Hexham pub The Tannery reopens under Brandling Villa boss

Hexham pub The Skinners Arms has re-opened as The Tannery with Brandling Villa landlord Dave Carr promising “the best of everything, and lots of it”.

The two room boozer, on the Northumberland town’s Gilesgate, offers beer and whiskey on one side and gins & hand-pulled ciders on the other.

The dog-friendly local is the first pub belonging to the new Frank & Bird pub company, run by Dave Carr, boss of South Gosforth’s Brandling Villa.

As with the Newcastle pub, Tyne Bank Brewery will be supplying Frank & Bird Motueka Blonde to The Tannery, which will be backed up by a local beer from Allendale Brewery, and one other North East beer. Three handpulls will also serve a series of national guest beers, including ales from Thornbridge Brewery, Blue Monkey and Moor Beer.

Dave hopes to quickly win an award, such as Camra’s Tyneside and Northumberland south west Northumberland pub of the year – not least as he’s made a bet with friend John Raw, the landlord of The Black Bull in Morpeth, for “the battle of the sticks”.