Andy Smith and Mark Milroy opened The Coalface in a former shop unit at the bottom of Church Street in Seaham in April 2019, building the micropub around the town's mining history rather than a brewery tie. A coal fire burns in the main room, and the walls carry mining artwork alongside a commemorative wall naming miners who worked Seaham's former collieries, with a life-size mocked-up coal seam built into one corner. Handpumps for cask ale were removed in 2021, and the bar now concentrates on keg craft beer, wine and soft drinks rather than real ale. Food comes from next door, with New York-style pizza delivered in from Slice for eating in or taking away. Thursday nights bring a quiz with cash prizes, and the pub keeps a dog-friendly, family-friendly policy on Church Street.
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