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- 14th Oct 2026
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Ad Gefrin x The Biscuit Factory’s exciting new collab: the dates for your diary
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Ad Gefrin x The Biscuit Factory’s exciting new collab: the dates for your diary
There’s a new art exhibition in Northumberland this autumn, and you’ll find it somewhere you probably wouldn’t expect – England’s most northerly and the county’s first whisky distillery.
Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery in Wooler has teamed up with The Biscuit Factory, the much-loved contemporary gallery in Newcastle’s Ouseburn.
From October, the RIBA award-winning venue will host a programme of exhibitions, conversations and gatherings, all curated by The Biscuit Factory. Expect contemporary art in dialogue with tradition, heritage, and a strong sense of place.
Single malt, Anglo-Saxon history, and new art under one roof? Count us in.
THE BISCUIT FACTORY’S FIRST EVER ROAD TRIP
For nearly 25 years, The Biscuit Factory has given thousands of artists a platform and welcomed a huge mix of visitors through its doors. This partnership marks the very first time the gallery has set up outside its Newcastle home.
It’s a natural fit. Ad Gefrin already celebrates the region’s heritage, ancient hospitality, contemporary craft, and local produce, and this new chapter is rooted firmly in craft, culture, and community.
MODERN CLASSICS: THE FIRST EXHIBITION AT AD GEFRIN
First up is Modern Classics, which opens at Ad Gefrin on Friday 23rd October. The exhibition explores light and atmosphere, the everyday and the elemental, through contemporary works rooted in traditional techniques.
You’ll see work by three artists, Paula Dunn, Angelo Murphy, and Garry Courtnell, each putting their own stamp on time-honoured methods. It’s a show that rewards taking your time, which feels about right in a building where whisky slowly matures in the cask.
Want to get in early? There are two ways to do it.
BĒODERN SUPPER CLUB
Thursday 22nd October at 7pm
Fancy dining out mid-week? The Bēodern Supper Club is launching on the third Thursday of every month, and it’s all about good food, good company and pulling up a chair next to people you’ve not met yet.
Don’t expect tweezered garnishes. This is hearty, seasonal cooking made for sharing round a table, and the first menu’s a proper autumn warmer.
Everyone sits down together at 7pm for two courses, starting with beef and Guinness stew with root vegetables and sourdough for mopping up every last drop. For dessert, it’s sticky toffee pudding with caramel whisky sauce and vanilla ice cream.
IN CONVERSATION WITH PAULA DUNN
Friday 23rd October from 11am – 12pm
On launch day, exhibiting artist Paula Dunn hosts a special In Conversation With event at Ad Gefrin. It’s your chance to hear about the work on the walls from the artist herself.
If you’re one of Ad Gefrin’s Corenkyn Members, there’s even more to look forward to. Throughout the partnership, members will get exclusive access to previews and one-off events with The Biscuit Factory, with details still to be announced.
WHY WHISKY AND ART MAKE PERFECT PARTNERS
For Eileen Ferguson, Co-founder of Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery, the link between the two worlds is obvious.
“Whisky making is as much an art as it is a science, matured through craft and time. We recognise the many parallels with contemporary art practice.”
The timing couldn’t be better either, with the distillery now starting to release its single malt. And for Eileen, this one’s personal.
“On a personal level, I can say that The Biscuit Factory gallery has, for the last 25 years, been a firm favourite of the family. We are now truly honoured to be able to host partner exhibitions in our space in north Northumberland, and we hope to extend our joint hospitality to artists and art lovers alike in both Newcastle and Wooler for many years to come.”
A DISTILLERY THAT’S ALWAYS BACKED NORTH EAST CREATIVES
This isn’t Ad Gefrin’s first creative collaboration. Its support for the region’s artists and designers goes all the way back to its 2021 Design Challenge.
Most recently, the distillery commissioned three North East artists, Voirrey Taylor, Luke McTaggart, and Sarah Calavera, to create the artwork for the three bottle designs in this year’s first Crǣft Series release. That bottling was Ad Gefrin’s first single cask Northumbrian English single malt.
And the story’s far from over. Ad Gefrin has launched an open call for artists, as it looks for more local creatives to design the artwork for future Crǣft Series bottles. If you’re a North East artist, this could be your moment.
Consider this your excuse for an autumn trip north.
Ad Gefrin, South Road, Wooler NE71 6NJ
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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