finds having

20 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Beer and music: Ray Stokes at Hop & Bottle in Berwick

his own place means he can talk a lot more about hops. He has installed a table in the middle of the floor for lingering over purchases and sampling – or just talking hop. A record player quietly runs though a charity-shop vinyl repertoire that could be Led Zeppelin, Chvrches or Hot Chocolate (why does every charity shop have a Hot Chocolate LP?) which invariably starts conversation on the correlation between beer and music.

“Berwick to me is music, beer and conversation,” he says. “People can come in here and have a fun time without breaking the bank. I like chatting to people and it’s two-way traffic. I love the friendly element to this industry. There’s also lots of collaboration between the shops in Berwick, such as the barbers across the street which has a late night and we’re open so people can have a beer

and a haircut. Hop and chop, that's us.”

Hop & Bottle is fiercely local but also stocks Belgian beers and cans and bottles that have national distribution, plus wine and spirits. Holy Island Gin, Alnwick Gin, Thistly Cross Cider, Lindisfarne Mead, Left-Field Kombucha are produced around these parts and he even sells that Scottish staple Buckfast Tonic Wine by the bottle or shot.

Furthermore, Ray Stokes, The Beer Monger, surely has the shiniest boots in Berwick.

BREWERY NEWS

MICRO PUB AND BOTTLE SHOP WITH AN EVER CHANGING SELECTION OF CRAFT BEERS AND REAL ALES AND OVER 150 BOTTLES AND CANS OPEN FROM 2PM WEEK DAYS AND 12NOON FRI TO SUN

NOT JUST ANY PORTER IN A STORM

A County Durham-based brewery has been presented with two Great Taste awards º one for a core range beer and another for a seasonal offering. This demonstrates that Black Storm Brewery – recently relocated to Pelton Fell, near Chester le Street, is highly regarded right across its portfolio.

Indeed, Black Storm Porter (5.3% abv) was named the UK’s best porter at the 2018 World Beer Awards.

Porter and Tropical Storm (4.2% abv) gained two Great Taste stars which are granted for products “above and beyond delicious”. Judges’ comments include: “The flavour delivered the anticipated hoppy bitterness, with plenty of the vanilla, chocolate and nutty notes to follow, giving this a really lovely depth of flavour. The judges loved the length of finish, and it just kept on giving, with a really lovely rounded, chunky texture.”

Tropical Storm – and extra pale ale – is one of the six beers in Black Storm’s innovative seasonal range available only for part of the year, and is due

to be brewed again later in the autumn.

Judges’ notes describe it as: “A pale straw coloured beer with some haze. Sweet orange/ mango on the nose provides an enticing hoppy aroma that hooks you in. Juicy citrus on the palate then a little sweetness of tangerine coming through then a dry bitterness at the back of the mouth. One judge said he could drink it all day.”

Black Storm also operates two craft beer bars – Storm Cellar in Whitley Bay and Drop Everything And Drink on High Bridge in central Newcastle.

In addition, the company owns craft beer store Beer Box, one of which is in Newcastle’s Stack development and the other – recently opened – in Manchester as part of the Hatch social and shopping hub.

Black Storm Porter is also proving popular with chefs with Eyemouth’s Jarvis Pickle enterprise using it in one of its premier pies. The beer will feature alongside three other Black Storm styles in a Christmas hamper this year which will be available nationally.

41A WARTON TERRACE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE6 5LS @THEHEATONTAP @TAPHEATON

Set in the original ladies waiting room is a homely bar; serving a variety of drinks, sandwiches and treats, available to sit in or take-away.

Opening Hours

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 21

PUBS: THE STATION BAR

Dan Bell at the Platform Bar at Hexham Station

THE WAITING IS OVER

The Perfect Accompaniment to Any Pint!

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For advertising and editorial enquiries contact Michael Grahamslaw on mjgrahamslaw@outlook.com or visit the website www.northern-insight.co.uk

22 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

The trains are running on time and the new micropub at Hexham Station has finally arrived. The Platform Bar was originally in Heather and Gary Scott’s minds in 2016 but it’s been well worth the wait.

The couple run High House farm Brewery near Matfen, Northumberland, so the new bar is stocked with the likes of Nel’s Best, Sundancer, Matfen Magic and Auld Hemp cask ales. Gary is a joiner so he’s been responsible for the fabric of the building and its fixtures and fittings. It’s a real family affair with Heather taking her turn on the Platform Bar rota while overseeing the extremely popular wedding business – alongside daughter Lizzie – while son Andrew manages the pub, helped by his cousin Dan Bell.

Hexham railway station is a Grade II listed building and dates back to 1835. The extensive list of restoration work involved reinstating many of the waiting room’s original features – refurbishing the fireplace, restoring the original clock above the doorway and filling in missing cornicing.

A traditional railway-style sign

hangs over the door so travellers on the Newcastle to Carlisle line are left in no doubt as to what lies within.

The pew bench-style seating is original so it had to stay intact. In fact, the bar is built over a section of it. And it’s a case of “spot the difference” in places where small timber panels have had to be replaced. Décor is cream with what can only be described as "detail by British Rail red".

Heather Scott says: ”It’s going really well and we’ve had good feedback – the most used phrase is ‘it’s got a homely feel’ which I’ve taken as a compliment.

“We wanted to keep some of the original function as a firstclass waiting room and Gary has done a great job which he’s very proud of – but working on a listed building is a nightmare.”

Dan Bell says: “We’re targeting morning commuters by opening at 7am for coffees. We’re licensed from 10am and get busy with beer drinkers from around 2pm until the last one leaves.”

Trains run between Newcastle and Carlisle every hour. Study the timetable; you could even catch the same one on the way back.

PUBS: THE NEW FACE

BULLISH ABOUT BEER A Northumberland town’s tourist information centre is now better placed on the map as a micropub. Jake Castleman and Emma Bayne have only been in charge of the Cock & Bull in Amble since June but directions all point upwards.

“It’s going very well,” says Jake, formerly general manager at The Northumberland Arms in Felton, Northumberland. “We had looked at other places but when this came up we struck lucky. It’s a very unusual building and it’s so lovely to have that shape.”

“That shape” includes two dramatic skylights enhanced by the combination of red and dark blue paintwork which illuminate and delight equally.

Jake also brought George Devereux-Tinsley, one of his former bar team with him, along with so much beer, wine and spirits knowledge that this place is going to go places, no bull.

Four cask ales represent some of the North East’s finest – Anarchy

All local: Jake Castleman, Cock & Bull, Amble

Brew Co, Great North Eastern Brew Co, Allendale and Credence breweries – plus a unique rustic tower is reserved for Rigg & Furrow’s burgeoning keg collection, brewed a few miles inland at Acklington.

“We’re looking at getting five or even six cask beers in if we can find the space,” says Jake.

The bar offers cheeses from the region – Berwick Edge and Cuddy’s Cave – with wines from Portugal, Italy, Spain and Slovenia and gins from Holy Island, Alnwick, Hepple and Kelso (plus pies from Eyemouth).

This boy Jake knows his onions.

The pub name derives from the old phrase for tall stories.

Jake says: “Guys come into a bar and talk a lot of cock and bull. I woke

up one morning and thought ‘that sounds like a pub’.

“We wanted to create a traditional Seventies and Eighties pub with a modern twist. Furniture has been recycled from a pub in Durham and it all hangs together very well. Local people have been very supportive; can’t believe they’ve got a pub like this on their doorstep.

“And the sunsets are picture postcard with pink skies over Amble Marina towards Warkworth Castle.”

That’s no cock and bull, by the way. AG cockandbullpub.co.uk

Fine ales, great atmosphere, honest food.

The heart of Birtley.

PROPER NORTH EASTERN PUB, GREAT WELCOME, REAL TRADITION, STUNNING BEER GARDEN.

Cask and craft Ales including Bass • Fine Lagers and Stouts • Regular Live Entertainment • All sports shown Quiz Nights • Pool • Great Juke Box • Discount for CAMRA members

Durham Road, Birtley • Tel: 0191 4102582 Mon to Thurs 11-11 • Fri & Sat 11 – Midnight • Sun 11.30 -11

www.railwayhotelbirtley.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 23

VIEW FROM ABROAD

Riding high: Tim Longstaff, right, with Ash Smith in Brasserie Sapaudia.

Below: Mont Blanc with the village of Vallandry. Foreground Les Arcs ski resort

OFF PISTE AND ON THE BALL

Tim Longstaff and Ash Smith, two young men from Stockton in County Durham, are brewing an adventurous portfolio of beers in the French Alps, combining North East passion with German engineering. And they’re impressing the neighbours.

Cheers asked Tim a few questions I presume it was skiing and the great outdoors that took you both to the French Alps.

Exactly, I moved to the Alps after leaving Newcastle University in 2013 to do a ski season. Over my time at uni I witnessed the craft beer revolution unfold

24 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

in front of me – every other bar suddenly started to sell craft beer and bars like the Town Wall became regular haunts. During my first winter in Aime-la-Plagne I realised there was no craft beer here, and thought it would be pretty cool to brew beer in the Alps. Eventually, I managed to convince Ash it was a good idea and we decided to learn how to brew.

I guess as well, a shout out to Wylam Brewery and my friend Matt Allfrey, as he introduced me to Toon Waal, the beer they brew for the Town Wall pub. It was the first ‘proper’ beer I had ever had and basically changed my life.

HAD EITHER OF YOU BREWED BEFORE? Not at all, but once we made the decision that a brewery as a business could work over here, we decided to try and learn as much as we could and brew as much as we could in a short space of time.

We decided to invest in best we could afford so we could make better beer more quickly and bought into the Grainfather (homebrewing) system, plus Grainfather steel fermenters and a glycol chilling unit.

We spent a fair few months just developing one recipe, rather than constantly experimenting with loads of different styles. I think that

although there is obviously a lot of room for experimenting, you learn more by trying to brew the same thing consistently.

After about six or eight months we had a beer we were happy with and then committed to going ‘pro’. We knew that craft beer was on the verge of an explosion here in France, so we decided we had to act fast.

Situated in the heart of the French Alps, our plant's central location in the Tarentaise Valley allows us to supply local craft beer to the world’s three largest ski areas and beyond. Our beer is available mainly on tap in over a dozen great bars throughout the

VIEW FROM ABROAD Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions.

The brewery name, Brasserie Sapaudia, translates from Latin into French as ‘le pays de sapins’ – the land of coniferous trees, so naming the company was easy. It was only right to acknowledge the huge impact this place has had on us.

WHAT SIZE OF KIT DO YOU HAVE? We now have a five hectolitre brewhouse (although it’s actually more like seven hectolitres) and four 14-hectolitre fermenters. We use Brewiks equipment, a German brand, and are very impressed. The customer service is second-tonone; we have a WhatsApp group with Brewiks so we can ask the owner questions directly – and share brew ideas. I would seriously recommend anyone with minimal brewing experience looking to go pro, to consider Brewiks.

HOW ARE YOUR BEERS BEING RECEIVED AROUND THE AREA? So far so good! We currently have a range of four beers, but hope to launch three new ones over the winter as specials, or to replace beers currently in the core range.

Where we are has a big UK expat community crying out for some

‘proper’ beer. And then during peak winter and summer seasons, the resorts fill up with British tourists and seasonal workers.

Traditionally in France, craft beers are described by colour, rather than style: blonde, blanche, ambrée etc, which is fine but a blonde here could be anything from a lager to a strong Belgian beer.

Anyway, we have tried to name and develop the beers with a local feel.

Our newest IPA, Lost In The Woods, is filtered through pine needles from the woods opposite our brewery. IPA in France is really on the up, not only the younger drinkers, but a lot of the older drinkers who would normally prefer a blonde beer will ask for an IPA. That caught us by surprise, we have been brewing IPA like mad all summer since.

Selling beer to the French market is quite different from at home – as is the way they actually go out and drink compared to Brits – but we are really focusing on becoming well known in the local area by doing various village fetes, weddings etc. We also do Piss-Ups in the brewery with food, music and beer which is always a hit. http//sapaudiabrewing.co/

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@CENTRALEBEER

E MAIL: CONTACT@CENTRALEBEER.COM PHONE: 0191-2618468 WWW.CENTRALEBEER.COM (COMING SOON)

BRASSERIE SAPAUDIA BEERS SIGNAL ALPINE BLONDE ALE (4.9% ABV) Sapaudia’s first beer, a classic British style blonde ale using Fuggles and Pilgrim hops. Honey on the nose and a smooth drinkability, perfect after a big day on the hill. Name inspired by a ski lift in Val d'Isere that accesses a big off-piste skiing area.

RIVET CATCHER 4.0%

TAIHEKE SUN 4.2%

STYRIAN BLONDE 3.8%

CLASPERS CITRA 3.8%

DIGNITY IPA 4.6%

GNE GOLD 4.0%

COSMIQUE IPA (5.8% ABV) American-style IPA, dry hopped with El Dorado and Amarillo, it certainly packs a punch but its limited bitterness means it is dangerously drinkable. Name inspired by Cosmique, a famous ski line in Chamonix.

HELBRONNER HELLES LAGER (5.0% ABV) A Munich-style Helles, cold conditioned for weeks at 0º – not much to say other than a classic! Name inspired by a French Alpinist and Cartographer.

LOST IN THE WOODS IPA (5.0% ABV) The brewery’s latest IPA, dry hopped to high hell with Citra, the wort is filtered through fresh pine needles picked from trees opposite the brewery. Refreshing and perfect for summer evenings.

GNEB SEPTEMBER ALES AVAILABLE TO ORDER Contract House, Wellington Road, NE11 9HS Dunston, Gateshead, Tel: 0191 4474462 email: gneb@mail.com www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 25

BEER NEWS

cheers JOIN OUR TEAM...

MEDIA SALES VACANCY Cheers is the authoritative voice of the North East pub and brewing sector and we are looking for someone who can further develop print and online commercial opportunities. The pub and brewing industry in our region is extremely active and the ideal candidate could be working within this area at present and looking for a new challenge or simply be keen to make their mark with this extremely popular title.

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT GETS TO SPEND EVERY DAY DOWN THE PUB! ABOUT US - Offstone Publishing is a successful media company based in Stocksfield, Northumberland. We publish quality magazines and websites and need talented, driven people to join our sales team. We’re only 20 minutes from the centre of Newcastle and we’re offering a competitive salary, bonus potential, company car, 25 days holiday a year, and a great view. Apply now!

For more details and to apply, visit our website: www.offstonepublishing.co.uk/careers/ Closing date Friday, September 20 , 2019 th

Unit One, Bearl Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7AL 01661 844115 enquiries@offstonepublishing.co.uk www.offstonepublishing.co.uk

26 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

NEW RELEASES

No:1 Horninglow Street IPA (7.4% abv) is the first in a series of speciality oneoff beers to be brewed in Marston’s legendary Burton Union system.

This is the first beer that Marston’s has produced from the system’s renowned oak barrels, “swan necks” and yeast troughs apart from their iconic Pedigree and celebratory pale ales. A total of 32,000 individually numbered bottles are available in 300 Waitrose stores at £4.50 per 50cl bottle, each packaged in its own box.

The initial design stage for each beer in this series of limited editions begins in Marston’s DE14 nano-brewery, installed in 2016 to trial new brews. The beers are then transferred to the colossal, symmetrical brewhouse, known locally as The Cathedral of Brewing. The Horninglow Street speciality beers have been named after the original brewery at which John Marston’s started brewing in 1834 in Burton upon Trent. Each celebrates a different beer style and the complete series will be bottle-conditioned and unpasteurised which will

CHEERS ON TOUR

develop for years in the bottle, allowing the beer drinker to decide at what stage they wish to stop the beer’s journey of conditioning, and to broach the bottle. No:1 Horninglow Street pays homage to the IPA beer style that Burton made its own from the 1820s. The global exporting of IPA is renowned; beers brimmed with hops and alcohol with the firm body to withstand long sea voyages to India.

Hawkshead Brewery has recently installed another six fermenters – 130hl tanks – in at its Flookburgh, South Lakes facility. The award-winning company has been brewing to capacity at both Staveley and Flookburgh sites.

Beer-wise, Lighter Times (0.5% abv) is to be released at Leeds International Beer Fest on September 5 and at The Beer Hall, Staveley, the next day. Lighter Times brings together the perfect balance of speciality malts and big hop flavour.

Full-bodied and packed full of American hops, it proves you don’t need to be big in volume to be big on taste.

Perfect for those times when you need a lighter beer.

Cheers reader Ian Jackson from Darlington took a copy of the magazine to Germany recently.

“I had an excellent trip to Dusseldorf and Koln enjoying the Altbier and Kolsch along with the hot weather. The photo was taken at Brauerei Zum Schussel on Bolkerstrasse in Dusseldorf.”

And Louise Reeve sent us this pic (top) from a cycling trip in the Yorkshire Wolds last September. What took you so long, Louise?

WHAT’S ON

Gigs ’N’ Festivals SEPTEMBER 14

CAFÉ AMSTERDAM The popular pop-up bar featuring the best in Dutch new wave beer, spirits from gin’s birthplace, and authentic bar snacks returns to the Cumberland Arms on Saturday September 14.

Cumberland Arms, James Place Street, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1LD.

SEPTEMBER 27-28

GOSFORTH PARISH CHURCH BEER FESTIVAL More than 40 local beers and ciders, BBQ food, live music from The Hop Pickers at this unusual venue – opposite South Gosforth Metro station, Newcastle.

Hopefully some new beers/specials from Northern Alchemy, Tyne Bank, Brinkburn St, Allendale and Almasty but also from elsewhere such as Cloudwater and Tiny Rebel.

Prices are kept relatively low, but the aim is to make a small profit. This year, the festival’s third, money raised will go to Archbishop Runcie First School in Gosforth.

Friday 3pm-11pm; Saturday 12noon-11pm.

OCTOBER 24-26

CRAFT BEER CALLING Craft Beer Calling at Wylam Brewery in Newcastle is one weekend dedicated to introducing you to an assembly of some of the world’s leading craft breweries all under one roof. Plus a gin palace, a wine cellar, great music, a sumptuous street food market and an artisan cider cellar.

Craft Beer Calling is an invitational so the breweries run their own bars, which means there are loads more taps pouring at any one time. You will also be able to interact with brewery staff and get to know so much more about their beer.

The brewery list will be updated over the coming weeks (@ CraftBeerCall) but we can reveal Whiplash from Dublin is heading our way.

Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle NE2 4PZ. www.craftbeercalling.com

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 27

THE PUB: ORIGINAL ART

CLASSIFIED ALL IN BERRY GOOD TASTE ADVERTS For more information on how to advertise your services, vacancies and events contact Paul Bramley on

01661 844 115 TAKE OUT BEER HOPPERS Unique 2 pint containers designed to take-out draught beer

Just £32.00 + VAT & delivery per box of 100 Buy on-line at www.gnltd.co.uk sales@gnltd.co.uk 01233-770780

GN Packaging Specialists in Beer Books, Postcards, Posters & Signs Our product range covers material from England, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany and the U.S.A. They will be of interest to beer drinkers, memorabilia lovers, brewers, publicans, bar designers plus many more beer enthusiasts.

We deliver by mail order and can also ship abroad.

Beer-Inn Print (Est 1997) Long High Top, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX& 7PF Tel: 01422 844437 Email: beerinnprint@gmail.com order online at: www.beerinnprint.co.uk

28 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

A Newcastle pub has added to its collection of visual delights, writes Alastair Gilmour

Keith Christie’s wife has got her kitchen back. A six-foot high work of art has been taking shape at their Rowlands Gill home, but it’s now a star attraction in the function room of The Strawberry in Newcastle.

Keith is a firefighter based at Byker, Newcastle, one of the nation’s busiest fire stations, and has created an enormous, threedimensional artwork featuring a strawberry – made out of thousands of bottle tops.

A Newcastle United matchday regular at the pub, he had approached Strawberry landlord Michael Hill about producing the piece for the start of the current Premier League season.

Michael says: “When Keith put the idea to me – on a match day when the pub was heaving – I thought ‘bottle tops, that’s interesting’.

It’s created a huge amount of interest, but I never appreciated the size of the thing until I saw it. Now everybody wants to know which top was theirs.”

Bright red Sol and Budweiser caps form the fruit part of the piece with bent-over Desperado tops forming the “seeds”. Surrounding them are 2,100 Newcastle Brown Ale bottle tops, bathed in acrylic resin for a smooth finish. Keith has even positioned Bud caps with a slightly lighter hue down one side of the strawberry to further enhance the 3D illusion.

“It’s the first time I’ve anything like this for somebody else,” says Keith. “I’ve been collecting bottle tops for ages and Michael ordered a thousand new ones for this project. Other people have donated them as well.

“The base framework is MDF and the curve of the strawberry was formed out of expanding polystyrene with Polyfilla and papier maché to give it shape. It took 28 hours to do over a couple of months.”

Keith has also built a bar in his house; the front of the counter is a Union Jack featuring red, white and blue bottle tops – of course – with the top

also inlaid with a colourful collection of caps. The couple’s bathroom floor has been given similar treatment, only with a layer of pennies.

“My job as a firefighter is stressful,” he says. “A lot of my work is now in river rescue and only last night I dragged someone out of the Tyne – who survived – so doing this sort of thing is therapeutic, helping me switch off. When you go back to your wife and kids after something like that, it can be very tense.”

The Strawberry – a fine pub in its own right – revels in artwork and memorabilia relating to Newcastle United, its players and history.

Michael Hill is also adept at nourishing talent and supporting the football community, plus knowing his clientele’s needs. For instance, customers have benefitted from an impressive rooftop terrace refurbishment.

A young barman sums up how regulars have taken to the artwork: “You’d think it was a museum in here the number of people who’ve come in and asked to see it.”

For commissions and more on Keith Christie, visit @ChristieBespokeArtwork

FUN STUFF

SIGN OF THE TIMES

THE DIRTY DOZEN TWELVE CRACKERS TO BOIL YOUR GREY MATTER

If you owned a pub, café or restaurant you’d be tempted to use them for their wit – not only for their quality produce.

A SMALL BOY WALKS INTO A BAR… …AND, CRYING HIS EYES OUT, HE PLEADS: “I’VE LOST MY DAD, HAVE YOU SEEN HIM IN HERE?” THE BARMAN SAYS SYMPATHETICALLY: “I DON’T KNOW, WHAT’S HE LIKE?” THE SMALL BOY SOBS: “BEER AND WOMEN.”

1. Sunderland came top of Football League Division 1 in 1936. What was unusual in that?

2. Sunderland came top of Football League Division 1 in 1936. What else was unusual in that?

3. Paul Lowry won the British Open in the summer. He was the first Open champion since 1882 to have what?

4. How many member states does the Commonwealth have?

5. What is Prince William’s second name?

6. Which song and by whom does this lyric come from?: “I’m never gonna dance again, Guilty feet have got no rhythm”.

7. Which larger-than-life British actor died during the filming of Gladiator?

8. In 1893, which country was the first to give women the vote?

9. Roughly what proportion of their DNA do humans and chimpanzees share: 46%, 76% or 96%?

10. Which musician was a member of Thin Lizzy, Visage and Ultravox?

11. Which popular drink was known as “sack”.

12. Where in the alphabet would you find a tittle?

EEH! NUMBERS 43

Exit 43: According to The Dictionary of Pub Names, there’s a pub in Leeds called Exit 43, so called because it’s close to Exit 43 of the M1 motorway. What a dismal name; please tell us it has exited.

S43 is the renamed Sonnet 43 Brewhouse in Coxhoe, County Durham. It celebrates Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love poem Sonnet 43 which starts with the lines “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” She was born in nearby Coxhoe Hall in 1806.

Licor 43, or Cuarenta y Tres (Spanish for 43), is a top-selling Spanish sweet liqueur (31% abv), made only in Cartagena, Spain.

QUOTE

“ A SHOUT OUT TO WYLAM BREWERY AND MY FRIEND MATT ALLFREY AS HE INTRODUCED ME TO TOON WAAL, THE BEER THEY BREW FOR THE TOWN WALL PUB (NEWCASTLE). IT WAS THE FIRST ‘PROPER’ BEER I HAD EVER HAD AND BASICALLY CHANGED MY LIFE” TIM LONGSTAFF, BRASSERIE SAPAUDIA, AIME-LA-PLAGNE, FRANCE (SEE PAGE 24).

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1 It was the last time a club wearing stripes won the title. 2 It was the last time a title-winning manager was called John (John Cochrane). 3 A beard.

4 Fifty three. 5 Arthur. 6 Careless Whisper (George Michael). 7 Oliver Reed. 8 New Zealand. 9 96%. 10 Midge Ure. 11 Sherry. 12 The letters “i” and “j”. It’s the dot above.

30 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

“I COULD DRINK IT ALL DAY.”

blackstormbrewery.com

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