2023 Challenge - to find better food than Beadnell Towers, Northumberland
It’s only January and already I think I have found the best food I am going to eat in the UK this year.. quite a statement I know…but when you know, you know, right? A bit like falling in love.. Places like Beadnell Towers are the reason that I love my job, (which looks glamorous but really isn’t) - privately owned little gems with a fantastic team, beautiful well-priced rooms and amazing food. What’s not to love?
Beadnell Towers, Northumberland
Small and cosy Beadnell Towers is a home-from-home in a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast not far from the delights of Alnwick. The bedrooms at this 18th-century hotel have been styled in a soft nautical theme with seascape oil paintings set against stone walls and wooden floors with many of the original features still in place. Bathrooms are spacious with wooden panelling, towel warmers, fluffy towels and bathrobes. Each of the rooms at Beadnell Towers is named after Northumbrian sayings like Ducket (dovecoat), Yarkin (large), Hyem (home) and Cooth (comfortable), while the dog-friendly restaurant is more trendy chic than fishermen’s friends, serving local beers, spirits and freshly-caught seafood. The new talented Executive Chef Paul Johnson has years of experience under his belt; he had his own pub, The Ship Wylam and has worked under the guidance of Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall. He runs an efficient, friendly and talented team.
Head to Seahouses and breath in the sea air whilst hopping on a boat over to the Farne Islands to see the native puffins. The snug bar, sitting room and kitchen are open all year round with a relaxed vibe; flip flops, muddy boots, muddy paws, bare feet and all ages are welcome! Part of the restaurant is dog-friendly and all of the downstairs rooms are too. Recent additions include rooms in a couple of cottages and there are now cottages you can rent as well if you’re after a little more independence.
Expect exceptional local and seasonal produce and food heritage, with simple, delicious cooking, excellent ales, bespoke spirits and fine wines with a relaxed, warm Northumbrian welcome.
Everything served at Beadnell Towers has been carefully chosen and curated with a focus on quality and provenance. Relationships with the producers and suppliers are key and are of paramount importance to your experience.
I can honestly say that Paul and his team produced some of the best food I have ever tasted anywhere - the prawns were the biggest, freshest, juiciest I have ever seen, and the barley risotto was full of flavour - close your eyes and you’ll think you’re in one of the best restaurants in Rome. The sticky toffee pudding with treacle was soft, melt-in-the-mouth moist, the chocolate mousse light and fluffy, and the rice pudding (yes, I tried them all!) a triumph. Faultless food, faultless service - my challenge for 2023 is to find better food… it is going to be a hard one!
A fabulous village local and a place for travellers, visitors and locals to catch their breath, unwind and relax. Also a great choice for a cheeky night away with your lover, worth the drive, however long it takes you.
Beadnell Gin from Pilgrim Spirit Company
Local spirits company Pilgrim has crafted Beadnell Gin especially for Beadnell Towers, infused with a select blend of botanicals for a unique taste. It’s now a firm favourite for G & T o’clock.
Red Box – Edinburgh
Red Box have created a bespoke boutique hotel blend of coffee for the Beadnell Towers along with a very special Earl Grey Tea, made using local wild ingredients.
Other Northumbrian produce
Alnwick Brewery supply beers and local ales and there are guest beers on the list from other Northumbrian brewers.
Rates at Beadnell Towers from £129 per night B&B
Northumberland Cheese Co.
Working with a 19th Century granary on the Blagdon Estate, South Northumberland our cheese supplier marries traditional craftsmanship with modern best practices. You really can taste the difference.
Doddington Dairy
Some of the cheeses but mainly the ice cream is supplied by Doddingtons, nestled at the bottom of the Cheviot Hills in the Glendale Valley of Northumberland. They have the Maxwell family to thank as they are involved in the whole ice cream-making process from feeding and milking the cows to hand-selecting and mixing the ingredients.
Shepherd’s Purse
Having started by making cheese only from sheep milk, they extended their range to include cow’s milk and even water buffalo milk cheeses. Today, they are best known for their blue cheese; Yorkshire Blue. That’s why Beadnell Towers use it.
R&J Butchers
They spread their wings a little to be supplied by this top-quality butcher. The Executive Chef, Paul Johnson, believes they are the finest meat suppliers. From our Dry-Aged Steaks to our Salt-Aged Angus Burgers, we’re certain you will be completely satisfied.
Hodgson Fish
They also use Hodgson to supply the fish. They were established in 1916 and are steeped in family history and are renowned as one of the finest fish merchants on the East Coast, supplying the freshest fish across Northumberland and the North East.
Bread & Roses
They bake our real artisan sourdough bread in their bakery in Alnwick, just down the road. Hand-crafted professional bakers with 25 years of experience in the bakery.
Particularly Good Potatoes
Based in Wooler with farms across Northumberland, they supply our locally grown, quality fresh chips and potato products. Because the people of Northumberland deserve the best chips in the UK.
Baste & Bray
Award-winning Northumbrian rapeseed oil, is believed to be the most coastal rapeseed oil producer in the UK. They also use heritage potatoes supplied by Baste & Bray, fresh from the Buston Barns Farm in Warkworth.
Gilchesters Organics
They use organic flour which combines the traditional art of stone milling with quality grains from nature. A purely sustainable supplier based two miles north of Hadria’s Wall.
Northumberland Honey Co.
Their honey is produced by a 200-strong honeybee colony in the heart of Hadrians Wall Country and across Northumberland. They aim to keep bees sustainably, which we love.
Hammond Charcuterie
Rachel Hammond crafts our artisan speciality meats from the River Tweed and the green hills and wooded valleys of Berwickshire in Scotland.
Taylor Seafood
Experts in fresh fish and seafood, Taylor Foods have been in the fishmonger business for over 85 years! Established as a family-run business in 1926. Taylors then went it alone, running their business from along the quay-side in North Shields.
Lindisfarne Oysters
These delicious oysters begin life in the North Sea, using only the natural resources of the cool, pure Lindisfarne waters for their food; they can take up to four years to reach maturity, then less than an hour to reach your plate.
