QUICK VERDICT
Opportunity Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Pubco Amber Taverns Google Rating 4.2 stars (49 reviews) Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated Working Capital Needed £15,000–£20,000 minimum Trade Character Lyon Street Hebburn NE31, 2:30pm Mon–Thu, noon Fri/Sat/Sun, midnight Fri/Sat, South Tyneside riverside community Best Suited To South Tyneside community operator with Hebburn knowledge; NE31 is Hebburn, a post-shipbuilding Tyneside community Shaun\’s Rating \[ \] Watch Out For Building is listed as \’Caledonian Hotel\’ — confirm whether any letting rooms remain active. 49 reviews is very low. The 2:30pm weekday open suggests the daytime weekday trade on Lyon Street doesn\’t justify earlier opening. Build all projections from near-zero and model the 2:30pm opening honestly.
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This independent assessment was prepared by SmartPubTools using the following publicly available sources:
- Pub listing data: Amber Taverns published listings — availability, agreement type and rent figures sourced directly from the pub company's own website
- Google rating & reviews: Google Places API — ratings and review counts retrieved programmatically from Google Maps data
- Local population & demographics: ONS Census 2021 — population figures, age profiles and household data
- Local employment data: NOMIS Official Labour Market Statistics — employment rates and major local employer data
- Pubs Code information: Pubs Code Adjudicator (UK Government) — tied tenant rights and MRO entitlements
- Operator perspective: SmartPubTools is operated by a working pub landlord under a Marston's Community Retail Partnership at Teal Farm Pub, Washington NE38 — assessments reflect genuine first-hand operator experience
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THE LOCAL PICTURE
Caledonian is at the Caledonian Hotel, 52 Lyon St, Hebburn NE31 1DB. Lyon Street is in Hebburn town centre. Hebburn is a South Tyneside community of approximately 22,000 people on the south bank of the River Tyne, downstream from Gateshead. Hebburn is a post-industrial town whose identity was shaped by the Hawthorn Leslie shipyard, once one of the Tyne\’s most important, closed in the 1980s.
Hebburn has a strong working-class Tyneside community character. The Tyne riverside setting gives the area specific industrial heritage. Key employers: NHS South Tyneside, South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, and the wider Tyne and Wear economy. South Shields Wetherspoons is approximately 4 miles away.
WHAT THE PUB IS
Caledonian opens at 2:30pm Monday to Thursday, noon Friday, Saturday and Sunday, closing at 11pm except midnight Friday and Saturday. The 2:30pm weekday open is a specific community pattern that reflects the economic rhythm of Hebburn\’s post-industrial residential community.
The \’Caledonian Hotel\’ building name suggests a former commercial hotel. Confirm with Amber Taverns whether any accommodation function persists or whether the building is purely a pub tenancy.
THE AMBER TAVERNS DEAL
Amber Taverns tied tenancy. Hebburn\’s community market is price-sensitive. Request the full price list.
FINANCIAL REALITY
Metric Estimate Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated Working Capital Required £15,000–£20,000 (liquid, not borrowed) Agreement Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Tied Supplies Yes — request full price list Break-Even Timeline 12–18 months Hotel Building Confirm with Amber Taverns: tenancy scope; any accommodation function? 49 Reviews Near-zero profile — build projections from scratch
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
- Independent rent assessment — exercise your Pubs Code right before signing
- Request full P&L projections from Amber Taverns before committing
- Obtain Schedule of Condition at entry — protects you on dilapidations
- Get the full tied product price list before you agree terms
- Complete Amber Taverns pre-entry training (required)
- Right to a free Market Rent Only option assessment
- Right to independent legal and financial advice before signing
WHO THIS SUITS
A South Tyneside community operator with genuine Hebburn knowledge. Minimum £15,000 liquid capital.
WHAT WORKS / WHAT DOESN\’T
WHAT WORKS
- Hebburn post-shipbuilding community loyalty for consistent operators who engage genuinely
- Tyneside riverside character giving specific identity
WHAT DOESN\’T WORK
- Projecting daytime weekday trade that Lyon Street doesn\’t appear to support
WHAT YOU NEED ON DAY ONE
Hotel tenancy scope confirmed. EPOS configured. Professional stocktaking from week two.
GET YOUR NUMBERS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SIGN
Before you sign anything, know your numbers.
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