Free Trade News... It's Cold!
Yes, it’s stating the obvious, but eeeh it’s cold!
Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the first Free Trade update of 2025.
Thanks to every that joined us over Christmas and New Year, we had a blast.
Just a few little bits of news for everyone today, but we’re working on events for the coming months right now and we’ll have a nice list together soon.
Food Vendors
We delighted to say that starting this week we’re joined every Wednesday and Friday by ‘Fire and Dough’, and ‘Hake Foods’, respectively.
Fire and Dough were our no1 choice to take over on Wednesday’s from Scream for Pizza and we’re made up that they’ve committed, and even more so that they’ve agreed to start in the quietest month of the year. Anyone that’s been down so far will agree that their pizza is right up their with the best in Newcastle, and with a changing monthly specials selection alongside their core range there’s a great choice!
Hake Seafoods only started trading in late summer 2024 but have quickly gained a cult following for their super fresh mix of ‘traditional’ fish and chips and other quirky dishes.
They’re back this Friday from 4pm with a new menu including Mussels, Tuna Aguachile, Crispy Squid and their brilliant ‘Hake and Chips’ with homemade sides and condiments.
We’ll be sprinkling in some other vendors over the coming weeks too, in fact we also have a bonus pop up from the legendary Goodtimes Tacos this Saturday from 4pm. Why? Well, why not?!?
Beery Events.
Rigg and Furrow x Wilderness Beer Launch - Friday 17th Jan
Our first event of the year is a small but mighty affair, helping our pals Rigg and Furrow launch their new ‘Blackcurrant Grissette’, brewed in collaboration with Wilderness Brewery.
Weighing in at 4% and with the bright pink hue of a Free Trade Sunset it’s a small beer which packs much more than it’s strength would have you believe.
We’ll have a few supporting beers on the bar too of course, and as it’s a Friday, Hake will be in attendance too!
Lambic Trail 2025 - 25/26 Jan
That’s right, the Lambic Trail is back.
Organised in 2024 for the first time as nothing more than a nice way to get out and about and try some world class beer in great bars, 2025 sees two new bars added bringing the total to eight!
So over the weekend of 25/26 January, eight Tyneside bars, including ourselves will all be pouring at least one lambic or gueuze beer or something inspired by that tradition.
Last year many of the bars went above and beyond that with extra beers, tasting events, small food offerings, and we’re expecting more of the same this year.
The bars are in pairs across Tyneside and they are…
Ouseburn - Free Trade // Cumberland
Newcastle - Mean Eyed Cat // Town Mouse
Heaton - Elder Beer // House Bar
Gateshead - Central Bar // Axis.
There’s no tickets, no entry fees, just eight brilliant pubs serving great beer and doing what they do best. You can do all eight bars over the weekend or just one or two, it doesn’t matter. There’s no rules, just a nice opportunity to get out and about over a January weekend and hopefully meet some nice people on the trail.
You can find more info here including beer selections when they’re available.
That’s it for now, short and sweet to start the New Year.
We’ll be back soon with news on events and some dates for the diary.
Take care and wrap up warm!
Mick & the Team
T-Shirts
Our Tshirst shop remains open until next week, when we’ll be taking things back in house again. So if you’ve had your eye on something, now’s your chance…
