Camerons Brewery looking to Head of Steam-ify its pubs

 Camerons Brewery is to try and introduce elements of what made the Head of Steam chain successful into the rest of its pubs.

The Hartlepool-based company bought the Tyneside firm’s seven taverns at the start of December.

And at a party to celebrate the takeover announced it now wants to teach landlords in its other 68 pubs how their businesses can be more like Newcastle’s The Cluny and Tilley’s Bar, and The Central in Gateshead.

“I literally couldn’t be more pleased that our company, which has been going since 1980, has been taken over by Camerons Brewery,” former Head of Steam managing director Tony Brookes, who is staying on in an advisory capacity, told an audience of brewers, bar managers and company friends at the Full Steam Ahead event in The Cluny in Ouseburn.

“Camerons Brewery was the very, very first company, in early 1980, that we set up an account with at Legendary Yorkshire Heroes, our real ale off licence at 198 Heaton Road in Newcastle.

“Camerons were one of our major suppliers and we worked with them throughout the period until now. We supplied some of their pubs in the early 1980s with guest beers and then in 1985 we started the Tap and Spile chain with Camerons pubs, which was very successful.

“If I had the choice of who I would have wanted to sell the company to it would have been Camerons Brewery, because our relationship is so strong.

“I’m delighted to be able to keep working with them for the next year and I’m really excited.

“What we want to do is to look at the Camerons Brewery pubs and see if elements of the Head of Steam concept could work in them and satisfy customers more.

“I’m looking forward to it.”