cheers WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK // OCTOBER 2017 // ISSUE 74
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A B O U T
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Y O U !
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Oh, just look at those darkening nights – and that’s even before the clocks go back this month (or is it forward? Spring forward, fall back… of course, that’s the mantra). That doesn’t mean, however, that your pub-going habits should alter ; it’s just a slight realignment of regime. The weekly quiz will still be the same, the burger specials will continue, and the acoustic music will undoubtedly waft its gentle way out of the five o’clock shadows. There are some, though, who are attempting to claim this month for themselves – Sober October. Sober October indeed – it’ll not be long before they’re crowing again over Dry January. There’s nothing wrong with being sober ; we’d never advocate anything else, but some sections of society seem to enjoy proposing that going to the pub and having a couple of drinks is somehow evil and immoral. It’s not and it will never be. But autumn is a season for looking forward and there’s an awful lot to be confident about – and that can be found in our pubs. Confidence and enterprise topped with a heady layer of positivity and customer satisfaction is what this time of year is all about. Plus, new research has shown that people are at their happiest when they’re in the pub. Sober October be damned. Go For October – how does that sound? 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
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The brewer at The Bridge Tavern in Newcastle is female – not that that’s particularly revolutionary – and she’s by her own admission “five-foot nowt”. Again, nothing unusual in that. But Sandy Tse is also a lance-corporal in the Territorial Army – X Company, Fifth Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, a fighting company based at Sandyford Road in Newcastle, to be exact. And she loves both roles, training to be a combat medical technician, and having free rein to come up with new and exciting beer recipes.
COVER: SANDY TSE, BREWER AT THE BRIDGE TAVERN, NEWCASTLE. PHOTO: PETER SKELTON
IF WE PUT OUR DARK LAGER ON AT BEER FESTIVALS, NOBODY WANTS TO DRINK ANYTHING ELSE PETR MIC, PURKMISTR BREWERY. SEE PAGE 28.
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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
HIGH HOPES FOR NEW CITY MICROPUB Dave and Julie Campbell have been eight months without a pub since they sold The Schooner in Gateshead – and are champing at the bit to be back in business. They have submitted a licensing application and seeking planning permission from Newcastle City Council to develop a former newsagents on St Thomas Street in the city centre into a micropub. There are hardly any more knowledgeable and experienced licensed premises operators in the region, so it stands to reason that the venture – named the Mean-Eyed Cat – will be a popular destination for craft keg and cask beer specialists, should their applications be succesful. “We intend to run it on the micropub ethos of no electronic entertainment, just anything that promotes conversation,” says Julie Campbell. “It will be colourful, quirky, fun, with a family atmosphere and a culture base of music and artwork. The whole place will be completely soundproofed and we’ll be very sensitive to local residents’ concerns over noise and footfall.” Dave Campbell has a long history of managing some of the most high profile pubs on Tyneside – the Head of Steam and The Cluny in Newcastle, and The Central and The Schooner in Gateshead, which he and Julie bought in 2013.
DECEMBER JUST GOT MORE INTERESTING
Wakey: Sleeping BrewTea is included in the Camerons advent calendar promotion Camerons Brewery has secured a listing in a beer advent calendar for Christmas. The Hartlepool brewer will have its flagship Strongarm, Tontine Stout and limited-edition tea beer Sleeping BrewTea featured in a calendar available from wholesaler Costco. Like the traditional chocolate advent calendars, the beer version includes 24 different beers from UK brewers to enjoy each day on the run-up to Christmas. Strongarm and Tontine form part of the brewer’s permanent bottled beer portfolio, while Sleeping BrewTea is being produced as a limited-edition run following successful guest cask listings in 2016 and 2017. The tea beer,
The Steamboat 2015, 2016, 2017 Sunderland & South Tyneside CAMRA Pub of the Year Over 200 Spirits / 9 Hand Pulls on rotation Regular events throughout the year, call pub for details Supporters of South Shields FC
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developed by Camerons and Carli McNaught from the Tea House in Middlesbrough, is a pale ale infused with Sleeping Beauty green tea which has hints of raspberry and rose for a distinctive fruity flavour. Yousef Doubooni, head of marketing at Camerons, said: “We are delighted to gain this listing with our bottled beers. This is the first time our beers have featured with Costco and we just love the idea of the advent calendar approach.” The news follows Camerons recent listings for its Motörhead Röad Crew beer with supermarket giant Morrisons. Camerons has a listing in 300 stores for the 330ml bottles launched in stores in September.
NEWS
COULD IT BE LAST ORDERS FOR THE GIN TREND?
PULL UP A CHAIR AT A LOCAL GEM A Newcastle Quayside pub has been listed in the latest edition of the UK Good Food Guide. Quite a coup, given the company it keeps among the 1,235 entries based on anonymous inspections and feedback from readers. Broad Chare (pictured above), part of the 21 Hospitality Group, is listed alongside the renowned chef and restaurateur Terry Laybourne’s Caffe Vivo – which has been recognised as a “Local Gem” in the new directory – together with flagship Quayside restaurant 21. Caffe Vivo, an Italian eatery located in Trinity Gardens, is among a small group of Newcastle restaurants listed. It is the tenth time it has appeared in the guide and the third time it has received the “local gem”
The gin bubble will burst in two years’ time, according to an industry expert. Nick Whitby from New World Trading Company believes everything has a time limit and “gin isn’t going to stop any time soon” but consumers will be fed up with it in 18-24 months. While rum has been touted as one possible trend after gin has had its day in the sun, it isn’t as versatile a spirit and is perhaps too bold and punchy to satisfy most palates. “We will drop gin eventually and find something else new and shiny that we all like because that’s the way all things go,” says Whitby. “There is talk about rum coming back round but rum is a very acquired taste whereas gin is so diverse and light. Rum is quite a bold flavour. I’m unsure as to whether you can be as experimental with rum in a way that operators and drinkers will understand.”
accolade. The restaurant was also recently awarded the OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award. Venues are only listed as “local gems” when they are seen as “the perfect neighbourhood venues, delivering good, freshly cooked food at great value for money”. Terry Laybourne said: “Awards are always great for the kitchen and front-of-house team who work so hard aiming to consistently provide great food and service. It’s particularly satisfying when awards are based on the feedback of diners and drinkers.” Other Newcastle venues listed in the Good Food Guide include Artisan, Blackfriars, House of Tides, Jesmond Dene House, Peace & Loaf, The Patricia, Bistro Forty Six (Local Gem) and Cal’s Own (Local Gem).
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NEWS
BY GEORGE, HE’S GOT IT. AGAIN The Durham Beer Festival Battle of the Beers competition issued a challenge to local brewers to produce a new beer of any style using only English hops, to have an alcohol strength of between 3.7% and 4.5%, and to be launched at the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) Festival held at Durham University’s Students’ Union The independent judges pored and deliberated then decided that New Horizons (4.2% abv) from Spennymoor, County Durham-based George Samuel Brewing was the winner – for the second year running. Second was Consett Ale Works English Pale Ale (3.8% abv) and third was Hill Island Brewery XV, brewed to commemorate the Durham brewery’s 15th anniversary. Overall Beer of the Festival was North Riding’s Tiramisu Porter (4.5% abv), while Wise Owl’s Cherry (5.5% abv) claimed the cider prize.
Limbering up: Charity runners get in the mood at The Grey Horse
A BELLY GOOD CAUSE
The annual Grey Horse Beer Belly Run has raised more than £2,500 for charity, following the death three years ago of a regular at the Consett, County Durham, pub from motor neurone disease. Some 50 individual runners and relay teams – most in fancy dress
– completed the five-kilometre run (though some admittedly walked). Each competitor had to run a circuit starting from The Grey Horse, Sherburn Terrace, and stop outside the pub after each lap to down a half-pint of Consett Ale Works White Hot or Men Of Steel. After five, one-kilometre laps, a full pint
had to be downed before the clock stopped. Each year a local charity benefits from the kindness of those who get involved and this time the donations are to be presented to Learning For Life a Consett-based organisation for adults who have a diverse range of disabilities.
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NEWS
CARRY ON CARRIER BAG The memorial plaque to real ale lover and Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, devotee Eric Larkham, has been unveiled. A fundraising appeal was set up to remember Eric, a founder member and trustee of the Ouseburn Trust which was set up to look after the interests of the unique area to the east of Newcastle city centre. Eric immersed himself in its history and heritage and there was little he didn’t know about it. The Ouseburn Trust worked with Eric’s family and friends to commission an artist to create a suitable memorial that celebrates his long-term connection with the area. The resulting plaque, featuring an inlaid silhouette of Eric walking through the Ouseburn Valley with his trademark carrier bag was designed by graphic artist Colin Hagan with woodwork by Pavel Petria.
Management and staff at The Cluny – one of seven pubs within a short distance of one another which Eric was very fond of – were delighted to have the artwork mounted on their wall.
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NEWS
TOLL HOUSE RAISES THE ROOF places to find real ale, this book can The Campaign For Real Ale be an invaluable resource.” (Camra) Good Beer Guide 2018 As well as listing new and existing has been launched with 15 new breweries, the UK’s top pubs are breweries across the North East also listed – including The Office in featured. This brings the total Morpeth, Northumberland, named number of breweries in the region as one of 16 finalists in Camra’s to 68, while there are 29 new National Pub of the Year competition entries among the 185 North East after winning the Tyneside & pubs in the directory first Northumberland Camra published 45 years branch title then going ago. head-to-head with The book’s winners from the editor Roger rest of the region. Protz says: The micropub “The Good has five Beer Guide handpulls, all of is compiled local origin, and through Beer today: Roger three real ciders independent Protz, Good Beer with what Camra judgment and Guide believes is the perfect recommendations, mix that makes a great pub – meaning pubs are chosen atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, on merit alone rather than being value for money, customer mix, but charged for an entry. most importantly – quality real ale. “If you want to know the best
Operating from a Grade II-listed toll house, The Office has been trading for less three years and has become a firm favourite for Morpeth drinkers. Landlady Andrea Johnson says: “To say I’m over the moon about the award is an understatement. It still hasn’t sunk in. The people who come in to enjoy a Local hero: Andrea Johnson, The Office drink and the staff are what really make the Northumberland, and is about to open place and the award is as a new micropub in Bedlington. much for them.” “Bedlington will be a joint venture The Office will now proceed to between myself and my son Ryan the next stage as one of the 16 Haigh who will be running it,” says regional finalists with a chance of Andrea. “We anticipate it being open becoming National Pub of the Year – sometime in October, depending on announced in February 2018. builders and Ryan’s ability to get out Andrea Johnson also of bed and help.” operates the Fox’s Den in Felton,
THE BRIDGE TAVERN BREW PUB & EATERY
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30/01/2015 14:07
NEWS
BREWS IN BRIEF
PRETTY PLEASED WITH NATIONAL AWARD A stylish Newcastle bar has been named the best in the country in its category. Pleased To Meet You on High Bridge was named Spirits Bar/Pub of the Year in the Great British Pub Awards 2017, the only pub in the North East to win an award at the event organised by trade journal The Morning Advertiser.
Earlier this year, Pleased To Meet You was listed as one of the top 20 gin bars in the world by drinks giant Diageo, marking great progress for manager Tom Proud and his team. As for the future, the Pleased To Meet You brand is expected to be rolled out nationwide. Ladhar Leisure, the progressive company that owns
Pleased To Meet You, Central Oven & Shaker, Hop & Cleaver, Red House and Lady Grey’s among others in Newcastle, is pressing ahead with its ambitious plans for the White Hart Yard project it first unveiled in 2015 which will transform the heart of the city in the area bounded by the Bigg Market and Grey Street.
Look out for a new collection of craft cans from Tyne Bank Brewery this month – along with an Oktoberfest on Thursday, October 12 where a celebration of the Halloween month is celebrated with an appropriate range of beers at the brewery’s muchadmired Tap on Walker Road, Newcastle. Durham Brewery’s new bottling equipment has arrived and is up and running – at last. “It’s all very exciting, says Durham’s Elly Bell. “We’ve been waiting more than two months for it after planning and researching for over a year. After a few days’ training we were off on the first bottling.” The Travellers’ Rest at Slaley, Northumberland, has won a “simply delicious” One Star Great Taste Award for its renowned steak and ale pie made from Black Sheep Ale and Longhorn steak reared in the field next to the pub.
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BREWERY NEWS
SHEDLOADS OF POTENTIAL Our brewery special begins in a Northumberland garden and takes in an inspirational group of people, writes Alastair Gilmour
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When a home-brewing fencing contractor builds a garden shed he’s not content to store posts, rails and mell hammers. He builds a brewery, just in case. And what a brewery Tom Smith has constructed near Haltwhistle in Northumberland – it has views across a deep valley, mature woodland, pine forest and big skies. Muckle Brewery, started life in August 2016 by Tom and his wife Nicola, who is a radiographer at Newcastle RVI by day, but also bottles, delivers, fetches and carries. The brewing kit is neat and compact – 1.3-barrel brew length which produces five, five-gallon casks (firkins) at a time. “We take the first cask off for draught and the rest go into bottles,” says Tom. “We supply about nine pubs now around Northumberland, including The Samson Inn at Gilsland, the Wallace Arms at Featherstone and Blenkinsopp Castle where we’re on permanently. We also have bottles on pub shelves, supply The Sill, Northumberland National Park’s new visitor centre, plus Glug and Centr-Ale in Newcastle and do Hexham farmers’ market.” Tom Smith comes from the well-trodden home-brew tradition, leaning on his dad’s old recipe books for inspiration. His first
attempt at a lager was a disaster and his brown ale was “chewy” but had all the makings of a decent beer, so he stuck at it. An American IPA went particularly well among friends even though he didn’t have all the ingredients to hand. “I put in what I had and took 25 litres to a party,” says Tom. “I came back with an empty cask and have never changed it since. “We bought the kit 18 months ago from a guy in Wales. It has two open-topped fermenters – there aren’t many of them around. Instead of numbering them we call them Tom & Jerry. We use both an English and an American yeast. I’m always amazed at the fermentation process and love to watch the yeast do its work. “We’re brewing twice a week, producing seven beers. I look for layers of flavours rather than one big hit. When I get the hot liquor going and get that smell coming up I just love it. “We’ll see how it goes for now then think about growth. At the moment it’s all about getting it out there.” Muckle in northern dialect means big or great and the Smiths have great fun in naming their beers, such as Muckle Chuckle and Muckle Tickle. The labelling, based on images of Crag Lough and the snaking Hadrian’s Wall tells stories
BREWERY NEWS
Reflective: Tom and Nicola Smith at their garden shed brewery. Photos: Peter Skelton about the surrounding landscape. For example, Muckle Chuckle (4.2% abv) has been crafted with the sound of Haltwhistle Burn bubbling and chuckling away, while Muckle Buster (4.5% abv), a fruity red ale, is inspired by the sunsets over the Solway Firth where Hadrian’s Wall marches westward. “Pride of Park (3.5%
abv), our first hazy beer, has the Northumberland National Park in mind,” says Tom. “It’s fruity and light and reminded me at first of Robinson’s Barley Water, and our stout is becoming popular with people who’d not normally go for a stout. “Names make people smile. If you can make people smile at a
pumpclip you’ve gone a long way to selling the beer. We have lots of fun with our Tickles and Chuckles which also work well on social media.” Inside the shed brewery, Muckleberry Winter Ale is fermenting in Tom and Jerry topped with a crust that looks appetising enough to scoop off and eat – while gazing out over the amazing backdrop, of course. It’s Nicola Smith’s favourite spot, but she realises that success brings its own challenges. She says: “Four days a week I’ve got an 80-mile commute to work in Newcastle or have eight steps from the back door to the brewery. We’re looking to upgrade what we’ve got and would love to have a new unit with a taproom and shop, but it would mean we aren’t at home doing it. “We don’t really want to move from our garden brewery, it’s given us our unique selling point.”
www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 11
WINE
Beer stop: Discarded cups show its popularity (they were cleared shortly after)
JUST ONE MO BEER PLEASE Newcastle Hash House Harriers (“a drinking club with a running problem”) set up a beer stop at the 10.5mile point at last month’s Great North Run and would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all those who stopped by for a refresher to get them through the final three miles. “We served 3,100 runners in a frantic 150-minute period,” says Hash House committee member Keith Hudson. “The first one to take a beer was Gateshead Harrier Conrad who I believe finished 38th. Ally Dixon also jokingly complained that we didn’t have a beer ready for her. “The reaction to the beer stop before, during and after the run was tremendous and we know we couldn’t have achieved it without generous contributions from our local brewers Camerons, Tyne Bank, Hadrian Border and Sonnet 43. “One televised highlight was a helicopter shot of eventual winner Mo Farah and Jake Robertson running past a large sign written on the road in flour saying BEERSTOP 100m. Now it’s on and on to 2018.”
12 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
MANY A MYTH ’TWIXT GLASS AND LIP There’s a lot of nonsense talked about wine, writes Vincent Zeller
The secret of selecting a high quality bottle of wine, regardless of price, is akin to learning a secret society handshake. “That’s the gods’ honest truth,” according to a friend of mine. He firmly believes – and he’s been told by “people in the know” that to judge a good wine, you only need to feel the bottom of the bottle. They probably tapped the side of their nose while they spilled the beans. If the bottle has an indentation as opposed to being flat across, you’ve cracked it, even if you’ve paid £3.99 in a newsagents. This large dimple is called a punt and the reasons it is there are many and varied – stacking bottles in small spaces, rigidity, easier held when pouring, all have their merits – but nobody really knows. As for judging whether one wine is better than another, it is complete balderdash (sorry Sean). This highlights one of the common misconceptions about wine. There is a mystery to it which in many ways is promoted by those who make it and those who sell it.
Little wonder then that daft ideas abound. There’s the one about only wines sealed with a cork can age well, therefore they’re more sought-after – and screwcaps are for cheaper wines. Nonsense again. These days, even super-premium wines are using screwcaps and there is no technical reason whatsoever that they won’t age just as well or taste as good as those finished with cork. Anyway virtually every bottle of supermarket wine or those available in pubs is designed to be consumed within 18 months. Sweet wines are for beginners, not educated palates, goes another old saw. Actually, the opposite has more truth about it. Some of the greatest wines in the world are sweet, almost decadent in their honeyed notes. Sauterne, Ice Wine, Trockenbeerenauslese – the high sugar content dessert wine from Austria and Germany – are immensely flavourful and also quite ageworthy. Generally the more educated palates are the ones they appeal to most. Finally, the most common wine
myth of all – red with meat, white with fish. Admittedly, it’s not a bad guideline but it’s no more than that, a guideline. Generalisations like this encourage laziness and lack of experimentation and risk creating the boredom of matching the same meals with the same drinks ad infinitum. Be a daredevil, push that envelope. Even perfectionists will stray from the white/fish, red/meat mantra from time to time – and congratulate themselves on their capacity to be creative. For example, people like that have discovered the best wine for a grilled salmon steak is probably red – like a Pinot Noir or a Bardolino – and not white at all. Veal and pork do equally well with red or white wines, depending on how the dish is prepared. And what can be better with barbecued meats and hot dogs than a cold glass of rosé? The message is clear; don’t get too hung up on wine rules and if you suspect that what you’re being told is a myth, it most probably is. They’re your tastebuds, you can never be wrong.
WINE
MEET THE WINEMAKER
Nothing beats a glass of your favourite wine, right? But, how often do you think about the winemaker behind your top tipple? Cheers caught up with one of Australia’s leading winemakers, Jo Nash from McPherson Wine Co in Victoria, to learn more about her, the winery and, most importantly, her wines. HI JO, GREAT TO MEET YOU. SO, TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MCPHERSON WINES Our winery’s based Victoria, about 120km (77miles) from Melbourne and we’ve been making wine since 1968. We’re a family business founded by Jock McPherson and carried on by his son Andrew. The McPherson family is still very much part to our day-to-day running and we’ve named our Family Series wines after different members of the family including Jock right through to his greatgranddaughters Aimee and Lucie. HOW DID YOU GET INTO WINE? I guess it was from a curiosity of how one product can be so varied to make it loved by so many people with such different tastes. Really it’s all about wondering how the same grape variety can create such different wines. For example, if you drink a Shiraz from France, it’s completely different to a Shiraz from Australia. The same with different regions, different climates and different growing techniques. WHAT IS THE ONE ASPECT OF YOUR JOB THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE? Winemaking is not about drinking wine all day.
You’ll be surprised how many people think we spend our days tasting wines and having long lunches. Don’t get me wrong, we do taste our wines to make sure the taste and quality is right, but years of hard work need to be done before we can get to this point. WHAT DO YOU FIND IS THE HARDEST PART OF ANY HARVEST? It would have to be the long hours and spending time away from my family. Harvest can last anything from eight to 12 weeks, depending on the season, and we’ll usually work six or seven days per week, 12 – 14 hours per day. And, the winemaker is always on call, which could mean a call out during the middle of the night. My husband’s also a winemaker, we support each other and our family during harvest time. Our four children love learning about the winemaking process, although it’s too busy for them to come to the winery during harvest. WHAT DOES A TOP WINEMAKER DRINK AT HOME? I’ll usually reach for one of my wines, either the Sunburnt Chardonnay or the Bella McPherson Pinot Grigio. We drink these at home, they’re really nice and refreshing - our ‘five o clocker’ wines. And, of course, the pours get bigger on Fridays!
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE INFAMOUS GARY FROM YOUR AWESOME ‘DON’T TELL GARY’ SHIRAZ? A few vintages back, I was approached by a neighbouring winemaker who had some spare Shiraz grapes he needed to sell. But, I’d spent my budget for that year so I declined and thought nothing of it. A few months later the same winemaker called again offering the same grapes at a fraction of the cost. I didn’t have the budget for the grapes but knew they would be a steal at this price. So, myself and Michelle in our accounts team found a way to borrow the money from the next year’s budget but agreed we don’t tell Gary (Williams), our winery’s general manager. Then I needed barrels to age the wine in, so Michelle and I sourced some ridiculously expensive French oak barrels, again agreeing we don’t tell Gary. Don’t Tell Gary or ‘DTG’ became our code name for the wine and it stuck. We then sought the creative help of Louise in Marketing and with her usual aplomb and minimal fuss created the Don’t tell Gary label. IS THAT THE REAL GARY ON THE BOTTLE? No, he’s a lot grumpier! Only joking Gary. I’ll let you decide if it’s really him or not… McPherson Wines are available across the North East. Ask your local bar staff for more details. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 13
BREWERY NEWS
COUNT ON EXPANSION NEXT YEAR
The nursery rhyme goes: the animals came in two by two. Hurrah! Hurrah! Then they go three by three, don’t they? These numbers are a reminder that it’s three years since Two By Two Brewing brewed its first beer – although owner Rob Macleod reckons they’re now so popular, he’ll need to expand, so it’s the last anniversary he and his five-barrel kit will celebrate at the Wallsend base.
Rob is busy looking for newer, bigger, more central premises. “I’d love to be around the Ouseburn,” he says, “but that might be pretty tough. I think this third birthday will be our last one here, though. “We had ideas of using the mezzanine floor for expansion and taking a bit of it away for another tank to fit in but then took one look at it and decided it would be easier moving altogether into an open unit with nothing in it.
“It’s all going really good at the moment. We’re supplying the local pubs around Newcastle – especially the Ouseburn Valley ones – such as The Cluny, where we’re responsible for their house beer, Tyne Bar, Cumberland Arms and Free Trade. We started to deliver to London but are now too busy to fill a pallet to go there, but we go to Edinburgh and Leeds once a month.” In his early days, Rob worked behind the bar at The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle where he developed a keen interest in beer – then also in various other pubs where his enthusiasm developed further. He took the learning plunge on the intensive diploma in British brewing technology course at Brewlab in Sunderland where not only do students learn the theory of brewing but also the practical side, microbiology, business start-up, tasting, and in between times are sent out on industrial placements. “We’re brewing two or three
CELEBRATING OUR FIRST YEAR ON THE 6TH OF OCTOBER Paul and Sarah would like to thank all of our customers and the people of Rothbury for their support. We look forward to many more happy years A warm friendly micro pub situated in the heart of Northumberland’s town of Rothbury, serving quality local cask ales, beers, wines and spirits. Mon - Fri 5.00pm - 10.30pm | Sat - Sun 2.00 - 10.30pm
HIGH ST, ROTHBURY, MORPETH NE65
07707 703182
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BREWERY NEWS
Number one: Rob Macleod, Two By Two
times a week, depending on what people want,” says Rob. “I’ve got two part-time staff and some friends who help out.” He has brewed a beer in support of Ouseburn Farm, the charity that brings rural life and animal welfare into the city. One quarter of the profits, six times a year, is donated to help it survive. He says: “They lost a lot of their funding through council cuts. I thought I’d do something for such a unique and inspirational place. I’ve got four kids, two of them went to school round there, and I used to live up the road on Byker Bank. It’s a great charity doing lots of workshops for people who have all sorts of learning difficulties and disabilities and it’s something we should hold on to. It’s just a little bit of money, but more importantly we’re raising awareness.” Two By Two brew beers that include Bergamot Citra Saison, Chinook Simco Pale, Oatmeal Milk Stout, Ugly Duckling and Monkey Puzzle IPA. At the moment he can only do them one by one. Two By Two is a bit special.
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COVER FEATURE
MILITARY SERVICE Brewers come in all shapes and sizes, writes Alastair Gilmour, though not many of them also have combat duties “Big lads” look after Sandy Tse. She makes beer for a living, so that’s no great surprise. Big lads like beer. She is, by her own admission, “five-foot nowt” so maybe she looks like she needs looking after by big lads. Sandy is also a lance-corporal in a Territorial Army battalion specialising in military tactics and weapons, therefore it stands to reason she’s pretty good at sticking up for herself anyway. Sandy is also the brewer at the Bridge Tavern in Newcastle and gets to work on that lovely kit at the back of the pub whenever she likes. “I’ve got pretty much free rein, I just milk it for what it’s worth,” she says. “We do two brews a week, maybe once a week depending on what’s required. Interesting more experimental beers take a bit longer and I always believe in quality over quantity.” In between times, Sandy is a member of X Company, Fifth Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, a fighting company based at Sandyford Road in Newcastle where she’s been training for the last couple of years as a combat medical technician (CMT). “Being in the TA is quite physical – I’m five foot nowt – and it’s just like being a normal soldier, but part-time,” she says. “I see it as 16 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
something else to develop my skills; it would be so easy to let yourself go in a brewery with all that beer around, but I see it as a duty to be fit and look after myself, it’s a nice balance. There’s a good bit of banter in the battalion and the big lads look after me.” Sandy, originally from Sheffield, studied biosciences at Newcastle University then started on a PhD, which she decided not to complete. She says: “The more I did it, the more I realised a career in science wasn’t for me. I wanted to extend my skills, broaden my horizons a bit, and prove to myself that there’s something else. “I always had a love for real ale, starting off with a home-brewing kit as a hobby at uni. In my final year I got involved with Stu Brew, Europe’s first studentrun microbrewery. I wasn’t enjoying university but I got on well and they kept me on in a supporting role. Stu Brew actually funded a four-day brewing course at Brewlab in Sunderland and it was then I thought, ‘this is what I want to do’. “I was recommended for Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It was quite academic post-graduate study in brewing and distilling by distance learning. I had to work while studying to pay the bills and got part-time bar work at
By the left: Sandy Tse, Bridge Tavern, Newcastle. Photo: Peter Skelton. Left: Sandy in uniform for a Territorial Army recruitment promotion
COVER FEATURE The Bridge Tavern. I knew the brewery was there and thought that if I do well at the bar maybe they’d let me share the brewing.” Sandy soon discovered that the incumbent Bridge Tavern brewer was moving on, so she was in a handy position to apply for the vacancy. From her background in science study she knew how to work things out, to be meticulous, selfdisciplined and careful – perfect attributes for a brewer – so the job was hers. “I develop the recipes and everything I brew is mine,” she says. “Some people think there’s a large input from Wylam Brewery (under the same ownership as The Bridge Tavern) but there’s not, although I keep asking the lads there for advice and have the backing of all their skills. I’m still learning, after all. “It’s really rewarding to sell your own beer over the counter; I get a real buzz out of it when people take a sip. The pumpclips are designed by the bar staff or by artists I know – I think it’s a nice touch. People here are really good at art so it’s great to get them involved and it’s a nice platform for them. They also think the names up – what’s the most stupid name for a beer you can think of and get away with? I tell them to just go for it.” Fermenting away while we talk are beers called Ctrl Alt Right Del, No Sleep Till Brooklyn and Dimitri’s Fault which demonstrates their personal nature – and fun side. They’re pretty damn good as well. Sandy says: “I’ve trained up some enthusiastic members of the bar staff to help keep things ticking over and make the most of the brewery while I can’t possibly be there – gravity readings, yeast drops and hop blasts. They contribute so much to the quality of the beers.” Bridge Tavern brew days start at 6am and can take 10 to 12 hours, but when Sandy first started it was much earlier than that – the wee sma’ hours – until she realised that the pub’s customers enjoy being around on brew days. They feel part of it and want to eventually drink what has filled their nostrils. “It’s nice to play around with different ingredients – there’s such a range of clientele in this pub,” she says. “Brewing 30 gallons doing the same things all the time would be such a waste of the facilities we’ve got. It gives people the opportunity to try styles they wouldn’t otherwise find. “All the cleaning with caustic and so on is done before the pub opens but when there’s hot stuff about you rely on people not to be stupid and put their head in something.” X Company, Fifth Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, is an active, deployable force that has served alongside their regular counterparts in Iraq and Afghanistan and most recently, Kenya, Croatia, The Falklands and at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. It’s nice to know that Sandy Tse is looking after us – in both her roles. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 17
NEWS
BEST FEST Beer, gin, wine, food, live music - it’s all under one roof October 13-14 at the big Eat Drink Festival, served up by Cheers and our sister magazine Appetite. Here’s more... Eat Drink Festival brings together leading food and drink producers serving up beer, wine, spirits, and food, exclusive tastings, chef and brewer demos, live music and shopping. The festival lands at Hoult’s Yard in Newcastle on October 13 and 14, with two evening and one daytime session, each different in atmosphere, all showcasing premium produce under one roof. Food demos and drinks masterclasses create a unique theme for each session over three zones – food, beer, wine and spirits. We’ll have a specialist bar with more than 100 different gins, beers and wines to buy by the glass; chef, brewer and distiller demos and talks; food, beer and spirit zones; live music; and a festival gift shop stocked with special editions and unusual goods. EXHIBITORS Beer: Box Social, gluten-free beer specialist Autumn Brewing, Sonnet 43, beer and cheese pairing specialist Hops and Cheese, new boys Rigg 18 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
& Furrow, world beers from Champion Bottles and Taps and many more. Gin: Poetic License, Lakes Distillery, Durham Gin, Alnwick Gin, Temperance, Hepple Gin and more, plus a huge range of mixers from Fever Tree. Food: Street food from Papa Ganoush, the famous meat pies served up in many pubs from The Amble Butcher, local produce from Le Petite Creperie, street food from The Log Fire Pizza Company, fresh produce from Blagdon Farm Shop and many more. THE ZONES Appetite Zone: Some of the region’s best food specialists offering a great taste of the region. Cheers Zone: The region’s premium cask and bottled ale makers assembled under one roof offering up tastings, talks, and meet the brewer events. Spirit Zone: A bar showcasing more than 80 gins alongside stands and tastings from 10 distilleries offering small batch premium gin tasting and sampling.
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BREWERY NEWS
GETTING A ROUND IN
“It’s proper brewing, not pushIt’s noticeable there are no chairs button,” he says. “I’m not against at Roundhill Brewery. Sitting technology but some people use down in the unit in Billingham, technology for technology’s sake. Teesside, means pulling up a Craft beer should be hand-crafted, sack of malted barley – which not brewed by computers. My is surprisingly comfortable as it beers are living beers, unfiltered moulds itself to your body shape and unpasteurised. I’m not into keg but simultaneously covers you in – and filtering takes some of the flour. It’s still not a chair, though. flavour out. There might be a small “There’s no time to sit down variation between batches and I had anyway,” says owner Russell Allen. “I do everything myself, everything. I’ve to brew with my kit for a while to get consistency – which people have got a brush sticking up my backside told me I now have.” so I can sweep as I go.” Russell had been home-brewing Russell started his own venture for 40 years which has honed and after leaving his job in software, but tuned his recipe skills. It took four curiously his brewery is controlled 1-4 Page_Ad.pdf 1 31/08/2017 13:45 years to get the brewery going from totally by hand and eyet.
Button-free: Russell Allen at Roundhill Brewery
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BREWERY NEWS first thinking about it. Like many a successful brewing entrepreneur, he took a course at Brewlab in Sunderland which confirmed that what he had been doing all these years was right – even passing on advice to his mentors. He moved into his tidy, compact unit in October 2016 and sold his first beer in February of this year. His five-barrel brewhouse came from renowned brewing specialist Oban Ales (who also supplied the kit at Three Kings and Flash House, North Shields; Tyne Bank, Newcastle, and Hexhamshire Brewery). “I was looking for a smaller unit than the one I eventually decided on, but this is filling up,” he says. “Brewing is 95% cleaning. I couldn’t sleep the night before I did my first
brew worrying about getting inside the tank and cleaning it out. I’m terrible in confined spaces.” The hinged aperture is little more than two feet in diameter and Russell – a tall man – has to shimmy his way in and out. Installing an inspection lamp has reduced his claustrophobia, however. Roundhill is a real family enterprise and he reckons he lost a great brewer when youngest daughter Sophie went off to university. He says: “She also used to come out delivering with
me. She could walk into any pub and talk to anybody about beer.” Russell’s beers are on the counters of pubs in Redcar, Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, Seaton Carew and Middlesbrough with micropubs taking them in their monthly revolving programmes, plus they’ve made successful appearances at Nottingham Camra Beer Festival and York Beer Festival. Distribution is handled by 6 Barrels in North Shields. He brews once or twice a week, depending on delivery schedules. The base for most of the six core Roundhill beers is pale malt but Russell uses a de-husked dark malt for regular “specials” because of its low astringency. It’s bags labelled Weyermann Cara Hell (Germany) that we’re perched on which Russell likes using although it’s particularly
light for using in a stout but still gives the coffee flavours he’s after. “Tomorrow’s job is bottling,” he says with a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the tedious job. “We fill four at a time mainly for farmers’ markets. Instead of labels stuck on the bottles, we string tags around their necks. As we get more into bottling I’ll take someone on and brew more customised beers.” It’s part of the plan to ultimately invite people in for brew days and brewery visits. “Daddy Day-Care I call it.”
ROUNDHILL BREWERY BEERS INCLUDE:
Midnight Slug Porter (4.8% abv) “the only beer I brew that my wife likes”; Brown Ale (4.9% abv); the subtly fruity Dark Ale (5.2% abv); copper-coloured Bitter (4.1% abv); Billingham Pale Ale (5.2% abv) – hoppy and zesty – and Pale & Golden (4.2% abv).
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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 21
BREWERY NEWS
SLOW BURNER PICKS UP THE PACE
Right team: Left to right, Andrew Burnip, Stewart Fox and Danny McColl. Photos: Peter Skelton
When Danny McColl was searching for memorable images for his new brewing venture, he had two things in mind. They shouldn’t remind people of McColl’s the newsagents or the Tyne & Wear Metro M. He knew what he didn’t want, but was he sure about what he was actually after? It’s a common conundrum, so he invited ideas from outside his own comfort zone. “You think you know what you want, you then kind of know what you want,” says Danny, whose McColl’s Brewery at Evenwood, County Durham, produced its first beer in May 2017. “Now try getting that out of your head, have it put in front of you and be happy with it. “There are some things you have to let go and let better people do their job. I can talk beer all day but maybe not pull the right stops for a label.” So, with initial ideas having run out, Danny set up a crowdfunding project after being presented with new sets of ideas from local company Proportion Marketing and designers Tom Kidd and Michelle
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BREWERY NEWS
Eaves to introduce prospective beer followers to the world of branding. But you can’t dress up a mediocre product with slick graphics and bonny colours – you’ll soon get found out. The big difference is that Danny McColl makes excellent beer which he’s very proud of – and that his knowledge has developed from humble beginnings. He says: “The month me and my (now) wife Gemma met she got me a home-brew kit for Christmas. I did that for ten years, learning the terminology, the theory, and getting the knowledge. “About six years agoAdvert.pdf I thought three kings 1 ‘I’ve got to do this commercially’.
While on holiday in the Lake District I saw Tirril Brewery were after a brewer, sent them an email and got started. They let me loose on their 20-barrel kit, learning the hard way, but it gave me the understanding and a grounding in good practice – plus learning all the downfalls.” Danny also enrolled on an advanced brewing course at Brewlab in Sunderland which he eagerly admits opened his eyes to another level. “Cogs started to whirl and I put a business plan together,” he says. He acquired brewing equipment from the defunct Wharfe Bank Brewery in West Yorkshire which 30/10/2014 18:33 fitted his needs – and saved a few
grand on buying new. Brewery recruits include highly experienced salesman Stewart Fox and Andrew Burnip, office manager, both of whom conform to Danny McColl’s dictum of getting the team right. A feedback evening for crowdfunding investors at The Old George in Newcastle also introduced some of the recipes he had formulated at Brewlab. The resultant McColl’s portfolio consists of IPA (5.0% abv), Best Bitter (4.4% abv), Golden Ale (4.0% abv) and Pale Ale (4.5% abv). More will inevitably follow, but Danny is someone who needs to get things the way he wants them before moving on. “We went for four beers from the start,” he says. “We didn’t just want to discard our brewing heritage and wanted to get it right first before we go off and do IPAs, double IPAs, Trappist beers and Pilsners. “It’s about quality from North East beers. We set out to be traditional but hopefully our brand conveys that we’re a little bit different from traditional. “I’m still tweaking them and
getting closer to how I really want them. Extraction is a lot different on a 20-barrel brewery than on a 100-litre experimental kit. “We’re well located here (near Bishop Auckland) for Tyneside and Leeds. Our 20-barrel brewhouse and 10-barrel fermenters meet all our requirements and cover any expansion plans. But we would have done it differently had I not had that earlier brewery experience. “In the short term we want to cement ourselves in the market and not get run away with ourselves. We want to get the local area involved – Bishop Auckland is going through lots of improvements with the likes of Kynren, the live-action open-air show, plus Bishop Auckland Castle and the town itself. “Anything and everything is within our ambition. I’m a slow burner, I like to take my time over things. It might sound stupid but my aim is to be like a Thornbridge, Marble or Hawkshead brewery where you get the following and a solid understanding from the local community. Most of all, though, you need the fundamentals in quality.”
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BREWERY NEWS
HISTORY AND INNOVATION IN A GLASS
Black Sheep Brewery is 25 years old this month, so what better time to remind ourselves of a story of expertise, passion, vision, sheer bloody-mindedness and, consequently, family acrimony
Black Sheep was born from the pioneering spirit of Paul Theakston who, in 1992, followed his heart and dared to start a new brewing enterprise. He was born into a brewing dynasty; Paul’s family and the T&R Theakston company had been brewing in Masham, North Yorkshire, for five generations before it was finally taken over by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries. The “old” family firm had been subject to a series of acrimonious
24 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
battles which lead to the takeover in the late 1980s, and although Paul was offered a role in the “big” company, his heart was always in Masham. So in a brave move, and with a growing family to support, he made the decision to leave the business founded in 1827 by Robert Theakston and John Wood in the Black Bull pub and follow his heart. Some soul searching inevitably followed but soon the idea was born to start afresh, so in 1992, Masham gained a pioneering new brewery, built on traditional values. The brewing copper, mash tun, hop-back, and the Yorkshire Stone Square fermenting vessels were refugees from other breweries; three of the fermenting vessels were literally snatched from under a demolition ball. Black Sheep’s current site once housed Lightfoot’s Brewery which Paul Theakston’s grandfather had taken over after the First World War. Names were toyed with
and it was noted that annual sheep fairs played had a huge part in Masham’s history. Paul Theakston says: “When my wife Sue suggested Black Sheep while we were sitting in the kitchen at home we knew instantly we had stumbled on something.” Today, the sixth generation of the Theakston family brewing heritage is now proudly part of story, with Paul’s eldest son Rob as managing director, and second son Jo as sales and marketing director. Black Sheep supporters – and there are a lot of them – come from far and wide to experience the brewery first-hand and the magnificent visitor centre has become an integral part of the experience. Black Sheep continues its tradition in innovation a flow of new and experimental brews alongside Black Sheep Ale (4.4% abv) which continues to maintain its presence among the top ten premium bottled ale brands in the country.
BREWERY NEWS
MAN CRÈCHE SET TO EXPAND
Snuggled in the snug at the Great North Eastern Brewing Company (GNEBC) in Dunston, Gateshead, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re relaxing in a gentlemen’s
The
club or the lounge of a country hotel – and not a former car showroom. You’re surrounded by soft furnishings, upholstered settees, tapestry-backed chairs,
frilly lampshades and gilt picture frames. It’s carpeted throughout and candle-lit with a functional fireplace. “We installed Sky TV and had so many people in for the NewcastleBrighton match we’ve decided to push one wall back and extend it,” says GNEBC managing director Paul Minnikin. The 20-barrel GNEBC brewery is the producer of the renowned Rivet Catcher (“flying out”), Red Ellen, Westoe IPA and Swinging Gibbet, all overseen by head brewer John Stubbs. Paul Minnikin is eager to report that the business is doing very well with sales up week on week. “We call the snug the Man Crèche. What we suggest is for wives to drop their husbands off for a couple of hours at a weekend on their way to the Metrocentre while they go shopping. We’ll give them a ticket which they can exchange later for their menfolk. We put ‘geordie tapas’ on each table – cheese, crackers, Branson Pickle and pickled onions. All pints are £3 and we’re open
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am till 11pm.” Paul adds that the brewery shop and large, well-equipped taproom – where there’s regular live music – are also performing well. “We have plans to install a five-barrel experimental brewery to develop new beers,” he says. “The brewery tap is the ideal way of judging what the public want. At the moment we’ve got special beers on called Dripping Tap and Golden Tap along with Clasper’s Citra Blonde.” Paul Minnikin believes in nurturing latent talent and creativity, particularly from those who perhaps haves come under negative influence. He says: “We’re about to take on an apprentice brewer and have earmarked a youngster for the role. He’s a good lad who has taken to all the jobs around the brewery. Through Gateshead Council and The Wright Group we’ve taken on Caine Robinson as a trainee brewer. He got his head down straight away and is learning fast – another really good lad.”
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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 25
PUB NEWS
UPPING THE PACE, NOT COASTING A refurbished pub appears to have got it right, reckons Alastair Gilmour
Over the past couple of years, Tynemouth has emerged as one of the most stylish places to eat, drink and shop – and now another venue can be added to the mix. Hugo’s on Front Street was closed for refurbishment during most of the summer but is now fully open in all its new chestnut-red richness. Hugo’s Tynemouth is part of the Sir John Fitzgerald group of pubs and restaurants and it’s pretty clear they have taken a long look at what the costal town already offers – and what it doesn’t. Hugo’s fills that gap. Extensive wood panelling, American-style barstools and deep buttoned upholstery help give it a plush hotel feel; an astute use of mirrors and see-through shelving make it appear larger than it already
was, while separate areas for drinking, dining, a combination of both, or simple coffee catch-ups are well thought-out. Fun, black-and-white retro seaside images add cheeriness and frivolity – and we could all do with a bit of that – while the whole main bar and seating area is well lit via a large skylight. Hand-pulled beers on the bar are from Anarchy, Hadrian Border, Tyne Bank, Three Kings and Brinkburn Street breweries with Franciscan Well Chieftain and Wylam Hickey The Rake on keg. In the fridges are craft cans and bottles from Anarchy, Beavertown, Camden and BrewDog, complemented by a cocktail menu and an interesting gin pairing list which add a touch of decadence. “Nobody likes change, particularly
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UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT • Accommodation – Single occupancy £59.95, Double Rooms £89.95 • Set Price menu 3 courses £15 • Steak night, 2 Bistros Rump Steaks, Two standard drinks £25 • A la carte and pub classics menus available • Quiz night Tuesday Wheatsheaf Hotel, St Helens Street, Corbridge NE45 5HE Telephone: 01434 632020 info@wheatsheafhotelcorbridge.co.uk 26 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
change at ‘their’ pub,” says Hugo’s assistant manager Leanne Ramsey. “We’ve had lots of our old customers and new faces coming in since we reopened and they’re creating a really happy atmosphere. It’s been good all round and we’re really, really busy – all a bit crazy actually.” It all takes a bit of time for the Hugo’s detail to sink in – a dispensarytype wine cabinet, newspaper racks, a couple of large television screens, sections of tiling and exposed brickwork, a comprehensive menu, and shimmering brasses wherever you look. Hugo’s is simply glorious and should quickly make up for lost time in Tynemouth where pubs such as the Head of Steam, Barca ArtBar and The Salutation set a formidable pace.
PUB REVIEW
NEW OWNERS SET SAIL WITH THE SHIP
Hugo’s Tynemouth montage: Peter Skelton
A Northumberland pub has new owners who hope to place it firmly on the foodie map. Paul Johnson and Kelly Hopkins have taken over The Ship Inn in Wylam after coming back north from high-profile positions in Cornwall. The couple, who met while working at nearby Close House Hotel and Golf Club, decided to return to the North-East where their offer will have an emphasis on locally-sourced food, with a menu which changes regularly based on the best of seasonality. Paul, an award-winning chef, had previously been working with the Michelin starred Nathan Outlaw at his Mariners pub in Rock, Cornwall, while Kelly managed the historic Metropole Hotel in Padstow, the town where Rick Stein owns several establishments. Paul told The Hexham Courant: “The Ship Inn is a traditional British pub in the charming village of Wylam. We serve proper, tasty and wholesome pub food using the very best local and seasonal ingredients, plus a wide range of real ales, quality wines and local spirits.”
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VIEW FROM ABROAD
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Open house: Purkmistr Brewery was at the centre of the Sun In The Glass beer festival
VILLAGE PEOPLE A beer festival in the Czech Republic finds Alastair Gilmour purring into his glass
When an event calls itself “the annual upstanding beer festival” it’s difficult to know what to expect. Does it mean “of good character” or will there be nowhere to sit down? From the first impression of the Slunce Ve Skle (Sun In The Glass) beer festival all doubt is cast aside. The gathering is held every September around the courtyard of the Purkmistr brewery in Pilsen-Cernice, a rural protected area on the outskirts of Pilsen in the Czech Republic. And the description “of good character” is merely the start – Sun In The Glass is the most warmly-welcoming, well organised, family-friendly beer festival you’ll find anywhere. It combines the best of beer, food and entertainment with exhibitors and participants coming from all parts of the country and beyond (plus a couple of chaps in Hunting Stewart kilts), sampling products from more than 80 breweries – through an astonishing array of traditional lagers, fruit beers, dark ales, IPAs and stouts. The festival is further buoyed by music and dance performances and a souvenirs market, all snaking round Cernice’s lovely cobbled lanes and tidy houses. Alongside hosts Purkmistr, the Sun In The Glass festival
attractions included Ustocesu Minipivovar, Prisov, Raven, Pivni Mozaika, Pivovar Zhurak, Browerdukla, Knizeci Pivovar, and the decidedly un-Czech Lucky Bastard. They helped create a happy, appreciative family atmosphere, and not as male dominant as some in the UK. It’s enveloped in a quiet hum of appreciation, interrupted only by laughter from a group of men soaking – and clinking glasses – in a hot tub, a blacksmith beating out his rhythmic skills and a jazz-funk band whose singer has the deepest, most gravel-rattling voice since Joe Cocker lost his Strepsils. My Way never sounded more haunting. Random picks out of some amazing beers were Comedie Violette (4.9% abv) from Belgium’s Scassenes brewery, a herbal, spiced dark golden wit bier with obvious floral notes – and deeply memorable. Pivovar Matuska Raptor IPA (6.3% abv) is a Czech, English and US combo, full-bodied, unfiltered, unpasteurised and intensely bitter with floral and citrus fruit flavours. Prisov Polotmava (5.5% abv) is curiously malty, deep golden in colour with ripe fruit to the fore – and immensely quaffable. A guided tour of Purkmistr Brewery shows off its beer spa (yes, you can bathe in the stuff) and
WHAT’S ON
Gigs ’N’ Festivals NEWCASTLE BAGS TWO ‘GORGEOUS GEMS’ Ten of the most beautiful gig venues in the UK have been selected by Emily Mackay of BBC Music with two in Newcastle among them. Wylam Brewery and Boiler Shop sit nicely alongside the nation’s most attractive buildings adapted in some way for music. The Palace of Arts in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park, the sole surviving structure from the 1929 North East exhibition is now home to Wylam Brewery and hosts gigs in its great hall starring the likes of Michael Kiwanuka, Billy Bragg, Half Man Half Biscuit and Evan Dando. Newcastle can also boast another striking venue of the industrial age in the Boiler Shop, part of the historic Stephenson Locomotive Works, that has recently featured Einstürzende Neubauten, Sparks and Liars. an attractive brewhouse where some 50 beers have been brewed in the past year, making full use of its eight open fermenters and 13 lagering tanks. “We produce fruit beers, IPA, double IPA and stout using hops from the US and England and also traditional Czech beers,” says brewery manager Petr Mic. “For those we only use domestic materials – barley from Moravia and aromatic Zatec hops which we mix with two others for our dark lager. The advantage of being a small brewery is we can brew lots of different beers and not in standardised, huge quantities.” Purkmistr Summer Beer is an American-style hoppy, cloudy ale – unfiltered and unpasteurised, thus retaining its natural state with a high vitamin B content. It reputedly has beneficial effects on the human body. There’s a drawback to one of the Purkmistr styles, however, as Petr Mic explains: “If we put our dark lager (4.2% abv) on at beer festivals, nobody wants to drink anything else.” Back at the Sun In The Glass festivities, the local residents appear amused and creditably tolerant of the invading beer enthusiasts. Beer is a big part of their culture and heritage, so they want to share their village with the world. The deep-throated singer has just started on Mack The Knife: “Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo, sunny morning, uh huh…” Upstanding? You bet. www.slunceveskle.cz www.purkmistr.cz With special thanks to Visit Pilsen (www.pilsen.eu/tourist) and Czech Tourism UK & Ireland (Tel: 01582 725874)
OCTOBER 13-14
EAT DRINK FEST Hoults Yard, Walker Road, Newcastle NE6 3HL This October, the Appetite, Cheers and Spirit of Northumbria “Eat Drink Festival” at Hoults Yard will bring together the best of the region’s food and drinks under one roof. With a wide range of vendors including Cheers favorites Rigg & Furrow Brewery, Autumn Brewing & Box Social Brewery paired up with Appetite foodies Log Fire Pizza Company, Papa Ganoush & Blagdon Farm Shop the festival is stacked with the finest food and drink from across our region. The festival floor will also be packed with some of our region’s most delicious gins. In attendance will be Newcastle Gin Company, Lakes Distillery and Eden Mill Gin co. Overall over 37 exhibitors will be on display with chef demos and live music throughout the weekend. Tickets are priced at £10 with a special offer of 25% off for Cheers readers using code EDF25 on checkout. www.eatdrinkfest.co.uk
OCTOBER 26-28
CRAFT BEER CALLING Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle NE2 4PZ Craft Beer Calling is quite simply, for one weekend only, an assembly of some of the world’s leading caraft breweries under one roof (plus a gin palace, wine cellar, live music, sumptuous street food market, DJs and an artisan cider cellar). Craft Beer Calling works as an invitational – the breweries run their own bars, meaning there are more taps running at he one time. Customers will be able to interact with brewery staff and get to know much more about their beer. Breakout events over the weekend give the opportunity of tasting specials and one-offs from partner breweries which include Basqueland Brewing Project, Vocation Brewery, Mad Hatter, Magic Rock, Beavertown, Stern Craft Brew, Wild Beer Co, Verdant, The Kernel and Deya. Visit www.craftbeercalling.com for details and ticket information.
NOVEMBER 10-11
GLENSIDE REAL ALE FESTIVAL The Glenside, Main Road, Mickley, Prudhoe, Northumberland NE43 7BW Twelve real ales, five ciders, hot food and live music in this unusual venue that was Mickley’s cinema and Masonic Hall, now a steakhouse/pub. Friday: Willie Guitar Watson and The Lynch Mob. Saturday: Hoppa the Boppa and Liberty Bell. Doors open 5pm each evening. Tickets £10 includes free engraved glass, entry into both nights and first three drinks free. Hot food available both days. The No10 bus stops right outside the Glenside and runs every half-hour between Newcastle and Hexham. Tel: 01661 843060 for details or visit the Facebook page: The Glenside Mickley. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 29
FUN STUFF
SIGN OF THE TIMES Spotted in Edinburgh’s West End, a café for board game enthusiasts whose name says it all. Thanks to correspondent Vincent Zeller. Keep them coming, folks.
THE DIRTY DOZEN
TWELVE CORKERS TO GET YOU THINKING WHILE DRINKING
A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR… …AND THE BARMAN SAYS: “YOU LOOK AS THOUGH YOU COULD DO WITH A DRINK.” THE MAN SAYS: “YOU BET I DO. I WENT TO THE DOCTOR THIS MORNING FOR THE TENTH TIME THIS MONTH AND HE TOOK ONE LOOK AT ME AND SAID ‘I THINK YOU’VE GOT HYPOCHONDRIA’. I SAID TO HIM, ‘OH NO, NOT THAT AS WELL’.”
EEH! NUMBERS
1814
1 In the 1878 FA Cup Final (Wanderers 3 Royal Engineers 1) what was unusual about the Royal Engineers’ goal? 2 What in Britain is 410 miles long? 3 In which city is the world’s oldest zoo? 4 Which biblical town translates as “House of Bread” in Hebrew? 5 The national flags of Kosovo and Cyprus are the only ones to feature what? 6 A croque monsieur is a cooked cheese and ham sandwich – what additions turns it into a croque madame? 7 Which is the only muscle in the human body that works without support of the skeleton? 8 “Corporation Tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday” is a line from which Beatles song? 9 Which much-loved entertainer started his long career at the age of 14 as The Mighty Atom? 10 Body-builder Angelo Siciliano was better known as who? 11 The wine regions Stellenbosch and Paarl are in which country? 12 In mythology, a gryphon is half lion and half what?
The year a vat at Meux’s Brewery in London burst, flooding the Tottenham Court Road brewery with 130,000 gallons of porter, drowning eight people The year George Stephenson introduced Blucher, his first steam engine, designed for hauling coal on the Killingworth wagonway The year confectioner Henri Nestlé was born in Frankfurt, Germany (August 10).
QUOTE
“WELL, I’M ONE BUD WISER THAN I WAS A MINUTE AGO. I FOUND AN EQUALISER THAT MAKES HER MEMORY A NO-SHOW.” JOHN RICH, SINGER, SONGWRITER (ONE BUD WISER, 2006)
QUIZ ANSWERS: 1 Officially recorded as ‘scorer not known’. 2 The A1. 3 Vienna. 4 Bethlehem. 5 A map of their countries. 6 A fried egg. 7 The tongue. 8 I Am The Walrus. 9 Bruce Forsyth. 10 Charles Atlas. 11 South Africa. 12 Eagle.
30 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk
NEW to the core range
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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 31
OCTOBER 13-14, 2017
HOULTS YARD 63 WALKER ROAD, NEWCASTLE, NE
HL
WWW.EATDRINKFEST.CO.UK LIVE MUSIC-GREAT FOOD-120+ GINS&ALES
25% OFF TICKETS WITH CODE EDF25