Food & Drink

Oldgate Tavern Micropub Opens in Morpeth Town Centre

A new independent micropub, the Oldgate Tavern, has opened on Oldgate in the former Micah's Tearooms, pouring 16 rotating taps of craft beer and real ale.

Morpeth.net·29 July 2026

Morpeth's town centre has a new place to sink a pint. The Oldgate Tavern opened its doors on Thursday 23 July 2026, bringing an independent micropub to Oldgate in the building that was, until recently, Micah's Tearooms.

Behind it are Stephen Murray and Victoria Arnott, who bought the premises at auction last September and spent the months since restoring it. That was no small job. Damp had to be dealt with, floors sorted, and rotten timber cut out and replaced before the building was fit to welcome drinkers.

Sixteen rotating taps

The appeal of a micropub is simplicity: a small, snug room, good beer and easy conversation. Because the Oldgate Tavern is a free house tied to no single brewery, its 16 taps rotate rather than sticking to the same handful of regulars. The launch lineup drew on North East names including Rigg & Furrow, Sidbie's Brew Co, Thirsty Moose and Wylam, with ciders from Sandford Orchards also on the bar.

For real-ale fans that variety is the draw — turn up next week and there is a fair chance the board has changed. It sits neatly alongside Morpeth's other independent drinking spots, from the historic Black Bull on Bridge Street to Pleased to Meet You in the old Queens Head coaching inn.

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Good to know: The Oldgate Tavern is at 13 Oldgate, Morpeth, in the former Micah's Tearooms. Sixteen rotating taps of craft beer and real ale, plus Sandford Orchards ciders.

The owners have spoken about the intimate scale being part of the point. As Victoria Arnott put it, some people prefer to drink and socialise in a smaller space, finding larger pubs less inviting — the sort of cosy, community feel a micropub is built around. There are also longer-term plans to bring the upper floor into use as accommodation.

The opening is another small vote of confidence in Morpeth's town centre, which has seen a run of independent hospitality activity of late. It follows the Keeping the Heart in Morpeth campaign encouraging locals to back the town's independent shops, cafés and bars.

You can read the Northumberland Gazette's report on the opening for more, and follow the tavern on Facebook for what is on the taps.

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