The Redhead favourite expands to Gateshead
From the shores of Redhead to the heart of Gateshead’s industrial pocket, Maree and Murray have expanded their beloved Cargo Espresso with a new venture – Cargo Skyline Espresso Bar.
Murray & Maree
Officially opening its doors on Wednesday, March 12, this new space was an idea that quite literally came to Maree in the shower.
“Maree was in the shower one day and she said, ‘I’ve got an idea. It’s very early stages but hear me out,’ this was about three months ago in mid-December,” Murray said.
By the end of that same month, they had signed a lease for the former takeaway shop on Skyline Way in Gateshead.
“Originally, I just wanted a place that was close to Redhead where we could have more storage and somewhere we could start doing a bit of prep. We came and had a look, chatted it through over a beer, and just said yes. This is the first and only place we looked at,” Maree said.
From signing the lease to opening, the launch of Cargo Skyline has been serendipitous right from the start. The location ticked all the boxes, and once they began working on the space, the community response was immediate.
“The minute we came in here just to start cleaning the space out and prepping, we had people popping in the door asking when we were opening.”
Initially, the vision was for something simple – a hole-in-the-wall takeaway spot with the major focus on preparation and house-made baked goods. But demand quickly grew beyond that.
“Before we knew it, people were desperate to know when we were opening because they wanted hot food, bacon & egg rolls, coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods.”
With a seasoned pastry chef on board as the venue’s manager, Cargo Skyline has taken on a life on its own.
Cargo Skyline’s menu reflects both the convenience of a classic takeaway shop and the fresh, health-conscious offerings that have made Cargo Espresso at Redhead so popular.
The all-day breakfast menu includes dishes like the B&E roll, avo toast, and acai bowl. Keeping in line with the former takeaway shop offering, you can also get your hands on traditional eats like hot chips, potato scallops, burgers, packs, salads, wraps, and even a Chiko roll!
Outside of their meals, Cargo Skyline will be the home of all their in-house fresh baked goods which you can check out in their display fridge but expect banana bread, bliss balls, muffins, brownies, donuts, and more.
When it comes to the coffee, Maree and Murray are keeping with their longstanding relationship with Newcastle-based Sprocket Roasters.
Beyond the day-to-day offerings, the space has the potential to evolve even further. Currently operating Monday to Friday, the couple have plans to expand into Saturday mornings in the not-too-distant future and intend to look at more options for the venue including events on-site as well as catering.
For Maree and Murray, this venture is more than just another business – it’s a natural extension of everything they’ve built at Redhead.
