The Ship Inn now has a sister pub. The Carriage in Jesmond has been recently taken over by the same team and are hoping to replicate the success of the Ouseburn boozer. Situated on Archbold Terrace, just behind As You Like It, The Carriage was originally the station building for the Blyth & Tyne Railway but was closed in January 1978 and later became a pub.
Work on the exterior of the building is still being carried out. Having not ventured in before the takeover I’m not sure if the interior remains the same as previously. Much like The Ship, a lot of the old regulars seem to still be frequenting the establishment despite the new menu. We visited on a Friday night and it was a lot quieter than I expected. I think word isn’t properly out that the doors are open in the vegan community.
The menu isn’t too dissimilar to The Ship, although I was disappointed to find their lovely Nachos weren’t available here. I’m told they will be featured eventually, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Dairy free pizzas are a new addition, as is Banana Blossom Fish.
I ordered the Tofu Massaman Curry while my friend chose the pizza. She’s recently discovered an intolerance to dairy, so felt this was a great way to try out the vegan alternatives.
While my curry was a success, her main was a bit of a damp squib. The base was dry and needed more sauce. The cashew cheese was more of a sprinkle and not really discernible. We did flag this when asked what we thought of the meals. I’d have preferred my curry on a plate rather than in a bowl, too. The tofu was lovely but it was difficult to get a good sauce/ rice/veggie ratio with it piled into the a bowl of those proportions. There were leftovers in the bowl I couldn’t fish out without a spoon.
Another friend visited a posted some photos of their food on social media which she’s very kindly allowed me to share. The Loaded Fries look like a tasty sharer for those wanting a nibble alongside their vegan friendly beer. I’m not sure if the whole pub is vegan and all the ales on sale are SFV as I know this was a gradual transition for The Ship. I’m sure someone will inform me so I can update this post accordingly.
The Carriage is dog friendly, there are board games available and the jukebox had a pretty decent selection of tracks on during our visit. As the pub is located close to Jesmond metro station it is a lot more convenient than The Ship for those wanting a night out or relaxed meal in comfortable surroundings without the car. I’m looking forward to seeing what else appears on the menu in due course.
Thanks for reading,
Pip x
Thanks for the review I look forward to trying. I’ve felt the Ship has slipped more and more in the wrong direction over the last year or so and has become inconsistent too. All of the food was bang on every time but it unfortunately isn’t the case now. I’m not sure whether this new venture has made them take their eye off the ball or not but I hope we’re left with two good places rather than two average hit and miss places. A shame if so.