Regular readers will be aware I am an enormous fan of proprietor Stuart Young's venues, including the Northumberland Arms in Felton and most recently, the classy Osters restaurant in Gosforth.
A balmy Summer’s evening merited a return to another much-loved local favourite, the Blackbird Inn in Ponteland.
We hadn’t visited the Blackbird since the dark days of Covid so it was a delight to see the charming gastropub back in full swing.
The weather was set fair for a change in this bleakest of Midsummer’s, so we made the short journey from Northern Insight HQ and found the sun-soaked beer garden replete with throngs of revellers. A good omen.
The venue is one of the most remarkable inns in England having originally been built by warriors in the 14th century. It’s said that the signing of the peace treaty between Henry III – England’s longest serving Medieval King – and Alexander of Scotland took place on the very site the Blackbird stands today.
It’s fair to say the venue has had a facelift since then but it retains a cosy, sleepy England appeal with low ceilings, original Tudor fireplace and frothy pints of the good stuff on keg and cask.
Most impressively, this is a pub with real culinary credentials and a menu befitting of its swanky rural clientele.
We were shown to a lovely, spacious corner table and perused a menu resplendent with rustic, country favourites with some contemporary inflections. Wafts of beerbattered haddock and steak & ale pie pervade the air and really got the digestive juices flowing while we sipped on an excellent bottle of Pinot Grigio.
Under starter’s orders, I kicked off with the crispy Asian beef salad, a vibrant, visually appealing dish which was a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Suitably seasoned hunks of beef sat atop a verdant green pak choi salad lent real depth of flavour by the sharpness of the red onions.
Lisa was similarly gushing about her chicken and leek croquettes, set off exquisitely by a slick of wild garlic mayo.
These starters had really awakened the palate and after a brief intermission, we tucked into our main courses with gusto. Nourishing, freshly-prepared pub fayre was the order of the day for yours truly as I enjoyed 8oz fillet steak with all the accoutrements. A silky and seductive malbec complemented this majestically.
As is her wont, Lisa picked out another revelation in the chicken supreme with tender spring cabbage and fondant potatoes. A silky-smooth cauliflower puree added a refined touch while a fragrant tarragon jus tied everything together with aplomb.
With a recent trip to Lake Garda derailing my summer diet plans, we decided to finish with a flourish. A warm chocolate brownie with sour cherry ice cream provided a memorable finale, rounding off one of our most enjoyable meals of the year.
Totally replete, we toasted to an afternoon well spent. With a leisurely, laid-back feel this classic country pub is perfect for drinking in the last of the summer wine and well worth a visit for its destination dining pedigree.
With service warm and attentive throughout, this blackbird is flying high.
For more information, visit www.theblackbirdponteland.co.uk