The Salty Dog: Northwich's punk-spirited pub that punches above its weight

From the outside, The Salty Dog looks like a classic Cheshire pub, occupying one of the black-and-white timbered buildings on Northwich High Street. Step inside, though, and you will find one of the region's most respected small music venues, an award-winning independent stage that hosts gigs every week.

The pub is the brainchild of Chris Mundie, the former drummer with punk band The Business, who had always wanted to open his own live venue. His background is written all over the programme, which brings well-known names and new talent to a room where audiences can stand just feet from the band.

Punk has featured heavily on the schedule, with acts including 999, The Vibrators and Steve Ignorant having played the venue. In 2018, The Salty Dog was also one of the venues for North by Northwich, the festival curated by Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, which shone a national spotlight on the town's music scene.

It is not all guitars and volume. Spoken word nights feature regularly, attracting performers from across the North West and beyond, and comedy nights are part of the mix too. The venue's reputation has even inspired a record: Rare Vitamin Records released The Salty Dog Compilation, Volume 01.

That success has now taken the brand beyond Northwich. Chris Mundie is behind the Crewe Dog, the bar in Crewe's revamped Market Hall on Earle Street, which brings the Salty Dog approach to the town. The Crewe Dog serves four real ales and 14 keg craft lines, with family seating and occasional live music, and operators said it would bring a brilliant selection of craft beers and extensive experience of running bars and entertainment venues.

In a period when many grassroots venues have struggled, The Salty Dog is proof of what passion, a strong booking policy and a loyal local audience can achieve. Music writers have hailed its rise, and its expansion into Crewe shows that appetite for live music in mid-Cheshire is as strong as ever.

The Salty Dog is at 21-23 High Street, Northwich CW9 5BY. The Crewe Dog is at Unit L, Crewe Market Hall, 27 Earle Street, Crewe CW1 2BL. Gig listings are posted on Skiddle and the venue's social media.