Superb food, but it’s slightly pricey
THERE can be few nicer ways to spend a Sunday morning in the height of summer than walking around the Northumberland countryside in the sunshine before enjoying a good old roast afterwards.
Well, at least we were able to manage half of that on this particular day of rest.
Unfortunately, given that this is the North East of England, the weather did not play ball. Rather, it absolutely bucketed it down for hours on end.
So, shelving the idea of going for a stroll along Hadrian’s Wall first, we took refuge in a pub I had not visited in a few years but that has gained a burgeoning reputation for its food, its wines – and its gins, with 64 separate varieties available.
As much as I like a tipple or two, it was very
BLACKBIRD INN
North Road, Ponteland, NE20 9UH Tel: 01661 886 192
Food served: Noon to 5pm
Rating: 16/20 Character...........................
Quality................................ Service................................ Value................................... much the grub I was interested in at The Blackbird Inn in Ponteland on this particular occasion. Having sprinted in from the Eatsmobile in an attempt to avoid being soaked, we were relieved we booked ahead as we found ourselves inside a packed pub. The bar area was full of people standing around having drinks, while our room through to the side had every table filled – as did the atmospheric upstairs eating area, which has towering beams and exposed stonework. As nice as our room was, Mrs Eats and myself both commented that w e ’ d Car park..................... Kids allowed...................... Real ale..................................... Wine by the bottle........................ Credit cards..................................... Vegetarian food............................. Disabled toilets............................. rather have been upstairs. Alas, you cannot have everything.
Having just about dried ourselves down, She Who Must Be Fed ordered a Fentiman’s ginger beer (£2.50) and I got myself a pint of the ever-reliable Timothy Taylor’s Landlord (£4.00).
We then settled down for our starters: king prawns in tempura batter with sweet-chilli dip (£8.95) for Mrs Eats, and hamhock terrine with pea puree and spicy granola for yours truly (£6.50).
Both were excellent, if slightly on the pricey side, with the ham hock in particular having an excellent flavour – even if the granola lacked the promised spice. The prawns were sweet and juicy and the batter was light and free from grease.
On to the main event and, while Mrs Eats opted for the sirloin of local Hadrian’s heritage beef (£12.95), my eyes were immediately drawn to the ‘Trio of Meats’ (£14.95), which featured the aforementioned beef, as well as pork and lamb.
Both of our beefs were cooked as we requested, while the lamb was delicious. The pork was nice, if a little lacking in flavour, while the crackling was tasty if a little tough.
The accompanying vegetables included broccoli, cabbage and mashed turnip, while the roast potatoes were decent and the parsnips delicious. The Yorkshire puddings were also huge as well as flavourful.
Despite being suitably stuffed, our eyes were once again bigger than our stomachs – and we were both tempted by desserts.
Mrs Eats’ Eton Mess was full of fresh strawberries and was a nice, light dessert, while my chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream (both £5.95) was a triumph in chocolatey goodness. It offered the perfect balance of gooeyness and bitterness.
After paying the bill, Mrs Eats forced yours truly to go and fetch the Eatsmobile from the car park and bring it to the front. One of us got soaked, the other got themselves their own personal chauffeur.
As we discussed the meal on the drive home, we both agreed that the food was of an excellent standard, if slightly on the pricey side.
It is certainly worth a visit for a special occasion, but The Blackbird is probably a little too expensive to become your weekly Sunday-lunch destination.