A very different but also proudly local eating venue has arrived on Peel quayside.

You may already be familiar with the Black Dog Oven which is normally seen at events all around the island.

Covid-19 restrictions and cancelled events this year have meant that, apart from the Isle of Man Food Festival, the van hadn’t been out this year which had left owners Mike and Josie Wade feeling frustrated.

’I just said: "let’s do something!",’ says Mike.

When they took on the disused yard on East Quay in October the first thing they had to do was jet wash it from top to bottom before painting all the walls white.

Then they put out tables and benches for outside seating with a small building at one end also providing an indoor eating area.

Then they started talking to Ian and Mary-Beth Coll, owners of Foraging Vintners and veterans of the outdoor pop-up following a successful summer outside the Cosy Nook in Port Erin.

’They brought a whole new level of energy to it: suddenly we were talking about doing live music and other things and we started to realise that was something that isn’t happening anywhere else in Peel,’ says Mike.

And so it was that The Dog’s Nollick began to take shape and it was immediately obvious that, despite the obvious problems of serving food and drink outside in the winter (50 miles per hour winds on their opening night!), this venue has a very special vibe.

Foraging Vintners have set up under a canopy, serving mulled wine and cider, Christmas-themed cocktails, coffee and hot chocolate which all help to keep the chill out.

The Black Dog Oven is under another canopy serving its signature pizzas, baked in a wood-fired oven.

The toppings have a distinctly Manx twist, using the very best and freshest local ingredients including queenies, chorizo and wild garlic pesto.

At the other end of the yard another small building houses a Christmas craft market with a changing line up of exhibitors.

Mike says: ’For me, the best thing has been how keen and positive people have been for this to happen.’

He is especially grateful to the Department for Enterprise: ’An entertainment grant from them has been super helpful, allowing us to make this happen and they have been so supportive.’

The Dog’s Nollick is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from midday during December.

There is live music every night from 8pm.