Treats for food lovers: our favourite places to stay in Northumberland for foodies
B&Bs with breakfasts to set you up for the day, self-catering cottages with freezers stocked with homemade suppers, pubs doing delicious and inventive things with classic dishes; Northumberland ticks all the boxes for foodies. We’ve even sniffed out a Michelin star restaurant for a sublime fine dining experience. Hjem, pronounced ‘yem’, is a Scandi-chic restaurant that marries the very best Northumbrian produce with precise Scandinavian cooking techniques, which has bagged them a coveted star two years in a row. Added to the mix is a restaurant in a treehouse, seaviews from a garden deck for stunning sundowners and possibly the largest bacon butty you’ve ever eaten. Get stuck in!
Chillingham Manor
Come for fabulous food and much comfort in a sandstone house with views over pretty gardens. Start the day with a full Northumbrian: Manor bangers (made especially for them by the brilliant, local butcher), bacon, eggs (any way you like them), tomatoes, mushrooms and Northumbrian black pudding, before heading into the Cheviot Hills for a long hike. Brunch can be ordered on lazy days and you can eat in the garden when it’s warm enough. Come as a group, take the whole place and have dinner cooked for you – like a weekend country house party. It’s a five-minute stroll to the castle (reputed to be the most haunted in Britain) with formal gardens, a dungeon and a tea room. Wander over to say hello to mysterious wild cattle, spot deer, brown hares, many species of birds and red squirrels. Sleep in generous bedrooms where you’ll find a snifter of something nice.
Lord Crewe Arms at Blanchland
Few inns can beat this atmospheric refuge nestled in a sheep-clad valley on the moors’ edge, open seven days a week for lunch, bar snacks, afternoon tea and dinner. Originally the abbot’s lodge and kitchens, now a listed building rebuilt with stone from the abbey’s ruins, it sits proudly in the village. Inside find ancient flags, inglenook fireplaces, fortress walls and a classy country style. With a head chef who worked alongside two Michelin star chef, Nathan Outlaw, the robust modern British menu is a hearty affair. You’ll find chargrilled cote de boeuf, baked North Sea cod loin, roasted local grouse, while puddings lean towards comfort: sticky toffee pudding, apple and bramble crumble, baked egg custard tart. Wines come by the glass, carafe or bottle, the gins are local, the cocktails sublime, and there are water bowls for dogs in the garden. Bedrooms dotted around the cottages are a treat with divine beds and deep baths.
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Teal House Learchild
A secluded farmstead with luxurious bedrooms and a large airy living space where you’ll find a generous pack including homemade cake, flowers, fresh fruit, milk, wine, Pilgrim’s coffee from Holy Island, chocolate from Alnwick and local papers. And on top, you can order a brimming breakfast hamper, meat for a week, local pies, a fridge full when you arrive, even a chef to cook for you. Gaze at wake-up Cheviot views over pine forests and fields of sheep, light the wood burner and play games, whip up feasts in the incredible kitchen with a huge central island and absolutely every mod con you can think of. Walk from the walled garden into meadows and fells, watch sunsets from the wooden deck, cook on the barbecue on balmy evenings. For dinner out, try the cosy little Tree House Restaurant in Alnwick (seven miles) or Felton’s Northumberland Arms which is a bit further.
Victoria Cottage & Smuggler’s Cottage
Sitting at the mouth of the River Aln, the village is bustling in summer, fairly hushed in winter. For a small place it has some good pubs, The Red Lion is a favourite for sundowners overlooking the estuary from its garden deck, inside by the log fire in winter. There’s an Italian restaurant and a clutch of quaint tea rooms as well. Victoria and Smuggler’s cottages sit in a row with sweet gardens and views of the sea. Both have good sized sitting rooms with open fires (logs on the house), comfy sofas and original art inspired by the ocean. Smart kitchens have enough gadgets for the fussiest of cooks, pop to the superb village delicatessen to stock up. Both cottages have a double and a twin up (quite steep) stairs. On fine days it will be lovely to sit by your own front door in the plant-filled gardens and listen to the waves, or just cross the road for the glorious long, sandy beach and a chilly swim if you’re feeling brave!
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The Stables at Brinkburn
From the start, there’s a sense of occasion here. Along the half-mile drive you’ll meander, pulling in beside the buffed sandstone stable-house, still part of the centuries-old Brinkburn estate. The waters tinkle beside your terrace and the grounds are yours to explore – swim, roam the woods, or amble along looking for otters. Indoors there’s a surprise – everything’s fresh, white and clutter-free, especially the showpiece glass-walled kitchen, big enough to dine a dozen and with a bountiful welcome hamper. Make time for a stop at The Running Fox in Longframlington (three miles) for delicious afternoon teas and the most enormous bacon butties. They are dog friendly too. Return to read in front of the log fire before taking the stone stairs to your beamy bedroom.
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The Bothy
High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling, this bothy is swish and spacious, well-equipped with all the basics you need to cook, and the owner’s happily leave you delicious homemade meals in the freezer or gather together a hamper of local produce for your arrival. Underfloor heating and an electric fire keep you cosy and there are plenty of books and games plus a smart TV. Stride footpaths and through woods to the popular Boatside Inn, two miles, for a pint of ale and good pub grub or splash out on fine dining Scandinavian style at Michelin star restaurant, Hjem. Booking is essential. Return to open the wine, watch the sun go down and the stars come out from the patio – there’s scant light pollution here.
