retiredmartin

June 2025. Byker. Newcastle.

That photo from the garden of the Free Trade was a dud so here’s one from the other angle;

Folk always think of Sheffield and Bristol and Wolverhampton Rock as centres of the UK microbrewing scene, but look (!), Byker has five (5) brewery taps in a 5 (five) minute walk from that vantage point.

So it was, perhaps, understandable that Blackpool Jane couldn’t make it two minutes up the hill before being distracted by the quirkiest of them all.

I was impressed by the Toon tat at Brinkburn St. on my flying visit in 2019, but it takes Jane’s eye for detail to appreciate the little details in this rambling multi-level gem, from Trumpton to le Tissier.

The busiest place all weekend, a bit like a Brewhouse & Kitchen on acid.

We’d originally planned to eat here, before metro madness at Tynemouth mean a hotdog in the heat,

but now found the canteen style seating the place to enjoy the Brown.

I thought the cask was struggling a little, and as usual Jane had made the right decision to go craft.

“Ugh, sour !” said Mrs RM, foregoing her Pucker Up badge.

Right, about time to escape the modern stuff and go trad…