The hunt for a taproom

The hunt for a taproom was initially fruitless. Either landlords weren’t interested in our proposal, or it became clear that planning regs would make certain venues unviable. The world of red tape and seemingly unnecessary hurdles was hugely frustrating.

Meanwhile, the industry was changing. Disposable incomes were being squeezed because of wider economic changes, and tragic old men trying to prove a point on a global scale. Venues and therefore accounts started closing, we were starting to get defaults on invoices, and in general the volume we were sending in to venues was reducing. The need for a taproom was becoming pretty clear.

We eventually found a vacant unit in Tideswell, and started making enquiries. Long story short, we finally got the keys on 1st November 2025 and quickly arranged some temporary event licenses so we could open at the weekend to test the water. Despite it being November, we had a great response from the public who wrapped up and tolerated the interior with its ‘patina’.

A bit of to and fro with the planning and we finally had a fully licensed venue in late April. Thankfully the risk we took to take the lease on without knowing if we’d actually be able to open fully, paid off.