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Excitement flows as Newcastle’s Pleased to Meet You unveils £500k expansion

Popular Newcastle gin bar Pleased to Meet You will unveil its new look tomorrow (November 27), following an expansion costing £500k.

Still a relatively new addition to Newcastle’s ever-expanding leisure scene, owners Ladhar Leisure are capitalising on the venue’s success so far by extending the bar’s facilities.

New features will include additional seating to the existing venue and a revamped dining area with an additional bar, bolstered by a luxury events space, private dining facilities and the creation of an experimental cocktail club – Viceroy - discretely hidden in the basement.

To fulfill the expansion, Pleased to Meet You has occupied two adjacent shop units, with the move also creating 25 jobs.

North East chef Dave Kennedy joined the group earlier this year and has primarily been working on some amazing food concepts.

He has created a new menu for Pleased To Meet You which will be available from Friday and bookings are being taken (including for Christmas Day) while a special drinks menu with a range of new cocktails has been created for Viceroy’s.

Ladhar Leisure director Barry Ladhar said: “We cannot wait to show off the new look Pleased to Meet You. Customers old and new will be surprised at just how much space has been created and we have put that space to good use.

“This extension gives us the space to offer food up until 10pm every day; 7 days a week.

“The menu, created by Dave has an emphasis on casual, modern and fun dishes utilising seasonal and local produce, tapping into Dave’s extensive network of local suppliers and producers.”

Ladhar Leisure looks to 2016

Ladhar Leisure now plans to build on its success with ambitious schemes set to take shape early next year. including:

• Turning the Lounge opposite Newcastle’s Central Station into a contemporary Neapolitan inspired pizza and cocktail offering to be called Central Oven and Shaker. It is anticipated 30 jobs will be created.
• Launching phase one of the White Hart Yard scheme, bringing exciting new concepts in food and drink to the Grey Street scene. Detailed plans are in the process of being submitted and, subject to permission, the first phase should be opened at Easter. It is anticipated 40 full time and up to 60 part time jobs will be created.
• Rebranding of Ladhar Leisure to Crafted Projects to fit the company’s profile of developing contemporary destinations for food, craft ales and cocktails.

Barry Ladhar said: “The experimental cocktail club will give Grey Street a cosy cool and classy underground space where the drinks are the star of the show. Experimental being the key word, the drinks will be opulent, frivolous, sophisticated, daring and playful.

“Both in house and guest mixologists will continuously evolve an ever changing menu to create an almost impossible to choose drink list. This will be a “must go” addition for the discerning Grey Street drinkers and diners, complementing the already high standards of the area.

“It has been an incredibly busy year – as well as our developments on Tyneside we have refurbished The Globe pub in London Bridge and we are looking forward to an equally fruitful New Year.

“The Oven and Shaker will be a fantastic new addition to the food and drink scene while we are extremely pleased at the progress we are making, working with the council and other stakeholders, to develop White Hart Yard.”

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