Give game a go - weekly game night launches
November 2011
Game author Emma Whittingham (left) with Colin Rutter (Ellingham Shoot), Keith Liddell, Lindisfarne Inns, William Watson Armstrong (Bamburgh Castle & Cragside Estate) and Chris Taylor
We're encouraging people to game a go with our new weekly Game Nights.
Dishes featuring the flavours of wild pheasant, partridge, rabbit and venison will be among the highlights of weekly game evenings we're staging, to raise the profile of game as a tasty and healthy alternative to beef, pork and chicken.
Wild game, fresh from Northumberland estates, will be showcased each week in a menu devised by our head chef Chris Taylor.
Chris said: “Game is lean, healthy and in season right now so what better time to sample it? Game is already growing in popularity and is an ingredient I like to use in the kitchen.
“We’re hoping that by offering people game served up in alternative dishes like curries and risottos as well as traditional roasts, we will tempt more people to give game a go.
“As a meat, game has so much going for it, from its rich flavour to the wide range of dishes that can be produced from it. Plus, it’s incredibly healthy - game is free-range, organic, high in protein and low in cholesterol.”
Game will be supplied by Northumberland Estates at Alnwick, Rothbury’s Bamburgh Castle & Cragside Estate and from Ellingham pheasant and partridge shoot, meaning meals will have low food miles.
We kick started the initiative with a special Game Feast where game suppliers were among those sampling just what Chris can cook up with their produce.
Showing her support for the inn’s drive is local game expert Emma Whittingham.
Emma, who has written the Game on Northumberland cook book, said: “We have a fantastic array of game on the doorstep here in Northumberland, yet so many people never experience it for themselves.
“People tend to think game is very strong in flavour or they have bad memories of being forced to eat game that has been hung for too long. The reality is that game is a delicious meat and suitable for far more meals than roasting alone. I’m delighted chefs like Chris are encouraging people to give game a go.”
The Countryside Alliance’s Game-to-Eat campaign is also backing The Lindisfarne Inn’s initiative.The campaign started in 2001 to bring game to a wider audience and has been building on its success year by year.
Alexia Robinson from Game-to-Eat said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Game Feast evenings and we hope it persuades lots of people to try game. We have supplied the inn with our free 16 page recipe booklets in the hope that the customers will take them and go onto enjoy game more often.”
Our game evenings will run each Wednesday evening from 6pm – 9pm more details here.
And for information about game and how to cook it, see www.gametoeat.co.uk or follow @GametoEat on Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to pick up your free recipe Game to Eat cookery booklet next time you're in.
Free starter or dessert when you dine with us
November 2011
Come and enjoy a free starter with us
Customers dining with us can take advantage of our great new winter offer of a free starter or dessert with a main meal, seven days a week.
We’ve introduced this voucher to celebrate our new winter menu so you can try a wide range of delicious starters like grilled black pudding with crispy bacon, garlic and chorizo king prawns or moreish crispy potato skins on us!
Dessert lovers can choose from our daily changing pudding specials or from our wide range of quality ice creams.
Download your free voucher here and simply bring it with you when you call in.
Lindisfarne Inn guests save money on Castle admission
September 2011
From left, Mark Kennedy with our sister inn The Bamburgh Castle Inn general manager Sean Donkin and Chris Calvert of Bamburgh Castle
Guests staying with us can now enjoy 10% off admission into one of the UK’s top attractions – Bamburgh Castle.
Along with our sister inn, The Bamburgh Castle Inn, we’ve joined forces with iconic Bamburgh Castle’s to participate in their discount voucher scheme, so our guests can get into this incredible Castle for less.
Our manager Mark Kennedy said: “ It is good to be working in partnership with Bamburgh Castle to join their voucher participation scheme which means our guests can enjoy discounted admission rates if they visit the castle.
“Bamburgh Castle is one of the top places to visit in the country and we’re lucky enough to have it close by. The fact that our guests will be able to receive money off usual admission rates is better still.”
Guests wanting to take advantage of the Bamburgh Castle discounted admission voucher should ask a member of our team for details.
Guests taste test new autumn winter menu
September 2011
Head chef Chris Taylor experimenting in the kitchen for our new autumn winter menu
Customers have been helping us make the final choices for dishes to add to our new autumn winter menu which is coming soon.
As well as traditional pub classics and family favourites, our chefs have had a great time trying out original, seasonal dishes to feature on our new menu. And our guests played a big part in helping us decide which ones to add, by selecting their favourites.
General manager Mark Kennedy said: “We whittled down our favourite dishes and put these onto our Specials board over the last few weeks to see which our customers thought looked, sounded and tasted the best. We had excellent feedback from customers which helped us decide on a selection of tasty and hearty fish, meat and poultry dishes to add to our menu that were perfect for the coming winter months.”
Look out for warming, delicious dishes like slow roasted belly pork with haggis, Duck breast with cinnamon braised red cabbage and a madeira sauce and baked goats cheese with lime and chilli.
A real winner was grilled black pudding with crispy bacon and a rich slow-roasted sweet red pepper and tomato sauce which flew out of the kitchen when it was a specials dish.
The Lindisfarne Inn launches October 1.
Pub welcomes Open golfers
June 2011
We're looking forward to welcoming golfers from across the region taking part on North East regional qualifiers at nearby Goswick Links Golf Club.
The James Braid Masterpiece course, a ten minute drive from the Lindisfarne Inn, is widely aknowledged as a truly classic links course and is a regional qualifier course for the Open Championship.
We wish all players the very best of luck.
Pubs game for Valentine's day
February 2011
A brace of Northumberland pubs will be dishing up game this Valentine’s Day.
The Bamburgh Castle Inn at Seahouses and Lindisfarne Inn, Beal, who source naturally-reared pheasant and partridges from the Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estate and venison from Northumberland Estates are giving game a romantic twist for their Valentine’s menus.
Diners will be able to tuck into pheasant breast with a mustard, tarragon and red wine sauce at the Bamburgh Castle Inn while the Lindisfarne Inn is dishing up Venison with confit potatoes and Rosemary jus.
James Watson, the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s sous chef said: “We love eating and using game so it easily won a place on our Valentine’s menu! We like to feature local produce in our menus. As well as having good supplier contacts with local fish, shellfish and producers, we’re lucky enough to have really good game suppliers nearby like Bamburgh Castle and Northumberland Estates.
“Game is a very versatile and tasty local product which people will love this Valentine’s Day.”
Mark Kennedy is manager at the Lindisfarne Inn. He said: “Our customers like to eat local ingredients – for many people this is all part of their eating out experience, trying something new and unique to that area.
“While we always have the traditional pub favourites on our menu we use whichever locally sourced and seasonal products are available to us on our specials board. In season you’ll find plenty of game dishes like our Valentine venison.
Francis Watson Armstrong of Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estates said: “Game is often underrated but is a delicious and healthy British food. The fact that pubs and restaurants like the Lindisfarne Inn and Bamburgh Castle Inn are using local Northumberland game so more people can taste and enjoy this delicious and versatile meat is fantastic.”
The Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne Inn’s Valentine menu featuring Northumberland game is being served from Saturday February 12 to Valentine’s Day on Monday. A three course meal including bottle of wine per couple is £14.95.
All hands to the pump-kins as inn sorcers spooky load
October 2010
Above: Pumpkins land inn time for Halloween; head chef Chris Taylor (left) and manager Mark Kennedy.
Chefs at a Northumberland inn have taken delivery of a treat-of-a-local ingredient – just in time for Halloween.
Head chef at the Lindisfarne Inn Chris Taylor has a spooktacular load of pumpkins arriving for use in a host of seasonal specials for its new Autumn menu. What’s more, they’re grown almost within sight of the inn on nearby Holy Island.
The pumpkins have been sourced from farmer Danny Hodgson, who grows the giant orange fruits – synonymous with Halloween – on redundant strawberry beds in a fruit and vegetable field. The field, with its views across the island to Holy Island Castle, forms part of Robert Brigham’s 240-acre St Coombs farm, which Danny works with his son Richard and Robert himself. The pumpkins are planted from seed in May, yielding their spooky crop of giant vegetables in the autumn.
Lindisfarne Inn manager Mark Kennedy said: “It’s incredible that we can have pumpkin on the menu this Halloween that’s not just grown close by – but from our inn’s namesake Lindisfarne, just a few minutes’ drive away. You could almost say it was a spooky coincidence!
“We like to use local ingredients whenever we can. Lots of people have heard of mussels, oysters and crab from Holy Island, but they get a surprise that the pumpkins in our dishes comes from the island as well.”
Chris Taylor said: “We’re using the pumpkin in all sorts of dishes which will run on our special’s board, but back by popular demand is our special pumpkin soup with added Lindisfarne Mead which really brings out the sweetness of the soup. It’s a real autumn warmer winner, especially served with a slice of crusty bread and butter.”
As well as 300 pumpkins yielding over 400 pumpkin fruits, Danny, who is a familiar face on Holy Island throughout the summer with his ever-popular Lindisfarne strawberries and maize maze, has turned his hand to squashes which the Lindisfarne Inn is also using in its dishes to add a colourful mix of flavour and texture.
Danny said: “It’s been a super year for pumpkins, which is great for the likes of the Lindisfarne Inn as it means we can supply them with a bumper delivery!
“As well as the pumpkins, we’ve grown five varieties of squash this year too including Butternut, Crown and Harlequin. They are all grown on old strawberry rows in the field on the island,” explained Danny.
He added: “We’re in the fifth year of growing pumpkins now. At first people used to buy them just for a novelty at Halloween. Now the majority of them are eaten as well as used for lanterns and displays and they are absolutely delicious. My favourite has to be the pumpkin soup that the Lindisfarne dishes up. It’s just the thing on one of these cold days.”
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.
Group inn wins award
September 2010
The Bamburgh Castle Inn has been voted one of Britain’s best pubs in country for its year-on-year performance.
Competing against pubs from across the country, The Bamburgh Castle Inn at Seahouses was a finalist in the coveted Great British Pub Awards’ Best Turnaround Pub category at a glittering ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel on London’s Park Lane.
The section – new this year to the awards organised by industry publication The Morning Advertiser – recognised the Inn’s successes in growing trade during the recession. And although the Bamburgh Castle Inn didn’t win its category, it was one of just two in Northumberland to reach the finals where inns were judged in 16 different sections.
Bamburgh Castle Inn general manager, Sean Donkin, said: “The Great British Pub Awards are one of the most important in the industry. Being up there competing against the best in the country is a massive pat on the back for our staff and recognises all their hard work in turning the Bamburgh Castle Inn from a ‘sleeping giant’ into the village hub it is today.
“These are difficult times in our industry but ours is a thriving business. We have put our heads above the parapet and are proactive in securing new business, being innovative and responsive in our offer, looking after the customers we have and keeping them loyal.”
The Bamburgh Castle progressed to the national finals after winning the North East and Yorkshire regional Turnaround Pub Award.
The 30-bedroom Inn underwent a stringent judging process, which involved a detailed paper application, followed by a site visit and interview session with the judging panel.
Once a residents-only hotel, it is now a thriving Inn, offering first rate food, real ales, quizzes, coffee mornings and art and photography exhibitions. It also caters for parties, functions and is used as a venue by more than 50 groups, organisations and clubs.
Innovations, including a courtesy bus to collect and drop off guests from bus and railway stations or to transport walkers and golfers, helped set the Bamburgh Castle Inn apart from its competitors.
Local food especially shellfish and fish landed on the quayside opposite is a real draw for the Inn, which is also a must-visit for fans of real ale. The Inn has both a Cask Marque accreditation for serving the perfect pint of cask conditioned ale and a locAle accreditation from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for serving ales sourced within a 30-mile radius.
And during what is often the ‘dead’ off-season in tourist centres like Seahouses, the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s policy of winter break rates and dining offers meant its rooms were 95% filled in February last year. The statistic was picked up by BBC News and the Inn was featured on national breakfast television, leading to a surge of additional bookings.
Isaac Sheps, chief executive officer at Carlsberg UK, sponsor of the Best Turnaround Pub category, said: "Turning an under-performing pub into a thriving one is no mean feat, especially in the current economic climate. Sean has achieved it through hard work and determination.”
Inn welcomes Great North Run participants
September 2010
As the build up to this year’s Great North Run gets underway, the Lindisfarne Inn is offering competitors and their supporters the chance of a great night’s stay to recharge their batteries ahead of the big event on Sunday September 19.
With its 21 modern lodge style rooms, comfy beds and energy giving home cooked foods, the Lindisfarne Inn is a great place for people travelling to the event to stay before and enjoy after they have raced.
Mark Kennedy, general manager at the Lindisfarne Inn said: “We’re in a great location right alongside the A1 trunk road so people travelling down to the race from Scotland have the perfect place to stop for the night and take a well earned rest before the big day. We’re going to have some pre-race meals available with plenty of local produce on our special boards too to set runners up for the day ahead.
“We’re just over an hour from Newcastle and out of the hustle and bustle of the city too. Plus with all the beaches on the doorstep, why not make a break of it and get in some last minute training along the beach too?”
Lindisfarne Inn goes extra mile with courtesy bus
August 2010
As a rural pub and with customer service a real priority for us, the Lindisfarne Inn has a courtesy bus to help our customers get out and about.
Mark Kennedy, our general manager said: “Looking after our customer’s needs is very important to us and getting out and about easily is part of that.
“One of our best features is our rural location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is fantastic but can mean restricted transport options for visitors.
“We’ve also got some of the country’s most famous walks on our doorstep like the St Oswald’s Way. Thanks to our courtesy vehicle we are able to pick up and drop off guests from train and bus stations, transport golfers and people on walking trips and collect or take their equipment to their next locations. We also transport guests to attractions nearby like Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle.
“During the winter, we have sporting guests who attend shoots nearby. We are happy to collect and drop them off as well.”
Mark added: “The courtesy vehicle is subject to availability – we can’t provide a taxi service – but our aim is to go that extra mile for our customers and provide a great customer service wherever we possibly can.”
Inn welcomes model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd
August 2010
Model turned television presenter Jodie Kidd has enjoyed a stay with us at the Lindisfarne Inn.
Horse-lover Jodie paid a first-time visit to the area with the BBC filming for a new series she is fronting called Country Tracks.
Jodie, who is an expert polo player, stayed at the inn before heading to Bamburgh to ride along the beach there to film an episode about beach riding which will be broadcast next year.
After galloping along the sands with the castle as a backdrop, Jodie, who lives in West Sussex, said: “This was my favourite activity on the Northumberland coast. Harry was a beautiful horse with a great temperament.”
Mark Kennedy, our general manager said: “Jodie and the BBC team were a real pleasure to have to stay. They were very friendly and polite to all the staff and said how much they had enjoyed their stay and that the food had been delicious. We hope we’ll see them again soon!”
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
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