Staith House team open Newcastle bistro site
The team behind the award-wining Staith House in North Shields has opened a second site in Newcastle.
John and Kimberley Calton, along with chef and business partner James Laffan, have opened Route in Newcastle city centre, a wine-led bistro serving unfussy seasonal food.
The trio, who won the Newcomer Award Catey in 2016, took over the former burger bar in April and turned it into a 35-cover restaurant.
John Calton said that the idea came about after he passed the advanced WSET course, which encouraged him to take on a wine-focussed business.
He added: "It's a different concept for Newcastle, even if it's a way of operating that's been happening in London for some time. Though we actually got the idea in Berlin.
"At Route you graze your way through the menu with sharing dishes that are designed to work with the wine."
The menu includes dishes such as sauté of lamb's offal, peas, girolles, mint; slow-cooked pork belly, peas, langoustine, apple, lardo; and farmhouse terrine, sauternes, peach.
Meanwhile, the 80 bin wine list includes a selection of organic and biodynamic wines alongside a wide selection of accessibly priced predominantly old world wines.
Calton said: "Expansion is something that we have been planning for some time now, but finding the right location has been key. We look forward to becoming part of Newcastle's culinary scene as well as continuing to focus on the Staith House, which is going from strength to strength with a fantastic team in place."
