Lancaster landlord crafts new beer venture in city

Mark Cutter recently opened 75 Church Street in the former Duke of Lancaster pub in Church Street, offering a huge selection of craft ales from around the world. The new venue has 12 “taps” situated on the wall behind the bar, which is a break from the traditional hand pumps found in most pubs. Unlike traditional pubs, the craft beer will only be served in two third, or even one third of a pint measures, and Mark explains his drive to provide quality over quantity, with a philosophy of “drink less, but drink better”. The landlord and disability advocate currently runs The Apothecary in Penny Street, where he has grown the Free Food Initiative, which he initially spearheaded at The Robert Gillow in Market Street. He has also previously run The Juke Joint in North Road, and The Bottle Shop in Sun Street, and said he continues to take lessons from previous ventures. He said: “We needed to try something new and saw that the premises in Church Street was vacant. We have been inspired by places in Manchester like Cafe Beermoth and at The Rober Gillow we were the first to bring breweries like Stone to Lancaster. “A few places dabble with craft ale, but don’t go all the way in, so we thought we’d go as deep into it as we could. “We’re working with brewery importers who bring small craft breweries onto the market. Our philosophy is drink less, drink better. Instead of telling people not to drink, which doesn’t work, we say drink better quality stuff, with better ingredients. “The price reflects the quality of the brew itself, and also the high alcohol content of some of the beers. “We won’t be selling in pints, but mainly in two thirds, and in some cases when it’s particularly strong, in thirds. I woldn’t sell someone a pint of wine. “It gives people the option to try a few different things.” There will be a constantly rotating range of craft beers on offer, alongside a “gourmet burger” menu, which burger buns sourced from Filbert’s Bakery in the city. “We’ll also be introducing small batch wines, a small selection of spirits, and lots of soft drinks,” he added. “We expect to get hand pulled real ales by next week, and we’re also operating a zero food waste policy, so any food extras we have will be going into the Apothecary’s Free Food Initiative.”