Tracking down game for our menu
February 26 2010
Above: Sourcing locally; Lindisfarne Inn’s Sean Donkin (left) with chef David Barella (right) and Francis Watson Armstrong of Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estates.
Game sourced from local estates is on the menu at the Lindisfarne Inn.
The Lindisfarne Inn has sourced naturally-reared pheasant and partridges from the Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estate for its winter menu
this year.
Diners can enjoy the game in dishes like oven roasted breast of pheasant with rosemary and thyme and in game casseroles with herb dumplings.
Sourcing the game is part of a drive by the Inn to feature tasty and affordable local produce on its menu boards.
Sean Donkin, of Lindisfarne Inns, said: “We’re very keen to source and use local produce in our dishes and are delighted to be growing the contacts we have with suppliers.
“Game is a great ingredient. It’s wild, natural and free range. It’s a great alternative to chicken and has a lovely subtle flavour and being very low in fat and cholesterol makes it a healthy option as well.”
Francis Watson Armstrong of Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estate said: “We are delighted local businesses like the Lindisfarne Inn are using game on their menus. Game is a delicious local produce which is enjoying a rise in popularity. I’m certainly looking forward to sampling some of the dishes.”
Customers inn for a treat this Halloween
October 27 2009
Customers at Beal’s Lindisfarne Inn are in for a treat this Halloween thanks to the “sorcery”
of a surprise local ingredient.
(Picture, above: Using the fright ingredients, Lindisfarne Inn head chef Chris Taylor, left, with general manager, Peter O’Brien)
As the spookiest day of the year approaches, head chef at the Lindisfarne Inn, Chris Taylor, has been getting it fright sourcing a local ingredient with a difference - pumpkins grown on Holy Island.
The pumpkins are grown on the island by Robert Brigham and Danny Hodgson on the island, which is better known for its oysters and mead. The inn has sourced the giant orange vegetables for its new autumn menu.
Lindisfarne Inn manager Peter O’Brien said: “We’re really working hard to develop our links with local suppliers like Danny and are trying to source as much local produce as possible to put on the menu. Little did we think we would end up using pumpkins from Lindisfarne! It’s no trick, I can assure you and the treat is definitely there for our customers to enjoy with great pumpkin starters and mains we’re going to be putting on the menu.”
Peter added: “We’re keen to work with as many producers as possible to supply us with produce grown or reared locally and urge suppliers to get in touch with us if they have a product that could feature on our menu.”
Robert Brigham with Danny Hodgson and Danny’s son Richard grow the vegetables on the 240-acre St Coomb’s farm on the island. Also known for their strawberries and maize maze, the pumpkins are planted from seed in May, yielding a bumper 300-plant crop of the mammoth vegetables this autumn.
Look out for Holy Island pumpkin on the Lindisfarne Inn menu including specials like sea bass on pumpkin mash infused with herb oil, a warming pumpkin soup and sweet potato and roast pumpkin tart.
Tourism students raise the bar
Students from Thornhill’s Travel and Tourism BTEC diploma course made the trip to Northumberland to visit the newly renovated Lindisfarne Inn close to Holy Island and the Bamburgh Castle Inn at nearby Seahouses to study how real life tourism businesses operate. As well as looking at how the daily food specials are created, on the menu for their visit was discovering about leisure trade technology, how business is won and perfecting the visitor experience.
Travel and Tourism lecturer Samantha Cuggy said: “This trip gave the students a real insight into how a modern tourism business operates today. The students on this course all have high hopes of entering into the growing and dynamic sector of travel and tourism. The visit has been beneficial to them in helping them see how the theoretical part of their course is applied in real life business situations. It has also proved invaluable in helping students hone the business, travel and tourism related skills they need to go on into employment or further education in the sector.”
Shannelle Dakers, 17, of Sunderland said: “It’s been a brilliant experience. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the different sides of what goes on at the Lindisfarne Inn and Bamburgh Castle Inn at Seahouses. It’s completely different seeing the practical operations of what goes on behind the scenes compared to the experience you are used to as a customer. It’s been really interesting and they are lovely inns, I would like to stay here!”
Chris Liddell said: “It’s been great to have the students here. We’ve looked at every level of the visitor experience and how hospitality ventures like the Bamburgh Castle Inn and Lindisfarne Inn operate as a business. As well as encouraging the youngsters to want to work in the industry, a lot of the students said they wanted to come and stay with us which is wonderful. That’s the feeling we definitely want to inspire in our potential customers as well.”
11/10/08 – North East Ambassadors article
26/12/08 – Journal Live review
01/01/09 – North East Exclusive review
30/04/09 – Golfers flock to region
