Cheers North East magazine #78 - March 2018

cheers WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK // MARCH 2018 // ISSUE 78

I T ’ S

A B O U T

P U B S ,

P E O P L E ,

B E E R

–

A N D

TYNESIDE CAMRA CLUB OF THE YEAR STAN FANS CAN CELEBRATE A WIN

ROTHBURY ROCKS WITH HOUSE SPECIALS PLUS KICKS FROM NICKS TURKS AND QUEENS

RED ELLEN GETS THE VOTE PINTS AND POLITICS FROM MARX TO BREXIT

Y O U !

FREE PLEA

SE TAKE A COPY

C RA F T B E E R D I S T R I B U T I O N IN

THE

NORTH

EAST &

SCOTLAND

THE BEST MODERN BEER FROM THE UK AND BEYOND INCLUDING AN EXSTENSIVE CORE LIST AND E XC I T I N G W E E K LY S P E C I A L S FAST AND SECURE ONLINE ORDERING WEEKLY DELIVERIES CIDER•SOFT DRINKS•SPIRITS FOR LISTS AND PRICING CONTACT: SALES@ANEWWAVE.CO.UK

WELCOME There’s so much to look forward to in March with beer festivals in the diary, St Patrick’s Day approaching, Mothers’ Day, the Cheltenham Festival, the fringes of Easter, season-defining matches for our football clubs, and the introduction of new beer styles that reflect the changing season.

The development of our pubs is also a fascinating aspect of today’s leisure industry – the immensely pleasing micropub phenomenon that has witnessed lately The Red House in Chopwell, Gateshead, The Mean Eyed Cat in Newcastle city centre and Orb Micropub & Whisky Lounge in Darlington – three pubs that couldn’t be more different yet they’re the same with a commitment to quality and high standards that every venue needs these days to survive and thrive.

There’s a definite lengthening to the days and, apart from The Beast From The East – the dreadful snow and ice conditions blown in from Siberia that disrupted the last few days of February and the first couple in March – there’s an air of spring around.

At least it’ll stop people from saying “we don’t get proper winters any more”.

But there’s always the likes of Sonnet 43 Raven, Wylam Jakehead IPA, Durham Temptation, Almasty Pilsner and Roosters Baby Faced Assassin to fall back on.

Alastair Gilmour Editor, Cheers North East

EDITORIAL

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

CONTENTS 10

RED ELLEN GETS THE VOTE

We’re halfway through the Brexit process this month with just another year before we say au revoir to the European Union. Whether we like it or not, big changes are ahead after March 2019, so it might be timely to take a sideways look at beer and politics – putting our X down from Marx to Brexit, so to speak. We conjure up “Red” Ellen Wilkinson, suffragette, firebrand, agitator and MP for Jarrow with a trip to Wetherspoons, Little Moscow and the Beautiful South.

COVER: RACHEL HUGHES MODELS AT THE GREAT NORTH EASTERN BREWING CO. PHOTO: PETER SKELTON

THE BEST BEER IN THE COUNTRY WOULD TURN UP AT THE FREE TRADE WITHOUT ME KNOWING MUCH ABOUT IT OLIVER CATT, NEW WAVE DISTRIBUTION

ADVERTISING

Emma Howe 07854 011 704 01661 844 115 emma@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 10 20 22

LATEST NEWS NEW BREWS AT ARCH2 STAN GETS CLUB AWARD GERMANY CALLING

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

26 34 36 38

FOCUS ON ROTHBURY BIG TIME FOR MICROPUBS PROUD OF HIS ROUTES FUN WITH FUN STUFF

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

PUB’S FOOD ABSOLUTELY SMOKING

As if being named number 14 in the prestigious Estrella Damm Top 50 British Gastropbs 2018 was not acclaim enough for The Rat Inn at Anick near Hexham, its head chef has gained a significant award while the pub’s chef/patron reached the finals of the national Scotch Egg Championship.

Kevin MacLean was named Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year at a competition held at the House of Commons run by the British Beer & Pub Association and the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, in partnership with Nestlé.

Kevin was nominated by Hexham MP Guy Opperman MP in recognition of his chef skills at The Rat Inn. He cooked brill with razor clams, which the judges said was perfectly seasoned and well balanced.

Kevin, who admitted he was “stunned” at the result, said: “It’s an honour to win and I would like to thank Guy Opperman for nominating me in the first place. Hopefully the profile of this competition will keep rising and bring more chefs into the industry, which in turn will raise the awareness of the great British pub and all the good food and great work

Pensive: Kevin MacLean psyches up for the House of Commons competition.

Below: Phil Mason’s traditional Scotch egg people across the country are doing.”

The Rat Inn also made it to the finals of the annual Scotch Egg Challenge held The Canonbury pub in London. Chef/patron Phil Mason couldn’t quite pull off the same success as Kevin MacLean – the competition was won by the Smoking Goat, London, the first time in the challenge’s eight-year history a restaurant has claimed top spot rather than a pub. The entry comprised of Thai spiced Tamworth pork with fermented crab, chilli and kaffir lime.

Phil said: “It really was amazing to be shortlisted in this event for the second year in a row alongside many of the country’s top chefs. Even if you come away empty handed its such a cracking competition."

AWARD WINNING LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD Reservations 01434 602814 www.theratinn.com Twitter:@ratales The Rat Inn, Anick, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 4LN 4 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

NEWS

LONG DRIVE ENDS UP IN A DIVE

officially began his journey.

An adventurer has Photo: Ben Coombs To meet his criteria, each completed an epic pub or bar visited had to be journey visiting the most fully licensed and open to northerly to the most the public. While there are southerly pubs in the bars on Antarctica, Coombs world. Ben Coombs from said that these were located Plymouth has finished on bases and are thus not a 20,000-mile journey fully accessible. across 21 countries He then drove driving a 20-year-old TVR Kermit across Europe to Chimaera called Kermit Southampton where it was shipped to New York. from Devon to southern Chile as part of an From there he drove across America to California epic pub adventure. before heading south to Mexico, then South He travelled to Pyramiden, a former mining America to reach the final destination, the world’s settlement on the Norwegian island of Svalbard southernmost bar in Puerto Williams in Chile which which has a total population of four. he admits was “ a bit of a dive”.

“Pyramiden is less than 700 miles from the He said: “There are probably more appealing North Pole and is the northernmost settlement places to travel 20,000 miles to get to, but that’s on Earth with a permanent civilian population, and has only one bar,” said Coombs. After buying a pint not really the point. It’s the journey that matters, not the destination”. of Russian beer at the bar on 10 July 2017, he T H E G R E AT

BREWING BEST SELLER

NORTH EAST

T H E G R E AT N O R T H E A S T BR EW E RY G U I D E

BREWERY

Sales of the Great North Eastern Brewery Guide, published by Offstone Publishing – publishers of Cheers – have been going well since the book was launched in November. Retailers across the region report steady sales.

The definitive guide to the region’s breweries costs £15 and is available from Waterstones and independent bookshops as well as the breweries featured in its 128 sumptuous pages plus associated pubs. For full information visit www. cheersnorthesat.co.uk

GUIDE

THE DEFINITIVE G UIDE TO THE REG IO N ’ S F I N E ST B R EW E R I E S A L A STA I R G I L M OU R

Cover.indd 3

GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

cheers

One of the North East’s favourite pub dogs – and a loyal contributor to Cheers MEET THEM ON THE North East, CORNER CITY HALL GETS READY even though TO ROCK 007 TOASTS he never knew HEINEKEN THE NAME’S it – has passed BRAND, GLOBAL BRAND away. Frank, FREE owner of the DOG-FRIENDLY BEER RAISES THE WOOF Brandling Villa, South Gosforth’s supremo Dave Carr, had to be put to sleep last month following heart problems. It might be appropriate that it was Valentine’s Day. Hundreds of tributes have been paid to the much-loved beagle with social media paying special thanks.

In a poignant message, Dave posted on Twitter: “Our spiritual leader went to doggo heaven today. Bye Frank X.” Dave also said: “Frank’s legacy is the growing number of dog-friendly independent pubs there are in the North East. I know he was mostly after people’s burgers, but he did make a few friends along the way. Heart problems led to the difficult decision to put him to sleep. It will be weird pushing the pub forward without him.”

Other posts included: “RIP Frank. Your spirit will stay in that pub forever.”

“Absolutely gutted for my mate Dave. The Brandling Villa has lost a great friend. What a superb dog Frank was. RIP bonny lad X.”

WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.U K // NOVEMBER 2015 // ISSUE 55

I T ’ S

A B O U T

P U B S ,

P E O P L E ,

B E E R

THE BEAGLE HAS LANDED

–

A N D

Y O U !

PLEASE TAK A COPY E

CHE55 Cover.indd 1

02/11/2015 10:06

3

08/11/2017 16:54

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 5

NEWS

BREWER MOVING WITH THE TIMES Tyne Bank Brewery is going through a period of change, proving that nothing stays the same forever. The Byker, Newcastle, company has taken a new head brewer on board to replace the appropriately named Adam Brewer who is going into teaching biology. All that knowledge of yeast structure and saccharification (the conversion of starch into sugar) will certainly come in handy in the classroom.

He is being replaced by Alan Dunlop from 6 Degrees North, based in Scotland, who will have a busy introduction to the brewhouse and taproom on Walker Road.

Brewery owner Julia Austin says: “We are looking to ramp up our bar specials brewed on our test kit and launch an exciting new range of limited edition small batch brews with release dates planned for Easter.”

Julia also says that one of their old vans has been donated to Nowt Special Events, an artsbased company that Tyne Bank works closely with,

exhibiting artworks to hang in a rotating programme and presenting DJ-led events. One of its Foghorn on the Tyne: artists has sprayThe ‘new’ Nowt’s Special van painted the van with the idea that every month with a new set of artworks to hang – to win a £75 voucher for Miller and Carter and normally between 20 and 30 at a time – the van will Vintage Inns,” says Julia. “Entrants must tag us in appear with completely new graphics. a social media post with a photo of themselves “The events in the taproom are growing and we enjoying a pint of Silver Dollar in either a Miller now even have a Baby Social once a month which and Carter Steak House or one of the Vintage is proving really popular. Parents bring their babies Inns.” (Visit www.tynebankbrewery.co.uk for more and get a chance to meet and socialise with others information).

– something that can get lost when you have a tiny Beer-wise, Fusion – the first of Tyne Bank’s one around.” new quarterly range of SMaSH beers – is selling A Thrift Market is on the calendar (March 4) as well there are similar high hopes for Planet are the ever-popular Tap Socials and Film Nights Olicana. Another new special (Cabana Coconut with an Irish beer festival set for St Patrick’s Day. Porter 5.3% abv) is inspired by the old confectionary “We are also just about to launch a competition bar, with hints of cherry, caramel and chocolate.

THE BRIDGE TAVERN BREW PUB & EATERY

www.thebridgetavern.com

6 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk BT_Cheers.indd 1

30/01/2015 14:07

NEWS

EWE’RE WELCOME TO THE NEW CENTRE

Black Sheep Brewery has unveiled a new look to its award-winning visitor centre, following a major refurbishment at the Masham, North Yorkshirebased brewery. The company, recognising the skill and craft available on its doorstep, invited local tradespeople – and brewery employees eager to help – to carry out the work.

The bar area has been updated with a “craft keg beer wall” and a revamped seating and lounge area which has created more of a modern pub setting. New furniture has been fitted to offer a relaxing environment, with large “bottled light boxes” made up of clear Black Sheep bottles adding to the setting. A lounge area has also been created on the mezzanine, with a revamped bistro

and Sheepy Shop. It is estimated that 30,000 people descend on Masham each year to visit the Black Sheep visitor centre.

Last year, Black Sheep was named the British Beer & Pub Association’s (BBPA) Beer Champion 2017, in the brewery’s silver anniversary year, in recognition of its commitment to supporting the pub industry.

Jo Theakston, Black Sheep sales and marketing director, said: “This is a significant investment for Black Sheep. The visitor centre has grown to become a major attraction in Yorkshire. Flocks of people visit the brewery every year and the refurbishment has given us a modern facelift, while maintaining our strong values as a traditional, independent brewery.”

LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS Cheers cartoonist Cluff has produced a small booklet that reveals an insight into the mind of someone who is never far away from a sketchbook compiled with an off-beat sense of humour. The Darlington-based artist – also known as John Longstaff – is a regular contributor to Private Eye magazine and was for many years the daily pocket cartoonist and oft-times illustrator at The Northern Echo,

one of Britain’s most influential regional newspapers.

The Back Burner is a 16-page collection of ideas, full cartoons and half-worked drawings that will make you laugh, smile, wonder and appreciate the hard work that goes into illustrated humour.

Priced £5, it’s available from johnclongst@aol.com

Easter Weekend

Friday 30th march- April 2nd T H E F E AT H E R S I N N , HEDLEY ON THE HILL, NEAR STOCKSFIELD NE43 SW

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 7

NEWS

AMERICA HOPPING AROUND

Hoppy happy: US hop production has risen by 77% since 2012

British brewers in general and those in the North East in particular have been enchanted by American hops for several years now. Their intense fruitiness, aroma-rich and floral nature helps create modern craft beers that create great interest among the drinking public and allows the beers’ creators to experiment with all-action flavours as never before.

The annual Statistical Report from Hop Growers of America reveals data on the three main Pacific Northwest (PNW) producing states – Washington, Oregon, and Idaho – and 26 additional states outside of the that defined area which is approximately 2% of US production, demonstrating how much of an influence the PNW wields.

Some statistics emerging are: US hop acreage has increased 79.5% since 2012 and production by 77%.

For the first time, Idaho has surpassed Oregon in production to become the secondhighest hop producing state at 13.2%.

Washington and Oregon were at 75.4% and 11.4%, respectively.

The alpha to aroma/dual purpose hops ratio has shifted from approximately 50/50 in 2012 to 80/20 in 2017.

Increase in customer demand for aromas has meant an increase in production costs for farms, increasing infrastructure and capacities.

The yields for 2017 jumped up 14% from 2016 thanks to maturing “baby” (newly planted) hops and more favourable weather conditions.

While global hop demand appears to be on the rise thanks to burgeoning international craft beer cultures, many industry leaders caution against additional acreage being added in the US for the 2018 crop. All key indicators suggest current aroma hop demand has largely been satisfied by the unprecedented expansion of US acreage in recent years.

Conversely, many reports also indicate current global alpha inventories are insufficient for market demands as the global brewing industry has finally worked through decade-long surpluses.

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE CAMRA 2017 SOUTH WEST NORTHUMBERLAND PUB OF THE YEAR WINNER

WHITLEY BAY & MONKSEATON

LEFT LUGGAGE ROOM

TRADITIONAL PUB WITH REAL ALES, A REAL FIRE AND A WARM WELCOME (12 Handpulls - 12 Ciders/Perrys) BOTTLE SHOP & TASTING ROOM

Pie & Peas, toasties & sandwiches available every day

EASTER BEER FESTIVAL

Thursday 29th March - Monday 2nd April

TAP TAKEOVER WEEKEND

BUSKERS NIGHTS

Tuesday March 6th, 20th, 27th

9/10/11 MARCH 2018

THE NEW BOATHOUSE B&B NOW OPEN

9 KEGS • 10 CASKS

FREE Function room !! Catering available on request

FEATURING ANARCHY, ARBOR & LOST+FOUND 8 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

CONTACT US FOR BOOKINGS

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

NEWS

BEER TOURISM ON THE CARDS More than 50 of the North East’s most innovative property projects have been shortlisted for the 2018 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards North East, an annual event which shines a light on exemplar building projects across the region.

The awards, which recognise projects that have changed the face of the region in the last year, highlight 55 schemes of all sizes and budgets in eight categories: building conservation, commercial property, community benefit, design through innovation, infrastructure, regeneration, residential and tourism and leisure.

A number of Newcastle projects are in the running, including Wylam Brewery, in Exhibition Park, which has been shortlisted for the tourism and leisure award as well as the commercial property accolade, as has The Fire Station entertainments complex in Sunderland.

Wylam Brewery’s home at the Palace of Arts is the last remaining building from the 1929 North East Exhibition and a refurbishment

FIGS AIN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE

Summer lovin’: Wylam Brewery’s sun-soaked terrace programme transformed the derelict building in a fully operational working brewery, ta room and 800-capacity events space.

Those shortlisted for category awards will automatically be considered for the North East Project of the Year title, presented to the scheme which demonstrates overall outstanding best practice and an exemplary commitment to adding value to its local area.

All category winners will go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final on November 2018, for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winner in their respective category. The 2018 RICS Awards, North East take place on Friday April 20 at the Mariott Gosforth Park, Newcastle.

There’s nothing like a subtle twist of fruit flavour to excite a craft ale lover’s taste for the exotic. But, as you’ll know if you’ve ever produced a beer with a peach, pineapple or raspberry twist, fresh fruit and purée are expensive ingredients.

Fructozym P is a natural enzyme that helps to break down fruit more efficiently, releasing more flavour and aroma. The name of the game is complete pectin degradation.

Fructozym P avoids the waste and expense of throwing away kilos of expensive fruit that’s only given up a small percentage of its potential goodness to the brew.

“Fructozym is a fantastic product,” says Wild Beer Co’s head brewer whose beers are flavoured with fruit such as Somerset raspberries, figs, oranges and foraged fruits are proving extremely popular. “We use it in our Pogo Pale Ale and it really speeds up pectin fallout and helps to bring out the flavours of passion fruit and guava – fruits that are high in pectin.”

2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 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

26TH - 29TH APRIL THE STEAMBOAT SPRING BEER FESTIVAL Join us on our opening night for a Marstons Meet The Brewer and enjoy 3 x 1/3 pint tasters, buffet and evening with the brewer for only £4.50 PRESENTATION OF POTY 2018 MARCH 29TH FROM 8PM QUIZ NIGHT THE 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH

The Steamboat

27 Mill Dam, South Shields, NE33 1EQ (0191) 454 0134

DOG

FRIENDLY

PUB www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 9

BEER AND POLITICS

RED ELLEN GETS THE VOTE Political discussions invariably involve a pint on the side, writes Alastair Gilmour A year this month, we wave goodbye to the European Union. Depending on our political persuasion, we’ll either be weeping into tapas, French fries and Belgian beer or wrapping up cosily in a Union Jack, patting Bullseye on the head while delving into fish and chips and drinking golden, sparkling lager.

Obviously it’s all a bit confusing – not least that fish and chips, the most British of British meals, was an Italian invention and golden lager was first created in 1842 Bohemia. But let’s not argue.

This year also marks the centenary of women being allowed to vote, a momentous decision being celebrated loud and clear – although that right was initially only granted to those over 30 who owned property.

So, we’re looking at politics through the bottom of a glass – via pubs and beer – which is infinitely preferable to getting our political fix from BBC Parliament. In common with all 10 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Red rose: Rachel Hughes poses at the Great North Eastern Brewing Co. Photo: Peter Skelton half-decent media outlets, we’re attempting to strike a balance. However, given that the very essence of pubs is the wide availability of alcohol, our balance is generally the subject of some scrutiny.

TO MARK the Representation of the Peoples Act of 1918, a Blaydon constituency Labour Party event was hosted by the Great North Eastern Brewing Company (GNEBC) at its tap room in Dunston, Gateshead, where an enthusiastic crowd from all corners of Tyneside were treated to some brilliant hospitality and an illuminating talk by local historian Anthony Atkinson on the life and times of Ellen Wilkinson.

The brewery makes sure her name lives on through Red Ellen (4.3% abv), an appropriately coloured and American red craft ale.

Great North Eastern Brewing Company’s other beers include Westoe IPA, Joblings Swinging Gibbet and the highly popular Rivet Catcher.

Ellen Cicely Wilkinson was born in Manchester in 1891 and became a Labour Party politician, serving as minister of education from July 1945 until her death in 1947. Earlier in her career, as MP for Jarrow, she became a national figure playing a prominent role in the 1936 Jarrow March to London to petition for the right to work.

Ellen Wilkinson had embraced socialism at an early age and she developed into a firebrand, working-class hero, a suffragette, trade unionist and a lifelong protestor at injustice. She was elected Labour MP for Middlesbrough East in 1924, and following a subsequent defeat there she became a prolific journalist and writer before returning to Parliament as Jarrow's MP in 1935. Red Ellen’s arrival in the House of Commons attracted considerable press comment, much of it related to her bright red hair and her vividly coloured clothes. The Woman's Leader magazine described her as a “vigorous, uncompromising feminist and an

BEER AND POLITICS exceedingly tenacious, forcible and hard-headed politician”. Today, the Red Ellen labelling reflects this tenacity.

BEER and politics have always been inseperable. In 2006 prime minister, Tony Blair invited French president Jacques Chirac to dinner at The County Hotel in Aycliffe Village in County Durham. While Mr Chirac opted for a pint of Kronenbourg lager, Mr T eagerly set about his Marston Moor Brewers’ Pride Bitter – apparently before he had given it time to settle. So what, we’ve all done it.

Some politicians knew the form at an early age. While still at Oxford University, Bob Hawke, former prime minister of Australia, entered the Guinness Book of Records for drinking a yard of ale in 12 seconds. And, one of the best spokesmen Czech beer could ever have had was former president (and former poet and playwrite) Vaclav Havel who delighted in guiding visiting politicians around Prague’s pubs. There are photographs in bars with him and the likes of Bill Clinton having a jolly good swig and – Havel, at least – having a jolly good time. According to Radio Prague, he once bunked off an official

function in America to drink beer before heading for a John Cale rock concert.

One of his plays – the one-act Audience – is based on the period in 1974 that he spent as a labourer in the Krakonos brewery in East Bohemia. Its most repeated stage direction is “Maltster opens another bottle...”

Today we still have a Czech influence – or not – through Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s alleged passing of secrets to diplomat Jan Sarkocy (which has been proved in all quarters to be nonsense).

Boris Yeltsin, former president of the USSR, once conducted an orchestra following a champagne lunch, though as this took place in Berlin, perhaps a beer or two were also involved. Admittedly, we use the word “conducted” fairly loosely – Boris seized a conductor’s baton to direct an oompah band, grabbed a microphone and began singing.

In 1994, he also slept off the effects of a seven-hour flight – comforted by vodka – during a refuelling stop at Shannon Airport and missed his appointment with Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

Then there was ex-PM David Cameron in 2016 entertaining

THE GREAT NORTH EASTERN BREWING COMPANY LTD Brewery Shop

Tap Now Open

We would like to thank the trade for your continued support

Great. North Eastern. Brewing Contract House, Wellington Road, NE11 9HS Dunston, Gateshead, Tel: 0191 4474462 email: gneb@mail.com www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 11

BEER AND POLITICS Chinese president Xi Jinping at The Plough at Cadsden, a 16th-century Buckinghamshire pub where they sealed their countries’ “golden” friendship over a pint of Greene King IPA. BUT whichever way we think, March 2018 marks the 12-month countdown to the withdrawal of the UK from the EU – Brexit.

One of the movement’s most vigorous and vocal supporters is Tim Martin, founder of the 980-strong JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs.

During the EU Referendum he distributed 500,00 anti-EU beermats and continues the rhetoric in the company’s quarterly magazine – and on various television and radio discussions.

Warnings have been issued that food and drink prices could rise sharply at the end of a Brexit transition period with the British Retail Consortium stating that the price of beef and cheese could increase by 30%. Tim Martin, however, claims the Wetherspoons pub meals would decrease by 3.9p per portion and the cost of a pint by nearly a penny if World Trade Organisation rules were then to apply.

We’re left wondering if Wetherspoons will stock Brexit Premium Export Lager (4.6% abv).

This pale-coloured beer, brewed using Styrian Goldings hops and a Swiss lager yeast, starts off in the glass in fine fettle with an aroma of malt and fruit which extends into the palate. This quickly disappears – as does the bubbly head –

Crusader: Ellen Wilkinson at the head of the Jarrow March and develops nothing of any note, finishing dull and uninteresting, which is not a very good thing to say about any beer and is sadly what the Brexit negotiations have descended into.

ON A more positive note, a spark of revolution illuminates Firebrick Brewery’s background.

Its first beer, Blaydon Brick, was the nickname of Joseph Cowen, the radical 19th Century politician closely associated with his father’s brick business.

Joseph Cowen was at various times a journalist, owner of the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, MP, theatre owner and supporter

of Irish and Italian revolutionaries. He also campaigned against slavery, for miners’ welfare, and equality for women.

In homage, Firebrick Brewery has developed gluten-free Giuseppe Lager (4.3% abv) named in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the great hero of the Italian Unification movement and a revolutionary who stayed with Cowen in 1854 at Stella Hall in Blaydon.

Cowen gave Garibaldi a golden sword inscribed: “Presented to General Garibaldi by the People of Tyneside, Friends of European Freedom”. Canny Cowen had put a penny on the Chronicle to pay for it.

EASTER AT THE DYVELS INN EAS JOIN US FOR F FISH FOR GOOD FRIDAY - 30TH MARCH STARTERS WHITEBAIT - £3.95 THAI FISH CAKES - £4.45

HOMECOOKED FOOD · LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BESPOKE EVENTS · WORLD LAGERS & ALES PREMIUM SPIRITS · COFFEE ACCOMMODATION · DOG FRIENDLY

EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday 31st March

JOIN US FROM 9.30AM FOR BREAKFAST WITH PRINCESSES ELSA AND CINDERELLA. JOIN THE EASTER BUNNY IN OUR BEER GARDEN AT 11AM FOR OUR EASTER EGG HUNT. PRIZES FOR ALL THE FAMILY TO WIN

The Dyvels Inn, Station Road, Corbridge, NE45 5AY Telephone: 01434 632888 | www.thedyvelsinn.com 12 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

PRAWN COCKTAIL - £4.75

TRADITIONAL MAINS

SPECIAL MAINS

CHEFS BEER BATTERED COD & CHIPS, BREAD AND BUTTER AND CUP OF TEA - £10.95

COD TIKKA MASALA - £9.95 FISH FINGER STOTTIE - £8.95 MUSSELS - £9.95

MUSSELS - £5.95

FISH GOUJONS - £8.45

SEAFOOD PIE - £11.95

TRIO OF KING PRAWNS - £5.95

WHITBY WHOLE TAIL SCAMPI - £8.95

KING PRAWN SIZZLER - £12.95

SHARING SEA BOARD - £14.95

CHEFS BEER BATTERED COD & CHIPS - £8.95

SAUTEED KING PRAWNS - £12.95

THAI FISH CAKES - £9.45

EASTER SUNDAY 1st APRIL Sunday lunch will be served from 12-4pm At 5PM we will announce the winners of our Easter Egg Decorating Competition and Colouring Competition Buskers will provide live music from 5.30pm Visit us on

BEER AND POLITICS WHEN The Beautiful South’s David Rotheray decided his creative streak had run dry in 2013, he chilled a while then opened a pub in his hometown Hull called The People’s Republic – a lifelong dream. Songs began to take shape in his mind through long shifts

behind the bar as pub patrons began divulging their life stories.

“Everybody has met the resident delusional storyteller in their local pub,” he says. “When you’re the barman it’s different though – you get a more intense version with extra chapters.

Storyteller: Dave Rothery, left, Eleanor McEvoy and Mike Greaves

Half_Page_Ad.pdf

1

28/02/2018

11:51

I don’t know whether it’s because they think you’re an idiot, or because they figure you’re getting paid to stand and listen.”

Energised once more, David picked up his guitar and got together with long-time friends Eleanor McEvoy and Mike Greaves with a debut album, Songs From Behind Bars, due out in April. With tracks such as The Man Who Faked His Own Life and The Night May Still Be Young (But I Am Not), it might not be intensely political but again, we’ve all been there.

THE Red House micropub in Chopwell, Gateshead, has an unusual past with the clue in the name. Rumour has it that the former baby goods shop was – long before that – the headquarters of the local Communist party.

It’s not such a fanciful notion for a village dubbed Little Moscow due to its residents’ left-leaning politics and the fact that several of its streets are named after Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Friedrich Engels. There was even a football team playing in the Northern Alliance League called Chopwell Soviets.

The Red House, open since just before Christmas and owned by accomplished home-brewer Joe McNestry, is a very tidy, neat-as-ninepence pub with an overwhelming all-embracing comfort – a place where one feels at one with the world. Old Chopwell is celebrated in framed photographs while a

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 13

BEER AND POLITICS couple of vintage theatre posters add a splash of colour and layer of intrigue.

Lovely feature square bay windows are ideal for bench-style seating, while the bar counter is one of the lowest we’ve ever stood at which makes life much easier on the other side, says Joe McNestry, particularly when his wife takes her shift behind the bar. The cask beer range is ever-evolving with the likes of Old Potting Shed Amber Gold, McCall’s Best Bitter and Allendale Wolf on handpull, while keg offerings are Great North Eastern Brewing Co Rivet Catcher, Allendale Adder Lager, Cullercoats Phoenix and Thistly Cross cider, plus a fridge stocked primarily with soft drinks and a beer range limited only by space. A small range of whiskies and gins sell particularly well, too.

“It’s amazing how people in the village have come out and supported us,” says Joe. “Some of them haven’t seen each other in decades because they preferred to stay at home, but the pub has made a big difference to their social lives.”

Perhaps you can’t judge a book by its cover, but there might be an argument for judging a pub by the contents of its bookshelves. The Red House scores highly in this debate, with (at random on its shelves) Margrave Of The Marshes – John Peel’s autobiography; My Life

by Fidel Castro; How Music Works by David Byrne, and Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion

– written in 1993, but still the best book ever on the subject.

There’s a saying that pubs and politics don’t mix, much in the way that sport and politics don’t

either. But you can’t get away from it – beer and pubs and politics make companionable bedfellows. But they also say you shouldn’t take arguments to bed. Oh well.

Glowing: The Red House in Chopwell

DARLINGTON’S FIRST MICROPUB

NOW OPEN

THE ORB MICROPUB - ALE AND WHISKY HOUSE WILL BE FOCUSING ON PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY LOCAL REAL ALES, CRAFT BEERS AND A WIDE RANGE OF SINGLE MALT WHISKIES.

ORB MICROPUB, ALE & WHISKY HOUSE 28 CONISCLIFFE ROAD, DARLINGTON DL3 7RG TEL: 07903237246 | 14 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

@ORBMICROPUB

INNOVATION

OUSEBURN PUB WEARS A CREATIVE HAT

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO LEASE THE NEWLY REFURBISHED RAILWAY HOTEL BIRTLEY The owner of the newly refurbished Railway Hotel in Birtley is looking for a motivated individual or couple to take on the lease of this beautiful Edwardian pub and drive it to deliver its full potential.

The Railway has been sympathetically restored, equipped with all the modern facilities including a catering kitchen and has probably the most striking pub garden in the area.

There are outbuildings that would be ideal for a microbrewery if desired.

We are trying to achieve something special here – a pub true to its history and culture, at the same time right for the modern age, not a museum piece but a living thriving pub appealing to a wide customer base – the very essence of the word ‘public house’.

We want our lessee to share that passion – the pub should have the best beer, the best simple honest food, the best atmosphere, the best entertainment and the best general buzz and be known for that throughout a wide area.

If this opportunity is of interest drop us an email with your cv and stating reasons why you would be the person for this opportunity to johnrbrearley@hotmail.co.uk Based on that we would be very happy to have a chat, and will make full particulars available if you are interested in exploring further.

We are hoping to see interested parties during March.

16 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

It’s no longer an option to stand behind the bar of your pub and wait for custom to roll in. Of course, if your offer is unmissable when it comes to beer and food, you’ll have a head start. Location helps too.

But even very successful venues have to work hard being innovative and creative to give regulars and newcomers a real satisfying experience that will see them leave with smiles on their faces.

Mike and Leo Bell – father and son – are certainly of the creative ilk at Arch2 Brewpub & Kitchen in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle.

Their Newcastle Brewing Co is also stretching boundaries with innovative beers on a continuous rolling programme.

There’s an awful lot going on at the community-centred business, as Mike reveals: “The nature of the pub has changed; it’s more of a social space these days with everybody doing something. Being new, we can’t just copy what everybody else does – for example, we’ll leave live music to The Cluny which they do very well. We’re looking at what else is different; we’ve got a unique venue here and want to use it to our advantage.”

Arch2 is concentrating on social events. Artist Mick Bates is offering art classes – Paint Social – with the idea of giving people a subject each time to paint. It’s not a painting lesson as such but a purely social experience about having a good time with nice food and drink.

Participants will be supplied with all the materials plus an apron.

“We’ll also have a Craft Social as well as Lego Social for Lego

addicts led by Bricks McGee,” says Mike. “As for the normal pub activities, we’ve been really busy since we opened and didn’t feel the effects of the slow January and February that some places traditionally experience.

“We’re looking more at how we build the business – such as physically expanding out the back to create a terrace bar. At the moment it’s just wasteland.”

It’s a project that also excites Leo Bell. He says: “It’s got a brilliant view over the Ouseburn Valley that not many people have seen. We’re talking to our architects about it.”

He’s absolutely right; it’s a steep slope down to where sheep are grazing below the Metro Bridge and the Ouseburn Viaduct railway bridge which, even though it’s grade II-listed, is possibly one of Newcastle’s most underrated structures.

The plan is to landscape the area and the pair have asked The Ouseburn Trust for volunteers to help clear it, but the first challenge is figure out where and how the two floor levels will meet. This was partly in the original plan and it adds further to the amenities of the area.

“We’re hoping to have it open for summer,” says Mike. “It’ll be a great contribution to the Ouseburn Festival over the weekend of July 7-8.

“Elsewhere, we’re still deciding on what to do with the kitchen we have here, whether we go with an established food business to work with – someone to take ownership of it – or bring in a full-time chef.

I always look at the least

INNOVATION stressful route rather than the most profitable way.”

Leo’s current remit at the inhouse Newcastle Brewing Co is to prepare three new beers to add to the core range.

He says: “We’ve got a Barberry Blonde planned, a sweet and sour beer based on Asian spices which came from Iran originally and are popular in Germany.”

A spin-off is that a friend of Mike’s in Vienna who has located a source of the berries – also known as zereshk – growing near her home, so in October he and his wife Patricia are driving to Austria to load the car up with ripe fruit. It’s anybody’s guess what Customs will think.

A Gooseberry Saison using fruit from Leo’s older sister’s North Yorkshire allotment is on the cards, as is a return of last year’s Rhubarb Saison from his other sister’s allotment in Byker. Wine makers boast about “terroir” so really it’s time brewers did.

The Arch2 mantra is neatly summed up by Mike Bell: “It’s really good to stay creative.”

Oh Vienna: Arch2 Brewpub & Kitchen, Newcastle

Do you have the bottle to brew?

Give it a try, you’ll have a tun of fun Our Brew Crew Days are for individuals interested in a supervised practical brewing experience.

With support from the experienced Darwin Brewery and Brewlab staff, you will be provided with the ingredients, equipment and recipes to create a brew which will be available to pick up a few weeks later. Plus, you will even get to name your beer!

Brew Crew Days are held on weekdays and selected weekends during the year.

Please contact us for availability.

Your name here...

Contact us today to discuss your corporate event on +44 (0) 191 543 7813 or email us at info@brewlab.co.uk

/brewlabltd @BrewlabTraining

www.brewlab.co.uk

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 17

WINE

WE’VE GOT A CRUSH ON AUSTRALIAN WINE Behind the scenes at wine harvest in Australia

It’s just turned 3am and winemaker Jo Nash has arrived at the McPherson Wine Co’s winery in Victoria, Australia, ready to start the day’s Crush.

While we in the UK have been subject to late February snow, Victoria has seen near perfect harvest 18 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

weather – plenty of rain during the growing period but dry throughout harvest and warm temperatures.

Today it’s scheduled to hit 38°C, not unusual for February in this part of Australia.

In the world of wine, Crush signals the beginning of one of the best times of year.

WINE

Definitions of Crush vary from winemaker to winemaker; some loosely refer to Crush as the entire harvest from picking the grapes through to the time when the wine is in the bottle. But it’s more typically defined as picking and crushing the grapes, which is more complicated than many realise.

During the growing season, in the lead up to picking, wine growers tend to their grapes constantly – pruning, weeding and keeping away hungry birds or animals. Finally, the grapes start to change colours during middle to late summer. Unlike other types of farmers, grape growers want their vines to hold less grapes because the grapes ripen more and are of a higher quality. Fewer leaves on the vines is also desirable so the fruit gets more sun exposure.

As the grapes ripen, the amount of sugar in the fruit increases and those sugars will eventually ferment into alcohol. Winemakers will closely monitor the grapes to determine when they’re ready to be picked and might even taste them or test them in a lab for sugar and pH levels.

The winemaker’s universe centres on a series of critical

decisions, and one of the most important is deciding when to harvest. They must delicately assess how the fruit has ripened and determined each vineyard block’s average sugar content. Grapes are picked by varietal because each varietal ripens at different times.

Once picked, it’s all about getting fruit to the winery quickly.

Grapes are harvested overnight or in the early morning (depending on the winery) and rushed to the winery where they are crushed and de-stemmed (a process that liberates individual berries). At McPherson Wine Co grapes are harvested overnight, hence Jo’s early start.

Harvesting at night results in better wine and lower energy costs. Daytime temperatures change the sugar composition of grapes so picking at night when sugar levels are stable keeps surprises from happening during fermentation.

“Harvest can last anything from eight to 12 weeks, depending on the season,” Jo explains. “During this time we 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.”

State of the art crushing equipment awaits the arrival of the grapes and once the highest quality grapes have been sorted, the Crush can officially begin.

Crushing the grapes and letting the juice come out allows the yeast to start fermenting, which is a key part of the winemaking process. For many white and sparkling wines, the grape juice cannot be exposed to the grape skins but for most other types of wines, mixing the juices and the skin during fermentation is very important.

Pressing grapes instead of crushing them can help prevent the juices from mixing with the skins.

Instead of using bare feet to Crush the grapes, most wineries, including McPherson, now use crusherdestemmer machines to Crush and remove the stems from the grapes. The grapes are funnelled from containers into the machine, destemmed and then crushed.

Then the grapes move into containers for fermentation.

Once the Crush is over, the grape juice is on its way

to becoming wine which is where Jo’s expertise as a winemaker comes to the fore: “The winemaking team has so much control over the whole process, you can easily see the passion and skill involved. There is a definite science behind winemaking, but its more than just chemistry – winemaking is science and art together.

“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.

“Anyone thinking of becoming a winemaker will find it an incredibly rewarding career – there’s few other products which make people smile so much as wine. But they need to be prepared to work hard and not give up, and always listen to feedback both good and bad.”

McPherson Wine Co wines are available across the North East, ask your bar staff for more information - www. lanchesterwines.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 19

Best in show: Reg Harris holds the coveted award while Gordon Barfoot simply does his job.

Photos: Peter Skelton

VOLUNTEERS HELP STAN TO TITLE SUCCESS A Newcastle football club has claimed top spot in a regional competition. Alastair Gilmour reports Alongside its annual Pub of the Year competition, the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) asseses social clubs to determine which is named Club of the Year. There may be fewer contenders in that category but the competition is no less fierce with worthy winners emerging at the end of the assessment process.

This year, the Tyneside & Northumberland 20 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Camra branch has settled on Heaton Stannington Football Club as its winner – toppling regular winner Jesmond Cricket Club in a welcome return to the top of the pile that they occupied more than a decade ago. The local branch’s Northumberland Club of the Year is Haltwhistle Comrades Club – a serial winner.

The initiative is run in conjunction with

Club Mirror magazine, with the simple aim of finding the clubs with the greatest commitment to quality real ale served in top condition – and those which also offer a fantastic atmosphere in welcoming surroundings.

All of those descriptions apply to Heaton Stannington – and even the football side of the club is currently living up to its potential,

CLUB OF THE YEAR on for the social club side and about 50 in total for the whole place. It’s about the correct usage of beer. I knew nothing about real ale until a couple of years ago, but have enjoyed drinking it for years. I learnt very quickly and Bob Mooney and myself asked all the breweries loads of questions and locked ourselves in pub cellars to see how they did it.

Everybody was brilliant and really helpful.

“We have to make sure the real ale is on top form during quiet times and busy times, judging when’s the best time to change a cask and put a fresh one on. It’s quite a task and it’s about balance.

“The membership has certainly embraced the real ale experience and it outsells all other beers put together. There is no ‘resident’ beer which means we can increase the variety of brews. Obviously there are favourites such as Harviestoun Bitter And Twisted, Allendale Pennine Pale, good old Bass and almost anything from Timothy Taylor or Mordue.”

The club attracts various societies who hold regular meetings there – the 41 Club which is an extension of Round Table and the Allotment Society – proper community organisations – and is popular venue for family parties such as birthdays and christenings, beer festivals and regular live music. An upstairs games room with pool table and darts caters for other sports folk.

Bill Pitt is match-day host and a real character – the type who makes a session

as long as a backlog of fixtures results in a fair haul of points in Northern League Division 2.

In common with the vast majority of sports social clubs, The Stan is run entirely by volunteers, from bar staff to match-day catering, ground staff, turnstile operators, social media, programme editing by Kevin Mochrie – the list is endless. In an era of greed and corruption from our so-called “leaders” it’s a refreshing insight into community life.

Committee member and membership secretary Reg Harris says: “The award is a great honour. Everybody does their bit and we have a rota of bar staff with the likes of Davie Scott looking after the beer in the cellar and club chairman Bill Pitt taking charge behind the counter on match days in great style.

“We have future plans to build a cellar nearer the actual bar. At the moment it’s right at the other end of the clubhouse which is a long pull and makes it awkward for cleaning lines and so on.”

Davie Scott, whose main role is “keeping the beer right” admits he has been coming to the club since he was 17, then reveals “and I’m 65 today”.

“We’ve got around 20 people we can call

THE DAY THE OLYMPICS CAME TO TOWN Another Heaton Stanningon claim to fame is hosting a match with a team featuring one of the world’s most expensive footballers.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang played a 2012 Olympic Games warm-up game for his national team Gabon at Heaton Stannington’s Grounsell Park. Being June, there were no players available at St James’ Park, Gabon’s first choice where they were to play a week later. They were referred to Derek Thompson, Heaton Stan’s long-serving manager, through Gary Smith, the agent of former Newcastle midfielder Nobby Solano, a mutual friend.

They scheduled the game for the next day – a Sunday – when some Heaton Stan players even arrived nursing hangovers.

Aubameyang was outstanding, gliding past Stan players with unbelievable ease and skill while demonstrating the pace that has clocked him faster than Usain Bolt over 50 metres.

Gabon won 4-0.

At the time, Aubameyang was with St Etienne in France’s Ligue 1 and being tracked

worthwhile, even following a home defeat. He played for the club from 1969 and reckons his greatest contribution was when he stopped.

“Away supporters come year after year and enjoy the banter,” he says. “The club has also been named the Northern League’s most hospital club. Most football club bars and lounges open for matchdays only but we’re open virtually every day. Keeping the pitch in good condition is almost a full-time job but everything here is down to volunteers.”

Reg Harris stresses the respect that other clubs in the region have for the hospitality and welcome they enjoy when they visit.

He says: “Other teams in the league love coming here – they love their real ale too.

Heaton Stannington is actually the secondhighest attended football club in Newcastle.

Newcastle United can attract fifty-odd thousand but our average attendance of 150 puts us at number two.”

Heaton Stannington Club operates like a big family unit, very much part of the local community, and is an oasis between surrounding venues, the Corner House, the Newton Park and South Gosforth’s range of great pubs. The bar and lounge have recently been refurbished, again by a trusty band of volunteers led by John Ryan.

Regardless of where in the league Heaton Stannington FC end the season, Club of the Year 2018 is one title that will be cherished for years.

Treasured: The signed Gabon national shirt worn by Pierre-Emerick Aubamayong

by Newcastle United – then 12 months later he was whisked off to Borussia Dortmund and the Champions League in a deal worth £10m.

He signed for Arsenal for £49m in the 2018 January transfer window. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 21

BREWERY NEWS

HARTLEPOOL’S GERMAN BEER IS DAMN GÜT There’s something unusual about the Donzoko Brewing Company method of producing beer. It’s not that they’re all German in style and brewed, fermented and conditioned in Hartlepool, but the twostage process that involves 1000-litre plastic bags is not quite a normal process.

Donzoko owner Reece Hughill explains: “I brew at The Lion’s Den ten-barrel facility at Cameron’s in Hartlepool then fill huge sterile plastic bags with the wort – unfermented beer – and it a short distance down the road to ferment in one of two conical fermenters, then condition the beer and package it.”

Reece aims to have his own brewery up and running in due course, but it’s an expensive business, so his way ensures he can save up without being saddled with huge debt or by cutting corners.

“It seemed like an excellent stepping stone to getting our own equipment,” he says. Between brews and deliveries he takes on other jobs such as doing shifts behind the bar at The Free Trade Inn in Newcastle.

Reece studied for a chemistry degree at Newcastle University and in Germany at LMU Munich.

Bavarian styles and the rich beer culture became a big part of his life, and upon graduating he

THE NAME’S THE SAME

Eagle-eyed readers are always on the look-out for stories and pictures that they know will tickle us. This Cheers off-license was spotted by Ian Young in Murton, County Durham.

It’s not for us to say it could do with a tidy-up though.

22 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

BREWERY NEWS gold medal in a national competition.

“I had brewed mainly IPAs, then I went across to Germany and pretty much didn’t touch IPA for a solid 12 months. It was there I started to notice the differences between ingredients. German beers are produced to strict purity laws, the Reinheitsgebot, but I put my own spin on things. I use all German malt and Swiss yeast with New Zealand hops Sticklebract and Taheke.

“I started the brewery straight out Rock top: Brewer Reece Hughill with of university with no Hannah Godfrey, sales and events savings or real plan, and after a year of working, saving and making the most put everything into the research Japanese for lowest depths, or of support from Newcastle and development of his own “rock bottom”; which is quite University and Hartlepool Council half-Bavarian, half-UK craft appropriate to our starting point.

I was ready to go. The business bastardised recipes, which have In 2014, with a coolbox and come to a lovely frothing head as some copper piping, I made some start-up model is pretty unusual; we do the initial brew day – the Donzoko Brewing Company. half-decent beer in my parents’ HEX-06 cheers ad awk.qxp_Hexhamshire Brew cheers ad awk 30/04/2015 08:46 combination of water, grains and He says: “Donzoko is back garden, even winning a

hops – and we then pump the wort into 1,000-litre sterile bags and transport it to Donzoko HQ, where it’s slowly fermented in our custom-built steel conical fermenters.

“It’s oxygenated in-line to the unitank fermenter, then a huge amount of Swiss lager yeast is pitched to get the party started.

We’ll crop some yeast, add a light dry hop, capture the natural carbonation, and settle the beer down for its long cold lagering to eventually be kegged. Ultimately, we can give you the best beer we can.”

Northern Helles (4.3% abv) is Donzoko’s flagship beer with the style of an unfiltered lager. Bike Bier (2.6% abv) is a “Radler”type weak wheat beer enjoyed by cyclists in Germany and Belgium.

Damn Güt Coffee Stout (5.3% abv) is a classic stout smoothed out with oats and lactose with finely ground coffee added.

It’s German beer with a Japanese name and a Hartlepool accent. Of course it’s unusual, but it’s damn güt unusual.

THE

CourtyarD ANNUAL EASTER FESTIVAL

THURSDAY 29TH MARCH - MONDAY 2ND APRIL

• Showcasing over 30 cask conditioned ales plus real cider and perry

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

• Locally Sourced Food Available • Live entertainment • Craft, Draft and Bottled Beers available

FREE ADMISSION Arts Centre Washington, Fatfield, Washington NE38 8AB T: (0191) 417 0445 E: thecourtyardbar@aol.com www.facebook.com/thecourtyardwashington www.twitter.com/courtyardales

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 23

VIEW FROM ABROAD

WHAT’S ITALIAN FOR ‘MAGNIFICENT’?

A beer festival in Rome has John Atkinson purring with delight

It’s ten o’clock, the temperature is in the mid 20s, which is not bad for mid-October. I’m actually outside sipping on a barrel-aged imperial stout from the Estonian brewery, Põhjala. It’s an excellent, rich, full-bodied beer with a slight smokiness from the Islay whisky barrel it’s been aged in, and is a comforting 13.6% abv.

I’m waiting for a taxi, due in 15 minutes, to take me back to the apartment I’m staying in, as it’s actually 22:00, not the morning, and I’ve been here nearly five hours sampling a great variety of international and innovative beers at the EurHop! Beer Festival in Rome.

All of them are new to me and it’s only a tiny percentage of what’s available.

I’d only learned about the festival less than a week before, but I was persuaded I needed to come and meet the brewers of some of the best beers in the world. The UK is represented here by some of the most fashionable breweries in the country, including Buxton, Beavertown, Magic Rock and, from Scotland, Fyne Ales. The US is enthusiastically well represented, as is Scandinavia, alongside less well-known brewing countries such as Estonia.

Italy, naturally, is well represented and responsible for around 60 of

the breweries present. I’d discovered Italy was much more than Peroni over four years ago, and since then we’ve stocked beers from Brewfist, AMA and had Toccalmatto beers on tap at Hemelvaart Bier Café in Ayton, Berwickshire.

But here I can only recognise perhaps a dozen of the Italian contingent offering a fantastic array of new and old beer styles.

I’m impressed by Ca’ del Brado, a brewery specialising in barrel-aged and sour beers using brettanomyces yeasts, much like Chorlton in Manchester. They’re a match for

wonderful Belgian gueuze, and their Cuvée De Zrisa is an excellent dry kriek. Most memorably there is Xyauyù, a barrel-aged barley wine from Birra Baladin – complex, fruity and port-like – in the barrel since 2013 and so rich and rare it’s only served in measures of 4.5ml.

Then there are the “grape ales”.

The first time I’d heard someone say it, I thought they’d said “grey pale” (well, if you can have white ale…). But, no, this style relies on the beer coming into contact with grapes or wine. Sometimes the beer is added to wine casks with a litre or so of wine left in it, at other times the “must” (pulped grapes including the seeds) is added to the beer in a wine cask. It produces a distinctive, elegant and subtle beer style.

THERE’S A BLACK STORM BREWING

WWW.BLACKSTORMBREWERY.COM 24 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

VIEW FROM ABROAD

So I wander around the 80-plus stands in a 1930s take on Roman pomp. It’s spacious, airy and has an extensive outdoor area where on Saturday afternoon hundreds make their way outside to drink in (and drink-in) the sun. All in all, this

The

is a fabulous beer festival, currently passing under the radar here, but deserving wider appreciation.

This is EurHop’s seventh renewal, spread over three days; the sessions are long (Friday 17:00-03:00, Saturday 12:00-03:00!), but the

pace is relaxed. There are numerous food outlets too, serving a variety of Italian delicacies. Entry is cheap and the festival uses a token system, and though there are various size measures you can choose, they themselves are not cheap.

Though I’m singing its praises to widen its appeal, there’s part of me that wants to keep it secret, so it doesn’t get overcrowded.

Nevertheless, if you can get there,

I’d urge you to do so. It also worked well for us, as I met the head brewer at Põhjala, Chris Pilkington, who is Scottish, and who directed us to the sole importers of his beers. By the time you read this we will have had a mind-blowing tasting of eight exceptional Põhjala beers.

I also met the man behind another new and fast growing brewery, Het Uiltje from Haarlem in The Netherlands. Robbert Uyleman is an inspiring man of vision and passionate about beer – his own and beers and in general. He is a beer missionary and you are not too late to benefit from his proselytising, as he is coming over to Hemelvaart Bier Cafe at Easter for a tap-takeover where we’re hoping for about a dozen beers will be available. Just don’t miss it!

John Atkinson and Phil Walker run Hemelvaart Bier Café in Ayton, Berwickshire, just off the A1 north of Berwick upon Tweed, specialising in Belgian beers – and all great beers, in fact. *The Italian for magnificent is magnifico. www.hemelvaart.co.uk

Duke of Wellington Inn

Newton, Northumberland, NE43 7UL Tel: 01661 844446 www.dukeofwellingtoninn.co.uk AWARD WINNING FOOD & 5* ACCOMMODATION

FIZZY FRIDAY

GLASS OF PROSECCO £3.50, BOTTLE OF PROSECCO £18.00 AVAILABLE ALL DAY

PUB QUIZ

EVERY SECOND MONDAY (SEE WEBSITE FOR DATES) TEAMS OF UP TO 6 PEOPLE, ENTRY £1 PER PERSON, SUPPER & CASH PRIZES

OPEN MIC NIGHT

EVERY SECOND SUNDAY FROM 7PM (SEE WEBSITE FOR DATES) - FREE ENTRY/FREE SUPPER

SERVING 5 CASK ALES Duke of Wellington Newton @DukeinNewton

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 25

AREA FOCUS: ROTHBURY

View over Rothbury, and clockwise, The Newcastle House, Turk’s Head, Narrow Nick and Queen’s Head

ROTHBURY ROCKS

Take some time out in the heart of Northumberland, advises Alastair Gilmour Rothbury, set in the heart of Northumberland, is blessed with a range of shops and services glowing with individuality. The choice includes delicatessens, cafés, bakeries, a butchers and some fine, welcoming pubs and hotels. Put those together with a couple of banks, a toyshop, outdoor centre, shoe shop, ironmongers, fish and chip shop, library, arts centre, convenience store, a Tardis-like Co-op and branch of Boots, there’s just about everything a person would ever need.

Spectacular views, fine walking and cycling countryside lying 26 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

around the town that The Guardian Weekend magazine called “pretty near perfect” are the icing on the cake. The “sprinkles” on the Capital of Coquetdale cake are All Saints Church, riverside picnic area with children’s play facilities, a golf course and a regular bus (Arriva service X14) to Morpeth and Newcastle.

Regular events punctuate Rothbury’s year with the hugely popular Food And Craft Festival (Monday May 7), the Traditional Music Festival (July 13-15) celebrating the sounds of Northumberland and the Borders, and Rothbury Rocks (September

7-9), live music in various genres and styles in various pubs and hotels.

Visitors are struck by Rothbury’s handsome Victorian villas – architectural gems exhaling curling smoke that glow in the sunshine and sparkle in the wet.

The Simonside Hills dominate the southern aspect while Lord Armstrong’s Cragside Hall, gardens and woodland sit to the north – the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity and now in the care of The National Trust.

The River Coquet flows east through Rothbury from its source

in the Cheviots towards the North Sea, ending its journey at Amble after winding its way under a 600-year-old bridge, the Thrum Mill and past the 12th Century Brinkburn Priory towards Warkworth Castle as it goes.

This part of Northumberland was once a bloody and violent place, roamed and raided for centuries by lawless Border Reivers – clansmen from both sides of the Scotland-England divide. It’s not difficult to imagine that history, even in the midst of this “pretty near perfect” setting.

So, let’s settle down in the pub and do our imagining…

AREA FOCUS: ROTHBURY

CROWNING GLORY THE QUEEN’S HEAD Hosts: Billy Brown and Teresa Wilson The 1792-vintage Queens Head family-run pub and hotel has been in the same safe hands for the last 17 years. Originally known as the Golden Fleece, the name was changed to commemorate the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne in 1837.

A large upholstered leather settee and matching armchairs in the pub’s traditionally decorated and beamed lounge bar are an invitation to linger before and after lunch. On the bar are Cask Marque-accredited Deuchar’s IPA, Marstons Pedigree, Sharps’ Doombar and Leeds Midnight Bell on handpull which sit alongside a line-up of ten keg beers, cider and lager that include Marston’s Shipyard IPA and Pravha Lager from Staropramen in Prague, so there’s more than enough choice here. And not forgetting man’s best friend, a couple of beers called Bottom Sniffer and Pawsecco

should keep canines happy too.

A games room with pool table and juke-box are just out of earshot if clicking cues and tapping blues isn’t your thing – and credit where credit is due – the toilets are immaculate.

This family friendly pub’s lunch menu features all the traditional pub favourites – burgers, homemade pie of the day, fish and chips, hot and cold sandwiches (bacon and haggis is a hot tip) to follow starters such as black pudding fritter with poached egg – while the evening menu and specials board includes fresh fish, local beef and lamb and Queens Head own-recipe sausage.

Everything is priced the same whether you choose the bar or the opulent timber-hued dining room to eat. Sunday Lunch is also a firm local favourite.

Live music features heavily at The Queen’s Head, with the regular Rothbury Roots monthly event featuring the best in acoustic and British roots music with local, national and international

performers, such as the Roots and Songwriters’ Circle featuring sometime Lindisfarne member Steve Daggett in an intimate setting.

There's also a popular monthly open mic night and they host the Rothbury Accordian and fiddle club on the first Thursday of every month.

Nowadays, The Queen’s Head is

classed as a four-star inn (rooms from a very reasonable £60 for a double en-suite) and the ideal venue for family functions and business lunches.

The Queen’s Head is a crowning glory.

Tel: 01669 620470 www. queensheadrothbury

NEWCASTLE HOUSE ROTHBURY Visit the Newcastle House in Rothbury, Northumberland. Treat yourself to a delicious bar meal in our restaurant, stay in our comfortable B&B accommodation for a short break or long weekend; discover Rothbury, the Coquet Valley and Northumberland.

We offer a range of comfortable rooms including Super kingsize, double and twin. Our Bunk rooms also offer simple accommodation for those on a budget or in groups. Breakfast will set you up for the day out in the Coquet Valley and surrounding area Our lounge restaurant offers a wide choice of delicious meals including firm favourites or modern tasty treats all cooked fresh by our 2 chefs.

SPECIAL MENU ALONGSIDE THE MAIN MENU 6-9PM

Tuesday Curry Night | Wednesday SIZZLER NIGHT | Thursday TAPAS night Friday Fish night extra fish dishes with unusual twists | Sunday Carvery 12-5PM

Saturday 17th March - ST PATRICKS DAY

Join us for dinner and music in celebration of St Paddys day!

MONTHLY EVENTS AND REGULAR LIVE MUSIC - VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO

Newcastle House, Front Street, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7UT 01669 620334 | rothburynewcastlehouse@googlemail.com | www.rothburynewcastlehouse.co.uk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TO GET SPECIAL OFFERS @newkyhouse OR FACEBOOK newcastlehouse

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 27

AREA FOCUS: ROTHBURY

TO BE OR KNOT THE TURK’S HEAD Host: Debbie Noble First impressions count. There’s a lovely fire blazing away in the public bar and on our way to absorb some of the heat following a bracing riverside walk we get a cheery “hello” from a regular perched at the bar.

The grade II-listed Turk’s Head was built in the 16th Century as a coaching inn and restored in 1874.

The original stables have been renovated into charming cottages while the en-suite pub rooms offer impressive views (from £60 per night). The Garden Cottage sleeps three and Patio Cottage accommodates four, both en-suite with a separate lounge.

A lounge/dining room sits across the entrance hall from the bar which also features a pool table at the rear. The whole impression is one of pride in its family-orientation and little wonder it’s a favourite haunt of booted visitors and Lycraed cyclists.

The cask ale list is fairly short but this will no doubt double in the popular summer months – however, classic Black Sheep Bitter and Black Sheep Square 1 are redoubtable companions with something like home-made haddock and salmon fishcakes.

A well-ranged menu also features traditional Sunday lunch, homemade pie, Rothbury bangers and mash, home-made lasagna, Cheddar cheese or tuna and mayo baguettes, or slow-roasted hot beef ciabatta rolls.

The relaxed attitude extends to open mic music sessions (first Tuesday of every month), while The Turk’s Head is also dogfriendly, child friendly, local and visitor-friendly – and televised Premier League football friendly.

Out the back is a tastefully paved patio and childrens’ play area – then glory-be, more picnic benches sit on a magnificent terraced beer garden that appears to rise forever.

THE NARROW NICK

Paul & Sarah would like to welcome you to their warm friendly micro pub situated in the heart of Northumberland’s town of Rothbury, serving only local ales alongside over 40 gins and a range of beers, wines and spirits.

Mon - Fri 5.00pm - 10.30pm Sat - Sun 2.00 - 10.30pm HIGH ST, ROTHBURY, MORPETH NE65

07707 703182

28 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

But whither the Turk’s Head? A Turk’s head knot forms a closed loop often used by seafarers and has a notional resemblance to a turban. On the other hand, Turk’s Head pubs are said to derive their name from the Crusaders. The carved stone Turk’s head surveying

all from the rooftops would suggest the latter here. Suitably fed and watered, if the pleasant “hello” weren’t enough, the cheery “thank you, come again soon” is as good a reason to return as any.

Tel: 01669 620434 www. turksheadrothbury

AREA FOCUS: ROTHBURY

HOUSE RULES THE NEWCASTLE HOUSE Host: Sarah Bertram The Newcastle House sits in the centre of Rothbury, overlooking the old Market Place and the 1902 cross monument dedicated to Lord and Lady Armstrong and public garden.

The public bar off the main road is contemporary-traditional in style and impressively functional. The rear lounge – popular with visitors and ever-conversational locals – is characterised by stonework along one wall which blends rather charmingly with the architecture viewed from the large picture window.

Beer-wise, Sharp’s Doombar and Old Rosie cider take up the handpulls with Bellhaven Best and Stella Artois on keg, though like most country pubs, the choice invariably extends in the spring and summer months.

A separate dining area is pale in decoration, possibly for more of a tearoom effect. One corner

wall lists local suppliers – an impressive collection that includes Frank Round Fish, Northumberland Cheese Co, Callaly Estate game, Hepple Gin and the Mad Jam Woman.

Equally impressive is the hand drier in the toilets which has the blasting power of the Space X Falcon 9 rocket launched last month towards Mars (with a car attached).

The Newcastle House offers a range of comfortable rooms – super kingsize, double and twin, while bunk rooms also provide simple accommodation for groups or those on a budget. Traditional bar meals are highlighted by a Sunday carvery – local lamb, Northumbrian beef, honey-glazed gammon and turkey crown – while a random selection from the menu includes North Sea cod and chips, Northumbrian beef chasseur and rarebreed pork loin.

The Newcastle House is renowned for its regular events where music features heavily (for

example, St Patricks’s Day meal and live music evening). There are also dedicated “nights” – Tuesday is curry night, Wednesday sizzler, Thursday tapas and Friday is a fish special with unusual twists which must keep the hotel’s two chefs well on their toes.

For the more energetic, staff will happily advise on local walks, forest

QUEENS HEAD ROTHBURY The Queens Head is an ideal base to explore the sights and sounds of Rothbury Comfortable en suite rooms and a wide choice of menus, friendly staff and the rolling beauty of Northumberland will ensure your stay is one to remember.

Noted for our substantial home cooked meals, using the best of local and seasonal produce we have built an excellent reputation for food. Whether you choose a light snack, bar meal or something from the daily specials or À la carte menu you will not be disappointed.

tracks and bridleways and with the Sand Stone Way running past the door, the back yard has CCTV to oversee bikes.

The Newcastle House might remind one of the city, but it’s definitely a country home from home.

Tel: 01669 620 334 www. rothburynewcastlehouse.co.uk

Once a month our restaurant becomes an acoustic lounge for Rothbury Roots Queens Head, Rothbury, Northumberland NE65 7SR Phone: +44 (0)1669 620470 Email: enqs@ queensheadrothbury.com

Open for coffee from 10.30am, open till midnight. Lunch 12 - 3pm and Dinner 6:30 - 9pm. Free Meeting room available for local groups. www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 29

AREA FOCUS: ROTHBURY

THE NICK KNACK THE NARROW NICK Hosts: Paul Johnson and Sarah McWilliams The Narrow Nick micropub took a step back in January to freshen itself up and install a new back bar,

in preparation for spring and the undoubted influx of visitors. Not that it particularly needed it, but it’s an indication of the partnership’s attention to detail.

The Narrow Nick, opened in

October 2016 in a former dress shop, is named after the cramped passageway to the side of the pub that leads from Rothbury’s High Street to a residential part of town – so, by definition, most locals have been “in the nick”.

Paul Johnson had previously established Gun Dog Brewery, then Acton Brewery, and founded a clutch of micropubs around Northumberland which he no longer owns. Anybody who ever tasted Gun Dog Golden Cocker would know that here is someone who can present another brewery’s beer perfectly.

The Narrow Nick specialises in traditional, good-for-something ales from the likes of Wylam and Big Lamp breweries. Gold Tankard, Galatia (both Wylam), Prince Bishop, Sunny Daze and Summerhill Stout from Big Lamp are perfect for towns like Rothbury which don’t have enough of an audience for the hop-heavy and sour beers that city-centre drinkers enjoy hopping from bar to bar.

“It’s going really well,” says Sarah. “Gold Tankard just flies out

– having said that, Wylam Hickey The Rake is also very popular.

We’ll soon be back to having six handpulls on as the weather improves – and we’ve just reached 40 different gins.

“Everybody in Rothbury knows the nick. There’s a part in the middle that narrows so that’s called Fat Man’s Squeeze. We’ve named the gents toilets after that and called the ladies Narrow Knickers.”

The Narrow Nick has impressively high windows punctuated by stained glass (most passers-by wave and nod in a code that says “see you later”) with generous sills ideal for parking backsides. It’s a tastefully-decorated one-room pub featuring tables fashioned from wooden barrels, a counter top salvaged from the Percy Arms at Otterburn, and light fittings that once illuminated the Railway pub at Bedlington Station.

There’s certainly nothing narrow when it comes to this pub’s attitude.

Tel: 07707 703 182 facebook. com/the-narrow-nick-rothbury

TURKS HEAD ROTHBURY

Relax in the beauty of Northumberland at The Turk’s Head, Rothbury Built in the 16th century as a coaching inn and restored in 1874. Our stables have been renovated into rooms boasting charming, original features while our pub rooms offer truly impressive views over Rothbury, Coquetdale and Simonside in Northumberland with free WiFi throughout.

The Turks Head serves as a traditional pub and inn offering great value accommodation and food.

For special offers on our accommodation such as dinner bed and breakfast rates or long weekends in our traditional pub and inn in Northumberland, please see our Facebook page for current deals.

Live Music Events throughout the year check our facebook page for details Follow us on twitter and facebook

High St, Rothbury, Morpeth NE65 7TE 01669 620 434 www.turksheadrothbury.co.uk 30 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

BEER INSIDER

SOLVING THE MYSTERY

You won’t get far into a conversation about the beer and pub industry before someone will say it has changed considerably over the last five or six years. It’s a given.

Pubs have changed, customers have changed, product choice has changed and the way beer is distributed has changed – and all because of competition, even in one of the friendliest business imaginable.

It’s not something readily noticeable when you’re working behind a bar, but there’s a whole world swirling about you while you’re pulling pints and checking change. That’s what Oliver Catt found during three years at the Free Trade Inn in Byker, Newcastle, and a previous stint at the neighbouring Tyne Bar. “I developed a love for good beer at the Free Trade which is a more specialist bar,” says Oliver, now regional account manager for New Wave Distribution. “I loved working behind the bar, but got more into ordering and invoicing, dealing with the way the industry works – all the behind-thescenes stuff – and got interested in the way a brewery sells to a distributor and the distributor sells to a pub. There was always a bit of mystery

to it as far as I was concerned. The best beer in the country used to turn up at The Free Trade without me knowing much about it.”

A chance encounter led to a job with the Edinburgh-based company and the opportunity to service the North East with some of those top products.

Oliver says: “It’s going really well although it’s been a big learning curve.

I had this idea I would be swanning around talking to people about beer, but quickly realised it’s all about numbers.

At New Wave we’re about building Got the cream: Oliver Catt, New Wave Distribution up relationships and not interested in just stocking beers in bars that are not appropriate for them.

“People who run pubs these days have so “There’s a definite career path in beer many things to think about; there’s an awful lot to distribution and that interest in beer can grow. At be aware of.

The Free Trade I couldn’t have imagined talking There are so many breweries now that you to the likes of Magic Rock and Beavertown, but I need that personal connection to make your meet them now and spend a day with them. I have brand stand out. And what’s going to stand out? to say that Mick Potts at the Free Trade has been Putting names to faces. It’s not a hobby.” absolutely invaluable in my beer education; he’s It would appear that Oliver Catt also totally brilliant, quietly effective, and totally gets it. gets it.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 31

BEER FESTIVALS

THE 42ND NEWCASTLE CAMRA BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL Wednesday April 11-Saturday 14, Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle.

Beers in all styles – barley wines, bitters, golden ales, mild, old ales, pale ales, IPAs, porters, stouts and speciality beers, plus ciders and perries.

Food from the groundfloor Habita café – burgers, baguettes and pork dips. The annual battle of the Beers will be hotly contested as usual and don’t forget to wear a silly hat on Thursday Hat Day.

JOIN THE FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE Hawkshead Brewery has been hosting beer festivals twice a year since 2007. The first one was put on at the Staveley, Cumbria venue to showcase the revolution in British brewing. And that’s what Hawkshead have been celebrating every year since, as the revolution continues to gather pace.

There has never been a better time for British beer.... more breweries, more beer styles, more innovation, more flavours, more crazy and exciting ideas.

Many of the pioneers of the new wave of craft brewing are here in the North of Britain. Northern Craft Beer Fest, taking place in July, is a showcase for them, as is the Spring

Fest on the weekend of March 23-24.

They show three or four, sometimes more of their beers. It’s not about cramming in as many different beers as possible, it’s about showcasing the breweries, and getting the brewers along. It’s both cask and keg.

The first festival is this month and the second one in late July, taking over the whole brewery. There are plenty of cellars and a cold conditioning room, so all the beer is properly cold and served from at least three bars.

The Quayside Exchange 197 High Street East, Sunderland, SR1 2AX Tel: 0191 514 4574 Email: events@quaysideexchange.com www.quaysideexchange.com

32 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

In summer a fair bit of the Mill Yard outside is covered by a marquee with a bar inside.

All Hawkshead beer festival are family affairs... kids, dogs, babes-inarms, great grandmas, weird brewers – all are welcome. There’s always food all day, live music, great beer, a good vibe and no tickets – Hawkshead is a pub, it doesn’t charge entry.

Diary dates: Hawkshead Brewery Spring Beer Fest March 23-24.

Northern Craft Beer Fest July 19-21.

T H E G R E AT

NORTH EAST

BREWERY

GUIDE

T H E D E F I N I T I V E G U I D E T O T H E R E G IO N ’ S F I N E ST B R EW E R I E S

THE IDEAL GIFT FOR THE BEER DRINKER IN YOUR LIFE

AVAILABLE TO BUY FROM BREWERIES, SPECIALIST BOTTLE SHOPS, WATERSTONES AND THE CHEERS WEBSITE WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK

MICROBREWERY NEWS

BOB AND CURLY GET THE KILLSWITCH TREATMENT

When someone says it’s not just a pub he’s running, it’s a community, it makes you stop and think. Quite clearly, Ian Clough is owning, manning and sweating Orb Micropub & Whisky Lounge in Darlington, but by creating something out of nothing, he has appealed to a whole swathe of society.

Orb Micropub Ale & Whisky House was previously a hairdresser’s shop with a front styling area, steps up to a back room and an upstairs which is earmarked for eventual events use. Large mirrors left behind by the previous owners make the place look bigger although the reflections these days are a far

34 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

cry from the curly lob and straight bob with bangs than they had long been used to.

“My plan was to do something like this before I hit 60,” says Ian, who previously worked in the NHS. “I love the micropub concept of no television and no loud music and eventually decided to bring my ideas forward – with the full support of my wife. I had never worked behind a bar before.

“Most of the beers we stock suit my palate but there are a few exceptions – from customer recommendations and suggestions. I aim to have six handpulls, the majority from North East breweries with the odd exception, providing a good range

of styles and changing regularly.”

At the moment these include Mithril Ales Flower Power (3.9% abv), Mordue Killswitch 51 (5.1% abv) and Workie Ticket (4.5% abv), Durham Magus (3.8% abv), Great North Eastern Brew Co Swinging Gibbet (4.1% abv) and Hadrian Border Ouseburn Porter (5.2% abv), while the keg offer includes the mighty Wylam Jakehead IPA (6.3% abv) and a couple of topnotch ciders.

The finishes in the pub, particularly the counter, and the attention to detail are exceptional, displaying the mark of a man who will not cut corners in any respect.

He also intends to build up the whisky offer, being a Scotch lover

Attention to detail: Ian Clough at Orb Micropub & Whisky Lounge himself, so the plan was always to create a dedicated Whisky Corner tucked away at the rear (but within mirror view).

Chalk boards list beers coming soon with suggestions from regulars, along with recommendations to visit other similar pubs in the region – from

MICROBREWERY NEWS

CAT’S EYES READY FOR OPENING

Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Newcastle. But isn’t that inviting people to go elsewhere? Apparently not. “These pubs are also doing the same for us,” he says.

Future events –a “tick for like” request for regulars to gauge their viability – include Belgian beer

specials and whisky tastings. One with Glenfarclas is already in the diary.

“This is a place to relax, talk and meet new friends with a glass of exceptional quality ale, beer, cider, or whisky,” says Ian. He’s now stopped asking himself what the hell has he done.

The colour scheme is inspired by Mexico, the Almost there: Julie and Dave Campbell ambient music has an Americana vibe and the artworks are specially commissioned. Newcastle’s newest small bar is certainly going to be different. The finishing touches have been put to the Mean Eyed Cat on St Thomas’ Street in the city, opposite the Haymarket bus station – with an opening date set for early March.

Dave and Julie Campbell, above, formerly of The Schooner in Gateshead, with Dave’s track record at Newcastle’s Head of Steam, The Cluny and The Central (Gateshead) speaking for itself in terms of well-run pubs.

“It’s about quality cask and quality keg,” says Dave. “We’ve got a great opening line-up of six of each. I’ll be responsible for the more traditional stuff – the 3.5% abv cask beers to the five-point-odd ones, while Simon ‘Hub’ Hubbard will look after the more adventurous keg beers from the likes of Almasty, Pressure Drop and Magic Rock.”

Bar snacks are also Mexican in origin delivered fresh daily from Settled Down Café so the 50-capacity pub should attract a varied following interested in life’s little adventures.

THE OFFICE MORPETH’S REAL ALE & CIDER HOUSE

SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND PUB OF THE YEAR SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND CIDER PUB OF THE YEAR OVERALL NORTHUMBERLAND CIDER PUB OF THE YEAR The Old Toll House, Castle Square, Morpeth OPENING TIMES: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 17.00 - 22.30 SATURDAY 14.00 - 22.30 SUNDAY 12.00 - 22.30 www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 35

PEOPLE AND PLACES

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS For more information on how to advertise your services, vacancies and events contact Emma Howe on

Personal pride: Tom Proud at Pleased To Meet You, Newcastle.

Photo: Peter Skelton

01661 844 115

PULL THE OTHER ONE From simply pulling the perfect pint to cellar management to marketing, we can help you get the best out of your staff and your business.

Check the website for full details.

REAL PUB TRAINING

07724 383 219 | www.realpubtraining.com

Our Knowledge =

YOUR SUCCESS REAL ALE TECHNICAL SERVICES Dick Attlee: T: 0191 597 9668 M: 07722 631787 Sam Beldons: M: 07896 125560 E: dick@ratsbeer.co.uk | samuel@beldons.co.uk

TAKE THE PARTY HOME! 2 PINT TAKE HOME BEER HOPPERS

These handy biodegradable containers are designed to take out draught beer Box of 100 just £28+VAT and delivery Buy on-line: www.gnltd.co.uk or Tel: 01233 770780

GN Packaging

Units B&C, Smarden Business Estate, Monks Hill, SMarden, Kent TN27 8QL Search GNPackaging@takeoutbeerhoppers

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

We deliver by mail order and can also ship abroad.

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

36 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

DOING HIMSELF PROUD

One of the region’s most progressive pub groups has undergone a management restructure as future developments rapidly pick up pace. Newcastle-based Ladhar Leisure already operates some of the city’s prime pubs and venues with the likes of Pleased To Meet You, Lady Grey’s, Red House, Hop & Cleaver and Central Oven And Shaker.

A massive development at White Hart Yard – behind the facades of Grey Street, Moseley Street and the Cloth Market – is running alongside plans for a sister Pleased To Meet You in Morpeth, so new roles have been created to monitor the burgeoning chain’s pulse.

One of these is front-of-house bar manager where experienced operator Tom Proud has taken the lead – Tom has been with Ladhar Leisure since 2012, starting at the Red House when it was a pie, mash and beer venue then managing Pleased To Meet You on High Bridge when it was but a building site.

“The place has been jumping since,” says Tom. “We developed alongside the zeitgeist of gin, which everyone says is now slowing down, but we can’t see that at all. But Grey Street was up and coming at that time, the Bigg Market is changing for the better and High Bridge has now got a lot of individual designer shops, bars and eating places and I’d like to think we as a group have been a big part of creating that atmosphere. I actually take a bit of personal pride in that regeneration.”

Tom’s new job is to look at everything from standards right through every venue to training

staff internally and alongside various external industry experts.

“There’s a lot to the job – it’s pretty much full-on – and I’m really looking forward to it,” he says, while concocting a recipe for a coriander-infused gin. “I’m not going to be an area manager looking at bar lighting levels and barking orders but looking at things like showing staff how to make cocktails the right vway and keeping and pouring beer properly.

These things are important – the way one person makes a coffee might differ from how another one will make it. It’s vital for the group to have high standards which we do have anyway.

“The job will grow – and I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to be bigger that any of us envisaged.

For myself, it shows how hard work and dedication can pay off, although I’m now looking forward to having the odd weekend off.

“We’ve got a great central management team that covers brand management, human resources and compliancies. I’m just one cog in a great team. I’m also looking forward to all the new venues which are planned – White Hart Yard in Newcastle and Pleased To Meet You in Morpeth – but I’d love to know when they’re all happening.”

Tom does reveal it will be during 2018, however, which isn’t that long a lead-in in the grand scheme of things.

“And Central Oven And Shaker is up for a design award next month, so we’re hoping for great things there. It’s all great, it’s all very encouraging, and it’s also very hard work.”

PUB NEWS

Northbound: Graeme Robinson. Photos by Peter Skelton

GOOD THINGS FOR THOSE WHO WAIT The Waiting Room at Durham Station – northbound, platform 2 – is now fully open for long stays and brief encounters.

Standards are high in the grade II-listed building as can be seen from this selection of photographs. Owner Graeme Robinson invited Collective Design to handle the design work and the resultant attention to detail shows why the Newcastle company has won multiple awards for its work.

Graeme says: “You need to have the right people on board to pull a contract like this together. We exceeded expectations in week one, so I’m very happy with the way things are going. We’ve got a great mix of commuters and locals, plus railway buffs and real ale buffs. The local community has really embraced it.”

The Waiting Room was supported by a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust.

A WORK IN PROGRESS When Northern Alchemy Brewery decided their shipping container brewhouse-laboratory was simply too cramped for three grown men to work in, they looked around for new premises.

Now the first beer is ready to roll.

Northern Alchemy co-founder Carl Kennedy says: “We looked at a few sites then struck gold at The Old Coal Yard within 100 metres of the Cumberland Arms in Byker, Newcastle, where we’re based. It’s a massive site, cavernous – and it’s now our new home. We’ve got a 10-barrel brewery built by Oban Ales in Scotland and we’ll even start canning ourselves. We want to keep the shipping container theme going, so we’re moving ours in for an office and will gradually fill up the extra space with others stacked up to create a community of businesses that could be anything from a café to a T-shirt printer or a bike shop, all producing stuff. It’s all very exciting.”

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 37

FUN STUFF

SIGN OF THE TIMES Spotted in the Lake District: The company car of a firm that produces maps of Lakeland fells, Scottish Munros and Snowdonia, blending the iconic works of Alfred Wainwright and Harry Beck, the designer of the London Tube map. Perhaps an admirer of Mike Oldfield, too.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

TWELVE TEASERS TO TEST THE GREYEST OF GREY MATTER 1 What is the world’s largest publication (in terms of numbers printed)?

2 Which language did Polish doctor LL Zamenhof invent?

3 In which year was motor racing’s first Grand Prix held?

4 Which fish’s Latin name is scomber scombrus?

5 What is the maximum length in feet of the bandage that professional boxers are allowed to wear on each hand?

6 The Allsvenskan is the Swedish equivalent of what in England?

7 At what temperature should champagne be served at?

A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR… …AND SHOUTS AT THE TOP OF HIS VOICE: “JAGERMEISTER, KAHLUA, TEQUILA, SAMBUCA.” “HEY,” SAYS THE BARMAN, “WE’LL HAVE LESS OF THAT. I CALL THE SHOTS AROUND HERE.”

6

EEH! NUMBERS

8 What does the name Peter mean?

9 The term “hat-trick” was first applied to which game?

10 Who composed Land Of Hope And Glory?

11 Sir William Huskisson was the first person to be run over by what?

12 In which country did the turnip originate?

The strength in alcohol by volume of the average French beer (6.0% abv) 6 In mathematics, six is the only even perfect number that is not the sum of successive odd cubes 6 People with sexdactyly have six fingers on each hand 6 Most woodwind instruments have six holes, while standard guitars have six strings 6 There are six tastes in traditional Indian medicine called Ayurveda: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.

QUOTE

“ THERE’S PLENTY OF DEUTSCHMARKS HERE TO EARN/AND GERMAN GIRLS ARE WUNDERSCHÖEN/GERMAN BEER IS CHEMICAL FREE/GERMANY’S ALREET WITH ME.” MARK KNOPFLER, WHY AYE MAN

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1 The Ikea catalogue (more than 210 million copies in 32 languages delivered to homes in 44 countries). 2 Esperanto. 3 1906. 4 Mackerel.

5 Eighteen. 6 The Premier League. 7 5º-7ºC (41º-45ºF). 8 Rock. 9 Cricket. 10 Sir Edward Elgar. 11 Railway train (1830). 12 Greece.

38 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

GIN Independent Small Batch Distillery

LIQUEURS available

AVAILABLE TO BUY AT POETICLICENSEDISTILLERY.CO.UK TRADE SALES CALL 0191 510 3564

PoeticLicenseDistillery

@PoeticLicenseUK

Events @ Arch 2 Ouseburn's newest brewpub and burger kitchen Enjoy a drink and a bite to eat in our modern, friendly bar nestled under one of the Byker Bridge arches in Newcastle's creative quarter.

10 taps of craft beer Onsite microbrewery Undercover courtyard Sit-around fire pit Child and dog friendly Beer tastings Brewery experience days Private parties FEATURE BEER: Newcastle IPA ABV 5.0% Perfect reward for an honest day’s work, a clean, drinkable IPA that’s packed with flavour and offers a bold balance not a smack in the head.

Brewed with our own blend of 4 American hops (Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook), the result is a hop lover’s dream with fruity aromas, set off by a dry malt middle and a long hop finish.

March 14th • April 16th 2018 The Crafthood Social

March 10th • March 30th • April 27th 2018 GESÚ presents ELECTRIC DISCO March 21st April 18th 2018 Paint Social

NEWCASTLE IPA Unfiltered. Wheat Free. Allergen Advice: Contains Barley

MORE INFORMATION AT: www.facebook.com/ arch2ouseburn/events/

Arch2 Stepney Bank, Ouseburn, NE1 2NP www.newcastlebrewingltd.co.uk Like us on facebook to keep up to date about our new developments in 2018 facebook.com/arch2ouseburn