The Waiting Room - New Pub on Durham's Platform Two

[FQTV]

As forum members seem to be quite keen on keeping track of railway refreshment, I thought that this might be of interest:

The original Ladies' First Class Waiting Room, sometime WH Smith Wholesale newspaper depot and latterly internally derelict store room on Durham's down platform, opened on 18th February as a small pub: The Waiting Room.

There doesn't seem to be a website, but they are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thewaitingroomdurham/, Twitter at http://twitter.com/durhamwaiting and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/waitingroomdurham/. None of these require registration to access.

It's good to see this part of the station finally back in use; I know that there was a previously unsuccessful attempt to open a micropub in the same place, and prior to that at least one lengthy but ultimately failed attempt to agree a lease with the train operating company and Network Rail.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

It's always good news to see a new micropub bringing redundant station buidlings back to life, I just wonder if the demand is there or whether or not the micropub market is becoming saturated?

Micropubs work best at interchange stations where you might have an odd half hour between connections and would rather have a pint (or even a tea or coffee) than hang around a chilly platform. As Durham isn't a station anyone would change at, I'm not sure where the new micropub's custom will come form?

 

[DarloRich]

It's always good news to see a new micropub bringing redundant station buidlings back to life, I just wonder if the demand is there or whether or not the micropub market is becoming saturated?

Micropubs work best at interchange stations where you might have an odd half hour between connections and would rather have a pint (or even a tea or coffee) than hang around a chilly platform. As Durham isn't a station anyone would change at, I'm not sure where the new micropub's custom will come form?

it is Durham - it is rammed with students and associated beardy hipsters. I suspect they will be the target audience.

 

[cuccir]

I share a skepticism here: the walk up the hill to Durham station is not insignificant (it's a good 100ft) and being on the quieter platform 2 won't help either. There's no passing trade at all. Durham students may like a drink, but I'm not sure that enough of them like paying micro-pub prices for craft beers at the top of a hill, when they can get deals for shots in city center bars.

Best of luck to them and I guess if the product is sufficiently good it'll attract an audience; and there may be a market in people meeting before heading off to Newcastle or wherever. But I do see it as a difficult place to be successful.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I share a skepticism here: the walk up the hill to Durham station is not insignificant (it's a good 100ft) and being on the quieter platform 2 won't help either. There's no passing trade at all. Durham students may like a drink, but I'm not sure that enough of them like paying micro-pub prices for craft beers at the top of a hill, when they can get deals for shots in city center bars.

Best of luck to them and I guess if the product is sufficiently good it'll attract an audience; and there may be a market in people meeting before heading off to Newcastle or wherever. But I do see it as a difficult place to be successful.

There's actually already a very good micropub at the foot of the hill leading up to the station just under the viaduct called The Station House.

http://www.stationhousedurham.co.uk/

Whether that's good or bad for the new one, I'm not sure; on the positive if the two work together it could be the start of a pub crawl, on the downside micropubs are still very much a niche market and there may not be enough custom for two so close together.

That said, I was in Colne last year and found 3 micropubs next door to each other, so maybe I'm wrong. Have a look on the link below.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.8...4!1saQ1zgZS00gIh-YwVdx2ZDA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[FQTV]

There's actually already a very good micropub at the foot of the hill leading up to the station just under the viaduct called The Station House.

http://www.stationhousedurham.co.uk/

Whether that's good or bad for the new one, I'm not sure; on the positive if the two work together it could be the start of a pub crawl, on the downside micropubs are still very much a niche market and there may not be enough custom for two so close together.

That said, I was in Colne last year and found 3 micropubs next door to each other, so maybe I'm wrong. Have a look on the link below.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.8...4!1saQ1zgZS00gIh-YwVdx2ZDA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The Station House is a bit more warm beer and beards in an old shop; The Waiting Room seems to be more traditionally pub-like, with some chilling going on and a wider range of other imbibing options.

There’s a small flyer for The Station House on the wall in The Waiting Room, which doesn’t look like guerilla marketing, so they’re apparently co-operating at least.

I know that The Station House was supportive of the previous aborted attempt to open a micro pub in the space now occupied by The Waiting Room, which was to have been called The Dunelm Tap.

I agree that it’s going to be a challenging site, though, and they’ll need to work hard to find and keep their market. That said, there’s a sizeable area of (non-student) housing to the West of the station and pretty much on the level via the footpath towards Aykley Heads that’s currently served by only one (pretty good) pub.

 

[DanTrain]

Micropubs work best at interchange stations where you might have an odd half hour between connections and would rather have a pint (or even a tea or coffee) than hang around a chilly platform. As Durham isn't a station anyone would change at, I'm not sure where the new micropub's custom will come form?

That's not entirely true, Durham is actually the most convenient place to change when coming from the North East/Scotland to the XC network further south as it only has two platforms, so is nice and easy. I know XC also run through, but they don't call everywhere, so some journeys from Alnmouth, Berwick, Dunbar ect require a change.

I'm being a bit pedantic though, this flow isn't exactly going to keep a pub open. Students waiting for their train home however...

 

[takno]

Opening a outlet full of seats on a station platform and putting a sign on it saying "Waiting Room" might conceivably attract a few non-paying customers at least

 

[Tetchytyke]

share a skepticism here: the walk up the hill to Durham station is not insignificant (it's a good 100ft) and being on the quieter platform 2 won't help either.

Platform 2- full of people heading to Newcastle- is very much the busier platform at Durham. I can see them doing well. As a Durham alumnus, I can say I'd have drank there on my way to Newcastle, especially if I'd just missed a train.

 

[fireftrm]

Whitby's Waiting Room micro-pub is the best pub in the town and doing evry nicely. Nothing near an interchange station! People go there because it sells excellent real ales and ciders, no lagers, no keg crap and no spirits. No music, no Tv just good honest craic. If Durham's is anything like that it will succeed and Durham is more than big enough to support more than just one micro-pub, Whitby has 2 and is somewhat more than a little lower in population than the big city that is Durham!

Railway station pubs do not only require railway customers, they attract their own thorugh being good pubs. So forget 'its on P2 v P1 and the number of travellers', or 'its not an interchange station' ...'blah, blah, blah' - utter tosh. No doubt with that silly attitude Dewsbury and Stalybridge, well know major interchange hubs (not), would not have succesful pubs. Fortunately they didn't listen to the pathetic rationales being displayed by some here!!!!

 

[Bookd]

Whitby's Waiting Room micro-pub is the best pub in the town and doing evry nicely. Nothing near an interchange station! People go there because it sells excellent real ales and ciders, no lagers, no keg crap and no spirits. No music, no Tv just good honest craic. If Durham's is anything like that it will succeed and Durham is more than big enough to support more than just one micro-pub, Whitby has 2 and is somewhat more than a little lower in population than the big city that is Durham!

Railway station pubs do not only require railway customers, they attract their own thorugh being good pubs. So forget 'its on P2 v P1 and the number of travellers', or 'its not an interchange station' ...'blah, blah, blah' - utter tosh. No doubt with that silly attitude Dewsbury and Stalybridge, well know major interchange hubs (not), would not have succesful pubs. Fortunately they didn't listen to the pathetic rationales being displayed by some here!!!!

Can non-passengers get to it without a ticket?

 

[nickswift99]

Can non-passengers get to it without a ticket?

Yes. It's accessible from the Eastern side of the station (by the car park) and is adjacent to the cafe. Thoroughly good beer.

 

[fireftrm]

Can non-passengers get to it without a ticket?

Whitby station is open anyway - the Waiting Room opens Wed-Fri 16:00 to 21:00 Saturday 12:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 17:00 the station has no barriers, but the pub would be outside them anyway

 

[CHAPS2034]

Update here

Fledgling north east-based Ouseburn Leisure Group is looking to add more real ale venues in the region following the launch of its first venture. The group is behind The Waiting Room, a micro-pub in Durham railway station, which gave purpose to the derelict grade II-listed former ladies’ first-class waiting room, dating to 1872. The venue was refurbished with a six-figure investment – including a significant grant from the Railway Heritage Trust.

Now the group is eyeing expansion, with a number of new potential sites in the north east under consideration for its next venue. Graeme Robinson, managing director of Ouseburn Leisure Group, left his job as head of facilities at the University of Sunderland to establish his new venture, and is looking to press on with growing his new brand. He told BDaily: “The decision to open The Waiting Room was something totally new for me – I had reached a crossroads in my life and decided I wanted to start my own business. I have always had a passion for real ale, but beyond that probably didn’t really appreciate the full extent of what I was getting into, given that I didn’t have a background in leisure. However, since we opened, we have totally smashed our targets.”