Dartington Calling
Opening a new hospitality business takes courage and faith. Opening a rival establishment to your own successful venue is a giant leap of faith.
Yet that’s what Ed, Jack and Sasha have done with the opening of CLASH at the Cider Press Centre, just a short walk from Things Happen Here in Dartington.
I spoke to Ed in, I thought , a worryingly empty space considering opening night was just a few days away. He was unfazed. “It will all be alright on the night,” he said. Despite vital equipment
apparently missing in transit, Ed looked remarkably calm.
we don’t put any events on which a) we don’t like or b) we don’t like the people
So why the name CLASH?
“It’s an in joke really, because we are so near to our other venue we are clashing with ourselves. We all come from a punk background but funnily enough none of us were big Clash fans. Basically we think it’s funny we are our own competition.” Things Happen Here has been going for over two and a half years now at the Meadowbrook complex. The former business, the New Lion Brewery,
ceased trading in summer 2023. (see Pulse article here) But THH has, it seems, defied the economic odds.
“A year and a half ago we started looking at this place, planning ahead trying for a second venue,” Ed said. “Dartington really want us here and offered us a good deal. They get the vibe of what we want to do. Our aim from day one has been pretty simple really – keep the staff employed and make good things happen. None of us will be millionaires out of this – far from it – but as long as we can pay our wages, keep people happy, put good things on in the community, that’s what matters.”
Have things got harder recently at THH with NI rises, energy costs etc? “That’s a good question. It’s a really tricky thing – I genuinely think we offer something unique around here. We are not just another pub. We aren’t competing with regular pubs. We put on really interesting events – our ethos is we don’t put any events on which a) we don’t like or b) we don’t like the people. You are never going to see some terrible cover band! We don’t book covers bands. There is a place for them – just not here!”
Local bands are encouraged to support the better known headline acts and DJ nights are always popular. CLASH will have some live acts – DJ Yoda ( a world famous hop hop DJ who lives locally) will be playing during the opening weekend – but full opening isn’t planned until mid February. It will be a more adult focussed venue than the family friendly THH. “Dartington are doing a whole relaunch of the Cider Press then. As an example of how good Dartington have been, we talked to them about the parking situation, they listened, and now it’s two hours free parking.”
With new businesses opening at the Cider Press – Orchard Studios carving workshop, GoDeer craft studio and the Designs cafe – with more to come, plus Totnes seeing new shops opening like Knitt, Flux Books, Grateful Threads and the Centre cafe venue, there seems to be optimism that 2026 will be a good year for local businesses.
