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

Foodie Mecca in Central Northumberland

Parmesan crusted chicken with garlic roast potatoes

As a foodie it's really not difficult to get excited about a visit to The Running Fox in central Northumberland. For a start it's a great location nestled by the bridge over the River Coquet in the attractive Village of Felton and it's easy to see just why it has become so popular.

It's just over a year since Kris and Nev took over at 'The Fox' (as we have come to call it) and what they have achieved in such a short time should be celebrated! A real mecca for the foodie with their selection of artisan goods, innovative breads, cakes and other treats all beautifully displayed to tantalise the taste buds.

 It's become so popular in fact that it's advisable to ring ahead and book a table - whatever day of the week it is. We called in just before lunch on a Saturday and we were lucky enough to drop on a table that was booked for 1pm and again after that. It gave us plenty of time though to enjoy a simply fantastic lunch, a full English Breakfast (£5.50) and Parmesan crusted chicken breast with garlic roasted potatoes (£6.50).

Full English Breakfast

The pictures say it all really, the English breakfast is packed with top quality meats that belies the extremely reasonable price and beautifuly toasted bread (we requested not to have the black and white pudding normally included). The star of this lunch was the parmesan chicken, succulent, perfectly cooked and served with a wonderfully varied salad and potatoes. Just as impressive as the food quality is the welcome and service, there is a strong community feel with everyone chatting to each other as they come and go for their papers, daily bread and even bread to feed the ducks (which is free!). I can't imagine a more pleasant environment for a lunch with friends.

If you travel through or live in mid Northumberland and haven't called in at The Running Fox then you're missing out on a real foodie treat. It's just a mile off the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick so you have no excuse really, just go!

River Coquet at Felton

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

Tel: 01670 787090
http://www.facebook.com/therunningfox

Shrove Tuesday Football Match Exhibition & People’s Record of the Olympic Year

An extremely memorable, enjoyable and moving film has been made by a team from the Gallery Youth project and film maker Harry Henderson to celebrate Alnwick’s traditional Shrove Tuesday football match. The 15 minute film is called 'The Lads and Lasses of Alnwick: Shrove Tide Football 2012,' the words of the traditional toast made by the organising Committee in the John Bull pub after the match, which is captured in the final scene. It has been made as part of the People’s Record for the Olympic Year, along with a series of over 40 excellent documentary photos by Andrew Tunnard. Sound recordings for the film and a series of fascinating oral histories provided by participants have been recorded with the support of audio editor James Boyd. The film, photos and recordings will be at the heart of a new exhibition at the Bailiffgate Museum, opening on 4h May 2012. The exhibition will run until 29th May 2012.

The film includes footage of the rituals of the day and the match itself, from the ceremony in the castle with St Cloud’s students making pancakes for the committee, to the Duke throwing the ball from the Barbican and the procession to the pastures. It goes behind the scenes to reveal what happens in the committee tent where officials organise the match and includes interviews with young people taking part, both male and female, students from the St Cloud State Centre for British Studies and adult men and women who have been involved, including their opinions on the value of heritage and tradition to the community and the ongoing legacy for future generations. Finally it shows the ball being retrieved from the river, the presentation of medals and certificates and the toasts in the John Bull. In addition to the film, oral histories and the photographic record made during the 2012 football match, there will also be historic documents and photos from the past on display.

Work from an event at the Museum, produced by children from Alnwick South School and filmmaker Harry Henderson, will also form part of the exhibition. And photographer Andrew Tunnard will be talking about “The Representation of Culture and Heritage within Contemporary Photography” on Thursday 24th May at 7pm.

The film, documentary photos and oral histories will be uploaded onto the national website for the People’s Record Community Projects as part of the Cultural Olympiad Project, so this unique record of Alnwick’s Shrovetide football match will become part of a national archive for future generations. The People’s Record has been collecting stories of sporting events and projects across the UK in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, funded by Arts Council England.

The Bailiffgate Museum would like to invite anyone who has a photo from any Shrove Tuesday match to bring it along, put it on the community display board in the exhibition and donate it to the Museum’s archives.

The Northumberland Music Festival Returns!

It's great to hear that enormously successful Northumberland Music Festival is returning for a second year and will run from 9th to the 18th November 2012. We have just been sent through all the details of the festival, which can be found below.... which events will you be attending?

GALA OPERA CONCERT
ESHOTT HALL, NR ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE65 5EN
Friday 9th November 6 pm – 10 pm

Cost £65 ticket, welcome drink, Gourmet Dinner with coffee and petit fours [£600 for a table of 10]
Music Break £100 per person including bed and breakfast.

The glorious gala opening to the 2nd Northumberland Music Festival to be performed by one of the
UK’s leading Opera Houses who will present key arias, duets, trios and quartets from key operas in
their repertoire.


GALA OPERA CONCERT
ESHOTT HALL, MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE65 9EN
Saturday 10th November 6 pm – 10 pm

Cost £65 ticket, welcome drink, Gourmet Dinner with coffee and petit fours [£600 for table of 10]
Music Break £100 per person including bed and breakfast.

This glorious gala concert is part of the 2nd Northumberland Music Festival and will be performed by
one of the UK’s leading Opera Houses who will present key arias, duets, trios and quartets from key
operas in their repertoire.


THE REG VARDY BAND
DOXFORD HALL, NR ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE67 5DN
Sunday 11th November 5.00 pm – 8.30 pm

Cost £45 for concert, welcome drink and a 2 Course Supper with coffee and petit fours
Music Break £80 per person includes bed and breakfast.

Playing on Remembrance Sunday is one of the World’s top twenty Brass Bands, The Reg Vardy Brass
Band. Their programme will include traditional brass music and hymns, and will also honour the
sacrifice of the fallen, and the lives of survivors from all conflicts in memory.


CLETHAM'S SCHOOL OF MUSIC PIANO RECITAL
GUYZANCE HALL, ACKLINGTON, NR MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE65 9AG
Tuesday 13th November 5.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Cost £65 for recital ticket, welcome drink on arrival and dinner [£600 for a table of 10]
Music Break £100 [accommodation is at Eshott Hall, nearby, and includes bed and breakfast]

Murray McLachlan, international concert pianist and musical director at Chetham’s School of Music
in Manchester, gave a spellbinding recital last November. He returns this year, and along with
his students will give a diverse recital. Chetham's is one of Britain’s premier schools training and
educating young musicians between 8 and 18.


A TRADITIONAL NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC EVENING
GUYZANCE HALL, ACKLINGTON, NR MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE65 9AG
Wednesday 14th November 5.30 pm – 9.30pm

Cost £45 for concert, welcome drink on arrival, 2 course dinner, coffee and petit fours
Music Break £80 [accommodation is at Eshott Hall, nearby, and includes bed and breakfast]

The festival would not be complete without some traditional music for which Northumberland is
renowned. This concert features Northumbrian Pipes & Fiddle and Janet Bennett one of the most
talented harpists and self accompanied singers in Britain today.


THE NORTHUMBERLAND RANTERS
DOXFORD HALL, NR ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE67 5DN
Thursday 15th November 5.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Cost £25 for concert ticket, glass of wine on arrival, 2 course supper and coffee

The Northumberland Ranters are a group of talented and enthusiastic young musicians, aged
between 10 and 18, from schools across Northumberland. Their concert last year was one the most
popular of the festival. They promote the culture and tradition of the music of Northumberland,
playing fiddles, Northumbrian pipes, cellos, harp, flutes, guitars and keyboards. For further
information please contact:


GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
DOXFORD HALL, NR ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE67 5DN
Friday 16th November 5.30pm - 9.30pm

Cost £65 includes concert, welcome drink, gourmet dinner with coffee [£600 for table of 10].
Music Break £100 per person including bed and breakfast.

Much Loved Productions return with their entertaining programme of Gilbert and Sullivan. Who
could forget last year’s brilliant staging of classic comic opera. This concert will feature set pieces
from some of the foremost G&S triumphs.


GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
GUYZANCE HALL, Ackington, near Morpeth, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE65 9AG65 9EN
Saturday 18th November 5.30 pm - 9.30 pm

Cost £65 includes concert, welcome drink, gourmet dinner with coffee [£600 for table of 10].
Music Break £100 per person and includes bed and breakfast.

Much Loved Productions return with their entertaining programme of Gilbert and Sullivan. Who
could forget last year’s brilliant staging of classic comic opera. This concert will feature set pieces
from some of the foremost G&S triumphs.


GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
DOXFORD HALL, NR ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND, NE67 5DN
Sunday 18th November 12 noon - 4 pm

Cost £65 for concert, welcome drink and traditional 3 course Sunday Lunch [£600 for a table of 10].
Music Break £100 per person and includes room the night before the concert and breakfast.

Much Loved Productions return with their entertaining programme of Gilbert and Sullivan. Who
could forget last year’s brilliant staging of classic comic opera. This concert will feature set pieces
from some of the foremost G&S triumphs.


For further information please contact 01668 283100
info@nmfestival.com
www.nmfestival.com

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

Hardy Plant Society - Grand Plant Sale!

Continuing our gardening theme of late, the North East Group of the Hardy Plant Society is holding its 1st Plant Sale on Saturday 19th May between 10.30 and 12.30 at Stannington Village Hall near Morpeth. All of the plants for sale have been grown by members of the group and are good quality and reasonably priced. Entry is £1, free for Hardy Plant Society members and children.

They will also be holding a raffle with the prize being a tour of the garden of our chairperson, Heather Russell, followed by tea and scones. Heather's garden is well known in the area and you may have recently seen her featured on BBC Gardener's World in March 2012.

Please visit their web pages for more information at http://www.hardy-plant.org.uk/groups/northeast

Visitors travelling from further afield may wish to take the opportunity to stay in the area for the remainder of the day and explore some of our finest Northumbrian garden attractions. Here is a selection of gardens we love, for further information visit the individual garden websites.

The Alnwick Garden Alnwick (23 miles) open 10am - 6pm
Bide-A-Wee Cottage Stanton, near Morpeth (11 miles) 1.30 - 5pm
Cragside (National Trust) Rothbury (19 miles) House open 11am - 5pm Gardens & Woodland open 10am – 7pm
Herterton House Gardens Cambo (16 miles) open 1.30 - 5.30pm
Howick Hall Gardens near Craster (19 miles) Gardens only open 12 - 6pm
Stanton Hall Nursery Stanton, near Morpeth (11 miles) open 9.30am - 5.30pm
Wallington Hall (National Trust) Cambo (16 miles) House open 12 - 5pm Walled Garden open 10am -7pm

A Gardener's Guide to Northumberland

Gardens to visit for inspiration, Plant Nurseries to peruse and general gardening related gossip. By Karen Phillips. Karen is a qualified lecturer in horticulture. She is passionate about all aspects of gardening and growing food within the constraints of the Northumberland climate. She runs many courses (including gardening, floristry and cookery demonstrations) at Widehaugh House, a two acre garden close to Hexham. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The Alnwick Garden

Now I’ll take any opportunity to visit The Alnwick Garden but with not one but two floral events planned for this month it’s time to head up the A1 to the garden that has single-handedly increased visitor numbers to all of our North East  gardens since its creation just over 10 years ago.

A daffodil festival starts on Fri 6^th until 15^th April to launch their rare daffodil: ‘Alnwick Magic’. The ‘de Jager’ Tulip festival is scheduled for 30^th April – 8^th May; but, based on what’s happening here in the gardens at Widehaugh House, I’ll take a hefty wager that the tulips are going to be out early and will combine with the daffodils to create a spectacular display. They say seeing is believing so, if you don’t want to be misinformed by over-sized photos and cheap colour printing, take your camera and notebook and enjoy a relaxing and inspiring day, selecting which bulbs you’ll be planting for next year.

Courses that are running at Widehaugh House this month:

Basic Veg: Fri 20th April 10-3.30pm
Never sown a seed in your life? Starting with how to set out a vegetable plot, this course will cover all aspects of basic vegetable growing and get you producing all manner of expensive to purchase veggies from rocket to sugar snap peas. Depart with seeds sown and the confidence to produce a successful first harvest.

Grow Your Own Cut Flowers: Thurs 26th April 10-3.30pm 
Tubs of tulips, goblets of gladioli and buckets full of blooms – this course provides all the info needed to start growing your own cut flowers at home or on an allotment. Starting from the basics of choosing a suitable site and setting out the patch, to the excitement of choosing suitable flowers to grow and their maintenance throughout the year. The course culminates in a demonstration by a local florist of practical ways to showcase your wonderful harvest.

The Virgin Gardener: Tues 1st May 10-3.30pm
First house / first garden – daunted? Don’t be. This intensive course will give you the confidence to start a garden from scratch or adapt an inherited one to suit your style. We’ll discover the delights of propagation and pruning, ’shake hands with your soil’ and identify plants that will flourish in your garden.