The Coquetvale Hotel in Rothbury - Sunday Carvery

Sunday Lunch at the Coquetvale Hotel

I'm not going to go into full details here as we've reviewed the wonderful Italian restaurant at The Coquetvale Hotel in Rothbury before. When we heard that they were now offering a carvery on a Sunday we just had to check it out and we were not disappointed! It's the same high standards we've come to expect from Chris and his friendly team and is surely an early contender for the best Sunday Lunch in Northumberland title that will once again be decided by the year end! High praise indeed.

Starters were very reasonably priced, well presented and extremely tasty. The pate can be seen below and we can also recommend the crab cake which was particularly delicious (and generous in size!).

The star of the show is definitely the carvery, everything is served to you by the friendly chef.... he even carried my mum's plate to the table for her! There was a choice of beef (medium or well done - something I've only seen at one other carvery in Northumberland - the award winning Battlesteads Hotel in Wark), turkey and a glazed ham. I had a mix of ham and beef and both meats were a delight. On top of what you can see below vegetables were then brought to the table, carrots, broccoli, french beans, more potatoes and creamed leeks in a cheese sauce, all wonderful!

Desserts also sounded delightful, but we simply didn't have room! This was an outstanding lunch, you simply must visit.

Contact Details
Restaurant Italia Plus at The Coquetvale Hotel

Station Road
Rothbury
Northumberland
NE65 7QH

Tel: 01669 622900
Fax: 01669 620379

email: stay@cvhotel.co.uk
Web: www.coquetvale.co.uk

A Visit to the Congregational in Rothbury

The Congregational Art Gallery and Cafe in Rothbury

We've known about the Congregational Art Gallery for a while and it's one of those places that we've been meaning to visit for ages - a week or so ago we finally got round to it - and we are so glad we did, what a hidden treasure!

Open from March until December in the beautiful Village of Rothbury, the Congregational Art Gallery (pictured left) bills itself as 'Contemporary British Art with a Northern Edge'. You'll find the gallery at the far West of the Village, set back off the main road that leads through to Thropton, just passed the majority of the shops on the high street. Rothbury has more than its fair share of churches and from the outside you would think that this was another place of worship.... but oh no!

The gallery is really successful as a contemporary space for art, despite its classic Grade II listed setting. We were particularly impressed with the good use of  natural light giving a bright and airy feel to the art on display.

It was the Winter Exhibition that we saw, showcasing local and international artists from the finest ceramics and glassware to high quality prints and even a selection of greetings cards and gifts. The cosy seating area with a roaring fire was a really nice touch so we decided to stop for lunch while we were there. The Congregational cafe offers a limited menu in the off-season, with a choice of soups, scones and cakes with a range of coffees available when we visited.

We opted for the spiced lentil soup with a cheese and chive scone and pumpkin seed topping and the mushroom soup with home made bread. Cappuccinos were expertly made and delivered to us in no time, what a winter warmer this light lunch turned out to be! Beautifully spiced soup and a scone as light as a feather, just delicious.

We then took the opportunity to browse the wonderful gallery, there are plenty of talking points here and we had plenty of different opinions on the pieces, but that's the beauty of art. We had a fantastic hour or so at the gallery and would definitely recommend a visit if you're in the Rothbury area. Rothbury really does punch above its weight with many independent retailers, galleries and a great cafe culture and the Congregational stands amongst them perfectly. I'll leave you with a few photos of the gallery and their contact details at the bottom of the page.

Contact Details

The Congregational Art Gallery and Cafe

Upper High Street

Rothbury

Northmberland

NE65 7TL

01669 621900

www.thecongregational.org.uk 

info@thecongregational.org.uk

Review: The Three Wheat Heads Inn, Thropton, Nr Rothbury

I have really fond memories of visiting The Three Wheat Heads Inn many years ago when I was a kid, we used to go regularly for Sunday lunch as a family in the 80's. It's strange what you remember with crystal clarity from your childhood, I remember the car park at the front and the panoramic view from the restaurant, but nothing of the food. So I had a quick chat with my mum before writing this review 'Why did we stop going to the Three Wheat Heads?' I asked her 'because it went crap' was her reply and she hasn't been back since the late 80's! She always did have a way with words and it just goes to show that it takes years to build up a good reputation, but just seconds to bring it crashing to the ground and that's what sticks.

I'm sure The Three Wheats Heads Inn has changed hands many times since I was last there, but what hasn't changed is that view. Oh what a view to behold, the Coquetdale Valley in all it's glory on a sunny day warms the soul and the restaurant uses this feature well. Large glass sliding doors open out to a garden area with seating and a little play area for the kids, you can't help but stop for a moment and just take it all in. It was a little overcast on the day we visited which was a shame as it would have been nice to show you this special place at it's very best.


On to the food, it was early Sunday afternoon and we hadn't booked a table in advance which wasn't a problem for the friendly lady who welcomed us into the restaurant. Had we been ten minutes later I don't think they would have been able to fit us in so I would recommend booking ahead. The carvery lunch comes in three sizes: small, medium and large so we promptly ordered two large meals and some drinks which were brought to our table. The large portion certainly lived up to it's billing. We were told we could go up to the carvery and we went for the 'bit of everything' option which consisted of beef, lamb, turkey, ham and roast pork with 8 roast potatoes, three home-made yorkshire puddings and stuffing! There was also a choice of three different types of gravy, one plain, one with mint added and one for vegetarians along with the usual array of condiments you would expect to see. Vegetables were brought to our table in a bowl, which I have never seen before in a carvery and did raise small concerns about wastage - I wouldn't have chosen to put all those veg on my plate.

It wasn't until we were up at the carvery that we saw there was a blackboard with a range of starters, which weren't mentioned when we arrived. As there was no menu given to us we had assumed that the carvery was all that was on offer and with a restaurant full of people they are potentially missing a lot of extra revenue here. Nevermind we thought, there was more than enough food to keep us going in front of us! All the meats were extremely tender and tasty with the roast potatoes being particularly good and the gravy (I had the plain) thick and rich.


Despite a really strong appetite we just couldn't get through all the lightly cooked vegetables that were brought to us, which as I mentioned earlier was a shame. A lot of effort has clearly been made by the current owners to make the restaurant a pleasant and relaxed dining area with modern furniture and fairly plain decoration, perhaps intentional to keep the attention on that view.


We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch (which was £9.95 for the large carvery) and had absolutely no room to even contemplate a dessert after such a gargantuan plate full. I've informed my mum that after her 25 year hiatus it's safe to go back to the Three Wheat Heads Inn. And so the long, slow process of building word of mouth and a good reputation is restarted and I wish them the very best of luck.


The Three Wheat Heads Inn's Scores
Venue: 4 out of 5
Ambience: 4 out of 5
Service: 2 ½ out of 5
Presentation: 3 ½ out of 5
Taste: 4 out of 5
Value for Money: 3 ½ out of 5



Overall Score: The Three Wheat Heads Inn have the advantage of an effortlessly beautiful location so it's hard not to recommend visiting for a Sunday lunch, or any other day of the week for that matter. The view will take your breath away, the front of house staff will welcome you and you will receive good, hearty food. It should certainly be on your list to consider for a good honest family meal. 3 ½ out of 5.

My scoring system explained: 1 = Poor, 2 = Average, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent, 5 = Outstanding

Contact Details
The Three Wheat Heads Inn
Thropton
Nr Rothbury
Northumberland
NE65 7LR

Tel: 01669 620262
email: info@threewheatheads.co.uk

Web: www.threewheatheads.co.uk

Review: Restaurant Italia Plus at the Coquetvale Hotel, Rothbury

For such a small place Rothbury has a surprising number of places to eat and drink and a good variety of cuisine to choose from. There are plenty of pubs, an Indian restaurant, an Italian restaurant and a variety of cafes and tearooms. On this occasion we decided it was time to revisit Restaurant Italia Plus at the Coquetvale Hotel which is located just a short distance from the River Coquet. We visited on a Thursday evening and received a warm welcome from the staff behind the bar who asked if we had booked a table. To be honest we hadn't considered booking, but fortunately they were able to squeeze us in provided that we were able to vacate our table by 8pm. As we had arrived early (approx 6.15pm) we thought this would be no problem and as we were to soon find out, Restaurant Italia Plus is certainly a popular place to dine. The interior is unexpectedly grand to say the least with it's high ceilings, beautiful cornicing and softly lit intimate atmosphere. First impressions are really important and it would be difficult not to be pleased with the stylish look and feel of the restaurant and the friendliness of the welcome.

Potato Skins Starter (£3.95)

We were given our menus and the special 'early bird' offer was explained, if you order your main course between 5pm and 6.30pm the price you pay is the time you order! We didn't know about the offer in advance so quickly made up our minds, there was still plenty to choose from on this menu. Starters ranged from £1.95 to around £3.95 which we all agreed seemed extremely reasonable, we chose the home-made soup, potato skins and the pate between us. Our drinks arrived £14 for a bottle of Pinot Grigio and £3.40 for a bottle of Peroni (sampled just to keep the Italian feel, of course...). The starter portions were generous and was pretty much exactly what we expected from the description on the menu.

Fresh Soup Starter (£2.95)

The potato skins were just that (not hollowed out jacket potatoes, thankfully!) with a good serving of dipping sauces and a light side salad. The fresh home-made soup was tasty and looked really quite appealing and the pate's proportions were well beyond it's £3.45 price tag. All starters were readily consumed and while they didn't deliver a huge amount of style or delicacy they were definitely flavoursome, delicious and extremely good value for money. By now the restaurant was almost packed to capacity with a really diverse clientèle - a 70th birthday family celebration on one table, lots of couples and a teenagers birthday meal on another. It all made for a bustling atmosphere without ever being too lively to overwhelm conversation.

After a brief wait it was on to the main event and we had chosen to sample: Pizza Pepperoni (Pepperoni sausage, chilli oil, red onion, grated mozzarella), Pollo Piccante (Roasted chicken breast with chorizo, roasted peppers, garlic and spicy tomato sauce) and Costada di Manzo al Diane (6oz rib-eye steak with sauce of mushrooms, French mustard, red wine and cream). All were priced at £6.25 as we ordered at, you guessed it 6.25pm and came with a choice of vegetables, chips or salad.

Pizza Pepperoni

I had the pizza and what can I say? It was a taste sensation, honestly one of the best pizzas I have had since sampling the world famous Lombardi's in New York's Little Italy, Americas first pizzeria. It was what was done differently here that made it so special, the red onions were slowly caramelised, not fresh and sharp which married with the flavour of the pepperoni beautifully. The light touch of chilli oil gave a bite that was softened by the herbs and creamy mozzarella, it is just a glorious combination of flavours that was bang on the mark. I am somewhat of a pizza fanatic so this is high praise indeed! Our other main courses were also very well executed including a very moist chicken breast with a rich tomato sauce and a steak cooked with precision, exactly as ordered.

By now we were approaching 7.45pm and we were very aware that we had agreed to leave our table by 8pm. We were asked if we would like to order a dessert and questioned whether or not we would have the time with the member of waiting staff. The lady who looked like she was in charge came over to us and said she had re-arranged the tables to accommodate us, should we wish to take our time over dessert. This was a lovely gesture and we decided to order just one dessert to share between us as the rest of the meal had been so substantial.

We opted for the Pear and Basil Tarte Tatin which was actually turned out to be the low point of the meal. We needn't have worried about the proportion of the dessert and the flavour was overpowered almost completely by the use of herbs. Add into this a slightly undercooked pastry base and I wasn't exactly enthralled by the end to our meal. My dining companion on the other hand said she thoroughly enjoyed it...
vive la différence... or whatever the Italian translation of this might be.

Restaurant Italia Plus' Scores
Venue: 4 out of 5
Ambience: 4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Presentation: 3 ½ out of 5
Taste: 4 out of 5
Value for Money: 4 ½ out of 5

Overall Score: It's not the authentic Italian feel that you may get from such places as Marabini's or Gianni's in Morpeth, but the food elevates the restaurant way beyond this very slight niggle. A wonderful atmosphere in what is obviously a very popular restaurant delivered an excellent Italian Meal. 4 out of 5.

My scoring system explained: 5 = Outstanding, 4 = Excellent, 3 = Good, 2 = Average, 1 = Poor

Contact Details
Restaurant Italia Plus at The Coquetvale Hotel
Station Road
Rothbury
Northumberland
NE65 7QH

Tel: 01669 622900
Fax: 01669 620379

email: stay@cvhotel.co.uk

Web: www.coquetvale.co.uk

Rothbury Area Guide

Your guide to Rothbury is now complete! There's loads of information here and Rothbury itself has a huge amount to offer the visitor. The Town has an amazing range of amenities, award winning independent shops and galleries and beautiful countryside on it's doorstep. Things to do include fishing, walking, cycling, nearby Cragside House and Gardens, Brinkburn Priory and Goats on the Roof Rare Breed Centre. Eating out is just as diverse as the choice of retail, with an Italian restaurant, an Indian restaurant and many pubs and Cafes, they are all covered in our comprehensive guide. http://www.yournorthumberland.co.uk/area-guides/rothbury

Cragside House and Gardens

Your Guide to Cragside House and Gardens has now been updated with new photos and more information about what to do while you're there. To read the full Guide, have a look here:

http://www.yournorthumberland.co.uk/castles-historic-sites/cragside-house-and-gardens

Events coming up this weekend and beyond

Rothbury Traditional Music Festival kicks off the weekend on Friday 15th July and runs through Saturday and Sunday. It's a weekend of traditional music and dance and the line up this year includes: Tyneside Maritime Choir, Hielen Toe and Friends, Gary Forrest and Roddy Matthews, High Spen Blue Diamonds, Hexham Morris, Hexham Lasses, Benny Graham, Bash the Haggis and more. Tickets are on sale from Rothbury Family Butchers or the Coquetdale Centre, Church House, Rothbury or call 01669 620887 for more information.

Also running over the weekend is the Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue Fun Weekend at Druridge Bay. It's running both days (Saturday and Sunday) and is an excellent day out with dog shows, displays, birds of prey and many stalls, all in a wonderful location. It's for a good cause as well so make sure you visit at some point over the weekend!

Alnwick Castle has a Theatre of Alchemy Dragon Show between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 16th July, great for the kids and includes a dragon procession! Also on at the Castle this weekend is a medieval crafts demonstration. While we're in Alnwick, The Playhouse has Light Classics for a Summer Evening, Jazz in the Studio and a Youth Band Night over the weekend. Saturday 15th and Monday the 18th July sees a guided tour of the Alnwick Garden's roots and shoots gardens with a member of the Alnwick Garden Staff, 12 midday to 1pm. Also in the Garden on Sunday is the Dansons Music Group and Choir between 11am and 4pm and an Images of Northumberland Exhibition in the Retail Gallery (admission free).

Saturday and Sunday (16th and 17th July) also sees the return of the Otterburn Festival with loads of stalls, motorcycle stunts and things to do for all the family. Elsewhere and worthy of a mention is the Seahouses Car Boot Sale at the Golf Club 10am to 12 midday and the Castle's Triathlon Challenge kicks off from Bamburgh beach on Sunday 17th July which is always a spectacle.