Welcome to the Red Lion at Cotherstone. CAMRA Good Beer Guide Entry.

LocAles, craft ciders, open fires, beer garden, darts & dominoes. We sell craft ciders, real ales, cask beers & bitters from local craft micro brewers. Always stocking, Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company (Butter Tubs, Golden Best Bitter & Aysgarth Falls, Blonde Ale) and Kemp's Vintage Cider. We’re situated 4 miles from Barnard Castle and 6 miles from Middleton-in-Teesdale in the historic North Riding of Yorkshire. Please browse through our pages and discover some of the charms of this cracking little pub set in the heart of Teesdale. Please note, "No Paws Indoors," assistance animals only. The Red Lion has a no pets indoors policy. We're happy for you to bring your pets into the beer garden but ask you not to bring them into the bar area, thank you.

Revised opening hours and price increases as of Saturday 15th April 2017

Hours
Many changes to pub culture have occurred within the 15 years I have been at the Red Lion. Alcohol consumption in public houses is on the decrease and the traditional (beer only) pub is becoming a thing of the past… but not in Cotherstone! I think there is certainly still a place for the small ‘local’ pub although some changes will need to be implemented to remain relevant and viable. Many will cry “start serving food again,” this is not the answer! My aim is to both preserve and adapt the traditional public house. We still want a social hub that hasn’t been ‘gastrosized’ and an environment that doesn’t leave your clothes stinking of chips! With these changing drinking trends in mind and knowing the quiet spots within my trading hours; I’m going to trial some new opening times then assess them towards the back end of the year. Hopefully these hours will better suit today’s social trend for an early doors, pre-dinner drink and those who want more leisurely ‘all day’ opening at a weekend.

New opening hours (April - October)
Monday 18:00 – 22:30
Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday 18:00 – 22:30
Thursday CLOSED
Friday 18:00 – 22:30
Saturday 14:00 – 22:30
Sunday 14:00 – 22:30

Pricing
With the recent increase of duty and ongoing increases to wholesale costs (largely due to increased production costs and increased costs of imported products), I must reluctantly revise my prices. Hopefully everyone will appreciate the length of time I have absorbed these costs and I’m sure you’ll all agree I’m still very competitively placed within the area.

New Price List

Price list (£)

Stella 4 - 2.70
Banks Original Smooth - 2.60
Yorkshire Dales, Rowantree - 2.50
Mithril Ales, A66 - 2.50
Mithril Ales, Flower Power - 2.50
Guest ales starting at 2.60
Craft ciders starting at 2.90

House spirits - 1.50
Jack Rabbit 187ml - 3.00
Jack Rabbit 75cl - 11.00
Prosecco 20cl - 3.50
Prosecco 75cl - 12.50
200ml soft drinks - 1.00

Product range
In the months ahead I hope to build on the success of the craft ciders I introduced and look at some of the popular local ‘craft keg’ beers that are coming onto the market. Their increased shelf life and consistency (achieved through improved containers and dispensing equipment) could help improve the range of products I have available. The focus would still be to support local microbrewers and hopefully tap into the growing ‘micropub’ market.

Gaming
Recently I’ve been introduced to the world of strategy games and I’m hooked. I love the idea of a thinking game that can be competitively played amongst friends and doesn’t involve the wifi! With this new love in mind I’d like to pursue the idea of a games’ evening in the Red. It would sit very nicely alongside the more traditional darts and dominoes and perhaps introduce new customers to what would normally be a quiet evening. We’ve had a little trial run and hope to start a more regular gathering of gamers so watch this space!

Long term aspirations
Many will have chatted with me about my aspirations to have my own microbrewery and I very much hope I will one day achieve this. However, more immediately I’m thinking about the essentials and the dreams will have to sit on the back burner! The Red is of an age that she requires near constant maintenance, the less enthusiastic would call her a money pit! Over the next couple of years I shall be concentrating on renovation, repairs and maintenance. Some improvements you’ll be able to see and others will be behind the scenes. I may even put a new carpet in the bar!!

Now with 15 years safely under my belt I’m going to be taking a little time back for myself. To not have one week’s holiday in over 15 years isn’t healthy they tell me! Wherever possible and viable the pub’s opening times will remain unchanged. I will also endeavour to replace myself with someone who has an equal disregard of the customers’ wishes, a cutting wit and general inability to keep the shelves well stocked with bar snacks! They will however keep an excellent pint!

Dates for your diary
The annual R. Hugill Darts K.O will take place on Friday 14th April 2017 (Good Friday).
£2.00 entry fee (including supper).

The annual Jim Forster Memorial Domino K.O has been postponed to sometime in June. Details to follow.

Cheers for reading,

Richard.