Cheers North East magazine #82 - July/Aug 2018 by Offstone Publishing

cheers WWW.CHEERSNORTHEAST.CO.UK // JULY/AUGUST 2018 // ISSUE 82

I T ’ S

A B O U T

P U B S ,

P E O P L E ,

B E E R

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A N D

Y O U !

UPFRONT AND CONSISTENT TWO POSITIVE INFLUENCES

REMARKABLE BEER JOURNEYS A TRAVELLER TELLS TALES

SPOKES PERSONS

ON YOUR BIKE FOR THE RIDES OF THE SUMMER

FREE PLEA

SE TAKE A COPY

WELCOME Our summer issue straddles July and August and we hope your getaway intentions or stay-at-home plans are hugely successful. If you can’t make it to Bali this year you can have a trip or two out on your bike and sample the joys of a North East pub as a little reward. Particularly in summer, our pubs are a seasonal playground where entertainment extends into live music, charity events, beer festivals, the comedy circuit, and hog roasts to pig out on. It’s no longer enough for publicans to open the window another notch come a spell of sunshine; potential customers have myriad alternatives and a multitude of sweeteners dangling their wares at our spending power, so we have to try that bit harder to win support – and to keep it. This month we delve into the world of brewing, catching up with some amazing people who think creatively and innovate rather than punch recipes into a computer and let a keyboard produce your beer. Plus we look at the serious side of beer where mental illness is a factor and when big business can ruin energetic, small enterprises. But confidence abounds and the message is as always – go to the pub, enjoy it, tell your friends, then go back again. And again. Bike it, you’ll like it. Cheers, Alastair Gilmour Editor, Cheers North East

EDITORIAL

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

CONTENTS 14

BOYS IN THE HOOD

Self-taught video bloggers Dean Marriner and Rich Rogerson might be down your way soon. If you get a call from Brew Stories, that’s them. The two have been filming pubs and breweries for around 18 months now and their short features are gaining popularity with each posting. They’ve filmed at Allendale Brewery, The Stables Brewery, Wylam Brewery and several ports of call in between, such as Brewlab in Sunderland and Bear Claw in Spittal, Northumberland. Their plans are developing – and they’re self-taught in beer too!

COVER: CYCLIST DAN WETHERSPOON AT PEDALLING SQUARES CAFÉ BAR, SWALWELL, GATESHEAD. PHOTO: PETER SKELTON

ONE OF THE THINGS MY MATE WOULD ALWAYS SAY WAS ‘DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY BEN YOUNGER, HOP KNOCKER

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Emma Howe 07854 011 704 01661 844 115 emma@offstonepublishing.co.uk

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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 DRINK 06TOSHIPSTALL ALCHEMY 12 IN BYKER POSITIVE 16CHARGES HANGING BASKETS

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

24 CAN IT BE 30 TOO MUCH? A SUMMER 32 OF EVENTS FUN WITH 38 FUN STUFF CYCLE OF FINE PUBS

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

HELLO PETAL

It’s high summer so it’s high time we celebrated the pubs that have caught the Cheers eye with their floral displays. Hanging baskets and tubs take some looking after but are an enormously welcoming sight at the door or garden area. 1 Mean Eyed Cat, Newcastle 2 The Stables, Beamish Hall, County Durham 3 The Black Bull, Blaydon, Tyne & Wear 4 Berwick Station (not a pub, obviously, but a colourful farewell to Virgin East Coast. (Berwick’s pubs are well worth a day-trip out, by the way) 5 The Rat Inn, Anick, Hexham, Northumberland 6 Newcastle House, Rothbury, Northumberland 7 Trent House, Newcastle 8 The Forth, Newcastle

1 2

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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

4 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

NEWS

OH JOY SIMPSONS

Simpsons Malt takes great pride in all aspects of its business, from producing the finest malts to customer service and advice. The fleet of trucks that deliver the quality malt, either from Simpsons headquarters in Berwick or Tivetshall maltings in Norfolk, is no exception with every truck superbly well maintained and looked after by a team of dedicated drivers and fleet managers. Competing in truck shows around the country, including Truckfest Edinburgh and Truckness in Inverness, is an excellent opportunity for Simpsons to show off the impressive fleet. At a recent show at Grantown on Spey, three of the fleet took home prizes from more than 100 trucks taking part. The Simpsons Malt trucks were awarded first and second place in the best working truck category under three years old, plus second in the best

working fleet award. Tom Anderson, one of the Simpsons Malt drivers, scooped first in the driver’s choice category – out of 120 entrants.

PALATES AT THE READY The Cumberland Arms, Ouseburn, Newcastle is the place to be for Collabathon, which is probably easy to work out as one mighty get-together. And mighty it is too – five breweries, four bottle shops and one pub take over the Cumberland Arms (pictured above) as part of its Summer Beer Festival (July 12-15). Collabathon takes place on Thursday July 12 – and how is this for a collaborative line-up? Box Social Brewing/Block & Bottle/Fitch Brew Co Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee Stout 6.0% abv) Almasty Brewing Co/Centr-Ale Mango IPA (6.0% abv) Errant Brewery/Nord Bottle Shop Better Off Alone Grape & Gooseberry IPA (6.0% abv) Northern Alchemy/Champion Bottles & Taps Lemon Syllabub IPA (6.2% abv) Out There Brewing Co/Cumberland Arms Calypso Frelimo Strawberry & Peppercorn Wheat Beer (4.0% abv). Wow!

First & Last Brewery Finely crafted ales from the heart of Northumberland

Bottles coming soon!

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summer pale 3.8% ABV

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stell stout 4.3% ABV

T 07757 286 357 E info@firstandlastbrewery.co.uk Facebook firstandlastbrewery Twitter fl_brewery www.firstandlastbrewery.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 5

NEWS

HOIST THE MAINSAIL

The word opportunity isn’t an anagram of Tall Ships, but it might as well be. It’s a huge event for the region with the focus on Sunderland for virtually a full week of nautical activities between July 10 and 14. The city’s pubs will no doubt be wringing as much business as possible on the back of such a prestigious occasion. One of those is The Clarendon on High Street East which has been owned by John Taylor, head brewer at The Stables Brewing Co at Beamish Hall, County Durham, for the past thirteen years. It has to be said, though, that the

pub has not quite been the success he had hoped for in 2005 with a succession of tenants who failed to grasp its potential and were seemingly only prepared for an easy life. John and his wife Joanne are taking back control for the period of the Tall Ships when 54 sailing ships arrive at the Port of Sunderland, cruising up the River Wear right under the nose of The Clarendon. A programme of culture and entertainment will surround the event. “After that we’re looking for a new tenant,” says John. “We want someone who shares our vision; someone who can promote cask ale and craft keg

Hello sailor: John Taylor at The Stables, Beamish Hall. Photo: Peter Skelton

COMING SOON www.boxsocial.pub

6 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

NEWS beer in an artisanal venue. There’s a lot going on. It’s a chance to show The Clarendon in a different light – and we’re right at the entrance to the port. The whole east end of the city will be closed to traffic, except for buses, and there’s a stop right outside the pub so it’s our job to convince people to come in. “The pub cellar was used as a holding cell by press gangs and you can still see where they were chained to the wall, so we’ll make a feature of that. The place is full of history – Bull Lane, the passage right next door, was where bulls would be run down to a field for fighting in front of spectators. “That part of Sunderland is changing with new housing being developed and restaurants opening. The people at the Boar’s Head nearby are good neighbours and I think we could work well together. But first, the Tall Ships is an opportunity worth waiting for.” John will be selling Stables Brewing Co beer which is now marketed under the Beamish Hall name so it appears that everybody is about to win. He is a man who rarely sits back, pushing the beer sector continuously. He is even

toying with the idea of introducing “tank” beer which he reckons is a far better way of delivering cask beer than in aluminum containers. He says: You have to box canny these days. We have a new gluten-free beer out and all the bottled range will be gluten-free by the end of the year. “We’ve got a new lager produced for Beamish Museum and The Stables restaurant which we brew as a beer and ferment as a lager, using Munich malt and German hops. It’s selling really well. We’re producing a thousand litres at a time and it takes four weeks to condition so it uses up a lot of brewery space just sitting there. "We want to push craft beer forward and I have no qualms whatsoever about keg beer; all I’m concerned about is quality and that’s what I’m looking for in the new tenant at The Clarendon. “The Tall Ships is an opportunity; it’s great for Sunderland and it’s good for The Clarendon – and Stables Brewing Co as well.” You can’t make a direct anagram from “opportunity” but the dictionary definition will do: An advantageous combination of circumstances.

THE TALL SHIPS RACES

The first Tall Ships Race in 1956 featured 20 of the world’s remaining large sailing ships. The race was from Torbay in Devon to Lisbon and was meant to be a farewell to the era of the great vessels. However, public interest was so intense that the Sail Training International Race Committee has since organised The Tall Ships Races and Regattas as an annual event around the world. On July 20, the vessels leave their host start port in Sunderland for Esbjerg in Denmark. They will then sail to Stavanger, Norway, before ending their journey at Harlingen in the Netherlands. Throughout the five-day festival, more than 50 local businesses and artisan producers will be selling a wide range of locally produced food, drink, and crafts – with plenty of samples on offer.

WE ARE NOW OPEN! WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU…x www.bytheriverbrew.co www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 7

NEWS

THE SOUTH BANK SHOW

What’s the connection between the Angel of the North and By The River Brewing Co? One is a well-established icon of the North East and the other is so new it smells of sawn timer and fresh paint – and hasn’t developed wings yet – so it’s not that. Either end of Gateshead Borough’s geographic reach? Not quite, Gateshead extends a little further south than Allerdene. Stumped? Rust. The Angel was designed by Antony Gormley as a time-served beacon of northern spirit. Nowt wrong with rust; rust happens. The brand-spanking-new By The River creative container community now settled under the Tyne Bridge in Gateshead, points to the future in its similarly chestnut, pleasingly corroded patina. Rust is the past, rust is the future, and dismiss either at your peril. This development, created for The Great Exhibition of the North from of the ashes of a garden village that had vision written 1all over it but Cheers_Half_Page.pdf 25/06/2018 fag-packet forecasts, is simply stunning.

CMY

8 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

It took a mere 17 weeks to turn a derelict site into a major local, national and international attraction, thanks to the foresight of By The River Brewing Co directors Dave Stone and Rob Cameron who are also deeply involved with Wylam Brewery at the Palace of Arts at Exhibition Park in Newcastle and a similarly separate portfolio of pubs and nightspots. The brewery itself is a 15-barrel micro-outfit with a taproom – 20 keg lines, no less – al fresco area and stunning views over the Tyne to Newcastle Quayside. The next-door Träkol restaurant is a fiercely seasonal venue featuring an open-fire kitchen with nose-to-tail cooking. It’s responsible shopping capitalising on British rare breeds for flavoursome, simple food. There’s a cycle centre too – by day, The Backyard Bike Shop specialises in custombuilds, bike servicing and pouring fine coffee. By night it morphs into a covert cocktail bar. And on the cards is HWKRMRKT, a hawker market space where you can kick back on weekends and sample the finest independent street food alongside freshly-brewed beers and small-batch spirits plus wines from a host of suppliers. The rust is history. 10:51 www.bytheriverbrew.co

BREWERY NEWS

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HEDGEROW DIPA

BLOOD ORANGE IPA

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Bright light: Ross Holland, Box Social Brewing

BOXING CLEVER Box Social Brewing celebrated its third birthday earlier this summer. Now regarded as one of the region’s most innovative brewers, the Newburn, Newcastle-based brewery run by Ross and Steve Holland is poised to move into larger premises, simply because of the demand for their beers.

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The inclusion of Box Social Brewing in the Northern Powerhouse collection of beers is quite a coup for you. Has it affected business in any way? “The project has been great for us and we’ve done really well off the back of it. We’re really grateful to

Wylam Brewery (the instigator of the project) for the opportunity to be part of it and for the exposure. It’s given us a lot of publicity and some people are finally coming round to us. For example, we’ve been talking to some distributors – including one from London – for three years now and all of a sudden they want to take our beers. That would mean we cover most of the country, then we need to hit Scotland.” Brewing at your current premises and getting your new unit at Riverdale Industrial Estate (also Newburn) must involve a bit of a juggling act. How are you coping?

BREWERY NEWS

“Keeping on top of everything is a bit of a job. The new brew kit arrives on the week commencing July 16 and production should start soon after – the second week of August. Hopefully it’ll be a case of plug and play. We’re trying to think ahead all the time; not like at this place where you can come in in the morning and think ‘what shall we do today’. But we’re running at capacity and can’t make any more beer. We’ve got to be more disciplined at the new place. “It’s been a stressful time with drainage and cooling and all the little extra things which have taken longer than we thought. We thought the kit – 15-barrel capacity manufactured by Hoplex in Aberdeen – would be in in February but the time has given us so much experience brewing on other people’s equipment that it’s been really worthwhile. “We’re putting a malt mill in as well, but everything is in hand and taken care of; the plans are all complete with phase two of

development planned for the back end of the year – as you say, it’s a juggling job.” Will the new premises involve creating new jobs? “We’re recruiting a new business development manager who will also help out on sales and the export side. We’re starting a new apprentice from Out There Brewing and Roger Cowgill will move from

“ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WANT TO TAKE OUR BEERS” his part-time role to full-time brewer which should be a huge help. Everyone will have their own roles with defined objectives and it should be a great team. And new beers? “We’ll be working with new yeasts,

experimenting with bacteria, and looking at new fruits such as blackberry purée through our Newburn Native Ales arm, our experimental, mixed fermentation and barrel-ageing project. I was chatting to the guys from Fermentis at last month’s Brewers’ Journal lecture who suggested we try using lager yeast for producing ale at a higher temperature. Although there are problems with producing sulphur we might give it a go. It’ll be good to do things like that and things like an IPL – India Pale Lager hybrid – in a collaboration with someone. Everyone we’ve contacted wants to work with us – Twisted Barrel from Coventry, Brew York, Elusive Brewery from Berkshire –which is great. “We’re canning four beers in 440ml size and the core range in 330ml. I emailed details of a new beer to bars around Newcastle – Coconut Mojito Pale Ale – and half the casks were presold in an hour. It wasn’t even in the tank yet.”

Taking inspiration from traditional punches and summer cups, we have been experimenting with some delicious ways to serve our Strawberry and Pink Pepper Liqueur. This is a really simple serve that can be made by the glass, and even better scaled up to make a pitcher to share with good company in the garden this summer! This is a great chance to get creative with your garnishes. During the summer, we like to use the classic combination of fresh strawberries, apples, cucumber and mint. The bouquet of fresh fruit on the nose is almost as delicious as the drink itself. For the mixer, we really like the floral flavours of Fentimans Botanical Tonic, but have a go and try some of your own favourites. If tonic isn’t your thing, or you want a slightly sweeter drink, try a traditional lemonade or ginger ale.

Your brewery tap in Newcastle city centre appears to be working well. How are things there? “The Box Social is going well and we’re very happy with how it’s developing. The staff have organised regular beer tastings, plus Scandinavian brewery cask takeovers and a Hepple Gin event combined with a one-off Juniper Saison beer which should be interesting.” You seem to be pulled in all sorts of directions – what else is in the plan? “Distributors are taking a pallet of 18 casks at a time which is almost a full brew. That’s great but it’s wiping our stocks out. We don’t want to let anyone down. Scandinavian export initiatives are starting to bear fruit and last year’s trade mission to China looks promising with trademark registrations now being prepared. We’re looking at Spain next. It’ll at least give me a chance to go to Barcelona. I’ve never been.”

INGREDIENTS: • 50ml Durham Strawberry and Pink Pepper Liqueur • 100 ml Fentimans Botanical Tonic Water • Sliced strawberries, apples, cucumber and mint to garnish METHOD: • Fill a large glass with plenty of ice and the sliced fresh fruit • Measure in the Strawberry liqueur • Top up with tonic • Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint Available fromwww. durhamdistillery.co.uk, local Morrisons stores, Amazon or for a full range of our stockists check out our website.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 11

BREWERY NEWS

YARD OF ALE

Moving a brewing operation from a shipping container into a massive space with enough height to put in two floors presents its own problems. Not in the least the working practices you’ve built up over the past few years – a spanner is always within armslength, the measuring cylinder is where you left it and the pail is convenient for tripping over. There’s a whole new regime of working, as brothers-in-law Carl Kennedy and Andy Aitchison discovered when they moved their Northern Alchemy brewery into new premises earlier this year. “Everything is bigger and more than anything else we’ve got loads of space,” says

12 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Alchemists: Andy Aitchison, left, and Carl Kennedy at The Old Coal Yard. Photos: Peter Skelton Andy. “It’s taken a long time for us to get over that challenge of space. Since we came to The Old Coal Yard in Byker we think a lot now about where things are and take our tools everywhere with us because everything in the old place was close to hand. But we’re making good use of the space and getting more efficient at it.”

Northern Alchemy’s new home deliberately retains all the trappings of its former railway and industrial past when coal would be unloaded from trains on to wagons for coal merchants to cart away. Exposed brick, steel girders and an amazing partly-cobbled floor spell traditional workplace. Outside, East Coast

BREWERY NEWS Main Line trains whoosh by when you least expect them to. “We’re doing very well and have ramped up production,” says Carl. It’s a case of managing everything in terms of growth, economies of scale and cash flow which is always a challenge. It’s nothing we weren’t expecting – but expecting and managing are two different things.” Being creative chaps themselves, Andy and Carl’s motive for moving into The Coal Yard (aka Potts Yard) was to create a community of makers and do-ers; people who wanted to rent spaces for their creative endeavours whether it’s printing T-shirts or running a café. “This is coming to fruition,” says Carl. “We have a welder here already and Block & Bottle (butcher and bottle shop) have decided to proceed with their next project here – drying, curing, smoking and salting meat. It’s part of reason we moved here. “We’re creative people surrounded by creative people so we’re always looking at things in another way. Like foraging for elderberries – we go out and pick the fruit, stick it in the freezer and say ‘know what… that’s a beer later’. “We’re also very conscious of the environmental impact of a brewery and are working with Stu Brew from Newcastle University on sustainability.”

Northern Alchemy doesn’t have a core portfolio of beers but a seasonal range of some 15 styles. The experimental and trial kit will shift from the old place soon which will be used to test what might be commercially viable by sending them across the counter at the Cumberland Arms (the family-owned pub) and selected, trusted outlets to gauge the response. Andy says: “We’re now getting into a regime of week-to-week, month-to-month jobs. But it’s quite nice to take a moment to look around the place to see how far we’ve come; it’s just so nice to be here. “We’re eventually moving into canning our own beer. We can bottle quite fast but canning will be a much better use of our time. We’ll focus on cask and keg fifty-fifty so we’re doing a lot more cask than we have done. Managing the return of casks is quite a new thing for us, but we’re prepared for that. “And our unitanks are amazing; there’s so much less cleaning to do. We’ve now got much better consistency and much better extraction – similarly with the dual-purpose ones we built ourselves. “We’ve been working together for five years and the new brewery has been a year in the planning but despite the challenges and stresses we’re still two brothers-in-law who have not killed each other and who can still go for a pint together.”

CROESO I GYMRU Welcome to Wales! Camerons brewery is to open its first Head of Steam venue in Cardiff this autumn as the brewer continues its expansion plan of the craft and cask pub brand. The bar will become the brewer’s 16th site in the UK. The new Head of Steam will include an eclectic selection of UK and world beers, featuring 19 lines with a selection of rotating craft keg, plus ten cask ale lines, with beers sourced from the local area as well as from brewers across the UK. Chris Soley, chief executive at Camerons Brewery, said: “We are really moving at a rapid pace and this will be the sixth new venue we have opened in 2018. We are still looking at a number of other potential sites and hope to open a couple more before the end of the year.”

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 50 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

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www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 13

THE CHAPS

Double act: Dean Marriner, left, and Rich Rogerson – together Brew Stories. Photo: Michael Baister. Illustration: Tom Boyle

TRUE BREW

The two “ordinary blokes” behind the Brew Stories website and video blogs are Rich Rogerson and Dean Marriner, two graphic designers who knew nothing about craft beer until they made it their business to do so. By day they work for Infinite Design in Newcastle, but have been granted a commendable amount of freedom to learn new things about film cameras, sound equipment and editing gear. In the process they have found out a lot about the places and people who make great beer in the North East – and, possibly just as importantly, discovered more about themselves. The great thing about meeting double-acts is that there’s rarely a pause in the conversation. But that’s also a drawback, because comments become interchangeable and if the pair work well together they speak with one voice. So, apologies for not separating our conversation into “Dean said” and “Rich said”, One question though – what is Brew Stories about? “We like beer and we were keen to get behind the subject and discover the stories. It 14 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

was originally a way to learn how to use digital equipment, but our first attempts weren’t that good. We started off reviewing beer but realised we didn’t have the knowledge to do it properly – then we switched to reviewing places we liked and the people we liked. It’s about forging relationships. “Now people are asking us to come down and do a Brew Stories from their place. Apparently they get loads of hits on Facebook when we’ve been. When we went to Allendale Brewery 105 thousand people saw it. People are really interested in beer. “Each story takes a lot of our time; you can’t just produce something in 20 minutes. You might film it on a Monday and edit it on a Tuesday or also a Wednesday, so there’s a lot involved. “However, our employers are also getting something out of it. We’ve learned new skills and got more competent at what we do in our jobs, plus it introduces us – and Infinite Design – to new people all the time. It’s about creating a community that keeps us going. We also don’t make any money out of it; it’s all good fun. “We’re very lucky that we’ve been given the time to do this, it’s a real benefit. We’re story-tellers and have a bit of a laugh as well. The only problem we have is there’s not enough hours in the day to do what we want. We’ve got a list as long as your arm of places and people we need to visit. “Beer’s great for us but it’s the stories that interest us more.

For example, take Rikky from Bear Claw in Spittal, near Berwick. His brewery is so small you can only wonder how he can make such great beer with just a barrel and a stick. And people like Danny McColl (McColl’s Brewery) are full of enthusiasm, doing it right, getting it how they want it before moving on to the next thing. “We like getting out of the office as the proper job involves looking at screens all day – and it’s nice to sample beer. It’s a case of when any opportunity comes along we’ll take it and if it raises the profile of brewers and companies like Brewlab in Sunderland that’s fantastic; it’s what we want. “The two of us just want to get better and better at what we do and take our ideas to the full breadth of the country. “We were involved with a North East trade mission to Munich recently with loads of bigger regional companies such as Ringtons, Beatsuite and Novel Tea. We took beers from Wylam, Northern Alchemy, Flash House, Errant, McColls and Almasty which was hugely, hugely successful. “They loved the Errant and Wylam cans, the graphics and the feel of them. “Everybody has been really nice to us, they’ve been open and got loads of time for you. The future is to get better at what we do; it’s about sound quality and picture quality, but we don’t want anything to look too studied. Dean and Rich is who we are.” www.brew-stories.com

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NEWS

THE NEXT BIG DRIVE

We’re barely into summer and Danny McColl has just made the understatement of the year. The owner of the eponymous McColl’s Brewery in County Durham has said: “We simply don’t sit still.” Danny McColl is one of brewing’s most enthusiastic, positive and tenacious characters. You certainly know when he’s in the room. He’s talking about tomorrow in one breath then five years ahead in the next. But running a modern brewery needs that push; it needs energy and total commitment and it needs a Danny McColl or two. “We’re continuing to move forward and always scrutinising our products to reflect where the market is,” he says. “It’s a continual improvement process and we’re always upfront and consistent. “Right now we’re improving our branding, completely rebuilding our website, and planning beer launches as well as having opened our taproom to the public. “The response has been absolutely fantastic. People are genuinely amazed at seeing how and where beer is made. It was so good on our first tap opening day we had to bool people out at the finish.

The

“And those who hadn’t drunk beer before – only lager – were blown away by what they tasted.” The local community is very important to McColl’s Brewery. Caps Off at Bishop Auckland Station takes a lot of beer while other great customers are the Three Horseshoes at Running Waters in Durham and the Ship Inn at Middlestone Village. Danny admits that the McColl’s team can’t afford to be complacent and they need to get onto the bars and shelves of outlets in Newcastle in particular and Tyneside in general. “That’s our next priority, our next big drive,” says Danny, “but it’ll not happen easily.” Danny, his wife Gemma and office manager Andrew Burnip are equally enthusiastic and they have been joined in a sales role by Justin Cooper who knows the business inside out, having done his fair share of shifts behind the bar. Ale drinkers might remember Justin from the Queen Victoria in Gosforth, Newcastle, a few years back. “He knows what’s inside my head,” says Danny. “It’s no good waiting for something to happen; we need to move up another step, doing the right things at the right time.

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NEWS

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25/04/2018 13:56 Energetic: Danny McColl in the1 brewery taproom. Photo: Peter Skeltom

“I’m excited for what’s going to happen over the next 18 months. We’re not kidding ourselves we’ll be massive in 18 months time but I’m very confident we’ll be doing well.” Danny McCall is super-keen to be part of a collective of North East brewers who can take their beers outwith the region together and make the rest of the country much more aware of what we do here. He says: “We have to admit we’re behind the rest of the country in that. We need to emulate North Yorkshire – that would be a step in the right direction. Join the dots on the map and fill in the rest of the country. “Our Blood Orange IPA is doing wonderful things and we’ve done a Double IPA in collaboration with Coppers in Gosforth which is due to be launched there on July 20. “We’re also heavily involved with a beer festival at Raby Castle which is part of a long-term project between us. They’re very much on board with our ideas; they’re in exactly the same position as us – sitting on something with a massive heritage but knowing it’s essential to improve the footfall. It’s all really exciting, a bit mental. “Raby Castle is a small business like us; there’s a huge market to go at, it’s an asset to the area but it needs a five or ten-year plan, maybe 20. “We’ve still got our original ethos and beliefs which have built up a core following, but now we’re running with it and really enjoying it.”

CMY

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RETAIL

KNOCKER ROCKER

Small businesses start up for all sorts of different reasons – a passion for the sector, a desire to do something else, or a complete change from the norm. One Durham bottle shop opened its doors in April armed with all those aspirations, but a new baby and the motivation of personal tragedy created an unstoppable force. Ben and Laura Younger’s Hop Knocker in Gilesgate, Durham, is proving very popular indeed, particularly among the student population. The couple juggle the opening times between his full-time career as an asbestos consultant and caring for two children – another full-time career. “Laura had our baby nine weeks ago and we opened the shop eight weeks ago, so it was all a bit chaotic,” says Ben. “I’ve asked the company I work with for parttime hours; I can’t expect Laura to do it all. “We decided to open the bottle shop and taproom because my mate had been

battling cancer for three or four years and we always thought he was going to get better. One of the things he would always say was ‘do something that makes you happy’ which really spurred me on. I love cooking and originally thought about doing something in that line. “Also our friends Chloe and Liam from South Shields died in the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 and at that time nothing else really mattered. But you have to keep going – for them as much as for us. The saying goes ‘you only live once’.” Ben and Laura are heavily involved with the Chloe & Liam Forever Trust, raising money through beer events for the charity that was set up to nurture the talents of young aspiring sportspeople and performers to help them to reach their full potential – something that Chloe Rutherford (17), a talented performer, and keen cricketer Liam Curry (19) were tragically denied.

FORGING GREAT REAL ALES Get in touch RUFUS (BREWERY) Tel : 01207 591 540

18 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

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RETAIL

Highly effective: Ben Younger at Hop Knocker

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The Hop Knocker logo is based on the Durham cathedral sanctuary knocker and a green hop theme runs through the furnishings and décor. Solid timber tables suit the single-room space and a wide window ledge is a great people-watcher perch. Beers sit on metal shelving and with six keg taps and a pallet-wood counter, it’s a simple but highly effective operation. “There’s still a lot to do in the shop,” says Ben. “We started off with three layers of bottles on four shelves but now we’ve stopped having to double up which we had to do to make it look more full. Every now and again I think ‘how did I do this?’. “I love it when people come in and sit at the tables, not previously having known each other, then they leave together for a drink in Durham. We like to get families in, we’re a family business, after all. And people like the personal touch – Laura jokes that her choice of candles, cushions and potted plants get more likes on Facebook than my beers do.” The Hop Knocker word has spread – the owner of Leviathan

Brewery in Birmingham took a train with his beer and the Tooth & Claw experimental micro at Camerons Brewery have been hosting tastings of the different beers they produce which is expected to be an ongoing feature. Ben says: “We’re mixing things up with beers that people have never heard of plus all the popular stuff – you need to have that balance between high end and what you might call gateway beers. We’ve been to the US, France, Holland, New Zealand and Spain and enjoyed beer wherever we’ve been and I’m trying to get hold of some New Zealand products. People are enjoying new takes on familiar styles.” Ben admits the day-job is stressful and he tends to take it home with him, but he reckons he’s getting it right. “I’ve found a balance juggling three things,” he says. “The proper job, which I like to call it, plus home life with my wife and two children and this new venture which has gone too far now to be called a hobby.”

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION

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sourcing specialists manage all furnishing needs, while bespoke joinery is delivered by experienced craftsmen at TCL’s Seaham factories. Specialising in bar tops, fronts and back fittings, the firm’s designs incorporate a range of bespoke materials including wood, mirror, marble, glass, acrylic and granite. TCL’s in-house upholstery division is also on hand to reupholster existing seating and provide curtains and other soft furnishings.  Bar Fitting  Project Management  Contract Interior Design  Contract Furniture  Upholstery Division  French Polishing Shop  Contract Flooring Division  External Works  Maintenance Service The Masons Arms was designed by TCL’s Interior Designer/ Contracts Manager Lynne Kerr. Speak to Lynne direct via lynne@ thompsoncontracts.co.uk If you are interested in the services TCL offers, please visit the showroom at Unit 1, Site A Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate, Seaham, Co Durham, SR7 8ST, call 0191 513 0383, or visit: www.thompsoncontracts.co.uk

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NEWS

STACKS IN THE PIPELINE

Storms have been known to billow up from nothing, so it’s possibly a foretaste of what Whitley Bay-based Black Storm Brewery is about. From a standing start a year ago Black Storm has created a healthy market for its traditional line of Bitter (4.3% abv), IPA (5.35 abv), Blonde (4.0% abv) and Porter (5.2% abv), all well balanced, well constructed beers brewed in the North East by Hadrian Border Brewery. And there’s more to come – a lot more.

22 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Storm Cellar: Alfie the pub dog flanked by Paul Hughes, left, and James Davie-Baguley “Hadrian Border have been going for 25 years and are highly experienced and know what they’re doing,” says James DavieBaguley, operations director at Black Storm. “We’re still looking around for a brewery to buy

or somewhere to build one.” Earlier this year, Black Storm opened the Storm Cellar pub on York Road in Whitley Bay, creating a relaxed atmosphere with six keg taps and four cask handpulls ensuring it

NEWS refreshing ice-cream dropped into lemonade. Tropical Storm will have lemon citrus and pineapple flavours. Fire Storm heads towards chilli and a touch of cinnamon. Snow Storm will be a pure milk-white stout with white chocolate nibs in it – and Elf Juice will be menthol-influenced and the team is trying to work out how to get helium into it so drinkers’ voices go squeaky. “We’re taking beer as far as Edinburgh and Sussex every week,” says James. “And Paul is planning 50 new beers over 50 weeks next year in collaboration with 50 different breweries. It’ll be a showcase for younger brewers and also older, more established ones.” With plans like that it's guaranteed that a storm will settle over the region for a long, long time to come.

“We’re looking at other business has become a particular favourite locally. And, opportunities. In two months’ time I’m off part of that billowing process has seen James to open another project, this time in North and managing director Paul Hughes take a Shields. I can’t reveal unit at Stack container village in Newcastle, a too much at the huge shopping and leisure destination on the city’s Pilgrim Street, built on the former Odeon moment as we haven’t signed the lease yet. Cinema site from 60 shipping containers. “Beer Box is a bottle shop selling local beer There’s so much on.” The Black Storm and styles from all over the world,” says James. brand is also set to “It’s a great location and it’s estimated 21 expand further with million people walk past there every year. four sites identified “I’ve estimated that we can stock 1,982 around Tyneside – beers – I did that by taping out areas in our Gosforth, Jesmond, office and calculating from there, working out South Shields, and strengths of shelves and weights of beer. Oh a fourth still to be the joys of maths; it feels like I’m an engineer decided. sometimes.” James says: “You’ve James reports that The Storm Cellar is got to think ahead going amazingly well and has appointed a and do things properly new manager. In the space of seven weeks like offering a living of opening the company has gone from wage which we think employing two people to five with plans for is really important. It’s another five – because there’s even more to about standards. We’re come. “Storm Cellar and Black Storm are now part concentrating on our traditional core beers of Whitley Bay,” says James. “Whitley Bay has at the moment which been really supportive towards us. People like are doing so well, but the relaxed atmosphere – everybody enjoys the next step is the fun stuff.” a bar like we’ve got here and they say we’ve Step up Summer Storm, made a real difference to the town. 1831 THK Visitor Centre AdWe’re 128mm really x 190mm_hi.pdf 1 then 27/06/2018 12:09 number one in a new seasonal range and a reminder of proud of what’s going on.

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SUMMER SUPPING

JOIN THE CHAIN GANG Summer is made for cycling and pubs were invented for visiting. Alastair Gilmour puts them both together Ask any group of cyclists in the North East to name the pubs they like to stop off at on their regular spins into the countryside and nine out of ten will say The Boathouse, Wylam. It comes up time and time again, not only because it’s a great pub with as wide a selection of ales that you’d ever need but because it sits on a criss-cross of trafficlight and vehicle-free walking and cycling routes that are a joy to pedal along. Adrian Murphy who runs the family-owned Pedalling Squares Café Bar in Swalwell, Gateshead, knows full well the advantage of being close to a cycle route. “Cycling and beer go together,” he says. “When we opened four years ago we always had a Tuesday trip out all on quiet roads out to Stamfordham, stopping off at various pubs. We’d get 15 to 20 turn up then they came back here.” Pedalling Squares (with attached, separatelyrun bike repair business, bakery and cycling top retail outlet) is the ideal place to start and finish a bike ride and it’s right on the Coast To Coast route – plus for the more modest cyclist, very close to the popular Derwent Walk. Adrian says: “We also keep a stock of Belgian beers and when we go over there for the Spring Classics (one-day races often over very rough roads and in inclement weather) we bring back beers produced from each event with bespoke labels. Our local suppliers Firebrick and Box Social breweries have also done us bespokelabelled bottles. It’s a great tie-up between beer and cycling.” We don’t have to go to Belgium to enjoy cycling and beer, however (as appealing as the thought is). Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders offer everything for the Lycra-clad pro and the day-tripping dawdler – 24 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

with plenty of pubs for refreshment. A quick shout around Pedalling Squares comes up with riders’ favourites within easy reach and the admission that “we go for the hills first, that way it’s more rewarding”. The Boathouse Wylam; The Anchor, Whittonstall; The Feathers, Hedley-on-the Hill; Grey Horse Consett; Tyne Bar, Newcastle; Keelman, Newburn; The Ship, Eighton Banks, Gateshead; The Red Kite, Winlaton Mill; The Black Bull, Matfen, and nearby High House Farm Brewery. The Coast And Castles route that runs 200 miles from Newcastle to Edinburgh is part of the National Cycle Network (NCN), taking in must-visits such as The Ship Inn at Low Newton by the Sea, The Jolly Fisherman at Craster, The Greys Inn, Embleton, plus Berwick’s finest – The Barrels, Curfew, The Pilot and Brown Bear. Other long-distance routes show Northumberland off well – the challenging Pennine Cycleway and Hadrian’s Cycleway approximately following Hadrian’s Wall with Twice Brewed Inn and attached, eponymous brewery a sight for midge-splattered eyes. The popular Coast to Coast (C2C route) crosses the county too, featuring lofty Alston (Cumberland Inn) and Allenheads and hilly Pennine roads which can work up a fine thirst. Of course, you can pick up small snatches, such as parts of the 120-mile Sandstone Way from Berwick to Hexham (The Tannery). There are many quiet routes, such as the 10-mile

Bespoke kit: Dan Wetherspoon at Pedalling Squares. Left: Adrian Murphy Top right: Another way of Photos: Peter Skelton

f doing it.

SUMMER SUPPING

“IT’S A GREAT TIE-UP BETWEEN BEER AND CYCLING”

Alnmouth/Warkworth Loop (Red Lion to Hermitage Inn) that’s half car-free, but you might need transport to get there. South Shields (The Steamboat and Alum Ale House) westwards through Gateshead (The Schooner, the Central) forms part of C2C and follows the Tyne. There’s a Rothbury Circular (the Narrow Nick) and a link between Stockton (Golden Smog) and Darlington (Number Twenty 2, Quakerhouse, Orb Micropub). The 54-mile South Durham Orbital mixes rail trails with roads (The Bonny Moorhen at Stanhope and the Dun Cow at Witton le Wear), while the 25-mile circuit linking Consett (Grey Horse) and Chester-le-Street (Lambton Worm) is mostly off-road. Durham itself has the Victoria Inn, The Woodman, Head of Steam, Station House and Colpitts where you can make up your own route – then you can get on the train at The Waiting Room (platform 2). The Tour de France will no doubt encourage us to get into cycling mode but there’s no need for that sort of torture to enjoy a day on a bike. Tootling along a rail trail with a pub at both ends is simply perfect. Saddle up!

PEDAL POWER

The Lanterne Rouge (red light) is traditionally awarded to the last man over the finish line in the grueling, three-week Tour de France. It’s also the name of the Belgian-style pop-up bar organised by Mick Potts of the Free Trade Inn in Byker, Newcastle. And there’s one arriving this summer. Mick says: “Join us to celebrate Belgian National Day on Saturday July 21 as we pop up at the fab Cycle Hub at the mouth of the Ouse Burn. Expect Belgian beer, live music and a Belgian food menu by the incredible Shanty Town BBQ, all set against one of the best views in Newcastle.”

COVER SHOT Dan Wetherspoon – an appropriate name for a keen cyclist who enjoys a beer – is attempting to get some fitness back into his legs, so he invested in a fixed-wheel bike – no gears – to help him on his way.

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 25

BREWERY NEWS

Chairman: Ian Fozard

FRESH HEAD ON THE BEER BODY The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), has announced that Ian Fozard of Rooster’s Brewery in North Yorkshire is the organisation’s new national chairman. Ian, who has run Rooster’s brewery in Knaresborough since 2011 with his sons Tom and Oliver, has been a SIBA board member for more than four years. Before purchasing Rooster’s from Sean and Alison Franklin, Ian had a long career in pub estate ownership and management. He is also a qualified accountant. Anthony Hughes of Lincoln Green Brewery in also joins the fold as SIBA’s new vice-chairman.

CAN YOU ROUSE YOUR INNER ARTIST?

Stu Brew, Europe’s first student-run microbrewery based at Newcastle University, is inviting artists – or anybody really – to submit designs for a range of canned beer. And who wouldn’t want to win that sort of competition? The requirement is simple: A single design that will be used across different beers with interchangeable colour schemes. Entrants will be provided with Stu Brew logos and the typeface Bitter Bold to be used in the design. Needless to say, designs should be artistic and modern, avoiding cartoonish themes. Harmony in colour is advised with the finished article submitted in Adobe Illustrator. The deadline is July 31 2018. To enter the competition (or ask any questions) email contact@ stubrew.com The winner receives a case of beer with the new Stu Brew design – plus a lot of kudos and a tick box on your CV. Good luck.

Pumpclip art: Previous Stu Brew graphics

BEN & LAURA WELCOME YOU TO DURHAM’S NEW BOTTLE SHOP AND TAP ROOM OPENING TIMES: Weds & Thurs 2pm - 8pm Fri 2pm - 9pm, Saturday 12pm - 9pm, Sunday 12pm - 4pm 26 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

32 Marshall Terrace, Durham, DH1 2HX @TheHopKnocker

BREWERY NEWS

SHARE THE BEER, LOVE

The things that come to you when you’re driving! Head of Steam group’s marketing manager Daisy Turnell had a brainwave while behind the wheel about how to stimulate pub visits when lots of people are off on holiday and if there’s plenty of sunshine for stay-at-homes, how pubs with no outside space can attract support. Say hello to July’s #sharethebeerlove, intended as a callout at a mid-point between the great work that the #Tryanuary campaign created six months ago (and will continue in a few months’ time). “I wanted to make sure we kept the momentum going,” says Daisy. “It’s about letting everyone in the region know about all the great breweries and beers across the North East and the places to buy and enjoy them, and also share the same from

others who are proud of their part of the world, too.” Each day throughout July, there’s a focus on a different local brewery, bar or bottle shop on social media from Craft Beer Newcastle. Everyone is encouraged to join in across the North East and beyond, using #sharethebeerlove – and Becky who runs Leeds Beer Bulletin (@ LDSbeerbulletin) has confirmed she’s joining Daisy to show her support for her area. Follow @CraftBeerNCL on Twitter.

THE GUIDE POST The Guidepost has long since been the beacon for the local community in Ryhope, a real pub from inside to out and offers a home from home to our locals. With a well-presented beer garden to the rear, complete with a children’s play area, The Guide Post welcomes the whole family. Find us on Facebook

theguidepostryhope

GUIDE POST, RYHOPE, SUNDERLAND SR2 0RN

SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK Andy Burrows, owner of Hadrian Border Brewery with his wife Shona, has a project we should all sympathise with. Ouseburn Porter has been selected as one of five English beers represented at the Corfu Beer Festival. Previously, other nations have been invited but Andy made contact with the Corfu representative when he was part of a North East delegation to China last October. He says: “I have to go out for a few days at end of August to brew and then back at the end of September for the festival itself.” Oh dear, what a shame, never mind.

BOG STANDARD The gents toilet in the Free Trade Inn, Newcastle, is a sight to behold. Visitors either love the experience or hold their feelings in, but there’s no arguing that it’s a must-see. The walls are also a must-read with some genuinely great toilet humour scrawled among the graffiti.

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FRONT STREET, TANTOBIE, STANLEY, DH9 9RF www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 27

WINE

The Pele is truly a unique micro pub in the beautiful village of Corbridge. With its contemporary restoration, fabulous location and unmistakable heritage. Opening times: Mon-Thurs 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-12pm, Sun 12pm-11pm 07565 801463 info@thepele.com

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PUT A LID ON IT Natural or synthetic? Vincent Zeller poses the 'closure' question

Log on to any internet debate on whether wine is better with a natural, cork, a synthetic one or a screw top and you’ll get swamped by sites with vested interests in either, plus a load of “laying down” jargon. Let’s be honest, very few of us buy wine to age in a cellar. Wines are bought to be consumed either that day, for the coming weekend, or if you have masses of self-will, next month’s party. So, does it really matter what the “closure” is and how it operates? Restaurateurs love it when there’s a sound of popping cork at a table as it has an immediate, positive effect one other diners. Natural cork is ecologically sound and comes from from renewable sources, notably trees in Portugal. But they can dry out, they can crumble and sometimes they are the devil’s work to pull out. Natural cork can also taint wine – where we get the term “corked”. As for synthetic “corks”, they are usually produced from moulded or extruded plastic with the advantage that they are much cheaper than most natural corks. And if you thought a “proper” cork is difficult to extract, some plastic

ones defy muscle power – and just try and get one the back in the bottle neck. To me they cheapen the experience of the liquid that you’re about to enjoy and it seems bonkers to create synthetic copies of a natural product even with all its inconveniences. Screwcaps provide the perfect seal, but many people find them aesthetically a turn-off, although attitudes are changing as screwcapped bottles become more widely used. European wine producers seem slower to embrace the screwcap than their New World counterparts – almost all Australian wines are screwed down – and indeed a cork closure is still mandatory in certain Italian wines. (We’ll not go into the degreelevel subject of “oxygen ingress” here, it’s far too complex for a £7.99 investment.) It’s argued that red wines destined for long ageing may require a greater degree of interaction with oxygen than is currently permitted by a screwcap, although further research is required – plus not many of us can wait 20 years to get our pop, swoosh, glug kick.

WINE: COMMERCIAL FEATURE

WHAT WINES TO DRINK THIS SUMMER

We spoke to Mark Roberts at Lanchester Wines who shared his top tips for refreshing wines to drink this summer With the summer of sport already in full swing and the sun finally breaking through, beer garden season is truly upon us. However, ‘beer garden’ by name doesn’t need to mean ‘beer only’. Certain red wines are great when served a few degrees cooler. Precious few red wines are traditionally served colder than room temperature, but lighter reds work perfectly when served a little chilled. This goes back to the old adage – serve at room temperature – which dates to the times of cold wine cellars. So, if you think about it, serving a red wine a little below modern, central heated room temperature makes sense. Pinot Noir is perfect for chilling and we’d highly recommend McPherson Wines’ MWC Pinot Noir from Victoria in Australia or Vintrigue Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. Both are easy drinking with soft tannins and plenty of fruit, perfect when paired with light summer foods. Any visitors to Australia or USA over the last few years are likely to have seen our next summer wine prediction first hand – the Frozé (frozen rosé cocktail). Ridiculously refreshing and cooling, this offers the customer something a little different to the standard wine offering while also offering the venue good margins. You’ll need a full-flavoured, full-bodied, darker-coloured rosé for freezing as the end drink will lose some of its colour and will be a bit diluted after freezing

and blending. Therefore, you want something that can hold its own, such as the Viña Oria Tempranillo Garnacha or the Vega Badenes Rosado Syrah. The wine is then frozen (for around six hours) then sugar syrup, fruit (usually strawberries or raspberries) and lemon juice are added, but of course each outlet will have its own special twist to the recipe. And, of course, it’s great to try at home. An ice bucket with chilled sparkling wine is great for toasting with friends in the summer and in terms of fizz, Prosecco still reigns supreme. But, for those wanting something a little different, or with less alcohol, Moscato is the ideal alternative.

Moscato wine is characterised by its sweet, fruity and sometimes floral aroma and taste. Many Moscato wines have a bit of effervescence to them, with the most wellknown being Moscato d'Asti. Our top tip for this summer is The Princess Butterfly sparkling Moscato from Australia. Served chilled, this is strawberries and cream in a glass, and at only 7.0% abv, it’s a lower alcohol alternative for drinkers trying to reduce their intake. It's presented in a stunning crown cap bottle and ideal when sold by the bottle for drinking on a sunny day. Mark Roberts is head of sales at Lanchester Wines which is headquartered in County Durham All the wines in this article are available throughout the North East – ask your bar staff for more details or visit www. lanchesterwines.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 29

BREWERY NEWS

EYE OPENERS You learn by doing but you can find out more by listening, writes Alastair Gilmour

The acclaimed Brewers Journal lecture series stopped off at Wylam Brewery with a range of topics presented by industry experts that had such an effect on audience members that they talked about it long after. Presentations – organised by the monthly magazine aimed at the professional brewing industry – were so varied and well constructed that even the layman would have gleaned something from them. Tim Sheahan, editor of Brewers Journal, introduced the session. Dave Stone from Wylam Brewery, spoke about The Battlefield For Hearts And Taps and how small, independent producers are fighting for counter space in pubs owned by national and global conglomerates In a world of hops, hops, hops, brewing technologist Fabian Clark from Muntons presented the case for looking at malted barley a lot closer than is currently the fashion and how it can influence beer through mouthfeel, flavour and body. Sarah Barton, creator of Brewster Brewery, chose to focus on the changing face of brewing from her first introduction to the craft. She recalled her first invoice in 1998 was for a cask

Awareness: Rich White has called for more attention to mental illness issues of beer at £55. Twenty years later, the likes of Greene King are selling beer direct for… £55. She has been long resigned to the fact that there is a battle. The action of yeast came from Gino Baart, general manager of fermentation experts Fermentis, who offered an insight into sensory paths – “your wildest dreams” – through diversity, quality and production. Sean Knight from industry leaders Fourpure Brewing Co looked at the environmental impact of brewing and how we can all create communities for sustainability. Then Rich White from The London Brewing Company threw a full bag of spanners into the works by announcing his subject would be “the least interesting of the day”. Mental health in the brewing industry (which actually translates well into many professions). Rich originates from New York; he holds qualifications in brewing technology from the World Brewing Academy and a certificate

CHEERS ON TOUR

Two belters for you this month: John Collinson, chairman of the Durham Branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) tells us he recently tried some great Lion beer in Sri Lanka while on tour with Durham City Rugby Club. “Both Lion Stout and Lion Strong were a tasty 8.8% abv,” he says. “I was also was able to catch up on some Cheers news at Pinnawala elephant orphanage.” And Jennifer Hanover sent us this photo 30 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

direct from the 52nd floor of The Shard in London. The view is dizzying but a glass of red wine is certainly a steadying influence, although she reports: “Our ears were popping.”

in brewing from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD), so he knows his stuff. He brought the American spirit of craft brewing innovation to the London Brewing Company, specialising in strong dark beers, IPAs and Belgian styles as well as barrel-aged and sour beers. At the Brewers Journal seminar he asked: “It’s time to ask if brewing has a problem with mental health? I would say we do. “Some would say we’ve got a dream job – and yes we do, but maybe that’s part of the problem – anxiety, masculinity, success, plus alcohol. Anecdotally, I’ve heard of brewers going home in tears, going home to their family as different people. It’s long hours; they’re solitary hours, it’s hard physical labour, you’re multi-tasking in a high stress environment – and when you’re also thinking about sales and staffing, you ask yourself ‘when am I going home?’” Rich explained through his own experiences of coming to a new country with a fistful of awards to make new beers that his new employers would be proud of and drinkers would rave about was part of his problems with selfdoubt and self-esteem. “Me?”, he said. “The brewing industry is pretty much male dominated, you’re taking on additional duties and you might not have an employer you can speak to about things. You can never switch off. “You have reduced energy, reduced efficiency, fatigue; you develop negativity and sarcasm, irritability; you work longer hours but achieve less. You experience self-doubt; there’s a lack of control, plus uncertainty and insecurity which you can’t avoid. “Also, there’s a lack of job satisfaction which can lead to bad relationships with colleagues and problems with your working environment, such as noise, temperature and overcrowding. Small and

BREWERY NEWS medium–size employers don’t have access to the professional help that big companies have. “You’re busy, you’re cash-strapped, not sure how to approach an issue and not able to tackle it. Mental health is still a taboo topic, it can affect your career prospects.” Rich outlined a two-pronged approach to counter this: Take breaks, take holidays – holidays aren’t a privilege, they’re a right – eat properly, get your sleep, don’t overwork, talk – employers should listen more – learn, set clear expectations. Employers should know what’s expected of you, work through risk assessments and to not get upset or defensive – but learn. “So where can I turn”, Rich asked. “The NHS is an obvious route, the Health & Safety Executive, and The Benevolent, the charity which provides advice and support to anyone who works, or who has worked, in the drinks industry. He said: “The brewing industry needs to take mental health seriously. We need to be more selfish; talk, look out for each other – and employers need to take more responsibility. “If people feel good they’ll be more productive, they’ll be happier and employers will make more money.” The brewing sector needs to prick its own bubble and get out a bit more. You can start a conversation about burn-out and work-related stress in the craft brewing industry by following @BoilOverUk #NotAlone www.thebenevolent.org.uk

ARISE SIR NORTH

In January this year, a number of the North’s leading independent breweries met at Wylam Brewery’s Palace of Arts headquarters and hatched a plan to collaborate in a celebration of northern craftsmanship as part of the Great Exhibition of the North now in full swing until September 9. All the beers were brewed in collaboration and beautifully packaged at Wylam Brewery which created such an interest that virtually every case was presold. Here are the results. Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 001: Wylam/Buxton Chocolate Chip Vanilla Imperial Stout (10.1% abv) 002: Wylam/Cloudwater Strong Brown Ale (6.3% abv) 003: Wylam/Black Lodge Mixed Fermentation Farmhouse with Apricot, Peach, Mango (7.5% abv) 004: Wylam/Thornbridge American Wheat with Jasmine Flowers, Orange Peel (5.5% abv) 005: Wylam/Magic Rock Forrest Fruit

Kettle Sour with Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Raspberry (4.5% abv) 006: Wylam/Hawkshead DDH Pale with Citra BBC, Chinook BBC, Amarillo (5.0% abv) 007: W ylam/Northern Monk India Pale Ale with Citra BBC, Mosaic BBC Vic Secret, Galaxy (7.2% abv) 008: Wylam//BoxSocial DIPA with Citra Cryo, Amarillo Cryo, Bru 1, Galaxy (8.5% abv). The strapline with the collection reads: “The North Will Rise Again”. You bet.

Scotia Welding Scotia Welding & & Fabrication Fabrication

Micro Brewery equipment from individual components to a turnkey application.

Micro Brewery equipment from individual components to a turnkey application. All aspects of brewing consultancy if required. All aspects of brewing consultancy if required. admin@scotiawelding.co.uk | www.scotiawelding.co.uk | 01578 722 696 admin@scotiawelding.co.uk | www.scotiawelding.co.uk | 01578 722 696 www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 31

SUMMER EVENTS ONGOING FOOD! FRIDAYS Tyne Bank Brewery, Walker Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 2AB Every Friday night there’s a Newcastle-based street food vendor in residence at the brewery taproom. Keep an eye out on the Facebook page for details on who it will be. www.tynebankbrewery.co.uk LAST WEEKEND OF EVERY MONTH BREWERY TAP OPENING McColl’s Brewery, Unit 4 Randolph Industrial Estate, Evenwood, Bishop Auckland DL14 9SJ Beer shop and brewery tours – and of course, a pint or two. Fridays 3pm-7pm, Saturdays 12noon-5pm Details: mccollsbrewery.co.uk

SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY A selection of festivals, fun, food, music, arty and beery things to celebrate sunny days

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UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2 PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE INFORMAL LECTURE SERIES Station House, North Road, Durham DH1 4SE Durham’s Station House has announced dates and speakers for its informal lecture series, Public Knowledge. All evenings will consist of around a 30-40 minute talk by an expert on a subject about which they are passionate, followed by a Q&A session in the comfortable surroundings of the pub. Evenings two and three will

SUMMER EVENTS The Exchange, Howard Street, North Shields NE29 6RP A festival of beers matured in wooden casks organised by the North East branch of the Society for Preservation of Beer in Wood. More than 70 beers from the region, plus North Yorkshire, Lancashire and beyond. Details: www.woodfest2018

follow on the first Sunday of the month in the upstairs room and will cover Sea Hear: Using sound to map the sea floor, and Neuroscience: Attention,

JULY 7-8 THE OUSEBURN FESTIVAL Various venues around the Ouseburn, Newcastle The Ouseburn Festival is a familyfriendly festival held every summer packed with weird and wonderful goings-on, including live music and comedy, food stalls, arts and craft fairs, and a huge range of fun stuff for kids to get involved in. As with addiction and brain-zapping. www.stationhousedurham.co.uk any good festival you can expect street performers ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. As JULY 5-7 well as taking over the streets, this NATIONAL WOODFEST

two-day festival is spread across a number of venues, and is a wild and exuberant celebration of the Ouseburn Valley. Details: ouseburnfestival.org.uk JULY 9, 16, 23 BEGINNERS’ PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE The Staiths Café, Autumn Drive, Dunston, Gateshead NE8 2BZ A four-week course with Ian Weldon Photogaphy to set you on the path of shooting and taking control of your camera – all intended to make better pictures. An exhibition at The Staiths Gallery will take place later. 8pm-9.30pm, £120 per place. Details: info@ ianweldon.com JULY 12-15 SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL The Cumberland Arms, James Place Street, Ouseburn, off Byker Bank, Newcastle NE6 1LD

Festival time July 7-8: The Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle

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CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

Durham Beer Festival

New Venue

Backgrou image: Created by Creativeart - Freepik.com

Durham City Rugby Football Club (Green Lane, off Old Elvet) 30 Real Ales 8 Real Ciders and Perries Food and Soft Drinks available £5 entry (includes glass hire and 1st beer token*) * CAMRA & DCRFC members get an extra token with valid membership card

Join CAMRA at the festival and get 4 free beer tokens

Durham City Rugby Footbal l Club Green Lan e, Durham , DH1 3JU Wed 29th August 2018: 4pm - 10:30pm Thu 30th August - Sat 1st September 2018: Noon - 10:30pm https://www.durhambeerfestival.org.uk/ Twitter: @Durham BeerFest2 Facebook: CAMRADurhamBeerFestival Find us on Facebook Badge

CMYK / .ai

More than 50 different beers and ciders in cask, keg, bottle and can – an ever-changing selection. Thursday 12 from 3pm: Collabathon with music from Timothy McVicar and food by Burrito Chulo. Friday 13 from 3pm Music from Rock N Doris, food by Sghetti Monster. Saturday 14 from

12noon (on the terrace) People’s Playlist, kids’ activities, pub games, food from Goodtimes Tacos. Pub: Silent Disco 1pm family, 8pm adult (tickets available in advance). Sunday 15 from 12noon Kids’ activities, pub games, DJ set from Smoove (Smoove And Turrell), Steve Jeffries (Warm Digits),

THE CLUNY SAUSAGE, BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL! SPECIALITY SAUSAGES, BEERS & CIDERS, ALMASTY BREWING CO. TAP TAKEOVER, LIVE MUSIC, DJs & MORE...

FRIDAY 27TH - SUNDAY 29TH JULY

FURTHER DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT:

WWW.THECLUNY.COM

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SUMMER EVENTS Meggie’s Burn Fields, Sea Front, Blyth, Northumberland This Festival by the Sea features live music from the likes of Smoove & Turrell and The Marley Experience, plus the infamous chilli-eating competition, street food, stand-up comedy, real ale bars, cabaret, producers’ market, kids zone and on-site camping. Details: www.chillifest-ne.co.uk

Impressive: Hawkshead Brewery Jennie and Marie (Cornshed Sisters, with food from Fat Hippo and The French Pop-Up. See page 5 for Collabathon. www.thecumberlandarms.co.uk JULY 13-15 NORTH EAST CHILLI FESTIVAL

JULY 14-17 WOODMAN INN BEER FESTIVAL The Woodman Inn, 23 Gilesgate Durham DH1 1QW The Third Annual Bangers and Beer Festival with a twist. Alongside a great selection of more than 20 real ales and ciders from local breweries and a great selection of flavoured sausages, this year there will be cocktails galore. A fantastic Durham pub to visit in the sunshine with a mightily impressive beer garden – what more excuse do you need? info@woodmaninn.co.uk JULY 19-21 SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL

The Beer Hall, Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 9LR Hawkshead’s 13th festival continues to draw beer lovers to The Lakes to witness craft brewing in the north of England at its finest. It’s all about British craft brewing... what’s new, who’s new, what’s stood the test of time, but most of all... what’s good. It’s mostly cask, but there’s a fair amount of keg too. It’s a family affair... kids, dogs, babes in arms, great grandmas, weird brewers – all are welcome. There’s food all day, live music, great beer, good crack and no tickets – the Beer Hall is a pub, it doesn’t charge entry. www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk

summer. Celebrating the very best in crime fiction, the festival is a firm date in the literary calendar and has achieved international acclaim for its programming, organisation and atmosphere. Join the likes of Denise Mina (The Long Drop), John Grisham interviewed by Lee Child, avid crime reader Richard Osman, Nicci French, Val McDermid and Don Winslow as they reveal who Crime time: Val McDermid

JULY 19-22 THE OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL Old Swan Hotel (“the home of crime”), Harrogate, North Yorkshire The world-class, award-winning Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival returns to the magnificent Old Swan Hotel this

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SUMMER EVENTS dunnit. Or leave us in suspense. Then there’s a set from The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers Val McDermid, Doug Johnstone, Chris Brookmyre, Luca Veste and Stuart Neville as they murder Johnny Cash, Elvis, Talking Heads and Bruce Springsteen. T&R Theakston, the Masham, North Yorkshire, brewery is sponsoring the event for the 15th consecutive year. Somehow, a dark, strong, mysterious beer is just the perfect companion for a weekend of crime or an evening curled up on the settee; crime book in hand, beer at hand, and perhaps a dram at hand. Just don’t look round… Details: harrogateinternationalfestivals. com/crime-writing-festival/ JULY 20-22 SUMMERTYNE AMERICANA FESTIVAL Sage, Gateshead Quays Some of the finest musicians get together across two free stages of sizzling music during SummerTyne Americana Festival. Those booked so far include Sam Gibson, Jinski, Portraits, Tom Blackwell, Strange Blue Dreams, Wandering Hearts, Mel Greggain and Georgie. Details: www.sagegateshead. com JULY 21 BREWERY OPEN DAY Roosters Brewery, Grimbald Park, Wetherby Road, Knaresborough HG5 8LJ

Festival number eight: Battlesteads, Wark, Northumberland Celebrating 25 glorious years, an anniversary collaboration with Odell Brewing (Colorado), Oskar Blues (Colorado) and Camden Brewery from London. Project Beer Launch, brewery tours, hot food. The fun runs between 12noon and 5pm, followed by an after-party and tap-takeover at The Half Moon in Knaresborough with live music. Details: www.roosters.co.uk JULY 26-29 BATTLESTEADS BEER FESTIVAL Battlesteads, Wark, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 3LS The Battlesteads Beer Festival

is in its eighth year with its most well-stocked bar to date. The annual four-day festival hosted by Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant is a celebration of the best drinks the North East has to offer from ales, lagers and stouts to gins and ciders. There is live entertainment every day, with local bands including The Mudskippers, The Culprits, Jason Arrup, and Marty Craggs and Trevor Sewell. All proceeds will be donated to the Great North Air Ambulance – a worthy charity Battlesteads is proud to support. Admission is free on Thursday (6pm-11pm) and Sunday (12noon until the beer

runs out). On Friday and Saturday tickets are £4 (12noon-11pm). A free transport service from Hexham is also available on Friday and Saturday. www.battlesteads.com UNTIL JULY 28 JULIE COPE’S GRAND TOUR: THE STORY OF A LIFE BY GRAYSON PERRY Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead NE8 4JB This Craft Council touring exhibition by 2003 Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry is diptych of tapestries telling the story of Julie Cope, a fictitious Essex “everywoman” who was

THURSDAY 26TH JULY TO SUNDAY 29TH JULY Over 20 beers, ciders and foreign lagers to try BANDS INCLUDE: Thursday 26th Jason Arrup

Friday 27th Marty Craggs and Trevor Sewell Saturday 28th The Mudskippers & The Culprits

ADMISSION

Thursday 6pm until 11pm FREE / Friday and Saturday 12noon until 11pm £4 Sunday 12 noon until the beer runs out FREE Transport service available from Hexham – Friday night and Saturday afternoon / early evening.

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SUMMER EVENTS inspired by the people Perry grew up among. Julie’s story is told through Perry’s vibrant and detailed style representing the trials, tribulations, celebrations and mistakes of an average life. Free entry, TuesdayFriday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am5pm. Details: shipleyartgallery.org.uk JULY 31-AUGUST 5 CIDER WEEK Station House, Station House, North Rd, Durham DH1 4SE Durham’s Station House is hosting a special cider week with 10 ciders on tap alongside the excellent range of real ale. A stamp card will be in play for the week with the first 15 people to have a half-pint of each of the 10 ciders receiving a free Station House Ciderologist T-shirt. Any others to achieve the feat will be able to redeem a free pint. Follow the Station House on Facebook for the full list of ciders. www.stationhousedurham.co.uk AUGUST 3-4 ASHBROOKE BEER FESTIVAL 2018 Ashbrooke Sports Club, West Lawn, Sunderland Sunderland’s favourite beer festival returns with even more to offer. Alongside a fantastic selection of 30 real ales, ciders and perries, Ashbrooke will host its very own gin bar. Food will be available. Tickets are £10 which includes three drinks and a commemorative glass. The festival begins on Friday 3rd from 4pm and Saturday’s session starts at 12noon.

AUGUST 3-4 REDEFEST Camien Café, Rochester, Otterburn, Northumberland (on the A68) NE19 1RH A non-profit, volunteer-run, community music festival. It is without doubt England’s most isolated festival, but it is well worth the effort to reach the last outpost before you cross Carter Bar on the high road into Scotland. This year celebrating its 12th year. The Redefest bar offers a selection or real ales from local breweries, plus cider, wine and soft drinks. Wood-fired pizzas, fish and chip van and Thai food. The Camien Cafe will be open serving food throughout – hot dogs and crepes will also be available from the Crepe Van. Music, workshops and an awful lot more. Details: redefest.org.uk AUGUST 3-5 GOSFORTH BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL Civic Theatre, Regent Farm Road, Gosforth, Newcastle NE3 3HD A weekend of beer food and music with 30 taps of the best local, national and international keg and cask alongside food from Scream for Pizza, Meat Tack and Cubanos, with DJs and live bands, including Saturday’s NARC stage, plus family activities and even retro gaming. Free entry. Details: www. gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk 0191 284 3700

UPCOMING EVENTS • PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE - 1ST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH @ 7PM 5TH AUGUST - DR ADAM ROBINSON TITLE TBC. (MARINE/GEOPHYSICS) 2ND SEPTEMBER - DR HELEN KNIGHT WHISKEY BUSINESS, ATTENTION, ADDICTION AND BRAIN ZAPPING (NEUROSCIENCE). • 11TH - 14TH OCTOBER. AUTUMN BEER FESTIVAL • ALSO, WEEKLY BOARD GAMES NIGHT ON TUESDAYS @ 7.30PM

Bangin’: Roosters Brewery, Knaresborough www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 37

SUMMER EVENTS AUGUST 4 DURHAM BREWERY BIRTHDAY BEER BASH Durham Brewery, Bowburn North Industrial Estate, Bowburn, Co Durham DH6 5PF Celebrating its 24th anniversary on August 4 (12noon-5.00pm), this brewery festival is now a yearly tradition on the first Saturday in August. It’s a great afternoon of good beer and food plus gin from Durham Distillery and is a way to meet the brewery’s customers and say thank-you for their support. Steve, Christine, Elly, Georgie, Sean, Craig and Will will be available to answer any questions. At least 12 beers on cask and keg – some old favourites as well as new beers launched on the day. Food will be provided by Newcastle’s gourmet burger specialists Meatstack and live music will be hosted throughout the day. There’s also a massive range of bottle-conditioned beers to try with 10% discount on bottles, mini-casks, glasses or gifts from the brewery shop on the day. The visitor centre, marquee and main brewery will keep everyone dry should it rain.

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Tickets are available now from the website or direct from the brewery. www.durhambrewery.com AUGUST 5 KEEP YOUR FEET STILL GEORDIE HINNY Newcastle guided walk: Meet at Chinese Arch, Stowell Street (2.30pm). Finish at Newcastle Central Station. Concert hall was one of the most popular forms of affordable entertainment in the Victorian period. Take a look at the places where the most popular stars of the time, including Joe Wilson, Geordie Ridley and Ned Corvan, played to packed houses and wowed people with their songs of local events and characters. Details: www. newcastlecityguides.org.uk AUGUST 7-11 CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL Olympia, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London W14 8UX The annual Camra extravaganza

featuring all things real ale. Each hall will have bars serving some of the very best real ales, craft beer, ciders and perries available from some amazing breweries serving their great beers direct. Also wine, gin and coffee for those looking for a little break from beer. Fantastic London street food and live music. Details: www.gbbf.org.uk

AUGUST 23-27 THE COURTYARD BEER FESTIVAL The Courtyard, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington NE38 8AB The 15th annual beer festival at Washington’s beautifully modern cafe/bar set in the delightful surroundings of Arts Centre Washington, features more than 50

Bank holiday fun: The Boathouse, Wylam

SUMMER EVENTS HOOTENANNY & BEER FEST Hartlepool Rugby Club, Mayfield Park, Easington Road, Hartlepool. More than 30 guest beers and ciders plus gin and prosecco bar, Robinson’s Butchers, Napoli Woodfired Pizza, Moody Bood Bites. Live music. Tickets £15 (£12.50 before July 31) available from the rugby club and Alice House Hospice includes entry, four beer tokens, tasting notes and stack cup. Tel: 01429 266445.

Fifty real ales: The Courtyard, Washington Arts Centre cask conditioned real ales, perry and cider. There will be locally sourced food available from the café’s renowned menu, a smoky BBQ and a host of live music throughout the festival. Admission is free across the weekend. www.thecourtyardbar.co.uk AUGUST 25-27 THE BOATHOUSE WYLAM

BANK HOLIDAY BEER FESTIVAL The Boathouse, Station Road, Wylam, NE41 8HR The award-winning pub’s annual August Bank Holiday Beer Festival with some of the finest ales available. Live music and great company. Tel: 01661 853 431. AUGUST 26

AUGUST 26 HORNS HOUSE HULLABALOO Horns House Farm, Witton Gilbert, Durham DH7 6TT The ever-popular HHH is returning for its sixth great year. From 1pm: Live music, licensed bar and on-site catering van. Camping available. Children welcome. Profits go to St Cuthberts Hospice and FACT (Fighting All Cancers Together) and the organisers would be grateful for any donations for auction and raffle. £7.50 donation. Contact Horns House Hullabaloo on Facebook or

Nicola 07789 262 487, Pete 07803 597 170, Pauline 07909 548 514. AUGUST 27 SHIP INN BEER FESTIVAL Ship Inn, Main Road, Wylam NE41 8AQ The Wylam favourite is well known for its proper, tasty and wholesome pub food and now it is turning its hand to its first-ever summer beer festival. A BBQ menu includes gourmet burgers and hot dogs, more than 20 local real ales and live music from local musician Neil Elliott. £5 entry gets you a ship in glass and tasting notes/score sheet for the beers and three beer tokens. AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 1 38th CAMRA DURHAM BEER FESTIVAL Durham City Rugby Football Club, Green Lane, Durham DH1 3JU Camra Durham’s premier beer festival is taking a new format focusing on quality outstanding ales and ciders in a new

Wylam Bank Holiday

BEER FESTIVAL Monday 27th August 12-6pm

Over 20 real ales from local breweries BBQ Menu Live Music from Neil Elliott

Main Road, Wylam NE41 8AQ Tel: 01661 854538 www.theshipinnwylam.co.uk

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Telephone:0191 267 4000 Email:info@liddlescoaches.co.uk

www.liddlecoaches.co.uk www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 39

SUMMER EVENTS intimate and comfortable venue at Durham Rugby Club. Organisers wish to celebrate real ale with their regional membership and continue to attract new enthusiasts with a specific focus on the increase in variety, quality and quantity of real ale being sold in pubs in Durham. Thirty real ales, eight real ciders and perries, food and soft drinks too. £5 entry includes glass hire and beer token. www.durhambeerfestival.orh.uk AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 2 BERWICK FOOD AND BEER FESTIVAL The Barracks, The Parade, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1DF Now in its eleventh year and one of the best places to buy fresh, local and seasonal produce. Organised by the town’s Slow Food Group and sponsored by local business Silver Tweed, the event highlights the region’s thriving food and drink scene. More than 80 local food, food related and drink stalls, street food, children’s entertainment,

demonstration kitchen. Berwick Beer Festival features up to 10 local artisan brewers from Newcastle and Amble to Galashiels and Wallsend. www. berwickfoodandbeerfestival. co.uk DURING SEPTEMBER THE GREAT JOE WILSON Various venues Following the success of Hadaway Harry and Mr Corvan’s Music Hall, the Wisecrack Productions team is back with another exhilarating play (with music) to celebrate Joe Wilson, the Bard of Tyneside. Written by Ed Waugh with Joe Wilson’s lyrics set to music by Alex Glasgow and Pete Scott, it stars Chris Connell, Micky Cochrane, Sarah Boulter and Jordan Miller. September 6-8: Darlington Hippodrome (01325 405405). September 11: Whitley Bay Playhouse (0844 248 1588). September 12: The Sage, Gateshead (0191 443 4666). September 13: Alun Armstrong Theatre, Stanley (01207 299110).

Thriving: Berwick Food and Beer Festival September 14-15, Westovian Theatre, South Shields (0191 434 7788). Online books: wisecrackproductions.co.uk SEPTEMBER 1 SAMSO’S FOOTY QUIZ The Central, Half Moon Lane, Gateshead NE8 2AN The hugely popular quiz – “the North East’s biggest and best football quiz” – often has to turn people away, so book early. Kick off 8pm. www.samsosfootyquiz. co.uk

2018 GIN BAR & BEER FESTIVAL M P 1 1 2PM

Saturday 15th September Sunday 16th September LIVE MUSIC

TICKETS £8

INCLUDES ENGRAVED GLASS + 2 BEER TOKENS

SOUTH SHIELDS & WESTOE CLUB LTD DEAN ROAD, SOUTH SHIELDS NE33 4EA

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SEPTEMBER 6 THAT’S THE SPIRIT Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle NE1 4SG In this drama, Sarah is a disillusioned teacher, being bullied by the senior management in her school – and feeling very alone. She is not a member of the union… Fortunately Charles, an old NUT activist, takes Sarah on a magical journey of discovery both about the union’s history in the North East – and herself. Learn more about an important part of

local history and be prepared for a good laugh... and to be seriously moved! £3. 7pm-10pm. Details: www. tynesideirish.com SEPTEMBER 7-9 BAAFEST Brown Rigg, Bellingham, Northumberland NE48 2HR A superb weekend of live music, workshops, stalls, two real ale bars, food and festival camping in the glorious Northumberland National park. Now in its ninth year, it’s an opportunity to hear some of the best established folk, blues and acoustic acts alongside emerging talent across three stages. Come for the day, the weekend, or an extended stay (incl Thursday and Friday night concerts). Tickets and info: www.baafest. co.uk 01434 220646. SEPTEMBER 9-11 BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND Grote Markt, Brussels The Grote Markt (Grand-Place) in Brussels will serve as a

unique backdrop for the Belgian Beer Weekend which has been dedicated entirely to Belgium’s national beverage. This will allow 60,000 beer lovers to enjoy fine Belgian beers in one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage squares in the world. Throughout the weekend, numerous small, mid-sized and large Belgian breweries will have a large selection of their products on offer. Details: www.belgianbrewers.be OCTOBER 13 THE THINKING DRINKERS’ PUB CRAWL The Stand, High Bridge, Newcastle NE1 1EW A hilarious new tour with Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland is an intoxicating bar-hop through history, from the symposiums of Ancient Greece to the classic British boozer via Wild West saloons, Victorian gin palaces and the secret speakeasy. You’ll learn a lot, you’ll laugh a lot and you get five free drinks. Tel: 0844 693 3336.

Gosforth

BEER Festival 2 0 1 8

fri 3 august sat 4 august sun 5 august 4pm - Midnight 12pm - Midnight

12pm - 8pm

GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE Free Entry Live Bands Street Food

Beer Music Scream m e at: s ta c k for P i z z a Food

beavertownnorthernalchemyalmasty magicrocknorthbrewingcoboxsocial cloudwaterkernelwylamandmanymore NARC STAGE ROB HERON & BEHOLDAPALEHORSE T W I S T THE TEAPAD PHIL DAVIDS & the H E L I X ORCHESTRA GOOD TIMEs BAND FIKA

SUMMER EVENTS

c u b a n o s

gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk @gocivtheatre

THE

CourtyarD ANNUAL SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL THURS 23RD AUG - MON 27TH AUG

• Showcasing over 50 cask conditioned ales plus real cider and perry • Locally Sourced Food Available from our All New Menu • Live entertainment • Craft, Draft and Bottled Beers available

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

HAWKSHEAD BREWERY, MILL YARD, STAVELEY

FROM PROGRESSIVE WWW.HAWKSHEADBREWERY.CO.UK

www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 41

SUMMER EVENTS OCTOBER 14-21 TYNESIDE IRISH FESTIVAL Tyneside Irish Centre, 41 Gallowgate, Newcastle NE1 4SG Artists are being booked and will be announced shortly and what you can expect is a terrific line-up of talent not only from Ireland but from around the world. City walks, culture, live music, dancing – it’s all there. Details: www. tynesideirish.com OCTOBER 18-20 CRAFT BEER CALLING Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle upon Tyne For one weekend only, an assembly of some of the world’s leading craft breweries under one roof, plus a gin palace, a wine cellar, great music, sumptuous street food and an artisan cider cellar. Interact with brewery staff and get to know so much more about their beer at Meet The Brewer sessions. Among those invited by Wylam Brewery are Beavertown, Siren, Verdant,

42 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Top line-up: Craft Beer Calling, Wylam Brewery, Newcastle Northern Monk, Magic Rock and Cloudwater. Details: www.craftbeercalling. com   OCTOBER 19-21 AUTUMN BEER FESTIVAL

Gateshead Fell Cricket Club, Eastwood Gardens, Gateshead NE9 5UB More than 50 beers and ciders, plus Prosecco and Gin Bar. A selection of food vendors including Scream for Pizza and

Bombay Street Kitchen. Live music themed over the three days – Punk Friday, Rock’n’Roll Saturday, Soul Sunday with top North East DJs. Day ticket £7, weekend ticket £15. Details: 0191 420 0160.

HAVE BEER WILL TRAVEL Would travel: Stephen Beaumont raises a glass to his new book. Photo: Micha Dahan

REVIEW Will Travel for Beer: 101 Remarkable Journeys Every Beer Lover Should Experience by Stephen Beaumont. Octopus Books 2018, £14.99.

TRAVELLER’S REST

One of the world’s finest beer writers dropped in on Tyneside carrying his new book, where Alastair Gilmour met him Beer writers get into their pet subject in many different ways and it’s surely an absolute joy to successfully turn curiosity and communication skills into a full-time occupation. Canadian author Stephen Beaumont has managed that perfectly – with world travel thrown in to put a perfect head on the job, too. “Back in 1987 I graduated from university in political science,” he told an audience at The Central, Gateshead, who were also treated to a tasting of five beers courtesy of Camerons Brewery. “The three things you do while studying political science is you talk a lot, you write a lot and you drink a lot. I wasn’t interested in anything political, but I like a beer and I liked writing.” In 1990 Stephen managed to get a bi-weekly column in the Toronto Star, the largest-circulation newspaper in Canada, which he kept up for three years, gaining a huge following and consequent respect, even from wine writers who admired his ability to put a niche subject across. His first book, The Great Canadian Beer Guide, followed. Stephen says: “There were 92 breweries in Canada then and I visited them all. Canada is a big country and 92 breweries is a hell of a lot of travel. This turned into a 90,000-word best-seller which led me to the conclusion that this was more than about beer.” Stephen then met Tim Webb, the prolific British beer writer who specialises in all things Belgian and the pair co-operated on The World Atlas of Beer, divvying up the planet between them. “It plunged me further into beer travel, doing Asia, Western Europe, Canada and the US which was creating its amazing, exciting beer market.” he says. “The initiative for this latest project came when I woke up one morning with the name of

the book in my head – Would Travel For Beer – so I contacted a publisher who to my amazement got back to me straight away. I decided on the number 101 for sections and sat down with a map of Great Britain because I’d been here before looking at developing cities. Bristol was building up, Leeds was emerging, London was already there, Manchester – sorry Tyneside, I missed you out..” Stephen has the ability to look at beer with fresh eyes and on his beer tasting sessions he is not afraid to criticise. He says: “If you put IPA onto anything it’s going to sell. Period. Citrus, grapefruit, lemon, orange are what Generation Z thinks about craft beer. “Italy is such an amazing country for beer – there are now 1,200 breweries there. According to one survey, more Italians now drink beer with their meals than wine. And beer gardens are the lifeblood, the soul of Munich, with some of them holding up to 4,000 people – the biggest one holds eight thousand – all clinking glasses.” Stephen has been on a UK-wide publicity tour where he discovered a few personal “firsts”, including an introduction to the North East. He says: “I shall most definitely return. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Central Bar and look forward to exploring other Newcastle and Gateshead haunts. “As much as I love the Bow Bar in Edinburgh – and I really do – I’ve got to say that the highlight of my time in the Scottish capital was drinking with Ian Rankin at the Abbotsford on Rose Street. It’s a lovely place with an impressive literary history – and pretty good beer and whisky to boot!” Follow Stephen Beaumont on Twitter @BeaumontDrinks

Stephen Beaumont has already given us World Atlas of Beer, Beer and Food Companion and Pocket Beer Book (all co-authored with Tim Webb).This profusely illustrated book is based on his 27 years of global beer writing taking us on a trip around the world focusing on beer festivals, bars and breweries rather than specific beers. The first 40 pages cover the UK and Ireland with stops at the Great British Beer Festival, a few old London pubs and the Bermondsey beer mile (home to six craft breweries). We then visit some railway bars across the country, Suffolk pubs, Burton-on-Trent, Masham and Scotland. Ireland is covered by visiting a few pubs in Dublin and Cork. Europe gets 60 pages with Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic getting detailed entries of bars, breweries and festivals. The US, with more than 6,000 breweries and countless beer festivals presents quite a challenge to any beer writer but Stephen manages to squeeze in a good mix that includes the Great American Beer Festival which offers more than 3,800 beers. He also visits the Yakima hop growing area of Washington state, plus renowned beer towns such as Portland, San Francisco and Boston. His native Canada gets 20 pages which covers the Great Canadian Beer Festival, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec, Niagara, Ottawa, Halifax and Toronto. Then it’s around the rest of the world, stopping off in Brazil with its strong German influences on its beer culture. Chile and Argentina are best known for their wines but craft beer is taking off in there. Australia and New Zealand also have thriving craft beer scenes. This seems to be aimed at the beer tourist, providing inspiration for those who want to fit in some craft beer destinations as well as the usual cultural attractions. DAVID HARRIS www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 43

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44 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

Asset: The railway arches at Wellington Street, Gateshead

ARCH ANGELS

Concerns are mounting that many of the North East’s pubs, restaurants and related beer businesses are under threat from what has been described as an “insane” property deal. Network Rail, the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the rail network in England, Scotland and Wales announced last November that it was selling its commercial estate business, putting all of its 5,500 railway arch properties up for sale – including 470 properties across the North East – in one portfolio believed to be valued at around £1.3bn. On Tyneside alone, Errant Brewery, The Box Social Taphouse, Split Chimp, Prohibition, Block & Bottle and Station East have set up in recent years in railway arches, with a new venture by the owners of The Old Fox in Felling, Gateshead, having gone a long way down the line of securing a sister outlet. There are huge doubts that global investment firms, fund management companies, financiers and the world’s biggest real estate investment organisations who have expressed an interest in the sale are likely to have their interests at heart. An action group, The Guardians of the Arches,

made up of hundreds of affected archway businesses has launched a petition calling for Network Rail to back down from the sale, claiming thousands of small businesses face “extermination” if the property deal goes ahead. Heading the region’s thrust is Katie Cullen from award-winning butcher and bottle shop, Block & Bottle, whose railway arch premises is on Wellington Street, Gateshead. Katie was invited to address Parliament last month alongside other Guardians of the Arches. This issue is so farreaching that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among those who turned up to listen and to sign a protest letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling – along with colleagues John McDonnell, Rebecca Long Bailey, Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald and Big Issue co-founder John Bird. Katie says: “Gateshead MP Ian Mearns also talked about the railway arches in his constituency going from derelict and barely used ten years ago to the thriving hub it is now, and the risk posed of returning to empty arches if the sale goes through and we feel forced out. Ian was brilliant and we definitely have his full support. “A year ago there were only two of us

BUSINESS NEWS

CENTRAL TO THE EQUATION

employed by Block & Bottle. Within our first six months we hired a butcher part-time and six months later he’s full-time – and we’re about to look for our next employee. The reasonable rents in the arches have allowed us to expand and just after a year of opening we have started a second small business. This would not be possible without the reasonable rents provided by Network Rail. “Gateshead is an area which has in the past struggled in relative terms – however, the thriving railway arches have given confidence to By The River Brew Co and Hadrian Border Brewery to set up ventures nearby. “If this sale causes rents to rise further it will only push the small business out and destroy hotspots of culture and creativity as is already happening in other places. These businesses will move further out of town centres into alternative accommodation leaving centres deserted and pushing ingenuity into harder-to-access areas. “Network Rail has said our tenancies will be passed on to the new buyer, but this also means they will then have the opportunity – and will likely use clauses already in our tenancy agreements – to push up rents or push people out. Network Rail receive £240m rent per year, so a quick sale like this only equates to six years’ rent.” Will Brett of the New Economics Foundation which is supporting the Guardians of the Arches, says: “Dynamism and entrepreneurialism is being threatened in one massive property deal. We won’t rest until the future of the arches is secure.” www.guardiansofthearches.org.uk

The unique Central Bar in Gateshead opens a new chapter in its 160-year history with new tenants at the helm. Partners Gavin Sinclair and Marcia Mennie, who have taken out a lease on the hugely popular Grade II-listed pub, are no strangers to the place, having managed it for several years on behalf of Camerons Brewery. The pair have fresh ideas on its day-to-day running and have exciting plans for the future which should make the venue an even more attractive proposition for drinking and dining. Gavin says: “Camerons approached us saying there was a tenancy opportunity and when we thought about it being a managed house and how there are so many costs to factor in with that. Plus with pretty much complete freedom to negotiate our own deals with suppliers, it started to make sense. “I have to say Camerons have been brilliant with us throughout. “It’s a tenancy with a bit of freedom which will allow us to offer a great choice of cask and keg beer at very good prices – we’re not city-centre. As well as six handpulls we’re free of tie on wines, bottles and spirits and all the suppliers have been a massive help.” Gavin stared in The Central part-time in 2009, taking over as manager in 2012, so it’s safe to assume he knows every creak in every floorboard. The impressive roof terrace, popular for events and functions (weddings a speciality) will be freshened up while the Buffet bar will be open every day with friendlier lighting installed. Little changes will reflect who they are, such as making The Central the most dog-friendly pub in the area. “We’ll also still be offering our massive vegan and gluten-free menu,” says chef Marcia. “We’re looking at as much

local produce as possible using smaller, local suppliers – people who can tell you the name of the cow the beef came from.” Another craft beer line is being freed up which Anarchy Brew Co will take as a regular fixture with as much local brewery involvement as possible that will also include Allendale Brewery. Entertainments-wise the weekly quiz is making a comeback and also rock’n’roll bingo. The legendary Samso’s Footy Quiz is booked for Saturday September 1 (8pm). “We want to break away from the corporate feel and get back more into the landlord-landlady way of working,” says Gavin. “We’re not changing things so much that people will say ‘we’re not going there any more’. There’s not a lot broken here, it just needs a few tweaks.”

Open door: Marcia Mennie and Gavin Sinclair www.cheersnortheast.co.uk / CHEERS / 45

FUN STUFF

SIGN OF THE TIMES Say no more. This London pub fascia has it all – more or less.

THE DIRTY DOZEN TWELVE TEASERS TO TEST YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1 Parisian cyclist Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France in 1903. What was his previous profession? 2 How many lanes are there in an Olympic swimming pool? 3 In Arthurian legend, who found the Holy Grail? 4 Who was the last king to be crowned in Scotland? 5 How many James Bond novels did Ian Fleming write? 6 How many times would the Earth fit inside the Sun?

A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR… …AND THE BARMAN SAYS: “WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU AT THE PUB PET RACES THIS YEAR? YOU NORMALLY SWEEP THE BOARD WITH YOUR RACING SNAILS.” THE MAN SAYS: “I DECIDED TO TAKE MY STAR PERFORMER’S SHELL OFF TO MAKE HIM MORE AERODYNAMIC AND TO GO FASTER. IT DIDN’T WORK – IT ONLY MADE HIM MORE SLUGGISH.”

EEH! NUMBERS

7 An eagle and a snake appear on which country’s flag? 8 What was the name of the dog that found the missing World Cup in 1966? 9 In golf, how many strokes below par is an albatross? 10 How many miles of arteries, veins and capillaries does the human body contain? 11 Which wedding anniversary is paper? 12 What is the donjon of a castle?

The issue number of this month’s Cheers. We first published in July 2010. Happy birthday to us 82 The percentage of the world’s wealth held by one per cent of its richest people (source: Oxfam) 82 The atomic number of lead 82 The international code for direct-dial numbers to South Korea 82 The significant number that appears at the end of Kurt Vonnegut’s book Hocus Pocus

QUOTE

“THERE CAN BE NOTHING MORE FREQUENT THAN THE OCCASIONAL DRINK” OSCAR WILDE

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1 Chimney sweep. 2 Eight. 3 Sir Galahad. 4 Charles II in 1662 at Scone. 5 Twelve. 6 109. 7 Mexico. 8 Pickles. 9 Three. 10 Approximately 60,000. 11 The first. 12 The keep or great tower.

46 / CHEERS / www.cheersnortheast.co.uk

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by Black Storm ― May 2018

by Black Storm ― August 2018

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