Blackfriars turns to new chapter as Dominicans celebrate 800th anniversary

Exciting news from one of the top restaurants in Newcastle! Blackfriars Restaurant, housed within a former medieval friary, has turned 800 years old. Owner, Andy Hook, is planning major changes that will decide the next chapter in the building’s history.

The anniversary marks 800 years since the Dominican Order which resulted in the ‘Black Friars’ settling in Newcastle. Set up by the Spanish priest Saint Dominic de Guzman in France, the order was approved by Pope Honorius III on 22nd December 1216.

The Dominican Friars were then sent around the world to establish their religious order and to build monasteries and friaries. They arrived in the UK in 1221 and settled in Newcastle in 1239. They wore white tunics and black cloaks, which gives rise to their name ‘Black Friars’. The story goes that the Dominicans gave Newcastle United its idea of wearing black and white.

When they arrived in Newcastle they had little money and the site where Blackfriars now stands was funded by donations and grants from King Henry III. For the next 300 years the ‘Black Friars lived in relative peace in the friary, which originally covered seven acres, teaching, converting and helping the needy of Newcastle.

Following King Henry VIII’s disagreement with the pope in 1536, the English monarch decreed that all monasteries should be closed and their wealth confiscated. The church was completely stripped, fell into disrepair and was finally demolished in the 16th century.  

In 1543, Blackfriars was purchased by the mayor and burgesses of the town and the buildings became the meeting houses for the trades guilds of the town including the Brewers, Bakers, Butchers, Cordwainers, Fullers, Dyers, Saddlers, Skinners, Glovers, Smiths, Tanners and Tailors. A number of inhabitants also lived on the site over the years.

During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Blackfriars buildings were neglected and fell into an increasingly bad state of repair. Newcastle City Council acquired Blackfriars in the 1950s. The Guild of Tailors, among others, continued to meet at Blackfriars until 1974.

Between 1973 and 1981, the buildings were restored and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited Blackfriars, and unveiled a commemorative plaque as part of the Newcastle 900 celebrations.

The fate of Blackfriars changed again in 2001 when local restaurateur, Andy Hook, spotted potential in the property and turned the original refectory into one of the leading restaurants in the region, earning it the title of ‘Taste of England’ in the North East England Tourism Awards and one of the top five top restaurants in the UK by Visit England.

Andy spent a number of years researching the history of Blackfriars, working with Durham University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies and renovated the former Guest Hall to recreate an authentic medieval dining space. It now hosts more than 300 events per year including weddings, themed events, medieval banquets, corporate events and private parties.

He also opened a Workshop within the former Prior’s Quarters and now hosts more than 200 cooking workshops per year including Bread Making, Dinner Party cooking and kids’ cookery classes as well as corporate team building events.

After running Blackfriars Restaurant, Banquet Hall and Workshop for the past 15 years, Andy will shortly be making some major changes including a refurbishment of the restaurant and expanding into some currently unused areas of the historic building.

Over the coming months the team is planning some ambitious changes to bring the buildings that now lay empty back to life. This will include a refurbishment of the restaurant’s dining room, re-instating the Parlour next door, which was originally the heated waiting room for visitors to Blackfriars, as a unique place for people to enjoy a drink before their meal or coffee afterwards. The team will also be taking over the rooms above the restaurant and opening up a larger Workshop as well as the Tanners Guild Tasting Rooms for corporate/private events where visitors will sit on antique 19th century seating, once used by the Tanners guild. The Smiths Hall above the restaurant will remain as part of a public exhibition. 

New Medieval Meeting Rooms will also be refurbished in the Dormitory Rooms and new toilets will open for the Banquet Hall. Staff will move to another building, previously leased by Northern Architecture. The toilet provision will also be extended to the Banquet Hall including a disabled toilet which has been a priority for many years.

The Blackfriars team is also keen to develop its education programme with schools and already hosts a number of Educational Realms days where school children learn about medieval life and how the Friars lived day to day.

Andy Hook, MD of Blackfriars Restaurant said: “We’re privileged to be the current custodians of Blackfriars and its unique heritage which the city should be proud of. Monasteries were, among other things, houses of entertainment for almost all travellers and known as great assets to the city and we are pleased that Blackfriars continues to be enjoyed by the people who live here and visit the city. Following on from the success of the restaurant we have been planning to expand Blackfriars now for many years and are delighted that our plans are coming to fruition, especially as the 800th anniversary of the Dominicans is marked. We are hoping to have all the changes complete by January 2017.”

So what would the Friars think of today’s developments at Blackfriars?

There are currently four Black Friars in Newcastle, one of whom is Colin Carr OP who has been celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Dominican order this year with various initiatives including a Flower Festival at the New Blackfriars on Bridge Street. He said: “The Dominicans would be delighted that Black Friars is still being enjoyed and used by the people of Newcastle and that the site is being taken care of. They would also have been particularly pleased that the educational side is giving opportunities to younger people and adults to learn new skills”

Andy Hook continued “The Friars were big ale drinkers as it was generally safer than water and they would have loved our new ale to celebrate such an important anniversary.”

Dr Giles Casper from Durham University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, who Andy and the team work very closely with added: “It is wonderful working with Blackfriars to recreate medieval food: bringing the past to life in a complete sensory experience and in the most accessible way – through food. We’ve recreated the earliest dishes in the western Middle Ages and had great fun presenting these to a wide variety of people – changing the perception of medieval food, and emphasising is as one of the world’s great cuisines.”

What an exciting time for Andy and the Blackfriars team! They have also recently opened Dobson and Parnell, a new restaurant on 21 Queen Street on Newcastle’s vibrant Quayside, offering refined British and European food.

Blackfriars, Friars Street, Newcastle, NE30 1XN, 0191 261 5945 www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

Visit their page on our website www.getintonewcastle.co.uk

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