The Sand Dancer Gastro Pub, And The Fish Shack (South Shields)

 restaurant, pub / public house, fish and chips shop

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Set on the beach front on the South Shields coastline, the Sand Dancer was an under–performing ex Brewer’s Fayre site. It was time for the sun to shine on the pub when Punch acquired it in early summer 2007 and local businessman Peter Frail came on board as the licensee with big plans in mind.

“Everyone I discussed it with said I’d be daft to take on a place like that as the trade is so seasonal,“ explains Peter. “The pub was previously taking around £50 for a whole day and night’s worth of trade. The venue was tired and needed a major turnaround.”

Punch contributed £330K to the project and Peter invested £80k. Regional operations director for Scotland and the North Chris Welham explains: “We needed to transform the Sand Dancer in to a pub that would be popular all year round but that really thrives in the summer. It’s set on the beach so the outside alfresco drinking and dining opportunities are huge.”

The pub was closed for 7 weeks and there were times when Peter doubted his decision: “The pub obviously had to close whilst the refurbishment was underway so we were losing trade. I admit there were times when I thought… what I have done!”

“I took pretty hands on approach though and made sure I put my ideas across at the weekly architect’s meetings,“ adds Peter.

Life’s a beach

The new design focused on bringing the beach and the sea inside the pub - right down to the smallest detail.

The interior was designed with a ‘beach hut’ theme in mind - a contemporary bar, driftwood style seats and shipwreck style wall and floor finishes.

Chris Welham explains: “We’re always looking to innovate so our focus for the Sand Dancer was responding to customer demands and really adapting the offering to create something a bit different, that really stands out from the rest of the marketplace.”

“The pub has also made a bold statement with food with the focus on providing a menu that would attract customers all year round. The result is the Crab Shack kitchen which serves up a range of delicious seafood and shellfish dishes.”

“We also invested heavily in the outside of the pub with large drinking and eating areas with features such as overhanging sails, pebble feature tables and shell fish paving designs. Glass screening was also introduced to protect customers from the elements all year round,” adds Chris.

A sizzling summer

With the perfect sea-front venue created, the Sand Dancer has been re-opened …and that’s where Peter and his team come in.

“Trade is fantastic now, I can’t believe the change,“ says Peter. “We’ve got big plans for the Sand Dancer all year round but will definitely be making the most of the summer months.”

He explains: “We’re going to cook up some lovely meats on the outdoor rotisserie and will have lots of barbeques going on so people walking along the beach can just turn up and grab a snack fresh from the barbie!”

“We’re also looking at other novel ideas like introducing a lobster tank on the bar so customers can choose their lunch!”

“The Sand Dancer is also an ideal venue for live music so we plan to have a mini rock festival and lots of dance music events over the summer months. The idea is to try and create an Ibiza inspired ‘Café Mambo’ atmosphere.”

It isn’t all about decorating and sprucing up the place though. “There is a new energy to the pub now so it’s about maintaining that and keeping the place fresh,” says Peter. “I like to think we’re a little ahead of the game. We always listen to our customers and take on board their suggestions.”

“Bring on the summer!” adds Peter.

Taken From Punch Taverns Website