Dean Bailey grazes at By The River Brew Co Riverside Container Community
Head to the city, and you’re spoilt for choice, from international market stalls to cool urban kitchens and the finest of fine dining. It takes a lot to wow in such a crowded space, but on the Gateshead side of the Quayside under the Tyne Bridge, By The River Brew Co does just that.
The setting alone is worth writing home about – the river flowing beneath a timber platform on which the site stands, the Swing Bridge to your left, the Tyne Bridge above you and the Millenium Bridge to your right – this is a stunning spot for street food, beer, cocktails and more. There’s an excellent Brewery & Tap, Träkol nose-to-tail grill kitchen, the Backyard Bike Shop and café and the buzzing Hawker Market, where shipping containers tower either side of mini streets offering up a heady mix of Middle Eastern and Asian spices, BBQ smoke, doughnuts, cakes, beer and more, all to be shared on communal tables on the riverside. Good music and an electric atmosphere complement the scene.
Among the numerous stalls, you will find the Indian street food supremo Dabbawal serving up roomali wraps with chilli chicken tikka and spicy lamb seekh kebabs, while Papa Ganoush is here for Eastern Mediterranean wraps. There’s Scream for Pizza, Chuchos Tacos, Dastardly & Dutty loaded fries, Bao Hao steamed bao bar, and Kimichi Planet’s Korean barbecue. The Beer Bar’s hand pulls on our visit include lager from Flensburger, Jakehead IPA from Wylam Brewery, Original Cider from Hogans, and Proto Hunter Pale from the By The River Brew Co brewery a few yards away. There are cocktails at That’s Nice Dear, while Mildred’s Twisted Ankle has gin. The city’s food scene may have already been brilliant; By The River Brew Co has raised the bar higher still.
By The River Brew Co, Hillgate Quays Gateshead, NE8 2BH www.bytheriverbrew.co
