Have you ever been offered a free tube of Rolos in a pub ? Well I have !!
I was in a pub in Gateshead for the first time the other day with Mrs Ken when this once in a lifetime offer occurred. So where was I ?
Every year, in November, I attend the Tyneside Model Railway Exhibition at the Gateshead International Stadium. When I leave I turn left and head east for home. If I had turned right and walked a quarter of a mile towards the River Tyne I would have come across a pub I had read about but never visited. It has appeared in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the last 2 years. I am talking about the Schooner.
Being midweek, it was fairly quiet. The pub is yards from the River Tyne, but on a grey winters day the scenery looked a bit uninviting , so straight into the pub. 5 of the 6 handpulls were in use with a mixture of local and regional ales. I started with a pint of Summit Single from Northumberland brewer Allendale. Although radiators were on it wasn't that warm so hot food was needed. My pint went well with some bangers and mash.
Playing on the speakers from an Ipod was a fantastic range of pop songs from the 60s onwards. Good foot tapping stuff, including one I hadn't heard for ages, "Something Else" by the Sex Pistols, the only song of theirs I ever liked.
A second drink beckoned, this time a 7% IPA called Ossett Rampart , with a powerful hoppy kick. This is a collaboration between two Yorkshire breweries; Brass Castle and Ossett. ( no, I don't know why either ).
Time to go . Saying goodbye to the friendly barman, he offered us , by way of dessert, the free tube of Rolos ! Apparently left by a sales rep over Xmas.
The Schooner is worth seeking out for the beer range and the food. I can imagine in summer it would be quite pleasant supping a beer and watching the river flowing past. But I think the Rolos will be all gone by then.