Venue blending gaming and dining opening an hour from Birmingham

Tour of work in progress of the refurbishment of the former Hem Heath pub which will be rebranded as High Tales
General Manager Simon Doney
-Credit: (Image: Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)


A new all-in-one venue next month, promising food, drink, gaming and entertainment and hour from Birmingham. The former Hem Heath pub in Stoke-on-Trent has been transformed into HighTales, an "experience-led destination venue" that's a first for the city.

HighTales offers "something for everyone", featuring a children's play area known as the 'child-led play zone', a teen-friendly dark zone equipped with video games and phone chargers, and even a talking magic mirror near the toilets. Guests can also enjoy outdoor cabins for digital darts and interactive games at £7 per head, with the option to dine inside them.

Not just about gaming, HighTales will also feature an outdoor cinema and host live bands, 'bandeoke' (karaoke with a live band), comedians, and more, striving to be "diverse and flexible" to cater to all customer needs.

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Simon Doney, general manager of HighTales and an 18-year Stoke-on-Trent resident since his student days at Staffordshire University, now living in Newcastle-under-Lyme, expressed his enthusiasm: "I'm really excited about it. I worked for Greene King seven years ago, then I went to Hickory's and did five years there, and now I'm working here."

"We want Hem Heath's old regulars to come and see the new space and love it just as much as we want new customers to visit. This is a pilot and will benchmark what's to come, and Stoke was chosen specifically because this property in particular is very large, so we can get all the fun in one building .", reports Stoke on Trent Live.

"There's lots of flexibility here to change and adapt to, too. Our official menus will launch in the next few weeks, and our online bookings will go live at the same time. The food is gluten free and we've partnered with the Celiac Society."

Explaining the concept behind HighTales, the 36 year old said: "It's a very adaptable venue. We change the menu throughout the day as well as seasonally, so customers will never have two experiences the same. We've chosen the nation's favourites for our food options, such as all day breakfasts and footlong pizzas."

"We have a dining zone on one side of the building and the bar side and stage entertainment on the other side. The conservatory area accommodates 12 to 16 people and is very bright and vibrant, and gives a more private dining experience rather than being central of the venue for people who might not want to get involved with the games. There's also a snug that's more closed off."

"We've put in neon angel wings, games, and charging points - the idea is for teens and older children to have a space to enjoy, whilst the younger ones will be at the other end of the venue playing or watching Disney films."

"There's a digital screen on the ceiling in front of the bar - like Printworks in Manchester - so we can mimic sunny skies or write 'happy birthday' to make a more memorable experience. There are about 100 seats for people outside too, and there are 11 tables under a tent outside so people can still use it if it's raining. We're hoping to have a permanent street vendor food truck outside too, offering Yorkie wraps on Sundays, and kebabs and hotdogs and that sort of thing on other days."

"We're also wheelchair accessible to make sure we're accommodating for everyone. We've hired 35 new members of staff and we've retrained all but two of Hem Heath's old team except for two staff members who've since moved on. We're still recruiting, and people can apply for a role online."

"We're really looking forward to welcoming everyone in and we can't wait to hear what they think. We hope that people will come here not only as a place to get something to eat, but also as a destination for having fun and having a day out with family and friends."