sharpsoutlaw0514Left to right at the Mariner’s, Rock, are: Dave Haskell, Sharp’s Brewery acting general manager; Ed Hughes, Sharp’s retail and hospitality manager; Victoria Segebarth, Molson Coors head of craft businesses; chef Nathan Outlaw; and Ian Dodgson, general manager, Outlaw’s Restaurants

In its 20th anniversary year, Sharp’s Brewery has joined forces with chef Nathan Outlaw to take on the lease of the Mariner’s pub in the North Cornwall village of Rock, just down the road from the brewery.

The brewer and chef already have a close relationship, frequently working together across their Cornish operations.

The Mariners is right in the heart of the community, and residents and visitors alike can expect a proper pub environment with an extensive range of Sharp’s cask conditioned beers, complemented with special guest beers hand selected by Sharp’s head brewer, Carl Heron, and director of brewing, Stuart Howe.

The kitchen will be overseen by Nathan Outlaw and led by executive chef, Paul Ripley, who has worked as Nathan’s company development chef for the past two years, helping to open Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac, and re-igniting a relationship that started when Nathan worked under Paul’s expertise at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant.  Developed closely with Nathan, Paul’s menus will champion exceptional local producers and suppliers, offering seasonal pub grub and daily specials.

For the summer opening, the property will undergo low-key refurbishment to make the most of the two-level space and the expansive views out over the Camel Estuary. Up to 20 new jobs will be created, with the pub now on the lookout for kitchen and bar staff to join the team.

Founded in 1994, Sharp’s commitment to quality ingredients and dedicated customer service has seen considerable growth across its product portfolio, with Sharp’s beers now available in around 7,000 stockists in the UK.  The opportunity for the brewery’s first pub arose through a conversation between Sharp’s retail and hospitality manager, Ed Hughes, and the pub’s previous tenant.

Ed said: “I got a call to say that that the Mariners lease was coming up and my ears immediately pricked up. We weren’t on a search for our own pub, but the opportunity to take up residence in this iconic pub in our home village was just too good to be true. We gave Nathan a call and he was just as keen as we were.

“This is the most natural collaboration and it’s all coming together really quickly, but in a really exciting way. We can’t wait to open the doors to our new public house to both the local community and visitors that have supported Nathan Outlaw and ourselves so strongly over the years.”

Nathan added: “I’ve always admired pubs serving no-fuss food, but I wouldn’t have dreamt of opening a pub if it was not for the expertise that Sharp’s Brewery bring, and when Ed called to invite us on board I knew Paul would be buzzing at the prospect of overseeing this new venture. It didn’t take long for Paul and I to start bouncing ideas off each other and getting excited over creating a public house with great food, drink and service at its heart.”

The team at Outlaw’s are recruiting now for staff across all functions at the Mariners. If you are interested in applying for a position please send an up to date CV to careers@outlaws.co.uk