Ashington firm brings in taste of the North-West

And it will bring back happy memories of the last time the two artisan producers met under such circumstances - at The Journal's hugely successful Taste 2 food and drink festival exactly a month ago at Linden Hall near Morpeth, Northumberland, when Stephen and Fiona first saw the potential of joining forces to grow their respective businesses.

For Fiona, 44, it will be the second time she has scored such a success at a Journal Taste North East England campaign event. In April she joined 62 other artisan producers at the paper's buy, use, eat local food and drink festival which saw more than 10,000 people descend on the
National Trust's Gibside estate near Rowlands Gill.

Then she impressed Jon Radgick of Rothbury Wines, who has since been selling a selection of the fine bottled ales she produces from a small unit housed within Brampton's Old Brewery.

But the latest tie-in with Northumbrian Gifts ranks as one of Fiona's biggest collaborations to date and will see
Tarnmonath, King's Forest, Hell Beck, Black Dub, Brampton Bitter, Cold Fell and Bewcastle Brown Ale, become available to a new and hopefully appreciative market, alongside Geltsdale Lager.

Fiona, who brews just five barrels a week but is looking to increase production to 15, last night said: "This deal will give us a much wider market - and it's all because of The Journal's Linden Hall event.

"We had a terrific day anyway at Linden Hall and there was a lot of interest from the public in our range of beers, but Stephen and I also got talking and felt the time was right for Geltsdale to move east.

"Because we are in Brampton we are only just over the Cumbrian border anyway. It has certainly been worthwhile being involved with The Journal's last two food events."

Northumbrian Gifts was started nearly three years ago by Stephen and his wife Katrina. It packages and sells the finest produce from the counties that once formed the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, and has more recently developed into an alcohol wholesale company providing a list of bottled beers from eight local micro-breweries and spirits such as Alnwick Rum.

The firm's gift packs can be found in stores such as Fenwick, Newcastle, Lindisfarne Winery, Alnwick Castle and Garden, farm shops throughout the area and also online. Their three beer gift pack and new ale tube with etched glass, are also about to go into selected local National Trust shops, starting with Gibside.

Stephen is also in negotiations to supply Floors Castle at Kelso, on the Scottish Border, with bottled beers, after a representative of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe attended The Journal's Linden Hall event.

Stephen says the tie-in with Geltsdale will add a new dimension to Northumbria Gifts' portfolio. "This will take us up to 34 bottled beers, three different spirit manufacturers as well as our gift range which we design and package.

"I first saw Geltsdale at The Journal's Gibside event, but it wasn't until Linden Hall that I managed to have a serious chat with Fiona. Geltsdale is offering quality, well packaged beers and as Fiona has no distributor over this side of the country it seemed sensible we should join forces and help widen Geltsdale's appeal.

"The beers fit in with our ethos and, depending on which map you look at, Geltsdale can be included in the ancient Northumbrian borders."

Stephen maintains that Linden Hall "was one of the best events of its kind we have ever been to. It worked on every level for us, and we are very much looking forward to Taste on the Tyne."

Nearly 40 local producers will gather at the Guildhall end of Newcastle Quayside as part of the revamped weekly Sunday market run by City Centre Partnership.

The free event - which will also see local celebrity chefs doing cookery demonstrations - is being held as part of The Journal's celebrations for British Food Fortnight.

To keep-up-to-date with The Journal Taste of the Tyne food and drink festival in association with Tesco, and for more on our buy local, use local, eat local campaign, go to www.journallive.co.uk/taste