Last week I returned to the North East for the first time for a few months and had a great couple of days visiting some fine pubs, drinking some excellent beer, and enjoying some decent football. Here's the story....
I was looking forward to getting back to Newcastle as it gave me the chance to visit some old favourite pubs that I had missed on previous visits, as well as hopefully witnessing Halifax Town pick up some points against old rivals Gateshead. It was a sunny morning and I'd got the train from Halifax, changed at Leeds and all was going well until we arrived at York, where we were told after a few minutes delay that this journey to Newcastle was terminating due to a broken down train between Northallerton and Darlington, which meant that currently no trains were going north. Never mind, a pint of Silverheart IPA from Yorkshire Heart brewery at the York Tap did provide some welcome consolation (NBSS 3) as we waited for an announcement that the trains were running again.
Things were eventually sorted and I finally got in to Newcastle about 3.15, and whilst I could have checked in at the hotel at that time I went instead for my customary stop at one of my favourite pubs, the wonderful Crown Posada. The place was quite busy, but not uncomfortable, and I decided to go for a pint of Almasty Green on cask, which was on very good form. A pale yellow hazy beer with an ABV of 5%, it is packed with a juicy, citrus freshness courtesy of lashings of Ekuanot, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops (NBSS 3.5). It was a fitting welcome back to both this beautiful old pub just off the Quayside and the city of Newcastle itself.
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| Welcome back to the Crown Posada |
I set off for the hotel, but as often happens I couldn't resist stopping off at the Broad Chare on the way there. This is a historic pub which has won many accolades for the quality of its food, but it is equally welcoming if you just want to go for a drink. It was very quiet in the wood-panelled bar, the two staff on bar duty outnumbering their only customer (me), and from the choice of 4 cask beers I went for a pint of their house beer, Writer's Block, which is brewed by Anarchy. I took my pint over to one of the high tables by the window, and enjoyed another very good beer (NBSS 3.5) in what is another one of my favourite places for a drink in the city.
I got checked in at the Travelodge, and with my bag dropped off, it was a quick turn around and back out again, as with the need to have food and get over to Gateshead for the football, I was in danger of running out of time if I dawdled too long. I did though have time for one pint, and for that I went to Bacchus, one of a number of former Good Beer Guide entries who have returned to the fold this year. Situated on the narrow, cobbled High Bridge, just off Grey Street, where its neighbours include several restaurants, it is a smart and comfortable historic pub with plenty of old photographs and posters depicting the city's proud industrial past. There were a few people dotted around as I walked in and made my way to the bar in the middle of the single room. I spotted Jarl from Fyne Ales amongst the 9 hand pumps standing on the bar, and ordered a pint of it. However, the glass was slow to clear, and a quick sip confirmed that unfortunately the beer had gone, so I returned it to the bar, and as a replacement I went for a pint of the 3.8% Shuggy Boat Blonde from Cullercoats Brewery in Wallsend. It was fine, but not as good as the two beers I'd had in the afternoon (NBSS 3). And then it was time for some food.
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| Bacchus, Newcastle |
I'd spotted a Sardinian restaurant nearby on High Bridge as I'd been trawling online through various food options as I was enjoying my pint, and so I headed to Pani's just along the way where I enjoyed a traditional char-grilled Sardinian sausage served on a porcini, mixed mushrooms, garlic, onion, spinach, lemon and white wine risotto which I washed down with a bottle of Moretti. The food was very good, the service quick, and the place was very busy with a good atmosphere. Recommended.
I ordered an Uber rather than going via the Metro to the football, and shortly afterwards I was being dropped off on Neilson Road at the side of the Gateshead International Stadium. For once here it was not cold, which made for pleasant watching conditions at what is a vast and rather soulless place. And it got even better when Town took the lead with quarter of an hour gone. A second followed just before half time and whilst Gateshead got one back when they scored from the penalty spot just after the break, Town got a third after 66 minutes and remained in control for the rest of the match. It was an assured performance and an enjoyable game to watch, the result of which means that Town have not lost to Gateshead in 19 games since the club reformed in 2008.
I headed off with a few of the 67 fellow Town fans who were at the game and we caught the Metro back to Newcastle, where we walked down from Central Station to the Crown Posada, a walk I'd done only a few hours earlier. The pub was still quite busy and a change on the bar since my last visit had been made with the 4% Two by Two Session Pale joining the ranks on cask. We sat in the little room to the side of the bar as you go in and I enjoyed a pint or two of the Two by Two as we discussed the game and some of the characters who have watched Town over the years until the pub closed at midnight. The beer incidentally was in typically fine form, well-balanced and hoppy with plenty of citrus notes (NBSS 3.5).
It was bright and sunny the following morning as I walked along the Quayside towards Ouseburn, having checked out of the hotel and had a good breakfast at the always popular Quay Ingredients. The Tyne was as still as a millpond which made for some great reflections of the bridges and buildings along the way. I was heading for the Free Trade Inn, which I'd not had chance to get to last time I was in Newcastle and I reckoned it was over a year since my last visit there. So as I climbed up the steps from the Quayside at just before noon, I was eagerly anticipating the forthcoming pint. I walked in and even at this early hour (the pub opens at 11am every day) there were a few people in the pub, a few older guys sat at the bar, whilst a couple were sat on stools at the window looking out at the iconic view (opening image) over the Tyne riverscape.
I ordered a pint of Echelon, the pub's house beer brewed by Almasty, one of the area's finest breweries, whose taproom at Benfield I visited a few years ago. It is one of 7 hand pulled beers which also includes Jarl, plus several guests, whilst there are a number of beers on keg too. The Echelon has an ABV of 4%, delivers an unfiltered hazy pale explosion of juicy flavours, and was on great form (NBSS 4). I took a sip of my beer, and sidled up to the window to snaffle one of the box office stools for that view over the Tyne. The Free Trade, complete with a classic jukebox of course, is one of those rare pubs that has a timeless feel to it and a visit here never fails to be anything other than a highlight of any trip to the North East. And at this time of day, before it gets too busy, it is even better, affording you the chance to take in the character of the place. One thing that did change here a year or two ago was that the toilets were refurbished and were pretty much free of the famous graffiti that used to adorn every surface; on a visit there this time I can confirm it has started to return, in the Gents at any rate. I was getting towards the end of my pint, which really was delicious, and whilst I decided where to go next, I ordered myself another half.
In the end I decided to try a cafe bar that a friend had visited before the football the previous night. I called an Uber to take me to the suburb of Heaton, which wasn't that far away really but with a train to catch mid-afternoon I had to be mindful of how much time I had. The taxi duly arrived, with the journey taking about 10 minutes, a journey accompanied somewhat incongruously by the music of Johnny Cash, courtesy of the self-confessed country-music loving Asian driver. I got dropped off, and with Ring of Fire still ringing in my ears I crossed over Chillingham Road and walked towards what appeared to be a former shop.
I had arrived at the Elder Beer Cafe, which opened as a bottle shop in 2021 then added in a bar a year later. There were number of beers available on keg, plus a couple of large fridges well-stocked with some excellent beers based on a quick nosy. The bar was light and airy and nicely decorated with a large mural on one wall, together with posters, and some exposed brickwork. A few people, possibly students, were sat tapping away on laptops, faces furrowed in concentration, cups of coffee or water bottles by their side. One guy with glasses and curly dark hair sprung to his feet as I walked in and went behind the bar. There were two hand pumps on the bar, one of them selling Run Hop Run from Rigg & Furrow, a family business based on a farm in Northumberland. I had not had any beer from them for a long time, so I was delighted to have the chance of a pint as I'd had some great beers from them in the past. The beer is a 4.2% pale ale, single-hopped with Simcoe, and was refreshing, delicious, and in excellent condition (NBSS 4). And as I enjoyed my beer, I found Elder a nice chilled out place to be, and look forward to visiting again on another trip.
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| Elder Beer Cafe, Heaton, Newcastle |
The 2025 Good Beer Guide includes another place just a few minutes walk away off Chillingham Road, However as things stand the Heaton Tap is closed and up for sale. So I continued my walk towards the Metro station passing plenty of shops, terraced houses, and takeaways in what is a bustling suburb. A pub-like shape came into view on the opposite side of the road, and as I got nearer I realised it was the Chillingham Tap which I had called in a few yeas ago on the way back from the coast and found rather disappointing after the delights of Whitley Bay and Tynemouth. Should I give it another chance or carry on and have a quick one in the city centre before catching the train home?
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| The Chillingham Tap, Heaton, Newcastle |
I crossed over the busy road and walked into a large attractively-decorated room that was pretty empty save for a guy nursing a half-empty pint of lager and a group of 4 chatty ladies who it appeared were just finishing off some food. There were were 4 hand pumps on the bar in front of me (the pub does 6 cask beers in total), including beers from Two by Two from down the road, Allendale from deep in the North Pennines, and Bristol Beer Factory from - well, you can guess. All much better choices than what I remembered from last time I called in! A thinnish guy came in from the other room, and I ordered a pint of the Golden Plover, a 4% light and refreshing blonde beer from Allendale which was in great condition (NBSS 3.5). There was a good soundtrack playing through the speakers and despite the constant chatter from across the room, I enjoyed both the beer and the ambience here. I was glad I'd called in.
I finished my pint, took my glass back to the bar, and set off for the Metro. Whilst the line goes very close to the Chillingham it is actually a few minutes walk to get there as the Metro station lies beyond the main East Coast line. I had just missed a train, so I had a few minutes to wait for the next one and with barely half an hour before I was due to depart from Newcastle I was starting to get a bit twitchy. It duly arrived and I remembered it was only a short journey from here - a stop at Byker, then fantastic views over the bridges around Ouseburn, then Manors - before it pulled into Monument, where I got off, changed platforms and got a connection to Central Station in plenty of time for my train back home.
On reflection, it had been a great trip. Some excellent beer, good food, and a sparkling away performance at Gateshead where for once it wasn't freezing cold! I am already looking forward to my next trip north....
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