Seemingly at a loose end one Sunday, my wife Lisa and I had a mosey out into the countryside and couldn't resist stopping off for lunch at Horton Grange on our way home.
This charming, privately-owned hotel, set in the heart of Northumberland, is the perfect spot for everyday dining with its Sunday Lunch and Afternoon Tea offerings proving especially popular.
A lovely, leisurely vibe underpins the hotel so with this in mind we first sampled a quick livener in the hotel’s snug lounge area before adjourning to the conservatory restaurant.
This is a dining area which looks the part all year round but we thought it looked particularly radiant on a bright day with the first signs of spring clearly in the air.
With Dry January but a distant memory, Lisa settled in over a glass of fizz whilst a soft drink would have to do for her designated driver husband.
The restaurant offers 2 courses for a reasonable £21.95 and 3 courses for £25.00. The menu is centred around traditional British dishes, championing ingredients fresh, local and seasonal. We were in for real treat.
Lisa kicked off with the Carrot & Ginger soup, a light yet flavoursome dish embellished with fresh coriander leaves and Heritage carrot crisp. I chose the smoked salmon parfait with celeriac gremolata which proved another exquisite opener.
Following on, we both plumped for traditional roasts Lisa for the Northumbrian beef and I, the breast of chicken. Yorkshire puddings the perfect balance between light and crispy sat atop the meat and potatoes which were surrounded by a moat of rich, pan juices gravy.
A portion of seasonal vegetables were housed next to us in a huge tureen which had been steamed to a crunchy al dente.
It seems that the dessert menu had been cherry picked with us in mind. Lisa’s old favourite The Cheeseboard featured slabs of the good stuff all locally sourced, whilst the warm sticky toffee pudding (my old nemesis) once again got the better of me.
Two coffees and a wagonload of after-dinner mints rounded off what had been a meal in the top echelon.
It’s clear from this visit that Horton Grange’s dining offering continues to flourish. I
t should also be noted that the restaurant is open to non-residents throughout the week for lunch and dinner.
A Super Sunday indeed!
