Situated in a building which is steeped in social history, The Copperstone has been delighting diners for over five years with their authentic Thai cuisine.
We sat down with Boro born and bread owner, Craig Rennison to chat about why he decided to bring a taste of South East Asia to the heart of Linthorpe Village.
Tastefully decorated with copper pipping and fittings, this restaurant pays homage to Craig’s former career working offshore as a rigger.
However the hospitality industry is well and truly in Craig’s blood.
His mam and dad were the owners behind the popular Stonehouse Wine Bar located on the same site.
During a break from his offshore life, Craig had an idea to transform the bar and to share his passion of Thai and pan-Asian cuisine with the people of Middlesbrough.
“Although I’ve never actually travelled to Thailand myself, I developed a love of Thai food, especially after meeting a Thai welder at work who introduced me to some of the country’s most popular dishes.
“And after identifying that Middlesbrough didn’t have a dedicated Thai restaurant, I thought it was time to create something different in the town.” mentions, Craig.
The Copperstone’s authentic dishes have brought a taste of Thailand to Teesside.
In a former life, this Stonehouse Street eatery was home to the famous Edna’s Fish Shop.
“Ever since we’ve opened, we’ve had generations of locals popping in to share their memories of the takeaway.
“We purposely decided to install our kitchen in the exact same spot as the Edna’s kitchen in tribute to the establishment.”
After a challenging first year, where Craig struggled to find the right staff and establish his menu, things turned around thanks to the unexpected arrival of an experienced chef from Thailand.
“After meeting my current chef, something just clicked, the menu totally transformed and we were able to serve up dishes that suited everyone’s dietary needs.
“All our produce is fresh and locally sourced and we have lots of options for people who are vegan or gluten free.” mentions Craig.
The venue also aims to offer great value deals for this customers whilst not compromising on food quality.
“We understand that times can be tough for people, so we always offer a lunch time special and have happy hours throughout the week.
We’re also taking part in Teesside Restaurant Week during February, where people can tuck into a trio of our courses for just £20 per head.” said Craig.
Some of the restaurant’s most popular options include spicy basil (ka pow), the massaman curry, which is a creamy coconut curry packed full of flavour and their pan Asian platter featuring Korean BBQ chicken, salt & pepper chicken, prawn toast, spring rolls and satay skewers.
“For anyone who hasn’t sampled Thai food, I urge them to come down and visit us.
“There is a common misconception that all Thai food is spicy, but that’s not the case, our knowledgeable team can create dishes to to tempt anyone’s taste buds.
“And if our traditional Thai menu doesn’t tempt you, we’ve also got our very own version of a parmo which is guaranteed to get the thumbs up from anyone here in Boro.” laughs Craig.
The Copperstone is open between Tuesday – Sunday, where tables can be pre-booked on 01642 801 222.
We are words: Grace Lancaster
