Number 19 at The Close House Hotel, Heddon on the Wall - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

Number 19 at The Close House Hotel, Heddon on the Wall
As we approached the entrance to the Close House Hotel, the location of Number 19, it was late afternoon and the low winter sun was just above tree level with a gentle mist starting to form. The beautiful half mile tree-lined driveway certainly gives an air of exclusivity to your arrival for Sunday Lunch. We parked in a car park full of very expensive cars and suddenly wondered if we had come under dressed for the occasion! As it happens we hadn't, the venue was relaxed and friendly, and without exageration absolutely stunning.

The approach to Number 19, which is a separate building entirely to the Close House Hotel, opens out to reveal an uninterupted view of the Tyne Valley. The low afternoon sun highlighted the forming mist in the Valley, giving it an ethereal glow. We stood and took in the glory of this view for a while and as we were a few minutes early had a walk around to the front of the building. You really couldn't ask for a better location, the flocks of starlings were in their pre-roost dance of murmuration above the surrounding fields which provided a magical natural spectacle. It was almost a shame to go inside, however one of the main strengths of Number 19 came in to play when we were seated at our table by the huge wall of glass - the glory of the valley was still perfectly on display from the inside, too.

Inside Number 19 the bar area and restaurant are split into two by the bar itself, with the restaurant area large enough to be used as a function room. The decor is modern and the chair covers gave the feel of an evening wedding function, if anything it felt a little on the corporate side. Perhaps the interior was left this way to provide a more plain backdrop to the amazing view, my gaze was continually drawn outside. We almost forgot we were there to eat! For our starters we chose the twice baked cheese souffle and the smooth chicken liver pate with a pear chutney. Both were of a very high standard although for the very generous portion of pate there wasn't quite enough bread for me. The pate itself was incredibly smooth and the pear chutney beautifully spiced, the mix of flavours were considered and well balanced, this is clearly a chef with a delicate hand. My dining partner enquired as the plates were cleared as to which cheeses had been used in the souffle, the waitress returned from the kitchen to let us know it was a Northumbrian Cheddar and a parmesan.

For our main course I chose the roast leg of Ingram Valley lamb and my dining partner the red onion tarte tatin. The dishes quickly arrived on extremely hot plates, so hot that the waitress couldn't pick up the dish from the tray she brought it out on. She fetched a serviette and quickly placed my main course in front of me.

There was again a very generous portion of lamb which included a large dark piece from the outside of the joint which didn't improve the presentation of the dish. It did however provide a good kick of flavour. The vegetables came in a bowl of their own, carrots, peas, boiled potatoes and braised red cabbage all simply cooked to allow the full flavour to shine. I don't think that my Yorkshire pudding was reflective of the standard that the restaurant usually delivers as we saw so many towering puddings go by. Mine was unfortunately smaller and still a little doughy in the middle, a real shame. I would also have liked a little more gravy but there were no staff around and I didn't want to leave my meal to go cold so I tucked in. The red onion tarte tatin was presented beautifully and was a light and welcome alternative to the standard roast.

After finishing our main courses we decided to end the meal there so that we could more easily compare the dining experience with the other three finalists. We eventually got a member of staff's attention to let them know we had finished and asked for the bill, which we paid at the bar. Two courses at Number 19 cost £15.95 and three courses £18.95, which was slightly more expensive than the published price on the website. A pint of lager cost £4.50.

Summary
A stunning location for a meal, simply breathtaking. An excellent use of local produce throughout the menu celebrated the best ingredients that Northumberland has to offer.

Highlight: You simply won't dine with a better view anywhere.
Lowlight: Service throughout the dining experience was a little sparse.


Contact Details
Close House Hotel
Heddon on the Wall
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE15 0HT
Sat Nav – NE41 8BL

TEL      01661 852255
WEB     www.closehouse.co.uk/golf/the-clubhouse/
EMAIL events@closehouse.co.uk

The Running Fox, Felton - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

The Running Fox, Felton

Located in the lovely Village of Felton, fairly central in Northumberland between Alnwick and Morpeth, The Running Fox occupies an enviable position overlooking the River Coquet. It is a small and chic country-style cafe that also has an on-site artisan bakery making a wide range of artisan breads, pies, cakes and scones. All of which are beautifully displayed in the window and behind the main counter and entice you into the cafe with their aroma and appearance. The nomination process revealed an amazing passion amongst the local villages for the Running Fox, many saying that it had 'transformed the Village' since it was taken over by the current proprietors at the start of the year. 

Having booked well ahead, we were shown to our table which had our name and time of booking written on a small chalk board. A very efficient idea for a venue that's on the smaller side compared to our other finalists, as it allowed the table to be used prior to our arrival, whilst still letting people know the table was booked. The Cafe was buzzing with energy with a lot of the tables chatting amongst each other, it was obvious that a lot of clients were regulars and knew each other and the staff very well, there wasn't a free seat in the house. The menu had a good choice for each course and we were very plesantly surprised with the value for money the lunch menu offered, just £10.50 if you wanted to have the full three courses! We also really liked the idea of being able to have a 'trio of meats' for a main course, giving the flexibility and choice akin to a carvery, with just a 50p supplement on the price (and at no extra cost if taken with two, or three courses).

We chose our starters which included the Leek and Potato Soup and the Smoked Salmon and Brown Bread Platter, both of which were delicious and came with a large portion of home-made bread. After a short while our main courses were ready, I had ordered the lamb and my eating partners the beef and the chicken breast with sage and onion. The meat and Yorkshire puddings were brought out on each plate surrounded by a dark, thick gravy. The vegetables were next, a mixture of roasted veg served in a lovely Le Creuset style pot, a bowl of sugar snap peas and french beans and finally a large oval dish of cauliflower cheese which had been nicely browned on top. It was good to know all the meat and veg on the plate had been locally sourced.

All were beautifully presented and the portion sizes were more than enough for our group to have a good second helping of veg. The lamb I had was wonderful, a really nice strong flavour which was enhanced by a rich, thick gravy and a good lashing of mint sauce. The other members of the group also reported tender and flavourful meat with one remarking that 'I couldn't have made it better myself', high praise indeed! The only possible piece of constructive criticism we could think of was that the plates the main course were served on could have been hotter, to help keep the food warmer for the slow eaters amongst us. This was not an issue for me personally, the food didn't stay on the plate long enough to go cold!

The staff were incredibly friendly throughout, checking everything was OK and if we needed more drinks, you certainly got the feeling that they cared and nothing would have been too much trouble for them. While we sat contentedly letting our main course settle the chef came out into the shop and gave a toddler a bag of stale bread to go and feed the ducks with by the river. It's little things like this that give you that warm feeling inside about an establishment and make you want to come back. As was the trend throughout our visits to the four finalists we didn't have room for dessert! I can however attest to the quality and excellence of the cakes (and artisan breads) from subsequent visits.

The price for their Sunday Lunch is £6.50 for a main course, £8.50 for two courses and £10.50 for three courses. They also offer a small portion of each main course for just £4. The Running Fox does not serve alcoholic drinks, but has a nice range of unusual soft drinks, teas and coffees and is also a newsagent.

Summary

This Sunday Lunch was the cheapest of our four finalists, in one case almost half the price another. We are thrilled to say that this was in no way reflected in the quality or quantity of the meal. We now understand perfectly why the locals are so ecstatic to have The Running Fox in their Village.

Highlight: The excellent value for money and friendly atmosphere.

Lowlight: Not being able to take the entire cake and bread counter home with me!

Contact Details
The Running Fox
2-4 Riverside
Felton
Northumberland
NE65 9EA

TEL 01670 787 090
WEB www.facebook.com/therunningfox
EMAIL runningfoxcafe@gmail.com

Battlesteads Hotel, Wark, Nr Hexham - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

The Battlesteads Hotel, Wark, Nr Hexham
A beautifully clear and sunny Autumn day was perfect weather to enjoy the scenic drive out to the Village of Wark, the location of The Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant. It's just a short drive from Hexham, a few miles North along the country lanes where we found The Battlesteads on the outskirts of an idyllic rural Village. The welcome we received from the staff behind the bar was just as warm and comfortable as the atmosphere inside, the bar area itself is full of character and very nicely presented.



We ordered drinks and then were given the option of sitting in the restaurant or the conservatory to dine. As it was such a fantastic day we opted for the bright and comfortable conservatory that looked out onto a lovely walled garden area. We watched the many birds fluttering about the garden, on and off the numerous feeders and commented on how wonderful the outside space would be in summer. We were given our menus by a very personable member of staff that we had a chat with for a few minutes. We talked about lack of mobile signal in the Village and how the Hotel has wireless broadband in the bar area, but the signal won't go through the thick stone walls and reach where we were sitting.

We knew from the large number of nominations we received that The Battlesteads grow their own vegetables, but it wasn't until we were there talking to the staff that we realised just how deep this commitment goes. All the salad, fruit and vegetables are grown on site and their care for the environment is literally second to none. Two days prior to our visit the Hotel had won a prestigious Responsible Tourism Award for being 'Best Accommodation for the Environment' beating competition from such giants of the industry as the Savoy in London and other major hotels around the world.

We chose from the extensive menu and ordered our starters which were the Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup and a Salad of Baked Squash, Prosciutto and Pecorino Cheese with a Balsamic Dressing. The starters arrived with a mixture of home-made bread presented on a slate with pieces of butter that were a little on the hard side. The presentation of the Salad of Baked Squash in particular was fantastic, the beautiful colours of the dish were matched by the delicate balance of flavours perfectly. My soup was piping hot, plentiful and full of hearty garlic flavour which went perfectly with the variety of bread.

There were plenty of choices for the main course other than the option of carvery which was nice to see, but we had to sample the traditional Sunday lunch. When we approached the carvery area we were greeted by a cheerful chef and four of the largest joints of meat you will ever see. Two of the joints were local beef, one cooked beautifully to medium, perfectly evenly pink throughout and the other was cooked 'well done'. What a brilliant idea this is, beef is usually only served well cooked through at a carvery and I've certainly never seen this option anywhere else before. The other joints on offer were a delicious looking turkey and roast pork with crackling and stuffing.

We both opted for the medium beef which was expertly carved, I had a mixture of this and the roast pork. The chef then talked us through the vegetables on offer which included duck fat roast potatoes, carrot and swede, broccoli and cauliflower cheese and pan fried sprouts with bacon. You could also help yourself to the giant Yorkshire puddings (or rather Geordie puddings, as I was corrected!) and were invited to come back and help ourselves to more should we wish to. There was then a member of staff by the gravy and sauces to explain what was available, I had some of the wonderful horseradish sauce to go with the beef.

There were plenty of staff in the restaurant, more than you would expect from an establishment of this size which made the service a joy to behold. We returned to our table and eagerly demolished the fantastic lunch that was before us. The meat was as tender as could be with a fullness of flavour to match, and the freshness of the vegetables shone through. This is precision cooking of the highest order and I honestly couldn't fault anything on the plate. After we had finished our main course we decided that we wouldn't be able to manage a dessert, we had seen several go by us and they did look lovely. We asked for the bill and with it came two small chocolates which we were told had been made by the owners wife, Dee. They were small chocolate cups covered in caramel and tiny edible gold stars, with an alcohol soaked cherry inside. They were so good that we asked if we would be able to buy half a dozen to take away with us. If the desserts are of the same standard as these chocolates then we really did miss out on a treat. We even overheard the table next to us discussing how fantastic the puddings are before they'd even ordered a starter! Our strange request for chocolates to take home was no problem at all and within minutes they were delivered in a beautiful wrapping to our table by Dee herself, who just asked that we make a donation to Children In Need rather than pay for them.

The price for this meal was £12.50 for two courses or £14.50 for three courses, with drinks being reasonably priced, particularly the Peroni.

Summary
An absolutely outstanding lunch in a restaurant that has an amazing ethos and commitment to local sourcing that goes well beyond the call of duty. Extremely friendly, knowledgeable and attentive staff made the whole meal a pleasurable experience.

Highlight: The stunningly tender beef and the freshness and flavour of the home-grown vegetables.
Lowlight: Not being able to fit in a dessert.

Contact Details
Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant
Wark on Tyne
nr Hexham
Northumberland
NE48 3LS

TEL (0)1434 230 209
WEB www.battlesteads.com
EMAIL info@battlesteads.com

The Wellwood, Amble - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

That's it, we've visited and experienced a lunch at each of the four finalists in our Campaign to find Northumberland's Best Sunday Lunch. The finalists came top in our nomination process that consisted of well over a thousand votes and recommendations from Your Northumberland Guide visitors. I won't be scoring the finalists in the usual style of my reviews as I wouldn't like to give away the winner until the big announcement on Saturday 26th November. All four finalists offer a spectacular lunch and come extremely highly recommended. Lets get the reviews underway with:

The Wellwood in Amble
Located in the Harbour Town of Amble, famous for being 'The Friendliest Port' The Wellwood, sister restaurant to the award winning Zecca, is a relatively new addition to Northumberland's eating establishments. It's just a short distance from the harbour area, with it's wonderful views of the Coquet Estuary and out to sea towards the Coquet Island. This makes a lovely pre or post lunch walk and the beaches of Amble Links and Warkworth are easily within striking distance. It's a stunning part of Northumberland's heritage coastline, so The Wellwood has a big job on it's hands if it is going to live up to it's fantastic location. The nomination process revealed just how much community support The Wellwood has already managed to gather and we arrived to a buzzing restaurant and bar area.

We received a warm welcome from the staff behind the bar and were shown to our reserved table in the restaurant area. The lady who seated us was extremely friendly and gave us our menus, what a lovely introduction to the Wellwood it was. The Sunday lunch menu is diverse and we were pleased to see that the provenance of the meats were clearly marked and there is an obvious commitment to sourcing ingredients locally. The starters that our group went for included the home-made mushroom soup and a smoked salmon roulade, both of which were excellent. The salmon roulade in particular was a highlight of the meal with generous portion sizes and a beautiful, plentiful dressing.

Moving on to the main event, it's what we have come for, the roast itself. We chose to sample both the beef and the pork from the main menu and were frankly gob-smacked when it arrived. One of the largest Yorkshire Puddings I have ever seen adorned a huge amount of meat, which was itself sat on potatoes and crushed carrot and swede. Roast potatoes surrounded the tower in the centre of the plate and a shard of crispy crackling stood proudly in the centre of the pork dish. Then the vegetables arrived, served in three separate bowls along with a jug of gravy. There was barely enough room on the table for everything and I can honestly say I have never seen as much food served for a single course in a restaurant! It was very nice to see extra gravy brought out as a matter of course, getting these little things right means you can just get on with your meal and not have to keep asking for things. This goes for the service as well, which was discrete, friendly and efficient throughout our meal.

The beef was plentiful and tender and the pork was a sliced tenderloin, which is rather unusual for a Sunday roast. The vegetables were cooked well and extremely tasty, the only slight disappointment for me were the parsnips which had an unusual herby perfume that I couldn't quite identify. I'd love to know what it was as I certainly haven't tasted that flavour combination before. The amount of food provided was just a little too much for this rather large appetite, there were a tiny few vegetables left over after we had all had our fill. What an experience this main course was, an assault on both the senses and the appetite in equal measures. There is just no way that any of us could have eaten a dessert after such a generous main course so we are unable to comment on them. I didn't actually see another dessert brought out to any of the tables around us, so maybe we weren't the only ones that were full to bursting point! The cost for this two course Sunday lunch was £12.95 and had we dared to brave a pudding it would have been £15.95, with extremely reasonably priced drinks.

Highlight: The wonderful smoked salmon roulade starter and the magnificent portion sizes throughout.
Lowlight: My dad moaning that he was too full to do up his coat when we left!

Summary
It is clear that The Wellwood has quickly become established as the place to go for a great meal in the area. The staff seemed to know almost of all of the people that came through the door, a sure sign of popularity and a good, regular, and most importantly loyal customer base. This restaurant is just what Amble has been waiting for!

Contact Details
The Wellwood
High Street
Amble
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE65 0LD

TEL 01665 714646
WEB www.thewellwood.co.uk
EMAIL info@thewellwood.co.uk

National Trust Experiences on Auction

From Tuesday 21st November the National Trust will be auctioning off some fantastic experiences in Northumberland to raise money for the Trust. If you're looking for a unique Christmas present then they don't get much better than this! On auction in Northumberland there is the opportunity to experience:

Farne Islands seabird spectacular
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of one of the greatest seabird colonies in Europe in an exclusive boat-chauffeured view of life on the Farne Islands. See nesting seabirds at your feet, and come within an arm's reach of Puffins, Arctic Terns and Eiders, before a traditional fish and chip supper.

Farne Islands Grey Seal colony
Over 1,300 Grey Seal pups are born on the Farne Islands during autumn, making it England’s largest breeding population. This tour of the colonies will take in the drama of some normally off-limits islands, seeing the trials and tribulations faced by pups with their attentive mothers close at hand.

Host a Georgian evening at Seaton Delaval Hall
Dressed in full Georgian clothing, start with a Champagne reception for eight guests at Seaton Delaval Hall before an authentic Delaval menu for dinner. After you bid your guests farewell, retire to the Bird Bedroom for a once in a lifetime overnight stay.

Cragside
From the top of the tower to the depths of the wine cellar, get into Cragside's nooks and crannies. With an expert to bring the story to life you can wander at your leisure: open drawers, go right into each room, see spectacular views and take a seat as Lord Armstrong’s guests would have done.

Hadrian's Wall
Stay for two nights in one of our newly refurbished cottages along Hadrian's Wall.You’ll have an escorted tour of the Wall with one of our expert staff, followed by an evening of wildlife watching with one of our rangers.

Visit the National Trust website for more information and links to the individual auctions on ebay. Will you be placing a bid?

2011 Northumberland Business Awards Winners

The Northumberland Business Awards winners were announced at a ceremony at the Macdonald Linden Hall Hotel last night. Huge congratulations to all the fantastic Northumberland businesses that were nominated and especially to the winners, who were:


1. Start Up - The Wellwood, Amble

2. Keep It Local - Moorhouse Farm Shop, Stannington

3. Training - William Hackett Chains Ltd, Alnwick

4. Business in community - Bad Apples NE, Ashington

5. Entrepreneur - Bruce Durham, Amble

6. Technology - Quantum Elite, Blyth

7. Green - Comvert, Alnwick

8.  Export - Techdrill, Blyth

9. Apprenticeship Ambassador - Carewatch, Alnwick

10. Best Business - William Hackett Chains, Alnwick

11. Outstanding Contribution - Ken Beattie, Blyth

Sunday Lunch Campaign - Two Down!

I've had quite a few emails over the last couple of days asking what's happening with the Sunday Lunch Campaign. Throughout November we are visiting the four finalists and judging their Sunday Lunch, the last place we are due to visit is on Sunday 20th November. I'll then be  publishing a review of each place and announcing our winner before the end of November. We've visited two restaurants so far and the standard has been amazingly high, it's going to be an incredibly difficult decision to make.

It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

Olympic Torch Route Revealed

The Olympic Torch will pass through Northumberland between 14th & 16th June 2012 including all of our major Towns and a large number of our smaller Villages throughout the County.

Day 27 - 14 June 2012: Edinburgh to Alnwick
Edinburgh, Duddingston, Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Lasswade, Loanhead, Bilston, Milton, Bridge, Penicuik, Eddleston, Peebles, Innerleithen, Walkerburn, Selkirk, Galashiels, Earlston, Gordon, Greenlaw, Duns, Chirnside, Foulden, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Bamburgh, Alnwick

Day 28 - 15 June 2012: Alnwick to Newcastle upon Tyne
Alnwick, Hipsburn, Warkworth, Amble, Ashington, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Ashington, Choppington, Morpeth, Hartford, Bedlington, Blyth, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne

Day 29 - 16 June 2012: Gateshead to Durham
Gateshead, South Shields, Whitburn, Sunderland, Low Fell and Chowdene, Blaydon, Prudhoe, Stocksfield, Hexham, Riding Mill, Consett, Moorside, Castleside, Tow Law, Esh, Langley Park, Durham

A full breakdown of the route is available here.

Christmas Shopping With a Conscience

Based at the Playhouse in Alnwick the Northumberland Theatre Company provides professional touring theatre to 'theatreless' zones in rural areas where access to the arts are limited. Like a large number of arts organisations, Northumberland Theatre Company (a registered charity) are facing massive funding cuts in 2012 and drastic action is needed to keep the company going. They want to ensure that future generations continue to have access to the arts and are not restricted to these opportunities because of their location. There are a number of ways in which you can help:

Your Christmas shopping can raise vital funds at no extra cost to you! All you have to do is find your preferred retailer through the Easy Fundraising page. Then simply register your details and use their website to search for the shop you need and visit them via their link. It's that simple! There are hundreds of shops including Amazon, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Apple so it couldn't be easier to raise vital funds without costing you a single penny.

If we all do our online Christmas shopping via this link we could collectively raise a huge amount of money to help the Theatre Company continue their wonderful work.

To view other ways in which you can donate to Northumberland Theatre Company, visit their website.