The 'town' variety, as at Gateshead? (3)
I believe the answer is:
gas
'the town variety as at gateshead?' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'variety as at gateshead?' is the wordplay.
'variety' indicates an anagram.
'at' says to put letters next to each other.
'gateshead?' becomes 'g' (head letter of 'gates').
'as'+'g'='asg'
'asg' anagrammed gives 'GAS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for gas that I've seen before include "eg Helium" , "Eg, hydrogen" , "Hydrogen, for example" , "State of matter not solid or liquid" , "What's needed to drive" .)