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What to Eat & Drink

Northumberland hill lamb has a sweet, succulent flavour to rival any found elsewhere in the world. The lamb begins to appear in the local markets during the summer after months grazing on the heather covered hills of the Cheviots.

Lamb

In a county where sheep out number people, Northumberland lamb is always in good supply. Lowland lambs start to come to market in early May and lambs of excellent quality are available throughout the summer. Late August sees the start of the new season hill lambs. These slightly smaller lambs, straight off the heather, have low-fat content and an almost sweet flavour, making them one of the best Northumberland products.

Northumberland breeds such as Hexham Blackface and Cheviot lambs are as much about heritage and culture as they are about their brilliant flavor.

Local producers are extremely proud of the high quality produce available in Northumberland. As with Northumberland lamb, the beef is flavoured by the lush pasture land to be found on the hills of Northumberland.

Beef

Northumberland beef is some of the finest in England because our cattle is reared on rolling hills and lush lowland pastures. Traditional hill breeds are the cream of the crop and include Aberdeen Angus, Gallaway, and Welsh Black. The odd shaggy Highland thrives on our wonderful fells. Some of the best restaurants in London use Northumberland butchers to supply their meat, as well as some of the best Northumberland ones too!

The county has a good range of traditional butchers and restaurants all keen to tell the story of the piece of beef you are about to purchase.

The rural nature of Northumberland, with it's rolling hills, deep forests and sparse human population, makes it a haven for elusive game. Northumberland is home to huge populations of grouse, pheasant and venison, most of which you will find in the pubs and restaurants throughout Northumberland.

Game

In Northumberland we are incredibly fortunate to have a vast array of wild game from red grouse to fallow venison. In fact all of Britain’s wild harvest is available within our borders, the venison, pigeon and rabbit in season all year round. Grouse season starts on the (in)famous 'Glorious' 12th of August, duck and partridge from 1st of September and pheasants from the 1st of October.

Together with snipe, woodcock, goose and even plover, we really do have the menu for either the game connoisseur or the individual seeking an exciting new culinary experience.

The waters off the Northumberland coastline are teeming with exquisite fish and shellfish. Crabs, lobsters, oysters and mussels are found in great abundance close to the shoreline, whilst wild salmon, sea trout and mackerel run up the coastline and rivers.

Fish and shellfish

Dotted along our beautiful coastline you will find working fishing villages whose history of fishing in some instances is as old as Northumberland itself. From the traditional cobles bag netting wild salmon and sea trout and pot fishing for crabs and lobsters - to modern trawlers landing the very best of white fish to scallops and the finest langoustines anywhere in the world.

Of course it goes without saying that Northumberland has a tradition of smoking herring to make kippers. This must-try delicacy is produced in Craster and in Seahouses

Whilst poultry and pork is not widely produced in Northumberland, the few that do are held in extremely high regard, with restaurants all over the UK eager to use the best of the best.

Pork and poultry

Although not famed for either of these, Northumberland has a small but growing group of artisan producers bringing excellent product to market. One producer supplies three Michelin starred chef Heston Blumenthal with his Middle White pork.

Also look out for the Blagdon Estate Farm shop which produces rare-breed pork, chicken, geese, ducks, turkey on site and sells directly through its own national award-wining butchers.

When you visit one of our traditional butchers make sure you seek out some of the finest sausages ever, or just make sure that they are served as part of your Great Northumberland Breakfast!

From the largest farming estates to the smallest allotments, the pride of Northumbrians is reflected in the care and devotion afforded to their fruit and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables

We have both traditional and non-traditional growers throughout our county, with heritage potatoes from the Till Valley to asparagus from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Small market gardens and farms produce all kinds of vegetables for our shops and restaurants. The soft fruit produced in Northumberland is quite excellent although traditionally slightly later than the rest of England, but well worth the wait nevertheless.

Northumberland, in particular the former mining villages, has a great tradition of vegetable growing on the allotments. We are known specifically for the growing of giant leeks and onions for competition.

In late summer and early autumn the Northumberland leek shows are a unique and wonderful experience and an opportunity to see some unfeasibly large vegetables!

No matter what your favourite tipple is, you're sure to find something to suit you here in Northumberland. Make sure you try the world famous Lindisfarne Mead when you visit Northumberland.

Beers and Beverages

With the revival of the micro brewery business some excellent beers are now being produced in Northumberland, from dark stouts and porters to light ales and lagers. All are available across the county, so hunt them out on your travels around inns and pubs, or at breweries where you can visit and buy direct. And remember, this is a cultural journey and NOT a pub crawl.

More famous though is a drop of the stronger stuff, Lindisfarne Mead, Alnwick Rum and the recent addition of Black Rory Whisky, inspired by the legend of the whisky runner from the Cheviot Hills.

Fresh dairy products are a real delicacy in Northumberland. Look out for some of Northumberland's beautiful ice cream to cool you down on the warmest of days, whilst Northumberland cheeses will make a great addition to your picnic hamper.

Dairy

We may be in the north, but that doesn't mean we don't have great weather. In fact, Northumberland has one of the lowest rainfalls of any county in England! So to cool down on a balmy summer afternoon, or as a desert to follow lunch try some of our lovely Northumberland Dairy Ice Cream from Doddingtons, Weelbergs or Morwick dairies, where they take fresh creamy milk produced on their own farms and turn it into natural fresh and delicious diary ice cream. Doddingtons even makes some with the legendary Newcastle Brown Ale and with Alnwick rum.

Also a must is to look out for the rather wonderful and eccentric Made in Northumberland ice cream bikes, which sell ice cream from all three makers - Click here to see where they are located.

There are some great local cheeses available too. Look out for the goats cheeses, and one made with nettles from the Northumberland Cheese Company, as well as fine artisan cheese such as Cuddy's Cave made by Doddington Dairy.

The traditional jobs of Northumberland inolved long, strenuous hours toiling in the fields or mining the coal pits. During these times, the only way to start the day was to treat yourself to a delicious cooked breakfast. Despite the closure of all the pits and the increasing mechanisation of farming, Northumbrians still love to the start the day with a delicious home cooked breakfast.

The Great Northumberland Breakfast

Breakfast is something we do extremely well in Northumberland, we have it all: kippers, smoked cod and haddock, oysters, bacon, sausages, free range eggs, great bread, black pudding, white pudding. Enjoy the rich tastes of Northumberland at the start of the day and take an opportunity to take time to fill up on Northumberland’s finest, maybe read a paper and finish breaking your fast just in time to start thinking about what you will be having for lunch. Probably not a pleasure for everyday but worth a try when in Northumberland!