THE OWNERS of a new Tynedale restaurant are on a mission.

Charred Bar & Grill, which opened in Hexham earlier this month, specialises in steak cooked on charcoal flames, lobster and fresh local produce.

“It’s our unique selling point and we know there’s nothing like this around the Northumberland area,” said Jonwilliam Macintyre, general manager.

Described as ‘Surf and Turf with a Latin American feel’ alongside an extensive bar selection and cocktail menu the restaurant insists there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Opening a new restaurant during a pandemic with further measures for the North-East on the horizon hasn’t deterred the team.

“A lot of people said we must be mad and brave but we have got a lot of experience,” Jonwilliam added.

“Every good business owner always has contingency plans in place.

“We were very confident that if we were doing it it would be right.

“It’s been quite overwhelming in a good sense. We didn’t expect it to hit off this quickly and it’s been great.”

The family business on St Mary’s Chare has used past experiences of living in Hexham to its advantage and prioritises local suppliers.

Its website shouts “we take pride in where our meat comes from, using only the highest quality of locally farmed Northumbrian beef in our restaurant.”

This statement is echoed by Jonwilliam, who said bread is sourced from the Grateful Bread bakery on Market Street, and ambitious head chef Tom Batham is excited to develop the menu.

He said: “We plan to change the menu regularly, but our staple items are steak, lobster and burgers which are going down a treat.

“We plan to introduce a daytime service depending on local restrictions and also want to provide afternoon tea and bottomless brunches.”

After a series of sold out bookings and positive public reviews two weeks after opening, staff are only looking up.

“Everybody is going through a bad time at the moment,” Jonwilliam said, “we wanted to give people something to look forward to.”