Food and drink in Northumberland

Forkfuls of local food

Take one diverse county, add a sprig of coast, a dash of countryside and a sprinkling of passionate producers. The result is Northumberland’s fresh seafood, outstanding restaurants, locally brewed tipples and fantastic food and drink festivals.

There's nothing that food won't fix

Sample smoked kippers on the coastline at Craster, taste tea at the home of Earl Grey himself at Howick Hall, shell out on exquisite seafood at one of the region’s best restaurants and sip on Mead fit for monks on Lindisfarne Island in Northumberland.

Here, eggs can be bought fresh from farmers’ markets, bread is made with flour ground in Northumberland’s oldest working water mill, and ice cream that’s made on an award-winning local dairy farm. As you explore the region you can really get a taste for the local area and its produce.

Taste local tipples from one of our excellent breweries, gin distillers and mead producers.

Looking for food on the go? Northumberland has some of the best takeaways for days out, including fish and chips, stone baked pizza and the renowned ‘Bamburgh Banger’.

Restaurants

Dine in a castle drawing room, amongst fairy-lit treetops or al-fresco beneath the stars in Northumberland. We have everything from riverside restaurants to fish shacks on the beach, so you can make your next meal one to remember.

Pubs

Rub shoulders with locals, taste Northumbrian drinks or dine with your dog in one of Northumberland’s dog friendly pubs. From seafront pubs with beachside beer gardens to cosy, countryside inns with roaring log fires, we’ve got pubs a-plenty.

Afternoon Tea in Northumberland

If you’re looking for the best Afternoon Tea in Northumberland then look no further. We have collated a list of ten of the best Afternoon Teas in Northumberland that are excellent for a birthday celebration, Mother’s and Father’s Day, or just simply a no-occasion-needed treat.

Cafes

Curl up in one of Northumberland’s cafés and tea rooms for a comforting cuppa or a warming coffee. Settle into comfy armchairs, indulge on home made baked goods in between sightseeing or quench your thirst in the sunshine on a garden terrace.

Seafood in Northumberland

Northumberland’s coast makes for fantastic seafood restaurants, which are plentiful throughout our old fishing villages. Lobster hatcheries, fish shacks, fish and chips shops and Michelin-star restaurants offer an eclectic mix of fresh seafood.

Food and drink events

From celebrity chefs to agricultural shows, food and drink festivals in Northumberland are the perfect way to celebrate rural life and the county’s award-winning produce.

Produced in Northumberland

From the monks at Lindisfarne to the kitchens of the great castles and country houses, to the gardens of shepherds' cottages and allotments of miners' terraces, the food heritage in Northumberland is rich and varied.

Picnic spots

Roll up a blanket, fill a basket with delicious local ingredients, find a beautiful picnic spot and enjoy your meal ‘al fresco’. In Northumberland, you can choose from castles and cobbles, sea and sand or hills and herds as your picnic backdrop.

At your service

Dine by firesides in cosy pubs in Northumberland, soak up sea views with your four legged friends in one of our many dog friendly pubs and cafes, or look out over countryside landscapes while you taste local delicacies in Northumberlands picturesque towns and villages. Northumberland has some of the best restaurants, pubs and inns to stay at, including The Ship Inn, The Lord Crewe Arms Restaurant and Bar, as well as the Bamburgh Castle Inn and many more. Whether it is enjoying afternoon tea with loved ones or sampling a hearty Sunday roast, there are so many options to choose from in Northumberland.

Your guide to the best food & drink in Northumberland

Sort By

Berwick-upon-Tweed Pubs, Bars & Inns

The Barrels

Holy Island Cafes, Tearooms & Coffee Shops

1st Class Food

01289 389271

Ponteland Restaurants

Fratelli

01661 872195

Morpeth Pubs, Bars & Inns

The Black Bull, Morpeth

01670 512089

Holy Island Pubs, Bars & Inns

The Ship Inn, Holy Island

01289 389311

Shilbottle Cafes, Tearooms & Coffee Shops

The Running Fox | Shilbottle

01665 660721

Alnwick Restaurants

Cafe Tirreno

01665 605455

Morpeth Cafes, Tearooms & Coffee Shops

The Chantry Tea Rooms

01670 514414

Morpeth Restaurants

The Townhouse

01670 336833

Hexham Restaurants

Vercelli

01434 603350

The best fish and chips

Grab a bag of crispy, salty fish and chips in Northumberland. There's nowhere better to taste delicious, fresh fish than on our exquisite coastline where the catch is local and the fish and chip shops take great pride in their amazing produce. Whether it’s Bamburgh, Alnmouth, Amble or Blyth, you will be sure to enjoy a taste of Northumberland on your visit.

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Food Blogs

16 February 2024

The best fish and chips in Northumberland

Fish and chips — the number one seaside delicacy. There’s nothing quite like it, especially after a lengthy walk along the coastline.

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14 September 2023

The best Sunday lunches in Northumberland

There’s nothing more comforting than gathering with loved ones and tucking into a hearty lunch on a Sunday.