The Market Town

Northumberland has some of the most diverse and successful markets in the country, and consumers are increasingly seeking out these hotbeds of traditional and local produce. There is something wonderfully traditional about shopping at markets: the feeling at the heart of a beautiful town, the banter with the traders, the knowledge that your shopping is supporting small traders and local business. Northumberland has an abundance of thriving markets spanning the entire region, and they run year round.

Our artisan bakery, The Zen Baker, was established on the back of these markets, and continues to grow with the help and guidance of other producers and traders. We made a decision to grow our business organically, establishing ourselves at local markets.

This provides us with instant feedback from our customers, (so important for new businesses,) a chance to test out new ideas and recipes, and most importantly allows us to establish a base where customers know how to find us. One of the main reasons local markets are so important is that many traders simply cannot afford the overheads involved in establishing a shop, and markets provide some of the best avenues to interact with customers that small business has. The markets themselves act as a hub for producers who wish to sell direct to their customer and allow customers to put a face to the food they eat and the crafts they use. As Neil Brown, Market Manager for Morpeth says, “We have some of the finest food producers in the UK in Northumberland and you can buy it all direct at the market.” Whichever way you look at a local market - it is win/win for everyone.

For any visitors into the region, the visit to a local market is a wonderful chance to see the beating heart of a community. With each market we witness the support for local business, have the experience of traditional and unique products and we see the health, wellbeing and vibrancy of a town or village. We are very lucky to be growing our business in this wonderful setting, and we hope to see you at a Northumberland market soon.

Here are the regular markets in and around Northumberland:
Alnwick Market Place Thursday & Saturday
Amble Amble harbour Sunday
Ashington John Street Tuesday
Bedlington Vulcan Place Thursday
Berwick Marygate Charter Market Wednesday & Saturday
Blyth Market Place Tuesday, Friday & Saturday
Cramlington Focus DIY car park Wednesday
Haltwhistle Market Square Thursday
Hexham Market Place Tuesday & Saturday
Hexham The Shambles Monday to Saturday
Morpeth Market Place Wednesday
Ponteland Merton Way Friday

The Zen Baker can be found at a market near you! Check out dates and news at zenbaker.co.uk, facebook & twitter.

Photos are courtesy of Nicky Rogerson at NR Photography.

Craster and the Snowy Owl

Welcome to our first guest blog for Your Northumberland. First, a little introduction. I’m Harriet, chief writer and restaurant-picker, whilst Alex is chief route planner and pub finder. We are adopted Geordies, having lived in Newcastle for 4 years. We love the outdoors and food, luckily these two go hand-in-hand in this part of the world. This is our Northumberland...  For our first blogging ,adventure we decided to go up to one of our favourite parts of the coast; Craster. 

 The plan was to walk the 5 mile path up along the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle and back across the farm track. According to our AA walking guide taking 1hour 45 minutes, leaving plenty of time for a hearty pub lunch at the Jolly Fisherman, or so we thought. We whizzed up the A1 in Derek’s little KA (we take our friend Derek walking with us when we can’t find a dog to adopt) and soon arrived at Craster- about 45 minute drive from Newcastle. We parked in the car park for a reasonable £2 all day fee and started our walk, first down to the harbour. 

A short break at the harbour, to take some photos and for some faffing whilst Derek runs back to the car park to check he’s locked his car, and we are on our way again. We soon join a muddy path of families and fishermen trekking across the fields, the former wrapped up warm in colourful hats and scarves, the latter carrying bucket loads of tackle. For some reason it doesn’t seem right to be amongst a crowd on our frosty Sunday stroll, so we drop down to the rock pools to the right of the path, which are just beginning to ice over. 

It is down here where we get our first majestic view of the skeletal like structure that is Dunstanburgh Castle. You can’t help but imagine how imposing and incredible it must have been in its hay day. We rejoin the footpath further up the coast and walk up to the ruined castle. We don’t however pay to go in like most, in my opinion the real beauty is to be seen from the outside (plus we were saving our pennies for lunch). 

Walking round the side of the castle was one of the trickier mud negotiations, but we made it. Embleton bay appears around the corner and it would be hard to suppress the child-like urge to run around kicking up sand. This is one of our favourite beaches in Northumberland and I am not disappointed even in the icy conditions. In the past we have continued walking up to Newton by the Sea to the Ship Inn, but hunger calls and we decide to continue along our mapped route and walk back to Craster. 

We up the pace when we realise it is approaching 2pm. Past the golfers, through a farm and along the farm track; we turn around and head back South. Being set back from the coast by about ½ mile we appreciate the beauty of Dunstanburgh Castle from new angles; it really is my favourite castle. The path hooks a left and takes us over the Heughes which are really quite an impressive natural landscape. Some minor map negotiation errors cause us to head purposefully towards a new stone wall which isn’t on the map- watch out for this! We arrived back to the sleepy fishing town at 3pm exactly, just missing last orders for food at the Jolly Fisherman, which stop, at 3pm, exactly.

I do aim to support local, especially as part of my job at Taste North East www.tastenortheast.co.uk but they make it so difficult sometimes with their opening hours! Instead we head back to the car and off to the Snowy Owl at Blagdon. Part of the Vintage Inn chain the Snowy Owl lacks seaside charm but at least we can count on it being open, at what I would class as optimum Sunday lunch time. 

We pop ourselves down at a table, noticeably much more mucky than the other diners, and there is that great smell of an open fire crackling away somewhere in the large pub. They have actually just done the pub out, to coincide with the opening of Northumberlandia right on its doorstep, and it does have a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We order, to my disappointment not a single local producer on the menu as far (as I could see) and eagerly await our food. I go for a duo of venison (just to play the wild card) and the boys opt for classic gammon and chips.

The food was just slightly above average. The mash tasted like smash and the venison shepherd’s pie thing added absolutely nothing to the plate. However the venison itself was tasty and I can’t remember the last time or if I’ve ever had venison before so I was happy to give that a go. Peas are peas. Apparently the gammon was good and came with both egg and pineapple which is always a bonus, although it did leave Alex and Derek still hungry. Our waitress was friendly and service was quick, we also had a 20% discount voucher which came in handy.

Our advice to you would be; wear wellies and get up early so that you make lunch at the Jolly Fisherman! Enjoy!

Harriet and Alex

For more information about Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle visit our Craster Guide!

A Romance Writer’s Love Affair …

Whenever we have guests up from the south, I feel jealous that they are about to experience that ‘wow’ moment I had when I arrived here over thirty years ago. Before the end of the visit someone will invariably say - usually while staring out over yet another fantastic view -‘I had absolutely no idea this was all here …’

I can’t blame them. Before I moved to Northumberland, I had a very sketchy idea of the county. Now I am almost evangelical in my attitude towards the place and happy to bore anybody’s ear off about how wonderful it is.

It’s hard to remember what impressed me the most when I first arrived, although I know I was struck immediately by the light – on a clear day there’s a diamond sharp clarity that can’t fail to lift your spirits and I loved the freshness of the air. Sure it was a couple of degrees colder than I was used to, but it seemed a small price to pay. Another big plus was the people. The humour here is wry and self deprecating and the warmth feels genuine. The overall tendency is to include rather than avoid eye contact and sidle away.

The rich history of the place also pulled me in – the Romans, the Scots, the great landed families, the English Civil War – they’ve all left their mark with walls and castles, churches and bastle houses.

What really clinched it for me though was the wild, often rugged, nature of the scenery. There are clipped and managed places here, and very beautiful they are too, but it’s the untamed things I love the best. The places that offer a sense of space and freedom, from the high moors to the dark, pine-sweet forests and, of course, the stunning coastline.

 Ah, that coastline and those beaches. On the very best days the light is blond, the sea is blue, there’s a castle or a lighthouse somewhere in the picture and the sand is a great sweep of pale, soft yellow that rears up into sand dunes behind you. Even on the worst of days as the wind whips sand into your face and takes your breath away, and the spray flies off the waves pounding towards the beach, you feel alive and part of nature. And you’ll rarely have to lay down your towel to reserve a space.

So, my favourite beach? When the children were younger it was Alnmouth with its old-fashioned bucket-and-spade feel or Bamburgh for sledging down the sand dunes. But what about Warkworth, Embleton, the mighty Druridge Bay? They’ve all afforded hours of good walking, nature watching or just sheer enjoyment at being out in the fresh air with the taste of salt on my lips.

If pressed though, I would choose Low Newton.  I defy anybody who comes in by road not to be stunned by that first view as you clear the brow of the hill. It’s a cracking combination of sand, rock, grassy dunes, little beach huts and the great, ruined beauty of Dunstanburgh castle. Oh, and the pub is pretty fine too.

When I set my second book in Northumberland, I made some of the most poignant scenes happen on that beach and I had Mack, a dyed-in-the-wool southerner, completely bowled over by it.  I guess I wanted to show that original ‘wow’ moment that I had. Who knows, in the process, I might also have encouraged people who haven’t discovered the county, to give it a try.

Hazel Osmond’s second book ‘The First Time I Saw Your Face’ is set in Hexham, around Wark and at Low Newton. It’s available in paperback and on kindle. Her first book ‘Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe?’ was shortlisted for Romantic Comedy of the Year.

For more information visit www.hazelosmond.co.uk

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

The Kitchen Garden at Meldon Park

It wasn't long ago that Meldon Park was featured on Channel 4's "A Country House Rescue" so we thought we'd pop in and see how The Kitchen Garden was shaping up. From talking to friends and family the Park doesn't seem to be very well known yet, it's located on the road out towards Wallington from through Mitford, just 6 or 7 miles from Morpeth and the A1.

The Estate really is a beautiful location for a tea room and they have certainly made the most of it, the cafe is in the warm conservatory overlooking a lovely walled garden, which visitors are free to explore. The Cafe is run by Emily Cookson who also knows how to put on a warm welcome, so nice was the atmosphere we decided to stay for lunch. Prices in the cafe are quite competitive with a range of home-made light lunches, cakes, tea and coffees etc offering good value for money. I ordered a cappuccino and the bacon and sausage sandwhich which was swiftly brought out and came with a fresh side salad. For a weekday that was fast approaching Winter there were plenty of people enjoying their lunch and wandering in the garden.

Admittedly it wasn't the best time of year for plant life when we called in, but it was still a nice little walk around the garden after a warming lunch. You can really see the work that they have put in - and just how much of their own produce that is used in the cafe.

The gift shop as you enter to the left is also impressive, filled with festive treats and gifts - if you can't find something you like here there really is something wrong with you! They have a really good range of local crafts and produce to choose from. With a Christmas Fair coming on the 8th and 9th December (entry £4, children free) this might be the ideal time to give the Kitchen Garden at Meldon Park a try for yourself.

We really enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back!

Contact Details
Meldon Park
Morpeth,
Northumberland,
NE61 3SW

Tel 01670 772 321
Email mrscookson@compuserve.com
Website www.meldonpark.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: La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas, Morpeth

La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas in Morpeth

For me having tapas isn't just a meal, it's a joyous social occasion that brings back so many great memories. Thoughts of holidays long passed, of sitting grazing into the wee hours in some very special places. Of Spanish friends that I love dearly, of sharing their spectacular food in their homes and being welcomed and treated as if part of their family. Just mention tapas and you'll get a big old smile from me. So it was with a great sense of pleasure and excitement that I booked a meal at La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas in Morpeth. Located on the main road into (or out of) Morpeth, La Bodega occupies a former pub building and is intimately decorated and a good atmosphere.

There is subtle lighting in the evening, especially in the corner where we were seated so I really must apologise for the awful standard of photographs of the food. They really don't do justice to what we were served, but you can get the idea of portion size and presentation. We were warmly greeted on this Saturday evening by friendly staff that showed us to our table and we ordered bread and ali-oli while we perused the menu. What a great start this proved to be! I sometimes find ali-oli can be two overpowering and a little bitter, but not the La Bodega way! A smooth, subtle flavour of garlic with a hint of herbs with crusty bread still warm out of the oven and I was in appetiser heaven, this bodes well I thought.

Stack of Nachos - £4.75

We decided to order the Stack of Nachos as a starter before the main tapas event. What came out was easily enough for two people to share with an abundance of toppings including a fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, jalepenos, plenty of cheese and a wonderful surprise of re-fried beans underneath. Two out of two so far for La Bodega, I was beginning to get that buzz of excitement that comes with finding a great little foodie mecca. For our main course of tapas we ordered the Piri Piri Chicken, Albondigas (meatballs), Chorizo a la Riojana and Patatas Bravas. What a feast! The chicken was juicy and tender with a good hit of chilli, the chorizo packed with flavour and a delicious sauce from the Rioja.

Meatballs are possibly my favourite part of any tapas meal and a good barometer of a chef's skill and these were particularly good, a gentle sauce accompanied a generous portion and every drop was excitedly mopped up with the left over bread. The star of the meal however is definitely that ali-oli, the patatas bravas came smothered in it, coating the spicy tomato sauce.

Tapas selection at La Bodega

So gentle and so smooth, it soothed the chilli kick from the piri piri chicken perfectly, I couldn't get enough of it. I genuinely hope that it's made on-site otherwise I think I would be a little disappointed - I have enquired but as yet haven't had a reply, I'll keep you posted! The dessert menu was brought to our table on a blackboard, a fairly limited but nice choice, we went for the apple tart and the bread and butter pudding. Both were enjoyed but they didn't quite reach the culinary heights of the meal before it. The atmosphere by now on a Saturday evening was buzzing, a really nice mix of people out to have a good sociable meal.


Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at La Bodega, but that's not to say it was without fault... our table was really quite wobbly and our main tapas was brought to us before we'd finished the nachos we had ordered as a starter (not the standard tapas route I know). The meatballs could have been a tiny bit lighter in consistency, but that's being really nit picky and none of it mattered in the slightest - it's tapas! Our meal of appetiser and three courses with drinks for two people came to around £45 which in my book is pretty good value considering the quality of the food.

La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas' Scores
Venue: 3 and 1/2 out of 5
Ambience: 4 our of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Presentation: 4 out of 5
Taste: 4 and 1/2 out of 5
Value for Money: 4 out of 5

Overall Score:  With offers like three tapas for a tenner in the afternoon/early evening and a sharing menu at £15.95 there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't eat here, even if you've never tried tapas before. Morpeth really does deliver on international cuisine, so give it a try, I'm quite convinced you won't be disppointed. 4 out of 5.

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

Contact Details
84 Newgate Street
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 1BU

Tel: 01670 516055
email: info@labodegamorpeth.co.uk

Web: www.labodegamorpeth.co.uk