An Eden family business venture has expanded with the creation of a live music venue, wood-fired pizzeria and burger outlet.
Crake Trees Manor at Crosby Ravensworth, the home of Mike and Ruth Tuer, is an organic family farm which has long provided self-catering, bed and breakfast, glamping, shepherds’ huts and camping holidays – but now, with introduction of the Raven Bar at the Combine Shed, there is plenty of on-site entertainment, and Eden residents are invited to join in the fun.
Chef Lee Cooper, who is married to Mike and Ruth’s daughter, Laura, told the Herald: “We had a big shed down there (at Crake Trees Manor) which was full of Mike’s wood and they have built me a kitchen on the side of it.
“So I have got a commercial kitchen on the side of the shed. They knocked a wall down in the shed, took everything out of it, and we have now made it into a live music venue. On top of that we do pizzas and burgers.”
Throughout the summer, every Saturday night, they have had different bands and DJs playing, including The Yan Tans, a popular band hailing from Tirril, featuring Gregg, Patrick and Jessica – known locally as the Relph band – who are due to be playing again on 28th October.
The live music starts at 6-30pm and goes on to 10-30pm and the venue has a capacity of about 200.
Additionally, over the winter, Lee said they would like to do an Alpine lodge-theme with live music.
“We just need locals to know it’s there, because that is the one thing (that is missing). It is such a good venue.”
He said there are no tickets needed, all that is asked is that a donation be given at the bar to the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
It was during the summer of 2021 that the family started a pop-up pizza café on the farm. Using a Morso wood fired pizza oven, it was a great success.
Now there is a new Igneous wood fired pizza oven which is much more efficient and can cook two or three pizzas at a time.
The pizza is made from a slow rise sourdough with secret recipe tomato sauce and a wide selection of toppings — from meat feast to roast summer veg with feta, rare breed local salami, seafood special and home-grown courgette with honeyed walnut and dolcelatte cheese.
New this summer were griddled beltie steak burgers with all the trimmings, Westmorland venison burgers, plus pork and apple from the farm’s rare breed pigs.
The fully licensed Raven Bar is open to all and serves local beers from Lakes Brew Company, Hawkshead Brewery ales and lager, gin and vodka from Carlisle Gin, sparkling cava and prosecco, plus a wide selection of wines.
Lee said the idea came from a desire to give something extra to those staying at the campsite, in pods, shepherds’ huts and self-catering facilities.
On site, there are three shepherds’ huts, two of which, Tyan and Tethera, have their own private wood-fired hot tubs.
To further increase the on-site accommodation offering, there are now camping pods and a campsite has been established for over two years.
Communal facilities have also been built for guests to use at their own convenience, including a shower block from repurposed materials, which has individual wet rooms and underfloor heating.
