In
‘The Toon’ to visit the Chefs’ Pod (see here), I arrived early so that I could
see the sights.
On
the way in I caught a glimpse of Anthony Gormley’s iconic statue peering over
the trees - it reminded me of a radio phone in show I listened to a couple of
years ago where they were discussing ideas for a sizable sculpture of some sort
in the south… a fella with a thick North East accent rang in and said, “We’ve
got the Angel of the North, so how’s about the Fairy of the South?” It made me
chuckle.
Having
crossed the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead into Newcastle, I announced my arrival
on Quayside to Twitter. Knowing me only too well, a couple of Geordie twitter
pals now domiciled in Manchester came back with suggestions of where to eat and
drink – @_aka_hige recommended the Free Trade Inn for its craft ales, good
people and great views, whilst @breadandudder proposed the
Broad Chare. Not
wanting to disappoint either of them… I visited both.
Too
early for food, I strolled along the north bank towards the Free Trade Inn. It was trying to rain
but I made it to the pub just in time to avoid the shower – the views certainly
worth the walk. Sweeping vistas back along the River Tyne with the Millennium
Bridge, Baltic Flour Mill (now the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art)
and Norman Foster’s Sage in Gateshead all visible.
They
had a terrific ale selection, cask and keg. I selected a Tyne Bank Brewery “Pacifica Pale Ale” - refreshing and citrusy, it seemed the
perfect choice for 11am! What’s more it is brewed just a two-minute walk behind
the pub.
The
Broad Chare is located just a few
yards from Quayside back down towards the Tyne Bridge. Owned and operated by
celebrated North East chef Terry Laybourne’s 21 Hospitality Group, in their own words, it’s a “proper pub”
serving “proper beer” and “proper food”.
In
the words of Michelin, who awarded The Broad Chare a coveted Bib Gourmand, ‘Snug ground floor bar
offers over 24 beers and a snack menu of 'Geordie Tapas'. Dine upstairs where
you'll find everything from an appealing 'on toast' selection to hearty daily
specials (usually the highlight), and tasty nursery desserts.’
I opted to eat in the
downstairs bar and ordered a couple of the ‘Geordie Tapas’ – Crispy Pigs' Ears (£2.80) and Deep-fried Monkfish Cheeks (£3.50). The ears were delightfully
crispy and well seasoned; the perfect pub finger food. I’d love to go back and
try the entire bar snack menu, which looked right up my alley.
The ‘Dish of The Day’ of
Mince & Dumplings certainly fell
into the category of ‘hearty’ and ‘proper food’. To quote Golidlocks, the
dumplings were “just right” - not too stodgy, but neither too light and fluffy.
The mince and its gravy had great depth and the carrots retained some bite…
again, perfect pub grub! The North East was living up to its reputation.
My one regret, from
having to drive, was not sampling another local ale or even the ubiquitous “Newkie Brown”. (I did however have a
‘local brew’ in the form of a Fentiman’s, which are brewed just down the road
in Hexham.) Still, all the more reason to return…
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