NE1’s Lunch Club: Meet the Venues
We give you the low-down on some of the first venues to participate in NE1’s Lunch Club Tuesdays
You might’ve seen that we’ve been on a bit of a mission to turn lunchtimes around in Newcastle recently.
Instead of sad sarnies and microwave meals, we’re encouraging the city to get away from their desks and take a well-deserved lunch break, by teaming up with some of the Toon’s most popular restaurants to create a new initiative that we’re calling NE1’s Lunch Club.
Now, every Tuesday lunchtime, you’ll be able to enjoy £7.50 or £10 offers at a variety of venues around the city centre. Whether you’re pining for pizza, or craving curry, there’s absolutely no shortage of cuisines to pick from – and the best bit? You won’t have to break the bank to enjoy them!
Haymarket & Fenwick
Starting at the top of Toon for this one, with a trip to Firestone Artisan Pizza. These Haymarket heroes have been committed to serving up the New York pizza slice dining experience for a good few years now, with their signature 20” pizzas gaining them a dedicated following of fans. So, if you fancy finding out what all the fuss is about, then you’re in luck, since they’ll be joining NE1’s Lunch Club this September! There are £7.50 and £10 offers to keep rumbling stomachs at bay here, but each one offers the chance to try their signature slices every Tuesday between 11am and 2pm.
Taking a trip down Northumberland Street? It’ll be worth popping into Fenwick, since four of their fabulous foodie venues are participating in NE1’s Lunch Club! With instagrammable interiors and brunch menu that never bores, EL&N London will be dishing up £7.50 and £10 deals every Tuesday. Indulge in one of their turkey, cheese and mayo toasties if you need a midday pick-me-up, or their Mediterranean mezze salad if you’re on a post-summer health kick.
Just around the corner in Fenwick Food Hall, you’ll also find Mason + Rye serving lunchtime lovers with offers at both price points. Grab one of their delicious sandwiches or flatbreads with a drink for £7.50, or two of their seasonal small salads with a drink for just a tenner. And hey, you could even pick something up from their stunning patisserie counter for your 3pm sweet treat while you’re there…
Family-owned and operated for five generations, it’d be an understatement to say that Colmans knows a thing or two about fish and chips. If it’s a heartier lunch you’re after, then grab a table here and dine on one of their selected main dishes and drink for £10 as part of NE1’s Lunch Club, with options including small fish and chips, and mushy pea fritters and chips. Sounds pretty fin-tastic to us!
Transporting diners away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre with its French-inspired interiors and modern twist on the classic tea room, FRED’s at Fenwick offers a cracking £10 deal for NE1’s Lunch Club. Dig into a sandwich and a drink, with the likes of Aberdeenshire smoked salmon toasted bagel and RED’s very own club sarnie on the menu.
Grainger Market
Fellow foodies will already recognise Grainger Market as a veritable heaven for the lunchtime run, and we’re so incredibly lucky to have loads of the fantastic vendors on board for NE1’s Lunch Club! Spicing things up, Snackwallah will be offering some of their delicious Indian street food for only £10, with their curry of the day, puri and masala chai on the menu. This independent family-run business has gained a loyal following over the years as they’ve shared their love of authentic Indian food with the Toon, so what better time to join the (well-deserved!) hype?
Or, if Cuban-inspired street food is more your style, then a trip to Cubanos is certainly in order. Joining in on our tasty Tuesday team, they’ll be rolling up any burrito and a drink for just a tenner. The only question left is whether you’ll opt for the mild tomato and pepper chipotle ketchup, or test your tastebuds with the Caribbean peach hot sauce… but we’re sure you’ll get a kick outta how good the food is anyway.
Handmade traditional Chinese food is the name of the game when it comes to Dumpling and Bun, as one of the first businesses to offer street food in the Grainger Market when they moved there ten years ago! And now, every Tuesday between 11am-2pm, you can grab eight of their delicious dumplings – or four stuffed buns – with a drink for only £7.50.
With their hot pink branding and a mention in the New York Times to their name, King Baby Bagels have become something of royalty in Newcastle, and understandably so! Luckily for us lot, you can now grab one of their mega bagels and a drink for just £7.50 as part of NE1’s Lunch Club. Sorry guys, we think that salmon and cream cheese bagel is calling us…
Since opening last year, The Forest Boost has made a splash bringing a taste of Brazil to the Grainger Market with their superfoods, acai bowls, and mouth-watering smoothies. And now, you can head on over to enjoy one of their sourdough sandwiches and a superfood smoothie for only £10. That’s one way to make the office jealous!
Nelson Street, Clayton Street & Grey Street
Outside the Grainger Market now, and onto Nelson Street, where Friki Tiki are bringing their Polynesian-inspired menu and bamboo-bedecked interior to NE1’s Lunch Club. Grab one of their small plates with house fries and a drink for a tenner to put a tropical twist on lunchtimes. Tiki pork belly bites or garlic chilli prawns, anyone?
With its cosy, warm interiors and criminally good cake counter, Olive & Bean on Clayton Street has been treating the Toon since they first opened their doors back in 2008. Now, they’re ramping up lunchtimes with a tasty Tuesday offer that’s good enough to cut the morning meeting short, with a choice of soup and a toastie plus a drink for just £10.
Take a mooch towards Grey Street, and stop by the Grey Owl now, just over from the Theatre Royal. Grab a seat in their gorgeous outdoor area to soak up the sun, or head inside to enjoy the timeless interiors – it’s up to you! – and join them for NE1’s Lunch Club Tuesdays. With deals available at both £7.50 and £10, you could be feasting on hot honey chorizo, mini garlic bread bites and their ‘Cocktail of the Week’ before you know it.
Just over the road, you’ll find perfectors of Pan-Asian cuisine The Muddler dishing up some deliciousness between 11am and 3pm every Tuesday. Dig into one of their freshly made small plates and a side for just ten quid while you catch up with colleagues or pals, or maybe even enjoy a spot of people watching while you’re at it.
And of course, we couldn’t forget Kaltur down Dean Street! For NE1's Lunch Club, the Spanish wine bar and restaurant is offering guests the chance to indulge in two of their deliciously authentic tapas dishes for £10. With classic plates like patatas bravas, Padron peppers and ham croquetas to enjoy, what's not to love?
Shakespeare Street, High Bridge & Bigg Market
Got a cheeky matinee show booked in at the Theatre Royal or Everyman Cinema? It couldn’t be easier to grab some good grub before hand with the Fat Hippo a stones throw away on Shakespeare Street! It’s pretty hard to go wrong at this quirky underground burger joint, especially when you can get one of their selected mains and a side for only £7.50.
Head down the cobbled streets of High Bridge and there’s plenty of hidden gems to be found, including NE1’s Lunch Club member YOLO Townhouse. Head to this lively hangout on Tuesday lunchtimes to take advantage of their £7.50 offer, and enjoy any loaded fries or wrap, plus a soft drink.
You certainly won’t have a fowl time at neighbouring restaurant Hen & Hops! This lovely lot are all about – you guessed it – chicken and beer, so if you’re in the mood for a lunchtime pint, this definitely isn’t a bad shout. Plus, they’re offering deals at both £7.50 and £10 on Tuesdays between 12pm and 3pm, so you can grab some wings or a burger to enjoy alongside.
Or, why not swing by the Bigg Market and head to Twenty Twenty to grab one of their folded pizza sandwiches for £7.50, or a dough dog for just £10? Whatever you decide, expect delicious toppings like the Balsamic Bad Boy (parma ham, salami, red chilli, balsamic glaze and more in a pizza sarnie) Curry Dough Dog (melted cheese, curry ketchup and crispy onion).
Grainger Street & Forth Banks
Next up on our culinary lunchtime adventures, we’re taking a trip down Grainger Street to Dakwala. With a focus on dishes that capture the essence of Bombay’s rich food heritage, you can feel transported thanks to their NE1’s Lunch Club offer, and enjoy one of their famous "Frankie Rolls" for £7.50 (wrapped in house Indian flat bread and served with Gunpowder fries), or a thali platter for just £10.
Meanwhile, down the road, you’ll also find Super Natural – an institution in the Newcastle restaurant scene that dates back to 1976, and specialises in an impressive variety of vegetarian and vegan food. Plenty of the dishes included in their £7.50 and £10 offers can also be made gluten-free, so it’s a handy locale to know if your pals have any dietary requirements. And plus, who doesn’t love the sound of their smashed avocado bruschetta?!
And just around the corner, there’s Sachins Restaurant, a Forth Banks favourite that’ll be dishing up their signature authentic, fresh and distinctive Punjabi dishes every Tuesday lunchtime as part of the scheme. Their £10 offer means you can dine on a trio of a chicken or lamb side dish, a lentil side dish and rice to enjoy inside the stunning restaurant.
St. James' STACK
And last, but by no means least, we’re heading down to St. James’ STACK to explore the lovely lot of traders that have jumped on board for NE1’s Lunch Club! Inside, you’ll find Holy Duck, who’re quackers about great street food, and will be dishing up a £10 offer to lunchtime diners. Grab any wrap or flatbread and a portion of fries between 11am and 2pm on Tuesdays and dig in!
It doesn’t get much better than toasties and tea, and that’s just what YOLO Coffee & Kitchen will be offering each Tuesday! For just £7.50, you’ll enjoy one of their delicious toasties jam-packed with tasty ingredients (and primed for the perfect cheese pull!), along with a hot drink to wash it all down with.
And last – but by no means least! – there’s ZZA Pizzeria. You doughn’t want to miss out on their lunchtime deal, since a tenner will get you any small pizza, plus fries and a dip. Sounds like a pretty good excuse to escape the office, if you ask us!
And there you have it! Our first cohort of venues for NE1’s Lunch Club starting on Tuesday 2nd September. Don’t forget to check out the full list of participating venues, menus and offers on the official NE1's Lunch Club page and we’ll see you out and about - every Tuesday lunchtime!
Main image: Mason + Rye at Fenwick
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