Question 1

Are you dog friendly/child friendly?

Accepted Answer

We welcome all species and ages as long as they are well behaved, and don’t annoy the other customers! Our license stipulates that under-18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Question 2

Do you take card?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and its even contactless, with no minimum spend. We prefer card payments where possible.

Question 3

I'm bringing a friend who doesn't drink beer. Do you sell x/y/z?

Accepted Answer

We aim to have something for most people, hence we do also stock lager, wine, gin, whisky, soft drinks etc. However we do not sell anything that is not the best possible example of its type, and everything on the menu is hand-picked by Chris or Susie as being something they would be happy to drink themselves.

Question 4

Do you do food?

Accepted Answer

We don’t have a kitchen so we are unable to do hot meals. However, we do sell pork pies and scotch eggs from Taylors of Darlington, and vegan friendly sausage rolls from Bean Social, as well as Pipers Crisps, peanuts and pork scratchings.
 
**Please note we are only able to provide crisps from the above list at present due to unpredictable trade patterns due to COVID-19**

Question 5

I'm vegan, what can I drink?"

Accepted Answer

Always double check with staff. Although many draught beers are fined in the tradtional manner, many are now unfined and the staff will be able to tell you what is suitable. Traditionally made cider does not use finings, and many of the bottled and keg beers are also unfined.

Question 6

Do you sell gluten free beers?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We sell Durham Brewery's Helles Lager on draught, as well as Hop On (formerly GFPA) from Allendale Brewery in bottles, both traditionally brewed with the gluten subsequently removed. We also get gluten free cask beers occasionally. All our ciders/perries are naturally gluten free.

Question 7

Can you get my favourite beer from Obscure Brewery in Far Far Away?

Accepted Answer

Maybe – we always welcome suggestions, and where we can, we do take them up. As we use a large number of suppliers both direct and wholesale, we have the ability to get a lot of different things. However, there are many beers that are simply impossible to get, not produced for cask, or are out of production.

Question 8

I really like this beer but I'm driving. Can I take some away with me?

Accepted Answer

You certainly can! All our draught products are available to take away, we encourage you to bring a reusable growler to refill and give a 10% discount for doing so. We also have a craft beer fridge with various take-out options.

Question 9

I'm having/going to a party and wish to impress my mates with my excellent taste. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

We can provide draught beer in bag-in-boxes. These are ready to drink - we do all the cellar work for you. They come in 18 or 36 pint sizes. We try and fullfill all requests for BIBs but if you want a specific beer we require at least 2 weeks notice to allow us time to order it.

Question 10

How do I know you’ll always have a beer I’ll like?

Accepted Answer

Well, really you can’t. However, we always have a range of styles – for example, we aim to always have something dark (porter, stout, dark mild etc), something pale and low strength, something hoppy and something malty. We then cellar them until they are at their best – if the Landlord or Landlady would take it back to the bar elsewhere, then it definitely won’t go over ours. It is very rare that we won't be able to find you something to your taste.

Question 11

If I don't like a beer, can I return it?"

Accepted Answer

We do our best to make sure you get a beer you’re going to enjoy in the first place and encourage you to ask for a sample or ask the staff if you're not sure. We also try our best to catch the last pint out of a cask before it goes over the bar, so hopefully this won’t ever be an issue. However, if you do have a problem please speak to the staff and they will change it for you.

Question 12

How do you choose the beers/ciders?

Accepted Answer

It’s one of the hardest and most fun jobs! We buy based on all sorts of things: we aim to buy roughly 50% local and 50% non-local, and within that we aim for a range of styles as described above. We like to get old favourites back, but we also love getting new beers by recommendations from customers or from brewers we trust are going to be good. We buy from the larger regional breweries like Timothy Taylors or Fullers, as well as tiny breweries - our only criteria is that we think the beer is great.

Question 13

Do I need to book a table?

Accepted Answer

We do not generally take bookings during the post-lockdown times as we want the pub to feel as normal as possible, and popping in for a spontaneous pint is a big part of that. However, if you have a specific requirement (eg. due to limited mobility) please get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Questions from the Floor