THE BYKER WAIL
COUNCILLORS HIT OUT AT CITY BAR BOSSES FOR BEING ‘PATRONISING & DISPARAGING’
Officials attack pub’s ‘patronising’ stunt
A ROW has flared up after an “offensive” afternoon tea appeared on the menu of a pub.
The Brandling Villa in South Gosfort, Newcastle, has introduced ‘Byker Afternoon Tea’ and in the place of cucumber sandwiches, fondant fancies and scones are turkey dinosaurs, flying saucers and crispy pancakes.
Also on the menu are spaghetti hoops, Jimmy Nail and Cheryl cupcakes and cheese and onion crisp sandwiches, all washed down with a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale.
The afternoon tea has caused controversy with some from the city’s East End hitting back at pricey Gosforth.
But pub bosses have defended themselves and said it was never meant to be a class divide.
While many see the afternoon tea as a bit of fun some Byker stalwarts have condemned pub bosses.
Byker’s Coun Nick Kemp said: “This is potentially offensive to people in Byker. They are comparing one type of person to those in Gosforth. I think the pub should invite people from Byker to their pub for these afternoon teas for free, but I’m sure they won’t do that because it would make them bankrupt.
“This is just a lazy thing to do, it makes assumptions of a stereotypical type who lives in Byker.
“I’m sure it was originally done in good fun but it paints a very particular picture of Byker that isn’t correct. It is very patronising and disparaging.”
Fellow Coun George Allison said: “It is purely patronising to the people of Byker and I would like to know why they are doing this? They are tarring people with the same brush and say all people of Byker eat things like this, which is not true. I find it shocking that a pub in South Gosforth would do this. It is taking the mickey out of those who live in Byker.”
The Byker Afternoon Tea, described as a “Three Tier Bounty of Belter Patter” is available between 2pm and 5pm every day, priced £8.50.
Now bosses at the Brandling Village have defended themselves and said the afternoon tea was never put on the menu to divide the classes.
Dave Carr, 36, managing director of Frank and Bird Ltd, which owns the pub, said: “People are getting annoyed but this was never meant to be a class thing, that’s not the sort of thing we do. It’s not about class, it’s about fun. “We are all from the Byker and Heaton areas, we have enough working class credentials between us.
“I am from Walker, my mam is from Byker and my family are from Byker. We desperately don’t want to offend anyone and if we have, then I’m sorry. I don’t know anyone where I am from who would get offended with three tiers of turkey dinosaurs.
“It’s the sort of thing we did as kids and loved it, that’s
all.”