Cheers North East magazine #95 - November 2019

cheers WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK // NOVEMBER 2019 // ISSUE 95

I T ’ S

A B O U T

P U B S ,

P E O P L E ,

B E E R

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A N D

Y O U !

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ALE HOUSE ROCKERS WE’RE WITH THE BAND APPLE MAX IN CO DURHAM CIDER FARM’S CORE PRODUCTS

PAINTING THE TOWN

ART SHOWS CELEBRATE A REMARKABLE CENTURY

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GREY HORSE CONSETT

“GIVE OWWER” Yes, it's true, we are proud to be the CAMRA Regional Pub of the year, quite an achievement for our pub and the brewery that sits behind it.

As part of our celebration we have unveiled a new identity for the Grey Horse by the highly acclaimed local artist Robert 'Bob' Olley and also launched a special edition ale to mark the occasion.

Our Award Winning Beers often take the limelight but this year it's the Grey Horse that takes centre stage, after all, where better to enjoy a proper pint than in a proper pub?

Come and see what makes us the 'Top House' in the North East.

Discount on real ales for card carrying CAMRA members.

CONSETT ALE WORKS

CONSETT ALE WORKS

CONSETT ALE WORKS

RED DUST

STEELTOWN

WHITE HOT

A RICH RUBY RED ALE

BITTER

A SMOOTH TRADITIONAL BITTER

A REFRESHING STRAW COLOURED ALE

ABV

ABV

ABV

4.5%

3.8%

4.0%

THE HOME OF CONSETT ALE WORKS

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

WELCOME We’re never ceased to be amazed at the innovative products coming out of our breweries, or the enterprising events organised by our publicans. Best of all, it’s for us, the pub-loving public.

We’ve got the likes of Scream For Pizza and Good Times Tacos rocking up outside pubs, we’ve got quizzes, banter and belly-laughs inside, along with great company and a range of drinks so wide and inclusive that they almost make beer traditional festivals redundant. Go to the pub, there’s a beer festival on every day.

We have to admit that it’s tempting on these darker, colder nights to take one look out of the window and decide to not bother stepping out and opt instead for whatever keeps people glued to the settee on any given night. The advice is to shake yourself out of that miserable option and head for great beer, good crack and a warm welcome in your most local of locals.

But steel yourself, we’ve got elections to “look forward” to, we have a nation divided over Europe and we’re in the midst of a political and social crisis that would take an uprising to sort out.

(Cue a redition of Alex Glasgow’s As Soon As This Pub Closes... “the revolution starts:) Pubs need us more than ever.

Austerity has been biting our backsides for years and it won’t let go. We’re all being affected, assaulted from all directions by rising prices and lowering standards – people and pubs are suffering.

So, visit them more often and stay in them longer. It’s use it or lose it.

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 16

A PAINTER AND HIS PINT POTS

The work of Norman Cornish contributes to regional identity, depicting everyday life in a mining community – realistic images of working-class life in the North. His work – on display at various venues to celebrate the centenary of his birth – leaves a wonderful legacy, an immediate and accessible social documentary of a bygone era.

There can be few people who have contributed more to the region’s artistic and cultural identity.

COVER: BUSY BAR BY NORMAN CORNISH (1919-2014) ON SHOW AT BOWES MUSEUM UNTIL FEBRUARY

IT’S ABOUT INGREDIENTS NATIVE TO ONE BREWERY COMING TOGETHER FROM ONE CONTINENT TO MAKE BEER IN ANOTHER DAISY TURNELL, ANARCHY BREW CO

ADVERTISING

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 14 CHARITY AU REVOIR 26 CAT 05SNECK CRAWL LIFTER DRINK THE BAND AN APPLE 28 08 BREWED A DAY ON FUN WITH 10 30 FUN STUFF LATEST NEW

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SMALL BUT AMBITIOUS

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

THE GRAPE WHITE HOPE

The first urban winery – and the furthest north in England – has taken delivery of the 2019 harvest’s grapes. With almost stop-watch efficiency, a consignment of Bacchus grapes were picked in a vineyard in Gloucestershire, packed into crates, and transported to Laneberg Wine’s premises on Team Valley, Gateshead.

The timing had to be spot-on because if they had been left too long on the vine in the wet weather, the grapes would have taken up too much water, affecting their flavour and acidity. They went straight into a hopper to be gently pressed to eventually emerge as a terrific example of flourishing English wine.

Laneberg Wine is run by Elise Lane, with help from husband Nick, father Ray, mother Ruth, sister Laura, brother-in-law Ash, and the

Bacchus to the front: Blaydon MP Liz Twist, right, with Elise Lane and Liam Steinberg. Below: The new harvest's grapes have arrived

rest of the family and friends she can rope in.

“We mainly use the Bacchus variety which we see as a challenger to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,” says Elise. “Everything in the business is hands-on, from unloading eleven tonnes through to bottling and labelling.

You don’t need a gym membership for this job.

“We used grapes from Leicestershire last year. They come packed in 20-kilo crates so as they don’t get crushed and stay intact else they could start fermenting – which you don’t want at this stage.”

Laneberg Wine’s local member of parliament paid a visit to the facility a few days before the new grapes arrived. Liz Twist, MP for Blaydon

constituency – a wine connoisseur herself – said: “It was great to meet Elise, Nick and their new apprentice Liam Steinberg.

“I’m always keen to meet businesses large and small in my constituency, so it was a particular pleasure to visit an urban winery on the Team Valley. When we met she was just awaiting delivery of her grapes, so life was about to get a whole lot busier. I never thought I would see quality wine produced in my constituency and it’s great to see Laneberg winery doing so well.

“Elsewhere in Blaydon constituency, Firebrick Brewery goes from strength to strength as Alistair Lawrence and his team have recently opened their new shop at the Blaydon Business Centre. Not only does Firebrick produce really tasty beers which are a pleasure to drink, but they also reflect our local area in their names, such as Stella Spark, Blaydon Brick and Toon Broon. I look forward to calling in soon.”

ORB MICROPUB ALE & WHISKY HOUSE DARLINGTON CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2019

SECOND BIRTHDAY WINTER BEER FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY 4TH TO SUNDAY 8TH DECEMBER OVER 25 BEERS AND CIDERS ORB MICROPUB, ALE & WHISKY HOUSE 28 CONISCLIFFE ROAD, DARLINGTON DL3 7RG TEL: 07395 832370 @ORBMICROPUB 4 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

NEWS AND COMMENT

ANOTHER DOOR CLOSES One of the features of being editor of Cheers is that people constantly ask what’s your favourite beer (writes Alastair Gilmour). It’s like being invited to pin your religion to the mast.

Our usual answer is however, Sneck Lifter, a potent brew from Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth, Cumbria.

Sneck Lifter (5.1% abv) is a wonderfully balanced strong dark beer with a reddish hue combining a range of complex fruit, malt and full roast flavours in an intriguing blend that borders on the mystic.

A sneck is a door latch and when you’ve got absolutely no money and your friends are in the bar enjoying themselves, you peer through the window to see who’s in the chair.

Hopefully they’ll invite you in for a pint or two – and you’ll do the same when the roles are reversed.

So, your first drink is, in effect, your door-opener, your sneck lifter.

I should say “was” rather than “is” because this door now has a very large foot up its mullion. Jennings (part of the Burton on Trent-based Marston’s group) has delisted Sneck Lifter, along with that old favourite Cocker Hoop. Delisted, sidelined, mothballed or killed off, we’ll have to wait and see, but there is some consternation among discerning drinkers and publicans that two of

their favourite beers have fallen victim to marketplace decline and brand tinkering.

Gaynor Green, senior marketing manager, says: “The main reason is that Jennings isn’t doing as well as it was doing and Thwaites Wainright did a bit of damage to our popularity in the Lake District. But Marston’s bought the Thwaites brands about four years ago, including Wainright.

It’s now one of our national brands and has since tripled in size.

“We decided a while ago that we had to make some investment in our development. We looked at the whole portfolio and didn’t want to do anything to Cumberland Ale as it represents our biggest volume – the same with Jennings Bitter. Sneck Lifter and Cocker Hoop were in fairly significant decline. Everybody loves them but were just not drinking them in the volumes we needed.

“We decided to delist them and have a different approach to the Lakeland fells and mountains (imagery) and to bring in some more contemporary beers under the banner, ‘There’s more to The Lakes than meets the eye’.”

In came easy-drinking, session beers Atomic Theory IPA (3.8% abv), Fine Line Pale Ale (4.0% abv) and Night Vision (3.5% abv) with contemporary graphics and a slicker than city slicker website.

CONISCLIFFE ROAD | DARLINGTON Traditional Ale House and Canteen Imported beers on tap from around Europe Largest Choice of Real Ales and Wines

HOME TO DARLINGTON’S ONLY DISTILERY!

“The Ale House”

Tel: (01325) 354590

Darlington’s Premier Alehouse - Nationally Acclaimed

Last orders: Sneck Lifter at the Butcher's Arms, Chester le Street Green says: “We’re going to bring back Sneck Lifter as a seasonal in the winter months.

We’ve not forgotten it, it’s a great ale but was in double-digit decline.

On paper it didn’t make sense.

Old favourites such as Redbreast, Golden Host and Crag Rat will also come back as seasonals, perhaps every other month. In the whole of the Marston’s group, Jennings guest ales are the ones that sell out the fastest.”

I can’t help thinking that in this day of British-produced, Belgianstyle strong beers – good regular sellers too – that Sneck Lifter could be brought up to date and renamed something trendy like Precision Flamingo Clique (three words picked at random from the dictionary) which could reverse its decline. Maybe it’s not the beer that’s wrong but the name is past its “sell by”. But I’m not a marketing man… www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk

MADE IN SMALL BATCHES FINEST

INGREDIENTS TRUE CASK CONDITIONED Delivered directly and through SIBA DDS in the north and by good wholesalers nationally.

hexhamshire.co.uk • 01434 606 577 Enjoy our beers, delicious home cooked food and a warm welcome at our cosy pub with real fire and beer garden – diptonmill.co.uk We are easy to find & only 2 miles south of Hexham.

Dipton Mill Road, Hexham NE46 1YA

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 5

NEWS

Drink up: Mural in The Grey Horse, Consett, by Peter Atkinson

TWO HURDLES TO CLEAR IN TOP PUB RACE

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 41A WARTON TERRACE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE6 5LS @THEHEATONTAP @TAPHEATON 6 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

As we have previously reported, The Grey Horse in Consett, County Durham, has been 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 has gone into a supra-regional round against three others before entering the final stage – whittled down to four pubs – with the eventual winner announced in February.

This supra-regional winner is announced this month – the other northern contenders being the Bridge Inn, Peebles; The Swan With Two Necks, Pendleton, Lancashire, and the Flying Horse in Rochdale.

Here’s a concise summing up.

Grey Horse, Consett, County Durham. The tap house for Consett Ale Works, The Grey Horse is one of the oldest public houses in the region, dating back over 150 years. Originally called the Target Inn, the traditional pub is under the experienced management of Sandra Wilkinson who prides herself in hospitality. With quality ales, spirits, and two roaring fires, the pub offers the traditional experience so often lacking in newer pubs.

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 operating in premises behind the pub. If it’s not on your regular circuit, now’s the time to drop in and judge for yourself.

Bridge Inn, Peebles, Borders.

Camra Scotland & Northern Ireland 2017 Pub of the Year overlooks the River Tweed in the pretty town.

Though small, it’s a fine looking building in itself and noted for its warm welcome. Beers mainly from Scottish micros.

Flying Horse, Rochdale. This stone-built hotel in the centre of town manages to combine tradition with modernity and is regarded as Rochdale’s premier live music venue.

It stocks what its website calls “a staggering” range of cask ales.

Swan With Two Necks, Pendleton, Lancashire. An impressive country pub – Grade II-listed – with five real ales permanently available, it was Camra national Pub of the Year in 2014, so there’s some stiff competition there.

Come on Grey Horse, only two hurdles to clear!

NEWS

vv

WE’RE HIRING

FESTIVAL WITH A DIFFERENCE

An annual Northumberland pub event has developed into something of a ritual. The Boathouse, Wylam, Gardeners’ Club Tinned Fruit & Vegetable Show (yes, tinned) took place around the same time as Harvest Festivals are celebrated the world over.

This one is fun from start to finish, however, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for charity. There’s a theme each year but rules are designed to be broken and creativity positively encouraged as tins of veg and fruit get dressed up for a dozen different categories

with no prizes awarded, save for the prestige of a round of applause.

It’s safe to say you kind of have to be there to appreciate it fully, but inside two hours on a late October Sunday afternoon, £720 was raised in aid of the local arms of the Great North Air Ambulance Service and the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

Congratulations to all who entered the competition; those who organised it, the knitters, the

craftsmanship, The Boathouse for hosting it, and most of all, the extraordinarily generosity of the customers who raised such a fantastic amount of money.

Got it: Kearan Weatherburn with a cuddly auction prize.

Left: Some of the exhibits

Cheers North East is on the lookout for a media sales representative who will help take our hugely popular magazine to the next level.

Cheers is much loved among the region’s pub and beer community and the successful candidate will be expected to be a significant influence on the commercial aspect of our future development. It’s a real but demanding opportunity for a personality with a passion for the leisure industry, particularly pubs, breweries and bottle shops.

For more details visit www. offstonepublishing.co.uk/ careers/ or phone 01661 844115.

INTRODUCING…

W N T R M R K T WEEKEND STREET FOOD DELIGHTS & COSY ALPINE LODGE

OPENING TIMES: FRIDAYS 5PM | SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS MIDDAY FOR MIDWEEK PRIVATE HIRE ENQUIRIES EMAIL CONTACT@BYTHERIVERBREW.CO

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 7

MUSIC

Allendale favourites: Dunes band members, left to right, Nicky Watson, John Davies and Ade Lebowski

ALE HOUSE ROCK

Beers brewed specially for rock bands and music festivals have become regular features over the past few years. Think Röad Crew commissioned from Cameron’s Brewery by Motörhead; Sam Fender’s Wallop Lager brewed by Tyne Bank Brewery, plus Trooper from Iron Maiden, Piledriver by Status Quo and countless others such as with Elbow, Frank Turner and Madness.

8 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

A couple of years ago, veteran heavy metal rockers Tygers Of Pan Tang commissioned the highly-successful Tyger Blood from Newcastlebased Box Social Brewing.

The Tygers have joined forces with Brinkburn St Brewery to produce Ritual, while

Northumberland brewer Allendale has teamed up with local band Dunes to brew Phantom Head.

TYGERS OF PAN TANG Good things happen in a roundabout way. Lee Renforth, founder of Brinkburn St Brewery in Newcastle was contacted by Bruce Renwick from CentreAle who had been chatting to Tom Noble, who manages veteran metal band Tygers Of Pan Tang.

Bruce is a huge music fan with some of the beers he stocks in his Central Station bottle shop even arranged in rock’n’roll categories. He suggested a beer to celebrate the launch of the Tygers’s new album, plus their appearance at the Nordic Noise Festival in time Square in Newcastle this month and thought of involving Brinkburn St. Tom Noble then sampled some beers at the Ouseburn brewery and decided a light, easydrinking IPA would go down well with Tygers’ fans across the world, so Ritual (4.8% abv) a West Coast-style IPA, was born.

Lee Renforth says: “We wanted to support the band – formed in Whitley Bay in 1978 –

MUSIC

plus introduce our beers to a different group of drinkers by tapping into the ‘ageing rockers’ scene.

“We keep evolving our position in the marketplace; it’s a changeable market and at the moment we’re trying to get the right balance.

We’re looking at the long game and the new Ritual beer is an opportunity to explore the export market where Tygers Of Pan Tang are still hugely popular.”

Brinkburn St Brewhouse & Kitchen is working so well that the upstairs area is about to be transformed into an events space which should open in January 2020.

Nordic Noise, originally an annual Scandinavian event, visits Newcastle for the first time, taking over the city’s Think Tank for two days of rock and metal. November 22 will see Blitzkrieg, Thorium and Repulsive Vision take to the stage, while the 23rd will see performances from Tygers Of Pan Tang, Statement, Lucer, Pectora and Alpha Delta.

DUNES Alt-rock band Dunes formed in 2016 and in their relatively short time have released several EPs, toured all over the country, and supported the likes of Mercury nominees Idles, plus renowned beer lovers Red Fang, North East music hero Ginger Wildheart, Monster Magnet, The Picturebooks and Boy

Azooga With the release of their debut album Take Me To The Nasties in September (with Durhambased Sapien Records) the band decided they’d like to mark the occasion with a celebratory beer, so got in touch with their favourite North East beer producer Allendale Brewery.

Adrian Huggins from Allendale says: “The brewing team were very much up for the challenge. The guys came up to the brewery to have a look around and talked to the brewers about what they like in a beer, what flavours they prefer, and what styles of beer they like and what they’d like to drink if they could create something themselves.

“Armed with this information, and an advance copy of the album blaring out on the brewery floor for extra inspiration, they set about creating a smooth and aromatic Phantom Head Cryo Hop IPA (7.6% abv). The can and font design features the album cover created

by Dave Longford Kerr of Devil City Design.”

Dunes singer-guitarist John Davies says: “We’ve loved Allendale’s beers for years and we’re loving Phantom Head. We were over the moon when the team said they’d do this for us.

We’re taking some cans to venues in Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and London when we’re gigging around the country in November and December.”

& THAI ON THE TYNE CUISINE

AWARD WINNING PUB - REAL FIRE - WARM WELCOME 12 Real Ales & Ciders on tap NEW Thai menu available Tue & Wed 12pm - 6pm Thur, Fri, Sat 12pm - 9pm Eat in or take away!!

Pies & Peas served every day from 12pm £4.95 Buskers Nights - Every fortnight (Tuesdays) B&B Accommodation - ring for details FREE Function room - catering available on request

Station Road, Wylam, NE41 8HR Tel: 01661 853431 Follow us @Boathouse Wylam & Like us on

HAVING A CHRISTMAS PARTY OR GET TOGETHER? Look no further than The Punchbowl Inn! A Cosy traditional country pub Christmas Fayre available 30th Nov - 24th Dec Christmas Day Menu 25th Dec Private parties catered for in The Oak Room We welcome families and dogs in the bar!!

Accommodation available for those wanting to stay over!!

Take a look at our menu on the website - www.thepunchbowlinn.co.uk Open 7 days from 12 noon Give us a call ON 01207 255545 to book or discuss any special requests!!

Edmunbyers, Consett, County Durham DH8 9NL

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 9

PUB NEWS

CITY SET FOR DUCK FLIGHT

You can tell when an idea is a good one when you’ve laughed yourself silly at it over a latenight drink and you’re still happy with it in the morning – perhaps even happier. It’s what happened when partners Jan Colman and Karl Parkin floated the notion of calling their fledgling business The Wobbly Duck.

Now with The Old Fox in Felling, Gateshead, under that umbrella title plus Beer Street in Newcastle’s Forth Street arches (run jointly by Karl and Pete Allen and dubbed The Wobbly Duckling), it’s time to bring the name to a pub proper.

Jan and Karl have received

planning permission for The Wobbly Duck in a basement in Old Eldon Square in Newcastle with an expected opening date around the new year. The premises is Grade II-listed and comes with original features such as a huge cast-iron range complete with two fireplaces and an oven.

“We’ve got planning permission for change of use – it used to be a restaurant – and all we need now is the licence,” says Karl. “Planning took a bit longer because we had marked the existing kitchen area ‘cellar’ and they thought we wanted to dig down under the floor so everything was about to go to a different department.”

South Causey Inn

Tap Room & Distillery

The South Causey Brewery and Distillery are housed in an original stable block conversion within South Causey Inn. We have a delicious selection of home-brewed Ales which are all available at South Causey Inn. Brewery Tours are available where you can enjoy two hours with our Master Brewer.

Taste two Beer Flights of our home-brewed Ales. Take away your own engraved Ale Glass and exclusive Brewery & Distillery T-shirt.

Exciting news from Monday, 4th November 2019!

The South Causey Brewery & Distillery will be opening up to the public as a Bar Monday to Friday from 4 pm till 7 pm. During opening hours you can get exclusive discounts and enjoy ‘happy hours’ with all our home-brewed Ales and Lager.

Beamish Burn Road, Stanley, Co. Durham. DH9 0LS For more information and to book please contact us on 01207 235555! www.southcausey.co.uk 10 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Jan is determined to make full use of the internal space and also capitalise on the “garden” area in front of the high and handsome John Dobson-designed terrace.

She says: “We don’t know if the range can be restored but we’ll make a feature of it somehow. The basement has two rooms and we also have the ‘garden’ area where we can put tables outside. We’re also hoping to be able to use some of the pavement which would be ideal in good weather.”

Both believe that a small pub in that location would make a useful stopping off point for people having a drink at the Haymarket end of town – say The Hotspur, Crow’s Nest or Mean Eyed Cat – before going on to Grey Street and the other end (and vice-versa).

Karl says: “I think there were five other candidates looking at the property but the council went with our suggestion as they were looking for something slightly different from a café or restaurant.

It’s a great opportunity as there’s

such a lot going on around there.”

Jan also thinks people are particularly comfortable these day in small pubs. “We’re in talks with the designer at the moment but want to have everything else in place before we commission anything.”

PUB NEWS

Fired up: Karl Parkin and Jan Colman at The Old Fox

Meanwhile, The Old Fox and Beer Street are coming along nicely.

“Beer Street is gathering speed, it’s on the rise and going in the right direction,” says Jan. We’ve been at The Old Fox for three-anda-half years; it’s doing great and we’re really pleased with things, but it’s still nowhere near its full potential.”

The pub cellar is kitted out with a small brewery where family member James Lombard brews his Vertigo Giraffe beers on an occasional basis.

Karl says: “We have five cask ales with a mix of local and national beers. They all change regularly.

People are apt to try different beers now although we can’t be as quirky as they can be in town.”

Regular events keep the place buzzing with a traditional weekly quiz, live bands at the weekends, busker evenings and even storytelling sessions which have raised far more interest that expected.

“They’re all well supported and we’re getting a different crowd all the time. It’s also encouraging that musicians use the pub when they’re not playing. It’s become a bit of a music hub by accident.”

Jan takes great pride in The Old Fox’s traditional values and the clientele it attracts.

“Sometimes you stand behind the bar, particularly when there’s music on and look at the level of talent that’s here,” she says. “It’s phenomenal.”

n ope oom + sat r p i ta m y fr ever m - 10p 12p

taproom EVENTS FRI 01 nov 1st anniversary in the new brewery party fri 08 nov third barrel meet the brewer + live music sat 09 nov oxjamarchy at the brewery

(7pm - 10pm)

(7pm - 10pm)

fri 22 nov fierce beer co. meet the brewer + live music sat 23 nov beast decoys beastie boys tribute

(7pm - 10pm)

(7pm - 10pm)

(7pm - 10pm) £5 +bf

sat 07 dec anarchy alt. market #03: xmas time! fri 13 dec tony wright (terrorvision) + the escapades

(12pm - 6pm)

(7pm - 10pm) £10 +bf

sat 28 dec paramore uk paramore tribute (7pm - 10pm) £5 +bf FRE E ENT RY che ck out our fac ebo ok ALL EVE NT S AR E ISE STA TED ERW OTH S LES UN pag e for mo re inf o

ANARC HY BREW CO. TYNE, NE6 4NQ UNIT A1, BENFIE LD BUSINE SS PARK, NEWCA STLE UPON TEL: 0191 389 7580 // ANARC HYBRE WCO.C OM

ALL ABOARD THE CITY HOPPER Café Amsterdam is on its travels. Six Degrees North bar in Edinburgh is the latest host venue for the North East pop-up initiative created by publican Andy Hickson.

As geography would have it, the Edinburgh bar’s normal Belgian bar sits upstairs with Andy’s Netherlands Lambic Lounge taking place below in the basement. He says Dutch craft beers are available from the “crazy”

fresh Uiltje IPAs to the legendary Kees Imperial Stouts with everything in between, including the UK’s best representation of Holland’s burgeoning mixed fermentation scene with the likes of Nevel Artisan, De Kromme Haring, Vandenbroek and Tommie Sjef Wild Ales.

Cafe Amsterdam, Six Degrees North, Howe Street, Edinburgh, Friday November 8 at 2pm until Sunday November 10, 1am.

Rosie’s Bar and Mr Alexander’s will be hosting live music every Friday night throughout December and DJ every Saturday nights.

If you’re looking for somewhere to have your Christmas party then this is the place.

Drinks packages and reserved seating available.

2 Stowell Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XQ Tel: 01665 576461 • RosiesBarNewcastle www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 11

CRAFT BEER

CLASS IN A GLASS Craft Beer Calling, Wylam Brewery’s progressive beer festival, was yet another huge success for the thousands of visitors who flocked to the three-day event at The Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle.

Brewers from all over the country, plus several from the region served up beer from straightforward IPA to complex chocolate stout to a soundtrack of Freddie Mercury and The Cars, among countless others. We were promised an assembly of the world’s leading craft breweries, a street food market, gin palace, wine cellar and cider bar – and we got it Big Style. We present a few images – until the next time.

25

12 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

CRAFT BEER

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CHEERS ON THE ROAD Chris Cheeseman picked up a copy of Cheers at The Orb micropub in Darlington and flashed it 8,000 miles away in the Sun Valley Brewery & Restaurant in Tokyo. Chris was with his wife Karen on a Rugby World Cup adventure.

He says: “The brewery is probably the cleanest we have ever seen. The restaurant is a lively place that matches great food with their wide range of beers. I have to say sorry to Ian and Darrell at The Orb – we couldn’t afford a T-shirt to add to the collection. Not after the meal and beers.”

Dave Cook, who runs the Sun Inn at Swalwell, Gateshead, with his wife Sarah, plus Owa’ The Road micropub (owa’ the road from the other one) has been on a trip to Bruges, seeking out Belgian beers to add to the offer. He sent us this photo from De Zandloper Taphouse of himself with manageress Lilith. “A great place with 18 beers on tap and lots of bottles,” he says.

De Zandloper sits in a quiet area of the city, a short walk from the busy tourist centre.

Chris Cheeseman in Tokyo Dave Cook in Bruges

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 13

BREWERY NEWS

STRONG BEERS WITH A LIGHT TOUCH After a quarter century of brewing commercially, Durham Brewery’s c0-founder Steve Gibbs has stepped aside from the daily grind to concentrate on experimenting with beer styles in his garage – where he and his wife Christine first started making beer.

Christine’s daughter Elly Bell is now the Jill-of-all-Trades, wearing numerous hats from sales to marketing, accounts, purchasing, dealing with customers on the phone and in the brewery shop, emails, queries and social media.

“Basically I don’t get time off, but I try and grab some here and there,” she says. “We also do a lot of research and I always have my eye on what the market’s doing.

“Steve handed me his shares in June, but he’s still a director. He’s doing a lot of home-brewing now, back to his roots. He’s got a fantastic Braumeister kit and uni-tank in his garage and he’s really enjoying home-brewing again.

“Recipes are decided between me and him, but yeast is still a bit of a mystery to me and it takes me out of my comfort zone. It’s a live product so anything can happen. It can be an awkward so-and-so, so bottle-conditioning is 14 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

High flying: Lumiere, the beer and the spectacle. Photos: Peter Skelton

still his responsibility. But I’m really doing what I’ve been doing for seven or eight years anyway.”

Durham Brewery has come up with a beer for the annual Lumiere light event in Durham on behalf of its producers Artichoke. Originally planned as a one-off in 2009, Lumiere is a programme of interactive installations and groundbreaking artistic commissions such as 3-D video-mapping, stand-alone light sculptures and neons.

“We’re hoping to have a pop-up with Steam Machine Brewing Company for Lumiere, plus a tap-takeover at the new Holy Grale pub in Durham,” says Elly. “We’ve brewed a collaboration Mash Up IPA with Brinkburn St and S43 breweries on Steam Machine’s new kit that they bought from Marble Brewery. It’s interesting to see how other people do things – for example, shorter boils and later hop

additions seem to be the way the market’s going.

“There’ll be a couple of our stronger beers on keg at their Mash Up Beer Festival on November 7-9 which is a celebration of beer styles. We’re also providing Benedictus Barley Wine (8.4% abv) – one of only two kegs filled – and Temptation Imperial Stout (10% abv), also in keg.”

Elly reports that Bede’s Chalice – “a beast of a beer at 8.4% abv” – has been chosen by Roger Protz for his upcoming book, 300 More Beers To Try Before You Die. But she says the hardest part at the moment is keeping up with demand for best-seller Magus, followed by Cloister and Evensong in bottle.

She says: “We’ve introduced brettanomyses to Diabolus so it’s a bit of a sour Christmas cake in a bottle, at 11% abv. (Brettanomyses is something of a wild yeast that can be responsible for faults in beer but is sometimes used for interesting flavours.) We’ve also

got a new version of Imperious, using casks for ageing from a different distillery than previously – with burnt wood and peaty notes.

Barrel-ageing is a lot of fun and interesting to see what comes out at the other end in a year or so.

“Steve is writing a book on the whole history of brewing while making the beers at the same time.

He’s recreating a 3,800-year-old beer called Bappir, mentioned in the Sumerian Hymn to Ninkasi, from the time that they didn’t use hops – it’s the first one he’s explored, so the book might take a long time.

“It’s made using barley bread with honey and grape juice as well as coriander and cardamom. It’s already fermenting and will be on our brewery bar when it’s ready. It won’t be commercially available, but it’s got him excited again about beer.”

It’s not only Steve Gibbs who is invigorated – you only have to say “Durham Brewery” to get excited about beer. (AG)

WINE: COMMERCIAL FEATURE

CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION

November means Christmas is almost here. Whatever your plans for the big day itself, chances are most of us will be heading out before for a pre-Christmas dinner with friends or colleagues.

Looking for some Christmas inspiration, Cheers headed to the Northumberland coastal village of Beadnell to visit the recentlyopened boutique hotel, restaurant and bar at Beadnell Towers, where we met group general manager, Neil Slade.

“Christmas is about gathering with loved ones while curling up by the log fire to enjoy a seasonal wine (or two),” says Neil. “Which is exactly the setting we’ve created at Beadnell Towers, in our 18th Century, Grade II listed building.

Our snug and homely ambience is just what you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.

“We opened in June this year after a £3m renovation taking over 18 months to complete. We now have 18 rooms, each uniquely designed – five of which are dog friendly – making us the perfect stopping point for anyone visiting Northumberland coasts and castles.

The Towers is our kitchen, lounge and bar – perfect for relaxing, eating, drinking and enjoying good company.

“We like to say we’re a family-friendly boutique hotel with serious grown-up appeal. Our menus are seasonal and guests can watch their food being prepared in the open kitchen. As this is our first Christmas, we’ve pulled out all the stops with a mouthwatering menu

created using seasonal produce. Here are just a couple of the festive classics we’ll serve this December, paired with a wine selected by our own Derek Colsell sourced from our wine partner, Lanchester Wines.

ROAST CROWN OF ENGLISH TURKEY. Served with chestnut, sage and apricot stuffing, pig’s in blankets, The Towers cranberry sauce, turkey gravy. It’s not a Christmas dinner without turkey so it most definitely had to be on our list. We’ve made sure to include all the traditional trimmings to make this an unsurpassed roast turkey. As this is an outstanding quality dish, we’ve selected a wine of the same calibre – Archivio Pecorino from Chieti in Italy.

Pecorino is a lesser-known Italian wine and this is a delightful example with plenty of style and character – but not too much to overpower the food. There are fresh, tropical notes on the nose, a delicate florality and an enticing minerality on the finish.

However, the key rule to wine and food pairing is that if you like it, drink it. My personal favourite to have with Christmas turkey is a punchy Shiraz, and you don’t get better than Don’t Tell Gary. This Australian Shiraz has hints of pepper and soft oak spice which are beautifully integrated with blackberry fruits. Its medium bodied silky tannins work perfectly with gravy.

VEGETABLE NUT ROAST, THE TOWERS CRANBERRY JUS Riesling's sweetness and acidity makes it the perfect accompaniment to this earthy dish. So I’ve selected Charles & Charles Riesling which comes from the outside edge of the Rattlesnake Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. This beautifully balanced wine shows flavours of key lime, apricot, peach and summer flowers, with bright crisp acidity.

PAN FRIED FILLET OF STONE BASS, LOBSTER FRITTER, CRISPY SEAWEED, SEA VEGETABLES, SEAWEED OIL As the saying goes, if the food works well with a squeeze of lemon (ie fish), then Sauvignon Blanc’s a perfect match!

So I’ve picked Land of Plenty Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This is a wonderful crisp and refreshing example, showing true and traditional citrus notes on the nose.

Even though New Zealand produces just one per cent of the world’s wine, it still reigns as the Sauvignon Blanc capital of the world. Land of Plenty is from Marlborough, the main wine growing

area in all of New Zealand and delivers the benchmark style of Sauvignon Blanc.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING, COGNAC CUSTARD, FESTIVE BERRIES There’s no better way to round off a traditional Christmas dinner than with Christmas pudding. Our Towers Christmas pudding is packed full of flavour; suet, dried fruit, candied peel, Christmas spices and lashings of brandy.

It can be tricky to match a wine with Christmas pudding as so much can depend on the pudding itself – some are much darker and stickier than others. Basically, you’ve got a choice of serving something equally intense or going for a lighter, fresher contrast.

For Beadnell Towers’ Christmas pudding I’ve selected Deen de Bortoli Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon from Australia which is an elegant, sweet white wine with aromas of apricot and citrus. A small portion was matured in oak, adding complexity to the final wine.

To see Beadnell Towers’ full Christmas menu or to book a table please visit www.beadnelltowers. co.uk/food-drink/the-towers/ or call 01665 721 211.

To find out more about the wines mentioned, please visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 15

PENS, PAINTS AND PINT POTS The North East celebrates the centenary year of one of its most talented sons, writes Alastair Gilmour An extraordinary County Durham artist’s life and work is being laid before us in a series of exhibitions around the North East. Norman Cornish’s artistic output and his outlook on life contributes enormously to our regional identity, depicting everyday life in a mining community – realistic images of working-class life that highlight domesticity and socialising in heroic terms.

As a miner himself for some 33 years, Spennymoor-born Norman Cornish truly understood his subject matter and always remained loyal to his working-class roots. His pub, social club and street scenes reveal a warm and collective community.

“Spennymoor has all that an artist needs in order to depict humanity,” he said of his home town; a place that became his muse.

Norman Cornish died in 2014 and this year 16 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

has seen the centenary of his birth. His work on show throughout the region provides an opportunity to indulge in nostalgia for a world which has nowadays all but vanished and offers us a sense of pride in the industrial heritage of our region.

Norman had already established a significant artistic career when he finally left the pit in1966 and became a full-time professional artist, exhibiting across the region at The Stone Gallery, Newcastle, and University of Northumbria Gallery, as well as in London and across the north with contemporaries such as LS Lowry and Sheila Fell.

Fully immersed in his community, he found beauty in the life and shapes of the everyday.

His drawings of characters in bars, for instance, demonstrate his supreme skill in capturing not just a likeness but a complete attitude. His artwork is rich in emotion, evoking a strong

attachment for people – the images almost reaching out to invite the viewer in to his world.

Through his eye, hand and imagination we are offered a glimpse into the artist’s family life; miners labouring below ground or plodding resignedly along the pit road; headscarved women huddled in conversation; bar scenes showing men in flat caps with whippets at heel, playing dominoes or engaged in convivial conversation; studies of individual characters captured in a quick drawing and street life showing horse-drawn carts or children at play.

He would return to the theme of the pub and its characters throughout his life, such as the solitary drinker, pint in hand at the bar, captured quickly with a drawing in Flo-master pen and later re-created as an oil painting.

He said: “Pubs were marvellous places to practice drawing. I liked the attitude of the figures and also the big round lights.”

CULTURE share, observe and engage with fellow workers without appearing as an outsider. Because he was able to “blend in” as he put it, this gave him the opportunity to produce so many character drawings of his subjects.

The Busy Bar, seen on these pages (with

a detail on our cover) is an example of experiential art where we are welcomed into this comfortable world of conviviality. We feel at ease with the earthy tones, the amber glow of the beer and the smooth, curvilinear shapes of characters in conversation. The work radiates a strong sense of companionship, class solidarity and warmth He said: “I made drawings of pub interiors in days past because I was fascinated by the men standing at the bar, drinking and talking or sitting playing dominoes. I was attracted by the wonderful shapes they made in their various attitudes.”

Norman Cornish was genuine; he was living the life he painted and we feel that sense of community through his work. He found beauty in the life and shapes of everyday locations; he sketched real people offering us vivid views of their daily lives. His work combines unpretentious realism with nostalgia for a bygone era – work that is rich in emotion, celebrating our industrial heritage with humanity and warmth.

There can be few people who have contributed more to the region’s artistic and cultural identity.

WHERE TO SEE NORMAN CORNISH’S WORK

Norman Cornish also made many detailed drawings of the hand pulls, furnishings, pint glasses and posters to ensure accuracy in his work. The large oil paintings have carefully designed and precisely constructed compositions incorporating characters and details from his extensive collection of sketchbooks.

He was readily accepted into the community he chronicled despite his unusual activity of sketching in the pub. The beer in Cornish’s glass gave him the passport to be able to

The Norman Cornish Trail, Spennymoor: A circular route which takes walkers around the town, following in the artist’s footsteps and seeing where he gained his inspiration.

The story of the Durham Miners’ Gala Mural, Spennymoor Town Hall & Gallery (until Feb 2020) Norman Cornish – A Slice of Life at the Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland is a special co-curated exhibition by family and community members (until Jan 2020).

A Man Of Destiny: Portraiture at Greenfield Gallery, Newton Aycliffe (until Dec 11) The Definitive Collection: The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Nov 16-Feb 23 2020.

The Sketchbooks: Palace Green Library, Durham, Nov 16-Feb 23 2020.

Norman Cornish Revealed at Northumbria University (Nov 28-Dec 20).

Norman Cornish’s former colliery home is set to be recreated at Beamish Museum as part of the 1950s town. *With special thanks to John and Dorothy Cornish for their invaluable assistance.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 17

BREWERY NEWS

Fun styles: Alex Rattray, S43 Brew Co. Photo: Peter Skelton

GLOVES OFF FOR NEXT YEAR

Alex Rattray, S43 Bew Co’s senior craft brewer, is looking ahead after spending his first year at the Coxhoe, County Durham, brewery.

“It’s been a big year of change for us,” he says, “going in a completely new direction of beer styles, techniques and ingredients while also producing our cask beer range along with lots of new seasonal cask beers.

“There are always bumps along the road, but it seems people are really embracing our new style and that’s been exciting to see. I’m really excited about the next couple of canned beer releases that will cap off 2019. We’re changing things up a bit for our next beer and finally doing a big, boozy dark one.

“One of my other passions beyond craft beer is coffee. Since I’ve been in the UK its been great trying out dozens of different roasters from around the country. So I’m really pumped that for this beer we’re working with a North East coffee roaster. It’s a vast departure from our previous canned releases but it should be a perfect beer for the chillier weather and gives me a chance to combine beer and coffee; two of my favourite things.

“Along with that we’ll be releasing 18 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

a hop-forward beer. I was really happy with how our Fat White Milk Shake IPA came out so we’ll be revisiting the style but with totally different hops and fruit addition.

“As well as more canned beers I’m also working on some small batch, keg-only beers which will allow me to explore some fun styles on an even smaller scale than a canned release.

“We recently put out an American Light Lager and are just releasing a Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale. These are one-time only beers and will give us another avenue to get different products out to the fans of our new brewing style. We’ve also got some collaborations coming up – working with Fortnight Brewing in North Carolina and doing a riff on one of their great IPAs. That will be getting released towards the end of the year in tandem with another hop-forward beer to cap off 2019. We’re hoping to be able to get in one or two collaborations with other North East breweries as well.

“We’re hard at work planning for 2020 and hopefully the gloves will come off and we can really keep pushing ourselves creatively and technically to produce even better beers for the future."

BREWERY NEWS

BUSY TIME FOR STORM CHASERS

A North East brewery with its headquarters in Whitley Bay and its brewhouse near Chester le Street has stormed through a competition to find the country’s most attractive can. Black Storm has been awarded Label of the Year 2019 by the Labologists Society in its “set of labels” category.

The winning seasonal range comprises of Fire Storm, Thunder Storm, Snow Storm, Tropical Storm, Summer Storm and Hurricane which have been released throughout the year working in collaboration with other

breweries and illustrators across the UK in a project called 12 Beers in 12 Months – a unique beer for each month. Snow Storm is about to hit the shelves, while Tropical Storm was also a winner at the 2019 Great Taste Awards with its eye-catching artwork designed by creative partner Wonderstuff.

Each beer is a creative one-off, launched as limited editions, with

500 cans and a select amount of kegs, with the proviso that when they’re gone, they’re gone.

All have been available in Black Storm’s Storm Cellar tap room and bottle shop in Whitley Bay, plus their retail craft beer emporium Beer Box in the Stack social hub in the centre of Newcastle.

The latest collaboration beer Expression of the Emotions in Banana (5.4% abv) has been

brewed in conjunction with Darwin Brewery in Sunderland.

A banana and cinnamon wheat beer, it is brewed with Marris Otter and wheat malt. The can is expertly illustrated by Dan Griffin Hayes.

Earlier this year, Black Storm took over Seaham-based glutenfree beer producer Autumn Brewing Co, but following much debate, the Autumn brand has ceased and renamed Black Storm Gluten Free. A core range of Pale Ale, Porter and Pilsner is being made available in 500ml bottles just before Christmas.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 19

BREWERY NEWS

Tap house: Blend Bryggeri in Brazil

ANGEL’S NEW FACE The Angel Inn, Corbridge, has appointed a new business development manager to identify business growth opportunities in its three businesses. Patricia Lopez moved to the North East in September 2018 to take a Master of Business Administration qualification at Newcastle University.

“Before this, I worked for five years as an accountant for a Big Four company in Argentina and the US,” she says. “My job is to make the connections between our business and prospective customers, to exploit those opportunities and maximise revenues and profit. The three businesses are Angel of Corbridge, a traditional Northumbrian pub and hotel; Angel Street Food, which caters four different cuisines for events and festivals, and Angelfish, a fish and chip shop in Corbridge.

“This involves doing market research, participating in networking events, and developing our social media channels, among other tasks.”

However, it’s not all work and no play – Patricia is a huge fan of Reggaeton, a music style which originated in Puerto Rico during the late 1990s. It is influenced by American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music. Vocals include rapping and singing, typically in Spanish.

She says: “I love dancing to all kinds of music, but whenever I get the chance, I attend Reggaeton parties in Newcastle.

I am also interested in outdoor activities, although that is being challenged by the UK weather – I am still adapting to it – so I have other hobbies still at the testing phase.”

We wish her well in her career – and with the weather.

20 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

WOOD YOU BELIEVE THIS BEER?

Anarchy Brew Co has launched its latest beer – and it’s made from wood. Imenso Imperial Stout (11% abv) uses Amburana wood from South America in a collaboration project with Rubens Angelotti from Blend Bryggeri in Brazil, and was brewed when he visited Anarchy’s Newcastle brewhouse in August.

Amburana wood has been gaining popularity as an adjunct across the globe, due to its spicy aroma and the relatively short period of time that beer needs to be exposed to it in order to take on the warm, spicy, cinnamon notes. The winner of the Wood-Aged Strong Stout category at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival contained Amburana wood, and was something Rubens was keen to introduce to the Anarchy team when he visited the UK. Simon Miles, co-owner (with wife Dawn) of Anarchy Brew Co, says: “Dawn and I stayed with Rubens over in Brazil earlier in the year, and we brewed Deadly Milk

– a Mango Milkshake IPA – so for the return leg of the collab it was great to work together to create something totally different.

“The whole team really enjoyed Rubens’ visit, and the partnership was fantastic for cementing new friendships as well as bringing together knowledge from across two countries.”

The beer launched in keg at the weekend of Craft Beer Calling at Wylam Brewery and following a fantastic response from customers, a batch of 250ml mini cans were launched in selected independent bottle

shops across the region.

Daisy Turnell, marketing manager at Anarchy Brew Co, says: “We've loved watching the journey of this beer and its been a collaboration in the truest sense of the world, with ingredients native to one brewery coming together on a different continent to make the beer in another.

“It was important to us to launch this in the North East, so Craft Beer Calling was the perfect opportunity, and supporting our local independent bottle shops to launch the brand new mini cans was equally as important to us.” *The Amburama tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its attractive timber which has a range of uses in luxury furniture, decorative veneer, construction, cooperage, carving and cabinet making, An essential oil is obtained from the resin in the bark and used in the treatment of colds, coughs, bronchitis, asthma and lung ailments.

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THROUGH A BOTTLE DARKLY If you want something of a conversation piece to intrigue friends, Le Argille Cabernet di Cabernet is the red wine for you. Not only is it a hefty 15% abv, it comes in a bottle covered in a layer of concrete topped with a wax cap and finished off with a leather label.

Originating from Treviso, Italy, in vineyards surrounded by the river Sile, this strong, serious and unique wine is aged for two years in concrete barrels – hence the bottle.

This method allows the winemakers to produce an immaculate wine free from oak interference, so that the flavour comes entirely from the grapes.

An intense ruby red colour with

garnet highlights, aromas of blueberry, blackberry and wild strawberries lead onto hints of plum, black cherries and vanilla with light nuances of tobacco, dark chocolate and green pepper.

A multi award winner, its grape content is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc and is excellent with strong meats like game and venison, meat stews and herby cheeses. It is also very good with fruit jam and desserts, particularly jam tarts and pastries. And try it with dark liquoriceflavoured chocolate.

After all that, it comes in a stylish presentation box.

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THE TWO PENNIES

BREWER WRESTLES WITH TEST PAPER

Danish brewer Carlsberg has announced plans to develop a paper beer bottle made from sustainably-sourced wood fibres.

The Copenhagen-based company unveiled two prototypes that it said are “fully recyclable and have an inner barrier to allow the bottles to contain beer” and aims to join forces with Coca-Cola, Swedish vodka maker Absolut, and make-up group L'Oreal to develop paper bottles.

The inside barriers are made of polymers but Carlsberg said it is trying to create a bottle made entirely of bio-materials, without polymers. The prototypes are part of the company’s efforts to have zero-carbon emissions at its breweries and reduce the carbon footprint by 30% across its supply chain by 2030.

Myriam Shingleton, Carlsberg’s vice president group development said: “We are pleased with the progress we’ve made on the Green Fibre Bottle. While we are not completely there yet, innovation takes time and we will continue to collaborate with experts to overcome technical challenges, just as we did with our plastic-reducing Snap Pack.”

PUB NEWS

Domaine de Palejay

A wine-producer originally from Newcastle Established 1987 We are now offering zero emission deliveries within a 3 mile radius of Newcastle, see our website for details.

EVENTS Brancepeth Castle Christmas Craft Fair - DH7 8DF 22nd & 23rd Nov 2019 10am - 5pm

THE FUTURE IS ROSIE

A combination of Punch Pubs & Co plus publicans David Whitehead and Joanne Dwyer, have recognised the potential in one of Newcastle’s most popular pubs. The upstairs former living quarters that had lain empty for years above Rosie’s Bar on Stowell Street sparked an ambitious vision to bring a bit of history back to life.

A hefty investment in the pub has completely transformed the upstairs space to create a more contemporary bar called Mr Alexander’s with fixed booth seating, high stools and poseur tables. A large brick fireplace has been installed alongside white tiling and distressed paneling. Large screens at every viewpoint ensure nobody misses a second of live sport – upstairs and at groundfloor level where the bar has been given a contemporary makeover to attract a younger clientele.

Works have also included the creation of a new sun terrace overlooking the Chinese Arch and St James’ Park at Gallowgate.

Pub history is notoriously woven

with romance, mystery and drama and Rosie’s Bar is said to have once been owned by Rosie O’Shea, an Irish traveller, and her partner, a Mr Alexander – an unscrupulous character.

But what is certain is that the building dates back to the Victorian era. Brian Bennison’s Heady Days, A History of Newcastle’s Public Houses, recalls that the pub was once the Northumberland Arms and rebuilt around 1890. It was rechristened the Darn Crook in the 1970s then Rosie’s Bar in 1988 following a facelift.

Rosie had a reputation for serving good ale – which the new operators are keen to replicate – and for her nightly singing performances in the bar. Rosie is believed to have left the pub around 1880 – allegedly for New York after Mr Alexander had been stabbed to death and she had fallen into depression – but her legacy has now been fully capitalised upon.

Former busker Don Partridge got it right in his 1968 hit: “Rosie, oh Rosie, your laughter brings the sunshine out to play.”

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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 23

PUB NEWS

WHAM FRAM THANK-YOU MAN

New venture: Susannah and Chris Mansfield at Fram Ferment Photo: Peter Skelton

New pubs are always a joy to behold, writes Alastair Gilmour

It might be rather fitting that a new pub is opening between Aykley Heads and Pity Me, near Durham City. Fram Ferment at Framwellgate Moor is described as a bottle shop and taproom – and, as it’s run by the team that has made the Station House in Durham such a roaring success, its future is ready to bubble up.

Fram Ferment, opening in late November in premises formerly occupied by an NHS clinic next to the legendary Tap & Spile, is the creation of Susannah and Chris Mansfield. They decided to

do something different to what’s on offer at their Station House venture under the viaduct at Durham Station and even the name doesn’t immediately shout “pub’.

Apparently, Chris needed a project to get his teeth into, having given up the day-job in lighting electronics.

“Beer is more exciting than lighting,” he says. There’s no arguing with that.

Susannah says: “We’re basically projects-driven people and love the Station House to bits as we do, we’ve done as much as we can there. It’s going well, ticking over nicely.”

The enterprising pair had looked at a couple of places in Darlington and in Durham, but each had its drawbacks.

“This was probably the blandest

unit we looked at, but after we viewed it we thought this might be the one,” says Susannah. “It’s a different customer base to the Station House and we didn’t want to

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PUB NEWS

replicate what we have there or hurt the existing business.”

Framwellgate Moor is a busy village with a population that supports its locality – predominantly

settled families and not as studentled as Durham City. A bottle shop and taproom would suit the clientele who might want to try different beers, wines and ciders but can’t get out to the pub as often as they would like through family commitments.

Customers should also come via the Sainsbury’s supermarket up the road, the Arnison Centre close by, and a renowned Indian restaurant and takeaway next door.

“It was a gut feeling that we knew could work,” says Chris.

Susannah says: “A lot of Station House customers come from here but we’re not trying to steal custom from the Tap & Spile; that’s why we’re doing different things to what they do. We’ll have a coffee machine and lots of non-alcoholic drinks. A lot of people want to come into pubs and socialise but don’t want to drink.”

What swung the premises for Chris was the large room at the back which he immediately identified as a good-sized, very workable cellar.

Beer will come straight from keg

qualified pomellier, having graduated in cider specialism at the Beer & Cider Academy.

She says: “It’s a three-day course where you submit an in-depth portfolio and present it then pass taste tests on styles and faults. I did the cider course rather than the beer one as cider is what I was least comfortable in my knowledge about.”

Framwellgate Moor is on the highly-efficient Go North East bus service 21 and X21 between Newcastle and Durham. Just saying...

and cask via short line lengths to the five taps and hand-pulls.

“We’re definitely excited to get the place open,” says Susannah. “Chris falls in love with characterful places that turn out to be money pits, but I can see practicalities like stairs and where you keep your bins. We spent a long time thinking about how it should be and that it should not just be about beer.

“People tend not to think of the Station House as selling wine, gin and cider as well as beer.”

Fram Ferment’s bar counter is a former Methodist chapel pulpit.

Furniture and bits and bobs came from a redundant micropub near Scarborough and have been sitting in storage waiting to once more see the light of day. Pew seating and a feature dresser have lately been in use in Chris and Susannah’s house, again earmarked for a starring role as and when the occasion demanded.

The two enthusiasts possess an extraordinary depth of knowledge about what they offer. Susannah is a

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 Look out for Firebrick Brewery’s Little Belgium (4.7% abv) Witbier (white or wheat) named in honour of the ‘Birtley Belgians’

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 / 25

CHARITY

Branded up: The Cat Crawlers take a break. Photo: Joe Harrison

CAT CRAWL RAINS DONATIONS to accommodate in the small bar), they assembled at The Tower Café in Leazes Park before setting off for Wylam Brewery; The Brandling Villa, South Gosforth; The Punch Bowl Hotel, Jesmond, and The Carriage, Sandyford, before the

Incessant drizzle didn’t put off a band of hardy walkers on the Mean Eyed Cat inaugural Cat Crawl via some of Newcastle’s finest beer establishments.

Rather than set off from the Newcastle city-centre pub (too many supporters turned up

The Perfect Accompaniment to Any Pint!

INSIGHT NORTHERN

ISSUE 43

JANUA RY 2019

NORTHERN

ISSUE 44

NORTH ERN

ISSUE 45 NORTH ERN INSIGH T YOUR EYE ON THE REGION

JANUARY 2019

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INSIGHT NORTHERN

MARCH 2019

BMC RECRUITMENT GROUP – A NEW WAY TO RECRUIT

one of those young men. A civil engineer by profession, he worked in the kitchen of The Schooner in Gateshead at weekends through his love of food.

“Alex sadly lost his hard-fought fight against sarcoma cancer in April, after being diagnosed

GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS cheers!!!!!!

DECEMBER/JANUARY ISSUE OUT FROM 5TH DECEMBER

BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW IN OUR BUMPER DOUBLE EDITION

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FEBRUARY 2019

issue 43

FEBRUARY 2019

NORTHERN INSIGHT - YOUR EYE ON THE REGION

ON THE REGION YOUR EYE INSIGH T -

URBAN BASE RE’S BRIGHT!

2019 - THE FUTU

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INSIGHT

“survivors” made it back for well-deserved pints and pizza.

The walk was in aid of St Oswald’s Hospice, Newcastle, which provides specialist care to adults, young people, babies and children with life-limiting conditions. Alex Dryden was

sight.co.uk

business property media technology education motors arts leisure issue 44

MARCH 2019

THE COSMETIC DENTAL CLINI C SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

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NORTHERN

INSIGHT

The Business and Leisure Magazine for the North East Region

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

26 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

TELEPHONE GILLIAN ON 01661 844115 OR EMAIL GILLIAN@OFFSTONEPUBLISHING.CO.UK

CHARITY

Shake it: Fundraisers at Wylam Brewery

THE

TURKS HEAD aka THE STUFFED DOG

8 Cask Lines, 5 Craft Lines, 50+ Gins, 20+ Whiskey/ Malts Dog Friendly Live Sport 7 Screens Cask Club – Every Monday £2.30 Camra Discount 10% Now serving pizzas 12pm - Close in October last year,” says Julie Campbell, co-owner with husband Dave of the Mean Eyed Cat. The couple owned The Schooner on South Shore Road at the time when Alex helped out.

“Alex was only 30 years old when he passed away and the last few weeks of his life were spent at St Oswald’s Hospice and their wonderful care facility. His mum Helen and I have been friends since schooldays and we’re also undertaking a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru together with another friend Vicky in aid of St Oswald’s.”

Further information and muchappreciated donations: www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ juliecampbell62

Cask Collector Cards Buy 5 pints and receive 6th FREE!

41 FRONT STREET, TYNEMOUTH NE30 4DZ TEL

0191 257 6547

Shelter: Matthew Dryden with Peanut

RECENTLY RE-OPENED WITH NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM

New menu boasting superb value and quality. Fresh and home cooked food.

Family friendly - Sky Sports - Outstanding Beer Garden - Pool table Darts Board Private functions - Dog Friendly areas - Live music/musicians Themed days and nights as well as specials board.

MONDAY CLUB - £2.50 - Fosters, Coors and John Smiths.

WEDNESDAY - 20% off wine, steak night two steaks and bottle of wine £25.

THURSDAY - Buy one get one free on all burgers FRIDAY - Fizz and Fishy Friday. £9.99 for bottle of Prosecco and 2 fish n chips for £14.99 SUNDAY - Roast - We offer a collection and delivery service

Well-earned drinks at The Punch Bowl Hotel

Bank Top, Crawcrook, Ryton NE40 4EE Tel: 0191 649 0873 www.crawcrookrisingsun.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 27

ENTERPRISE

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

Pressing engagement: Jenny Connor gets ready to produce her cider products Photo: Peter Skelton

For more information on how to advertise your services, vacancies and events contact Gillian Corney on

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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

APPLE MAX Growing fruit in the North East presents quite a challenge, as Alastair Gilmour discovers Visitors to a County Durham farm are readily introduced to Tom Putt, Foxwhelp, Whimple’s Wonder and Porter’s Perfection. However, the invitation to Slack Ma Girdle, Hangydown and Fillabarrel might take a bit of thought.

They aren’t pantomime figures or cartoon characters, but varieties of apples in the orchards at Dalton Moor Farm, Dalton le Dale, near Murton, a 24-acre farm growing a range of fruit and vegetables – primarily 400 apple trees – using natural organic methods. Those and forty other breeds are being pressed into cider and various other apple-derived products

by Jenny and Tom Connor in an enterprising and back-breaking business.

Along with glorious cider, there’s cider apple vinegar, apple juices, traditional jams and jellies, curds and marmalade with hedgerow preserves, pickles, chutneys, chilli products, cakes, cookies, sweets and snacks – everything vegan.

“There are so many varieties of apple that you could eat a different one every day and it would take you 20 years to get through them,” says Jenny. “We first planted the apple orchard in 2013 along with hazel trees and other berry and fruit trees plus hedgerows for wildlife.”

Some of the land they acquired after first buying the farmhouse and barns had lain fallow for so long it was virtually untamable with brambles, thistles and nettles having to be pulled

ENTERPRISE up initially by hand. But sheer hard graft got it to where they could start putting down roots. “The principle is to work with nature, not fight it,” says Jenny. It would be fair to say she loves trees.

She admits to talking to them – anything that encourages them to grow – but apples are her speciality.

“We now have more than 400 apple trees; 200 in the original orchard with mix of traditional dessert, culinary and juicing apples and four cider apple varieties – Sops In Wine, Kingston Black, Norwood and Somerset Redstreak.”

A lifetime of having apples and cider around her means Jenny is careful to steer people away from what she describes as “that commercial, sweet, horrid, apple-in-your-face cider”.

She says: “When I was a young girl I had a very small apple tree which I think grew from a Cox’s Pippin seed and I fell in love with them.

My parents would go for a drive every weekend around Kent to all these little pubs to buy cider.

I think I was eight years old when I first had a drink of cider – proper cider.”

Thinking up names for each cider vintage would be too complex so she simply calls them Number 1, Number 2, etc. She is in the process of pressing and bottling Number 6 to denote the sixth year of production. And

anyway, apples grow differently each year with our varied climate so each season’s cider is never the same twice. Jenny calls it a “cider journey”.

“We don’t use preservatives or additives and it’s bottled long enough to be bottle-conditioned,” she says.

“We’ve sold everything we’ve produced, except for some Number 5 which we’ll keep to see what happens (with the ageing process).”

A refrigerated shipping container stores trays of apples waiting their turn on the hydro press while around 200, 5-litre containers chill before bottling.

As if they didn’t grow enough themselves, the local community supplies unwanted fruit and regular suppliers drop apples off from orchards in Chester le Street and Staindrop, near Barnard Castle.

Jenny says: “Ours is very much a work in progress as there are so many theories about when is the best time to pick apples and whether to use windfall or not. And there’s always something that’ll attack them like codling moths which eat into the fruit and lay their eggs.”

Rabbits and deer are other potential hazards thwarted by plastic guards around tender trunks.

“It’s all down to the weather and nature,” she says. “Last year’s brilliant summer meant irrigating the crop, but we had trees drooping with apples. This year has been particularly wet – we were paddling around – plus some varieties decide to take a year off and you get very little fruit which is apparently quite natural. It’s windy and challenging here so it means only the best survive.”

Dalton Moor Farm sells through farmers’ markets, food fairs and a pop-up shop in Durham as well as the city’s indoor market.

A big part of the vision is developing educational school groups, a farm shop and visitor centre.

“It’s exciting what we’ve got here,” she says. “You need to put lots of romance and passion into food, otherwise it’s not going to taste very good.”

Best of all, it’s not every day you can have a conversation with a tree called Slack Ma Girdle.

“THE PRINCIPLE IS TO WORK WITH NATURE, NOT FIGHT IT”

The Station house, durham

Cask Ale / Craft keg beer & cider / guest gins / craft bottles & cans / bottled fine cider / wine single malts / train information screen now serving durham brewery helles mon-thur: 4pm-10.30pm / fri-sat: 12pm-11pm / sun: 2pm-10.30pm

Coming soon!

Your new local bottle shop and tap room.

Selling draught, bottles and cans of craft beer, fine cider, and more.

stationhousedurham.co.uk / f: stationhousedurham / @stationhousedurham

Framferment.co.uk / f: framferment / @Fferment /

the station house, north road, durham, dh1 4se

29b Front Street, Framwellgate Moor, DH1 5EE www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 29

FUN STUFF

SIGN OF THE TIMES It took us a second or two for the penny to drop, but the writer of this pub A-board is either very witty or completely unaware of what he’s doing.

THE DIRTY DOZEN TWELVE OF A KIND THAT AREN’T VERY KIND TO YOUR BRAIN

1. Last year 87,000 people in the US were admitted to hospital after doing what?

2. What started life in April 1960 in Wollaston, Northamptonshire?

3. We call it a Pie Chart but what is such a dissected diagram known as in France?

A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR… …AND A VOICE SAYS: ‘YOU LOOK GOOD TODAY, HAVE YOU LOST WEIGHT?’ HE TURNS ROUND BUT THERE’S NOBODY THERE. HE TAKES A SUP OF HIS PINT AND HEARS: ‘YOU GET YOUNGER EVERY TIME I SEE YOU.’ STILL NOBODY THERE, SO HE ASKS THE BARMAN ABOUT THE VOICE. ‘IT’S THE CHEESE AND PICKLED ONIONS ON THE BAR,’ HE SAYS. ‘THEY’RE COMPLEMENTARY.’

4. Which blonde was the daughter of George and Margaret Roberts?

5. Britain invaded which European country on May 10 1940?

6. In advertising, what was known as The Cream of Manchester?

7. What is the name of the Indian restaurant in EastEnders?

8. The song You Sexy Thing returned to the charts in 1997 after being featured in The Full Monty. Who sang it?

9. In 1958, Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to compete in which sport?

10. A flittermouse is what type of creature?

11. Nyotaimori and Nantaimori refer to the rare Japanese practice of eating sushi or sashimi from what?

12. If you supported Lahti FC in the Veikkausliiga which country would that be?

1927

EEH! NUMBERS

1927: The year Burton on Trent breweries Bass and Worthington combined.

1927: An Australian pop rock band with something of an iconic status.

1927: A London-based performance, animation, theatre, opera and dance company.

1927: A n iconic bar and lounge in Singapore with stunning views of the city-state’s skyline, particularly from its infinity pool.

NOW SAY “AAAAWWW!”

LITTLE PEANUT BRAVED THE ATROCIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS HER ‘DAD’ MATTHEW TRIED TO SHELTER HER FROM ON THE MEAN EYED CAT CHARITY CRAWL (SEE PAGE 27), BUT SHE NEEDED A FEW WAFTS OF WARM AIR IN THE PUNCH BOWL HOTEL, JESMOND, TO MAKE HER TAIL WAG AGAIN. THE HUMANS MADE DO WITH PINTS.

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1 Tripping over a pet. 2 Dr Martens footwear. 3 A Camembert. 4 Barbie. 5 Iceland. It was to prevent Germany from taking its strategic geographic position in the North Atlantic during WWII. It officially remained neutral. 6 Boddingtons. 7 The Arjee Bahji 8 Hot Chocolate. 9 Formula One Grand Prix. 10 Bat. 11 A naked body (female and male respectively). 12 Finland.

30 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

CHRISTMAS AN EXCUSE TO HAVE ANOTHER BEER. DON’T GO A DAY WITHOUT A BEER THIS DECEMBER WITH OUR BEER ADVENT CALENDAR.

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