Meet Justin and Kellie Cooper, together for over 23 years, who took over The Three Tuns Eggleston in September 2016.
Following a 3 year break from the license trade after nearly 20 years of running busy pubs up and down the country; the temptation of releasing the potential of The Three Tuns, was too big an opportunity to pass up.
Justin, originally from Barnard Castle, first entered the license trade working in the Dicken's Bar in the local Morritt Arms Hotel at the tender age of 19. It was at University in Humberside where he took on his first pub management role aged just 23.
This sparked what would then be a 17 year career. Justin managed The Tapas Bar, Darlington, before teaming up with his parents to run The Malt Shovel at Wham. A return to The Tapas Bar, followed by running the bars at the local Redworth Hotel then saw Justin head-hunted by the Costigan family to open the newly refurbished Queen Victoria in Gosforth. Following five years at the helm and a year running The Blackbird in Ponteland after its relaunch for the same family, it was time to get off the crazy carousel and re-evaluate the work life balance.
Kellie, originally from Aycliffe Village, also started young in the trade and first entered a commercial kitchen working weekends aged 13 at The County, Aycliffe Village.
A leap into the hotel trade for the Hallgarth Hotel, Darlington, facilitated a transfer to another hotel in the same chain when studying at University with Justin in Humberside. A career in the world of advertising and marketing at a local agency in Coatham Mundeville over a 10 year period would bring about the move back to the North East. Heading further north to Newcastle and following Justin's licence trade career, Kellie put previous training as a chef back into practice and launched the kitchen at The Queen Victoria and then The Blackbird in Ponteland.
Already in the area and running a very busy kitchen at The Duke Of York in Fir Tree, Simon joined husband and wife team Kelly and Justin to reinvigorate The Three Tuns.
Simon has been a chef for over a decade and was keen to take the next step in his career and take on a brand new direction. To fit into an already established management team is no small task but to step into a team where the other two are married is a whole new challenge! But after only a few short months, with the team drawing on our banks of skills and experience we are now working together, busily planning the next chapter for The Three Tuns, Eggleston.