Proposal for tapas restaurant in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea built from shipping containers submitted

The two storey building will, if approved, be constructed from three shipping containers and will feature indoor and outdoor seating on both levels, as well as being wheelchair accessible.

The restaurant, TapaShack, hopes to serve small plates with flavours from the Med.

Graeme Bowman, the Newbiggin resident behind the plans, said: “A meal out used to be a big celebration and now it is just not. It is just fuel.

“I really want to make something that is a bit of a party in your mouth. Something that you feel really good about.

“If you look at some of the ingredients that we are going to use, we want to make it so that you can taste the sun in your food. And we want to make it at a reasonable cost as well.”

Graeme, who previously worked in software, hopes to build TapaShack on the site of the now-demolished public toilets block at the end of High Street, near Newbiggin Golf Club and Church Point Holiday Park.

He thinks the location and cuisine on offer would appeal to visitors, locals, and holiday park visitors alike.

Graeme said: “I wanted to drag tourism into the area and wanted to give something great for locals.

“There is a big caravan site there and I want to give them something a little bit different, something really tasty, somewhere for people to sit.”

Graeme, who moved to Newbiggin three months ago, hopes TapaShack will bring new visitors and investment into an area that “could be brilliant” and believes the “ambitious” project would soon become a highlight of the area.

He said: “I looked at the location and although I do not think there is enough traffic there for it to sustain my business, we can bring people into the area and make it look more attractive.

“The area needs a little bit of something to make it exciting.”

Addressing early comments on the planning application about available parking at the site, Graeme said: “We do want locals. We do want people on foot. There is a big car park opposite for people to park in. It is never ever full.”

The 54-year-old is leaving soon for a trip across Europe, visiting Italy, France, and Spain, to do research for the TapaShack menu, and knows it will be the food that ultimately wins people over.

He said: “I am going in a campervan so I can get right on the ground level, and I can call into little towns and get some really good home recipes.”

He added: “It is in my hands. I have got to make something par excellence for people to talk about it. I have got to make that impact within what is on the plate.

“Yes, we are going to make it a cosy interior where people can come in to relax with a good ambience, but it comes down to food. Good food travels fast.”