The Birtley Ale House is bringing in the crowds

Nov 27 2011 by Andrew Glover, Sunday Sun

Mark Horn of Birtley Ale House

IT’S a familiar story... the boozer with a proud history starts attracting the wrong crowd and before too long it becomes a shadow of its former self.

Against that backdrop, one North landlord has been busy turning a pub around to the stage where the community are proud to call it their local again.

The Birtley Ale House in Birtley, Gateshead, recently opened at the site of the former Hanlon pub which had closed down.

Mark Horn, 50, originally from South Shields, worked with the Scottish and Newcastle brewery to come up with a new design to transform the pub’s fortunes.

He’s working hard to get the right kind of customer through the door and then keep them happy so they come back for a regular tipple. Mark has opted for a “back to basics” approach so the pub is a Sky Sports-free zone and neither is there any space for a bandit or jukebox. “It was a really run-down place,” said Mark, who used to run the Alum House in South Shields.

“But everything is brand new now, and we’re concentrating on giving people what they want.

“There’s nothing for the particular crowd who might have put people off in the past.

“We sat down with the designers and Scottish and Newcastle and they bent over backwards to provide what we’ve got.

“We’re after the older people and what we’re getting so far is very positive feedback, especially from the older people in Birtley who have said it’s about time they’ve got somewhere local to go.”

Mark takes pride in the real ales on offer at the pub and said his staff are well versed in keeping the quality of the beer high.

He said: “We only get one cask of each beer so we’re constantly changing them.”

Having worked in the industry before, Mark is well aware of the new difficulties for landlords and landladies.

He said: “The challenge now is just trying to get people through the door.

“It’s difficult when the supermarkets are selling drink at silly prices. They’re selling it for less than we can buy it from the brewery.

“The pub is one of the traditions of this country and we’ve got to keep it going.”

The Sunday Sun’s Back Our Boozers campaign is supporting local pubs at a difficult time for the industry. We’re highlighting the important role they play in North communities and reminding readers of what makes them great.

If you have a story for our campaign email andrew.glover@ncjmedia.co.uk or call 0191 201 6003.