RUSSELL BISSET: Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Fresh from the North podcast.
I’m your host, Russell Bisset.
Over the past 12 years, I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a journey. Building something in the North through Northern Monk, a brewery rooted in creativity, community and a fair bit of trial and error along the way.
The Fresh From The North podcast is about the good stuff, the ideal day, the small wins, the moments that make it feel worthwhile.
Each episode, I’ll be sitting down with people from across the North who are doing things their own way. Makers, doers, thinkers, storytellers, to chat to them about what a day well-lived looks like.
If you’re someone that enjoys listening in to a conversation, a fresh perspective, or just the chance to pause and reflect, then this podcast could be for you.
You’ll find new episodes every month on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just hit follow and come along for the ride.
To kick things off, I’m joined by Brian Dickson, my co-founder, head brewer, longtime partner on this journey at Northern Monk. It felt only right to start here.
A quick heads up before we begin. The sound quality is a bit ropey in this first episode. Whether it settles down or you just get used to it sounding like we’re chatting in a cave, I’m not sure, but the conversation, if of interest, is worth sticking with.
Here we go. Episode one with Brian Dixon.
Brian Dixon, welcome to the inaugural Fresh From The North podcast.
Here we reflect on, discuss, digest the perfect, the ultimate day with some of the North’s highest impact humans.
It’s been 12 years at Northern Monk for us both.
We’re sat on a couple of beanbags in the Faith well-being room after having gone through the Heathen Gym.
It’s fair to say it’s a bit of a work in progress. It reminds me a bit of our original office setup.
It’s pretty basic isn’t it?
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, just need a proper trestle table, don’t we?
RUSSELL BISSET: So I don’t know if you want to give us a bit of an intro to yourself.
I’ll tee you up a little bit, give you some teasers.
So you grew up, you spent a lot of time in Scotland, didn’t you?
BRIAN DICKSON: First five years.
RUSSELL BISSET: First five years.
BRIAN DICKSON: First five years were in Edinburgh.
RUSSELL BISSET: Edinburgh.
BRIAN DICKSON: But yeah, my dad worked for Scottish & Newcastle Breweries as it was then, so he got moved around a couple of times, which led me to about seven years in Stockport, Bramhall and then in ’99 moved up to just outside of Wetherby because he got moved to John Smith’s Brewery over in Tadcaster.
RUSSELL BISSET: So we’ve got the Scottish and the Lancashire connection as well.
BRIAN DICKSON: We do, yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, you don’t talk that much about the Stockport bit, as I don’t talk lots about my Manchester connection.
BRIAN DICKSON: I know it was just primary school years I guess.
It’s like, it’s childhood memories, but yeah, I guess in terms of impact on the bigger story it doesn’t register too much. But I mean, just surrounded by Man United fans got me into football and stuff, but the main memories of that were just like, you know, because I was down there for the Ferguson years so absolutely football obsessed but beyond that, yeah, not too many, not too much to have to relate to… But then yeah in ’99 went to Wetherby. School in Knaresborough. I always moved like six months into a school year as well. So I was like six months into primary school, moved to Scotland and then that’s, but then Scottish school is slightly different, so I missed that whole reception year. I went from the first six months of primary school in Scotland straight to midway through like year one of primary. That was weird in itself.
RUSSELL BISSET: But long history of brewing in the family, at least your father…
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, 40 years and a month, 40 years and a week, can’t remember exactly, it was 40 years and something that he did.
RUSSELL BISSET: Wow.
BRIAN DICKSON: He was determined, he absolutely hated the few years at Heineken. Once Heineken got involved and took over Scottish Courage it was just all that middle management bureaucracy and stuff turned him from a workaholic to signing off work with stress - absolutely destroyed him, which was just ridiculous.
But he was so determined to get that 40 year mark and they’re offering up redundancies. He’s like, “Yep, I’ll take it.”
And then they’re like, “no way in hell can we afford to make you redundant.” 40 years service.
But yeah, still involved. But I had zero interest in doing it back then. As I say, I was very much a creative type, I was into music. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do but uni wise, I was like, well, Music, English Language, Design - they’re all the three things at A level, so I considered all three of them for uni and then I kind of figured, well, I’ll be happiest doing music, so…
RUSSELL BISSET: You kept the design thing quiet, man!
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, I know, I mean that would have been a whole different direction if I’d gone that way. Technically my strongest subject. I got As across the board on that one, yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: Wow. And did you - so it feels like there’s quite a common like, theme of going, pursuing, kind of, music and that going into beer. I guess for you, you had your dad and you had like, whether it was something you embraced at the time or not, there was this kind of legacy of brewing and interest in it. But do you think there is like, there’s parallels - you think there’s a reason why so many brewers start on a career with music?
BRIAN DICKSON: I think, yeah, I mean, definitely creative side, especially where craft beer was, what, 12, 15 years ago when we were getting hooked on it. It was like, I said my dad worked for macro but, even when I was a teenager, I remember they were contract bottling Baltica, like a Russian lager and I was like, I would rather have that than the John Smith’s or the Heineken or whatever else that he was able to get in the company shops. Because even then I was like, still more interested in the slightly interesting stuff that they were doing.
University it was like, went to uni just still mostly drinking lager but I’d be like okay I’ll get a more— I’ll get one of the— I’ll get a Coors Light or something because that’s more interesting than Carling and then quickly moved on to like, Newcastle Brown and stuff like that. It’s like something that wasn’t… that was a little bit more interesting and cool.
But yeah I think it attracts that… definitely creative side. Like when, you know, beer was becoming like anything goes. You know, beer styles were being created and literally, like back then, you know, there was black IPA arriving the first time and to this day I’m obsessed with that style, it’s just like, it’s an absolutely oxymoronic but fascinating kind of thing to put together.
But yeah, definitely the same bit of me that was, like, into design and language, just that interest in new stuff but just, you know, not wanting to sit in and do the same thing all the time - definitely plays into that side. I mean I remember from… I’ve met, I think it’s four. Four other people who did music at Huddersfield, either my year or the year behind, who are now in the brewing industry.
RUSSELL BISSET: Wild!
BRIAN DICKSON: I bumped into them at various events and stuff.
RUSSELL BISSET: So common. Do you know I actually did, it wasn’t even a year I don’t think, of my music production degree. So technically I can say I’ve got a bit of that lineage as well.
If Faith was a song, which song would it be?
BRIAN DICKSON: There’s an easy answer to that one, isn’t there?
RUSSELL BISSET: Is there? Oh, of course there is. I’ve teed you right up there. That’s too easy, man.
BRIAN DICKSON: There was the time… I think it was, might be when it was just me and Ads at the Flax Store and I’d put, depending on, I’d put on music to match what he was mashing in.
RUSSELL BISSET: Nice. That’s class.
BRIAN DICKSON: So it was a fair bit of George Michael and stuff. But I remember when we brewed Lust and I found that 50 Greatest Love Songs blasting through the brewery at 8am and I don’t think he’s ever come closer to finally giving up and walking out.
RUSSELL BISSET: I’ve got a good one for you then. You talked about the love of Black IPA. Dark Arches, arguably our first really great beer, maybe? It’s been said, considering…
What would that be as a song?
I say like, Rage Against The Machine or something, maybe?
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, I’m trying to think of like a really oxymoronic… I’m trying to think of like…
RUSSELL BISSET: Rage is like, kind of like a mashup of genres.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, that’s true, yeah. Jazz fusion kind of vibe, isn’t it?
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah.
BRIAN DICKSON: Herbie Hancock, Chameleon. That was… I loved that when I was growing up. That’s like jazz funk, that’s a proper mashup of stuff. Yeah, but like… that kind of territory.
RUSSELL BISSET: We set out rather naively and, you know, it’s been… it’s a constant journey, but ultimately to make the best beer we possibly could. Hopefully beer that - talk about, like - really trying to delight our consumers, you know. Beer, we know, it’s not the best thing for you but it can be part of a life well lived, for sure. And our aim is to really delight people but, you know, it was a while before we started to pick up accolades. But, you know, your dad being so prominent in the beer industry and, you know, being such a big part of your journey as well, like, how did it feel when you first got, we got the first medal for an English IPA, the origins of IPA, the World Beer Cup, arguably the Beer Olympics, what were those moments like?
BRIAN DICKSON: It is nuts. I mean, surreal, I guess, all those kind of moments there’s always that surrealness to the entire thing where you’re just trying to take it all in. The fact it was in America, like I remember just getting I was like… just going to bed and then like, my phone starts vibrating and it’s just like, yeah it’s Adam Watson from Against the Grain and he just literally just says, ‘Dude you won!’ or something like that.
And I’m like, Huddersfield aren’t playing tonight. What’s he on about?
Then I was like, what the hell’s he on about and going on socials and seeing like, this call or someone who was at the event posting stuff.
But yeah… it was unreal like, just thinking back, was it even like, the best version of Eternal that went out there. It probably wasn’t. Remember when we were, back in the days when we were… again my dad’s influence, when we first got a canning line he convinced me that we should be filtering. Like, you can’t be canning if you’re not filtering the beer. And then getting a little… trying to get a plate filter in and then a cartridge filter and throwing hop oils in there and stuff but yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: What did your dad say?
BRIAN DICKSON: Oh now you’re going back.
I mean, definitely would’ve been proud. Like you know the way he’s got his little side hustle around the colours out sell the Faith, he’s got everybody drinking it.
Like, he’s not a highly expressive, I guess, in that kind of way, but he’s always been quietly proud and he’s definitely involved - he loves getting involved over the years, doesn’t he?
RUSSELL BISSET: Absolutely.
BRIAN DICKSON: Especially since he retired, he’s like, the itch, you can tell. He’s always keen to get involved again.
But yeah, anything like that even just like, you know, any random newspaper article it’s like, shared all around the family and stuff.
I mean it’ll have been shared around for sure.
RUSSEL BISSET: No, he’s been great. He’s been such a big part of our journey.
We owe a lot to Alistair Dickson.
I jumped around a bit there, I guess I was like, I don’t know, unpacking some of that heritage and the legacy of beer in the family. But from music you went into, or at the same time you were at the Grove?
BRIAN DICKSON: Yep.
RUSSELL BISSET: Celebrated, maybe, one of, if not - I don’t know, would you say one of, if not - the best beer led pub in the north at one point under your leadership at the time?
BRIAN DICKSON: I think yeah, I think it totally evolved into that. Ian’s just like, I mean, we wouldn’t be doing this now without sort of his approach to life anyway. So yeah, I owe a lot there for sure.
But yeah, I mean when I first found that pub like, yeah, went up there was a student and drank there a few times and it was just, yeah… It was, he just did things differently than the other ale pubs in town. The sort of beers he was getting in, he’s a southerner as well so he’s getting in stuff like Harveys and stuff right back when I first discovered the place.
Only developing a reputation of selling brown boring beer and stuff like that, but it just kind of hooked by the sheer number of beers he had on then. But then yeah, it just had a kind of spirit to the place which I don’t— you can’t put your finger on, but you know when you just go in those pubs that just got that character to them that just… It’s the right combination of regulars and, and just, you know, the feel of the place and obviously the liquid itself. But yeah I think I went in on I think pretty sure first I went in there it was Thursday nights he used to have an Irish session. So I remember sitting at the bar trying all these breweries I’d never heard of and fiddles going off in the background. People like, dancing up and down the floor and stuff.
But yeah, I went for a job there. I tried to get a job in so many… I had really struggled getting a job like around uni. In first year I was just too lazy to try. But then finally in third year I was like, I need to get some sort of cash going on.
I remember applying to Wetherspoons - imagine if I’d ended up there.
RUSSELL BISSET: Oh wow.
BRIAN DICKSON: What a different story that would have been…
RUSSELL BISSET: That would’ve been a different story.
BRIAN DICKSON: …if I’d ended up at The Cherry Tree!
I didn’t hear anything for a good few weeks and then I get a random phone call and he’s like, hey, this is Ian at the Grove. Would you like to come up for a chat, so I’m like, okay. I put a shirt on - it’s idiocy, I’m going for a pub job!
So wander in and he just comes down and goes so yeah, Thursday, 6 to 10, Saturday, 5 to 11, something like that. Three shifts. That work? And I’m like, yeah, great. And he says, Cool, see you Thursday. It’s like, nice and easy!
There’s some characters work through there at the time, but there’s this girl called Chloe came in as like, bar manager, after I’d been there a couple of years, I think? But she was my absolute landlady style, hostess-with-the-mostest, absolute highest standards, highest standards of her staff and like, just like you know, there shouldn’t be a single empty glass on the table.
So she had the place running like a machine. I’m just getting more and more into my beer.
Ian’s putting more and more taps in, buying, just more and more beer, like your Brewdogs and your Thornbridges and your Kernels and your Marble. Marble Ginger back in the day, cracking beer. Buxton Brewery brewing all black IPAs, just getting more and more into it.
So there’s me with the beer knowledge and enthusiasm, you know, the regulars, regulars are hooked on whatever I actually asked them to try. No question asked, if I recommend a beer they’re trying it.
You got the likes of Rich Burhouse, starting Magic Rock.
RUSSELL BISSET: Of course.
BRIAN DICKSON: Fairly regular in the pub. He had a micro-brewery tap going on at the time so he was like bringing me beers in and stuff, all the team would come down and he’s like, well, you need to get on Twitter, you need to get on social media, you need to get the pub out there. It’s the best pub in the country and nobody knows about it.
So I’m on Twitter getting involved in all that side. Those early days where it’s like the Mark Dredges of the world are all heavily involved and they’re all meeting up for twit-ups so like, the beer glitterati of the north. Of the UK really. Comes up to Huddersfield for a weekend. Barbecue at Magic Rock and then a Saturday afternoon down in the Grove. And you know, your Pete Browns and your Kelly Ryan from Thornbridge, all those characters like absolute influences on me now and all come to the pub just because like, this reputation was built for the place so it absolutely was hugely heavy days.
RUSSELL BISSET: That’s wild, yeah. Such an exciting time and place for beer culture.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah definitely. I think it’s the same with us starting up. Like right place, right time like, if it’d been a couple of years earlier or a couple of years later it’d been so hard, much harder to do what we did.
And then yeah, like finished my Masters, got Alopecia off the back of it so realised academia just wasn’t for me. Since I got to the Masters level it got so cliquey. Yeah, so it was like , “What am I doing, what am I going to do when I finished this thing?” I managed to get through it but yeah… A New Year’s getting very, very drunk, drank a lot of Mikeller Black I remember that, like 18% stout. And Ian came up with this idea of me being like the UK Mikeller, travelling around the world brewing collaborations and stuff like that. And that basically led to me just reaching out to breweries we had connections with including like, Gadds’ down in Kent. Eddie’s a proper East Kent Goldings obsessed… his beer never went past the M25 and then somehow he had a permanent line in Huddersfield because Ian just drove the van out and filled it up, came back via London picking up the Kernel and Partizan and Brodies and breweries like that.
RUSSELL BISSET: Looks like quite a few beers seem to be the pre-requisite to your big life moments, really.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: Given you’re in the beer industry, I guess that’s somewhat inevitable.
BRIAN DICKSON: Of course it is.
RUSSELL BISSET: That was the founding of, it was Bitches Brew Co, right?
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, yeah, Bitches Brew.
That was the Free Trade Inn when we came over that one in Newcastle, myself and Ian and a couple of other regulars. One of the regulars worked on Cross Country so we could just jump on the train and go wherever we wanted with him, and so we went up to Newcastle for a day and we came up with that one.
The idea was being like, the brew bitch digging out the mash tun did all the grunt work, but obviously Brew Dog existed and that was in the phase where they were suing everybody for everything. So then, yeah, pivoted to Bitches Brew.
I woke up next morning and I’m like, that’s a dreadful name. And Ian’s like, I’ve already mentioned it. It’s already happening. Might as well. I was doing my saxophone and my jazz background it was like, the Miles Davis Bitches Brew.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, I was gonna say.
BRIAN DICKSON: …was obviously an iconic album in my teenage years so that was the reference.
But yeah I did that for a couple of years. There were a few breweries like Brodie’s we did a couple collabs with. Rob Hamilton, who had Blackjack Brewery at the time, and he was just like yeah don’t touch that bag of hops, don’t touch that bag of hops, otherwise crack on and do what you want and a few other little things like that which was good but that was very sporadic.
I was still taking brew days where I could but Chloe left as well so I ended up running the pub. The regulars talked me into it. I said I’ll do it like, temporary and then was like 18 months I did it which was sort of the bar manager role, mostly buying the beer and doing the staffing side of things. But, as we know, it’s not necessarily my strength, the operational side of things. So getting more and more frustrated and then yeah, obviously you’d launched a brewery. We’d had a few bottles in, brand pretty eye catching. I was doing a room share at the time. This guy rented out two rooms in his house and he, basically, he worked in Huddersfield but lived elsewhere so he was there like a couple of days a week maybe. But he loved his beer. He loved going to the Rat and Ratchet and stuff. He dragged me out for a pint on a Wednesday so I’m like shooting over I’m like oh I don’t know this… this brewery job has come up and I’m thinking of going for it. So this random guy Paul Goodwin, he was the guy, he talked me into going for it. So I think that was the Wednesday, then it was like the Thursday or the Friday over at Leeds International.
RUSSELL BISSET: Beer Festival.
BRIAN DICKSON: And then yeah… Kept going up to the bar and you were never there.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, I was doing something. Probably drinking beer as well.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah exactly. But yeah, that was that. Trial Shift.
RUSSELL BISSET: A few beers, we had a conversation again and the next beer chapter, I guess, unfolded and we won’t talk too much about that today ’cause I feel like we’ve reflected on it quite a bit over the years haven’t we.
But, I also want to get into a day in the life of Brian Dixon.
Ultimately, I guess what I’m here for is what you’re famous for, the ultimate pub tour of well, Leeds in particular, but I’m sure that you’ve got a few up your sleeve. But now what does… you’re waking up in the morning, what are you eating? And what are you listening to? What are you doing, what’s your plan for the day?
BRIAN DICKSON: Good question.
Get this quite a lot from various members, various departments - What would you like to do for a day? Of course I’m nowhere near the brew floor anymore. I mean, everyone asks me how long, how many years it is since I brewed, I’ve lost count. I haven’t brewed in far too long. You’ve brewed more recently than I have.
RUSSELL BISSET: That’s true actually. It’s not often you’ve been able to say that.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy.
RUSSELL BISSET: But if you had the perfect day and obviously…
BRIAN DICKSON: Perfect day.
RUSSELL BIESST: Yes, where would you… would you go out and eat breakfast somewhere in Leeds? Where would you go?
BRIAN DICKSON: Oh, where’s the best breakfast? That’s a challenge. Breakfast… I’m still a bowl of cereal kind of guy.
RUSSELL BISSET: Are you really?
BRIN DICKON: Yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: What kind of cereal?
BRIAN DICKSON: Trying to do the healthy stuff. Try and do like, you know, special K and stuff like that, but occasionally something more childish might appear.
RUSSELL BISSET: Dude, the bowl of cocoa pops, nothing else quite hits the sides. My kids still love sugary cereal occasionally…
BRIAN DICKSON:You mix that and your classic Rice Krispies, so then you get chocolate milk, but you also get the snap and crackle as well.
RUSSELL BISSET: Oh wow, okay, yeah. We used to do Sugar Puffs and Rice Krispies quite a lot as kids.
BRIAN DICKSON: When you get the little small, the tiny little multi-packs you used to get, mix and match those.
RUSSELL BISSET: Dude, I love the multi-packs. I think we’ve talked quite a bit about them.
BRIAN DICKSON: They’re never big enough once you a bit older as well so you need to have two.
RUSSELL BISSET: I know, yeah. So gotta have two. Do you ever do it where you like, just open the bag and then you put the milk in the bag? If you’re camping, that’s great, man. You don’t need to use bowls or anything.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, I never thought of that. Yeah sweet, never thought of that.
RUSSELL BISSET: Straight from the pack.
BRIAN DICKSON: Very smart.
RUSSELL BISSET: So we’re going cereal breakfast, humble breakfast, start of the day. We probably… it sounds like, day to day, you’re obviously a lot of the time you’re here or in the home office, but you might be, what up in the Dales, do you reckon?
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, I think…I’ve been around Hebden a bit and stuff recently, like been out there recently. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Where we are in Leeds you’re never more than 20, 30 minutes away from a good trail, are you. So in fact, enjoying a bit out around Hebden and stuff.
Because there’s also wherever you finish, you want a pint don’t you.
RUSSELL BISSET: 100 percent.
BRIAN DICKSON: You want to know there’s going to be a proper boozer at the other end, a proper pub, nice pint of cask. So there’s always that element as well. Right, yeah, get out, you’ll do a circuit route and you come to a nice pub, back on the train.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah. So where would you go then? Hebden’s a good idea.
BRIAN DICKSON: Hebden’s been a good one.
RUSSELL BISSET: I still think of that… oh what was the pub called that we went in?
BRIAN DICKSON: The Fox and Goose.
RUSSELL BISSET: Fox and Goose and that… just saw Hebden in like, the best way. A vegan Keema SamoSA and a pint of black IPA like, this is fucking living man.
BRIAN DICKSON: That was one particularly good form that day, wasn’t it?
Yeah, that’s another one with a Grove connection. That’s where Ian worked the bar before he bought the Grove.
RUSSELL BISSET: Is that right? No way, I didn’t realise that.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, Ian and a guy called Alex, who was basically the only… when he opened the Grove it was just Ian and aguy called Alex, who now works at Vocation. Has done for quite a few years now. Just absolute grafter, absolute legend. But yeah, they both worked at the Fox and Goose and then shipped over to the Grove and Ian bought that.
RUSSELL BISSET: So what do you reckon? would you be having picnic sandwiches on your hike?
BRIAN DICKSON: I usually take a few bits with me. It’s like, oh do you try and make a sandwich at home or is it just pick up some bits? Scotch Eggs and stuff like that right it’s just like, it’s really good.
RUSSELL BISSET: What are you going for like, artisanal? Sometimes you feel a bit underwhelmed by an artisanal Scotch Egg and actually you just go for a basic one like yeah, this is the business.
BRIAND DICKSON: Yeah, as long as it’s decent balance, you know decent amount of meat on the outside, a good-sized egg yeah. I enjoy an artisanal one, but at the end of the day, probably…
RUSSELL BISSET: A perfect day with Brian be like, yeah I mean you’re staying pretty humble here, but I love it! So it’s starting with a bowl of cereal, we’re having a basic Scotch Egg…
BRIAN DICKSON: I just thought, a perfect day before - I’m sure once upon a time it would been like, jet off to Miami and doing a sword and they’ve been, you know, those have been incredible experiences, but yeah.
RUSSELL BISSET: It’s true.
BRIAN DICKSON: I say we’re in the wellness room and in terms of just getting out and resetting your head, it’s just like getting out in the hills and…
RUSSELL BISSET: No doubt.
BRIAND DICKSON: …some just quiet, there’s just nothing better for resetting is there? Yeah let’s say ending in the pub.
But yeah I feel like if I’m on this perfect day, on a nice trip I’ve earned a decent meal, right?
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, don’t get me wrong, I’m signed up. I’m having a great time living vicariously through this day. Got Scotch Egg, we’re going out on a hike and like, you know, you’re going to be pretty hungry as well.
One of the greatest things I think, and you get in the last stages of the hike and you get a bit tired, the thing that keeps you going is the thought of what the meal’s going to be. That’s pretty good man, you want to be pretty hungry for it.
But where would you go? Do you think, are you staying in Hebden? You could, you know, you could use some kind of transportation to get you to the best pub for a pub… Where is the best pub for a post hike scran?
It’s a shame Whitelock’s isn’t at the end of a good hike. I mean it could be but you just have to walk the canal.
BRIAN DICKSON: Plant that idea with Edd man, that’s his next one.
Another area like, I’ve got family in Barcelona and from a young age I was just tapas and seafood obsessed. I’m a big fan of grazing, hence all the Scotch Eggs and just little, easy food when you’re out on a walk. Get a really good tapas, a really good Yorkshire tapas like Ambiente, down at The Calls. They used to do that really well. It’s a picky, picky kind of dinner, bit of everything kind of meal, but just bringing a bit of all sorts into it. Ranie does a great job as well obviously, doesn’t he, at the Refectory, getting a bit of all sorts going on.
RUSSELL BISSET: What would you go for if you’re doing five tapas? What would it be?
BRIAN DICKSON: Love me a padron pepper.
RUSSELL BISSET: Oh, mate, it’s so good.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah. Just something like tomato bruschetta, tomato bread that kind of thing always like plenty garlic on it like really nice.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, but you can’t replicate that in the UK, obviously, because the tomatoes just aren’t as good although…
BRIAN DICKSON: Exactly, yeah, maybe we should get a private jet and go to Barcelona. Create one of them out of thin air. But yeah, you’d want a really nice rare to medium rare kind of steak. Done quite simply, plenty pepper on it. Bit of that. What else we could do? Fish option. I mean, really nice could be like plaice or something, you cook the entire thing, can’t you?
RUSSELL BISSET: What about calamari?
BRAIN DICKSON: Yeah, love that calamari. Again, it’s got to be fresh though, right? Yeah, it’s hard to get really good stuff in the UK.
RUSSELL BISSET: What are you drinking?
BRIAN DICKSON: See, in that context, just that really good German lager or something, I think.
RUSSELL BISSETT: Are you? Yeah, I like that. So you’ve gone for a hike somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales, or around Hebden…
BRIAN DICKSON: Got the best bitter out of my system.
RUSSELL BISSET: So you got your best bitter at the end.
BRIAN DICKSON: See, we’ve gone full cycle if you talk about how to just get fully into like, all these new and exciting beers 15 years ago at the Grove. I think many brewers are of the same attitude these days, like someone’s gone full circle and returned to the Timothy Taylor’s.
RUSSELL BISSET: yeah, 100 percent.
BRIAN DICKSON: …And the like and then, obviously, massive respect for a very well done lager.
RUSSELL BISSET: No, absolutely but I’m just thinking about like, you’re going to put some miles in that day so a hike, pint of something classic, regional from the north. Then boost over in your private jet, Barcelona, tapas with a German lager.
BRIAN DICKSON: I mean yeah, I guess, well if I’m eating in Barcelona then you just drink local, right? Yeah it’s going to have to be a Damm.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, a pint of Estrella.
BRIAN DICKSON: Those kind of beers are of the place because A, the climate and B, at the end of the day, cleansing. You know you don’t want to fill up too much, on anything too heavy when you’ve got seven or eight dishes to pile into so… This tapas just expanded.
RUSSELL BISSET: That is the time and place for an Estrella without a doubt, isn’t it?
BRIAN DICKSON: And then from there it’s I mean not against an old spritz or a cocktail these days so I imagine an Aperol spritz will end up in my evening as the evening goes on.
RUSSELL BISSET: Nice. And are you going to, like, big into music? I know you go to a lot of gigs.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah I do go to a lot of gigs, that should be in there somewhere. Like maybe we end up at the Brudenell.
RUSSELL BISSET: Would it be an Idlewild gig?
BRIAN DICKSON: It’d be up there. Or maybe I could get a time machine and go back 20, 30 years to peak REM or something.
RUSSELL BIESST: Yeah, I respect that. I think you’re allowed time machines.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, sweet. This is getting better. Yeah, I guess it’s like trying to do that perfect festival lineup, isn’t it? If you’re picking six to seven bands to see back to back, what would that look like? That’s a whole different conversation.
RUSSELL BISSET: What started as a humble day is getting pretty out—
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah!
RUSSELL BISSET: We’re starting with humble bowl of cereal.
BRIAN DICKSON: Adding an extra day into the day!
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah. Scotch Egg, hike, pint of bitter…
BRIAN DICKSON: I mean, stay local, yeah, you could do it, yeah, I’m trying to think. I just need to find out the right restaurant in Leeds. But you could do your Hebden hike, you can get back to town, you can have a cracking pint, you can get up to the Brudenell and see how your favourite bands in a little tiny venue.
RUSSELL BISSET: Yeah, I like that man.
BRIAN DICKSON: That’s always the way to do it. Love a small venue naturally.
RUSSELL BISSET: What is the best tapas restaurant in Leeds these days?
BRIAN DICKSON: I’m a little bit out of the loop, but Ambiente had a good shout for it, for a while. There was one on Park Lane, wasn’t there, that we did, had our beer on for a bit – I’ve forgotten what it was called. There’s quite a few round here, it certainly went through a phase where it was like five or six, but not been out in a bit. I’ll have to revisit.
RUSSELL BISSET: Right, man. I think that probably concludes our chat.
BRIAN DICKSON: It’s not a bad effort is it?
RUSSELL BISSET: But yeah, thanks so much for taking the time. I think that sounds like an absolutely cracking day, to be fair. You’ve gotta have a pint of Faith at some point man, I think that’s mandatory.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah that’s what I was thinking, back end of the day. We have to get the train, go to Whitelock’s and then a pint before dinner, right?
RUSSELL BISSET: A pint at Whitelock’s is way up there for me.
BRIAN DICKSON: Pint of Faith before going to— I mean, I’d be quite happy if I end up in House of Fu eating ramen that would be a decent end to the day.
RUSSELL BISSET: Also great. Yeah, you’re awash with choices really.
BRIAN DICKSON: Yeah, exactly. Getting outdoors in the sun, the weather like this, perfectly acceptable wouldn’t it. Beautiful.
RUSSELL BISSET: It’s a shame we’ve got bars over the window in the brewery.
BRIAN DICKSON: I also realised I also should have had Scotland. A perfect day would have to be in the northeast wouldn’t it, really.
RUSSELL BISSET: But I don’t think anyone’ll judge you.
BRIAN DICKSON: I don’t really got time to mess around too much.
RUSSELL BISSET: So there you have it.
The very first episode of the Fresh From The North Podcast.
With Father’s Day on the horizon, we’re dedicating this one to the dads. a massive shout out to Brian’s dad Alistair and to my own James, who not only produced the episode but also crafted the jingle.
Thanks for the encouragement, the faith, and for helping turn what sounded like a rambling chat in a cave into something, hopefully, you’ve enjoyed listening to.
Until next time, stay fresh, keep the faith.
Thank you.