It opened just before the whole country was plunged into the first Covid lockdown, with its owners plans thrown into disarray by the pandemic as they were forced to adapt to an incredibly tough situation; but five years down the line, a cosy and decadent wine and charcuterie bar in an old church in Tynemouth is still pulling the crowds
Now when it comes to somewhere to open a cheese and wine business, a church probably isn’t somewhere that immediately springs to mind, but there aren’t many churches like The Land of Green Ginger up by the coast, which is one of the area’s best ‘hidden gems’ and is like a veritable Aladdin’s cave of local traders.
And up there with the best of them is Vineyard72, a place that didn’t just managed to survive the huge hardship brought about by the outbreak of coronavirus, but thrived, after its owners Craig Miller and Jackie Dunn acted quickly to completely change their business model, at a time when every bar, pub and restaurant in the UK was forced to shut down for what felt like an eternity.
With people largely forced to stay at home, thankfully the first lockdown blessed up with loads of fine weather, prompting Craig and Jacqueline to start offering sharing charcuterie boards for people to enjoy in their gardens; as many of us became far too well acquainted with local takeaways and the food delivery apps on our phone!
A real word of mouth success, the buzz surrounding Vineyard72, which opened in early March 2020 and its boards, saw the business being booked to cater for parties, as organisations also had to adapt their events in line with social distancing measures, with many moving them onto Zoom for staff to join virtually. Thankfully, after having to rethink their plans for the first few of their businesses, Craig and Jackie came out of the pandemic with a loyal and ever growing customer base in Tynemouth and further afield, that they’ve held onto ever since, as well as being able to open a sister venue in Whitley Bay.
“One of the only good things to come out of the early part of the pandemic was that the weather was perfect for what we were doing,” Craig told ChronicleLive. “We were getting booked to cater for Zoom calls and for people wanting something to have while enjoying the sun on their patios.
(Image: Vineyard72)
“We’ve grown a proud that we’re really proud of and to celebrate five years was a huge achievement. Did we ever think we’d get to that Point? Honestly, given what happened at the start, probably not, but we’re so proud.”
Vineyard72 has just hosted its first ever wine tasting night, in conjunction with Newcastle Wine School and will be hoping for more sunny spring days, so people can take advantage of its outdoor seating area.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/vineyard-72-tynemouth-green-ginger-31227329
