There’s a New Refinery in Town…Thanks to the Mees

Back in the late 1800’s and on into the 1900’s, Newhall was synonymous with oil.  In fact, the Pioneer Oil Refinery on Pine Street dates all the way back to 1876, when Alex Mentry broke ground in Pico Canyon.
The Newhall Refinery, just west of Sierra Highway and north of Beale’s Cut, was established in 1930, and its office was located on Spruce Street, in Newhall.  The Refinery produced thousands of barrels a day and was dismantled in the early 1990’s.
Now, there’s a new refinery in town…all thanks to Simon and Shannon Mee.
Simon and Shannon are no strangers to the community.  In fact, their successful restaurant, Egg Plantation, also located in Newhall, has been serving our community with the best tasting, most original omelets around for decades.
It was on their “date night” where the idea of opening up a gastro pub in the Santa Clarita Valley came to life.  “We would always venture out to gastro pubs for date nights,” states Shannon.  “It was always a fun community atmosphere, from young families with kids to the ‘silver hairs’ and of course the middle aged.  Gastro pubs also put a fun, unique twist on comfort food.”
While they said they would never open up another full service restaurant, the Mees proved otherwise and embarked on this new adventure.  “Egg Plantation has been around for 13 years and our staff, almost just as long.  It’s a well-oiled machine, so we started to get antsy.  We wanted to do something a little exciting.”
Thus, the birth of the Newhall Refinery.
“Our hearts are in Newhall.  The place has character, it’s fun, and Newhall has always been good to us.”
With a few locations available on Main Street, the Mees chose the space for their gastro pub.  There was nothing inside but 3 ½ walls, but it had great energy, states Shannon.  Simon and I saw it, we got the chalk, drew out where we wanted things to go.  It just felt right.
Everything from the turning pipes on the ceiling, the pickle jars with filament lights, the original corrugated iron displayed behind the taps window, to the salt and pepper shakers on the tables, it’s all about detail and keeping it local.  “Our logo was created by a local, Chris Lynch.  The tables in the restaurant are made from reclaimed oak, and the leather tufting made by Ricardo’s…right down the street.”
Even the chalk art listing the beers on tap that grace the wall as you enter the gastro pub are done by a local artist and hair stylist Ondrea LeVang.
“Our custom draught system is one of a kind,” states Simon.  “We have 20 craft beers on the line that rotate weekly.”  How do they select their beers?  Shannon interjects with a smile, “We suffered through tastings for months and months.”
While the Mees helped pick the original beer lineup, they trust their knowledgeable restaurant manager, Alex, to assist with the choices that have followed.  “Alex is very in tune to the flavors,” states Simon.  “Now that we are established and breweries know we exist, they are coming to us regularly.  We are selling it and getting through the barrels on a weekly basis.”
“I get goose bumps when I talk about our staff,” states Shannon.  “To have a brand new restaurant with an amazing staff who are all Certified Cicerone is awesome.”  To be Certified Cicerone, you must go through a series of training and pass a requisite test of knowledge and tasting skills.
Pleasing to the eye and also to the taste buds, the menu serves up some of farmer’s markets’ best, with house made breads, buns and desserts, and the popular fish and chips.
And to think, the Newhall Refinery has only been open for just a little over 2 months and guests are begging for more.  “We wanted a place where people could go with their families, where you could get an amazing meal.  It’s more than just a bar, it’s a place where community comes together.”
Newhall Refinery is located at 24258 Main Street in downtown Newhall.  For more information call 661-388-4477 or visit www.newhallrefinery.com.