A documentary on a well-loved pub is creating enormous interest, as Alastair Gilmour discovers The pub is a melting pot, all humanity is there. That’s why we like it and that’s how we like it. Everything goes on in the pub; strangers become friends, binman rubs shoulders with barrister, boy meets girl and lives are enriched. Sometimes though, … read more
In the North East we have access to some of the best beers in the world and an extensive range of top-notch spirits, but often the wine choice leaves a lot to be desired. Cheers has long despaired at the wine available in many of the region’s pubs and without slipping into lecture mode we think … read more
April 8, 2013, 1.13pm, will live with me forever, writes playwright Ed Waugh. I was in the library and my mobile rang. It was my brother. “She’s dead,” he said. Talk about real life imitating art! In our play Maggie’s End, the lead character, Leon, a socialist who lived through the miners’ strike and … read more
Mordue X (5.0% abv) took top spot in the recent Battle of the Beers competition at the Newcastle Beer Festival where the brief was to design a brew using two grain and two hops varieties to a strength between 4.5% and 5.0% alcohol by volume. An ecstatic Garry Fawson – Mordue managing director – praised … read more
So the pubs sector is stagnant? Don’t believe a word of it. Stand up Leopard Leisure, a pub operator with a real community investment across the North East. The latest additions to its portfolio – that includes The Hotspur, Rosie’s Bar and The Empress in Newcastle, plus the Queen Victoria in Gosforth and The High … read more
Cumbria’s Hawkshead Brewery has broken the Scots stranglehold on Glasgow Camra’s annual beer of the year award. The powerfully hopped New Zealand Pale Ale (NZPA) has been delighting the city’s beer drinkers for the past year and its popularity has now been officially recognised by this first win for an English brewery in 24 years. … read more
Cheers North East normally doesn’t highlight supermarket success but gin lovers might like this one. An own-label gin costing less than £10 has won a top award and seen off competition from well-known brands and niche rivals costing more than five times its price. Aldi’s Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin, (£9.65 for a 70cl bottle), … read more
Two years after moving to Newburn on the western fringes of Newcastle, Hadrian Border Brewery is flying. Just before Easter 2011, the unit at the Preserving Works looked decidedly large and empty – but now it has filled up with stainless steel tanks, hoists and walkways, each one gleaming like the day they were delivered. … read more
Black Sheep Brewery has teamed up with the organisers of a brand new music festival this month. Featuring well-known acts that include Reverend and the Makers and former Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss, LS21 Live is a new festival with ambitions of becoming a regular part of the musical calendar. The one-day event, on Sunday May … read more
Never afraid of doing things a little differently, The Brandling Villa in South Gosforth, Newcastle, has updated its popular rangeof gourmet burgers. Chef Sammy Dee and manager Dave Carr have spent hours tinkering with combinations and flavours to produce what they consider to be the best burgers in Britain. Running alongside old favourites such as The … read more
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