After a couple of hours on my favourite beach in the world (Bamburgh), taking in the breath-taking sight of Bamburgh Castle, it was time to head back up to the village itself for a spot of lunch. Usually His Nibs and I get into Bamburgh a bit earlier in the day and always pop into The Copper Kettle for elevenses, but on this occasion we’d been a bit later leaving our gorgeous holiday cottage (LittleCroft in Alnmouth) so lunch was the nibble du jour!
Mummy Bird and Fledge were hungry too, and because Mummy hadn’t been to Bamburgh before (and it was Pooch’s first foray into eating out with us on this short break) we thought we’d go back to somewhere familiar, and that we knew to be dog-friendly. Turns out that everyone else and their dog (no pun intended!) had had the same idea, and there wasn’t a spare table to be had in the entire venue at The Copper Kettle! Undeterred, we walked a little further up the green and came across the imposing stone frontage of The Castle Inn. We sent The Man Bird in to ask if dogs were able to go inside, and indeed they are – in fact, they’re more than welcome; good to know for future reference that there’s more than one dog-friendly venue in the village.
Stepping inside the front bar area of The Castle Inn is like going back in time to a gentler, slower-paced time; the wood panelling, ambient lighting and coastal landscapes by local artists all combine to create a relaxed atmosphere. Pooch settled his weary body under the table whilst we got organised with drinks and began to look at the food menu.
To say there is an extensive choice of dishes wouldn’t do The Castle Inn’s Chef and kitchen team justice; there was everything you could want, from sandwiches and filled jacket spuds, to Fish and Chips and pub classics such as Sausage and Mash. For once, remarkably, we all went for light(ish) options, knowing that we’d booked to dine out in Alnmouth later that evening. I went for a Crayfish tail sandwich with crisps and salad (£8.95), Fledge had Greenland Prawn Marie Rose sandwich (also £8.95), Mummy Bird had a Tuna Mayo-filled Jacket Potato with Salad (£8.95), and His Nibs opted for the Burger (with extra Jalapenos) with Cheese and Bacon that came with chips and side salad (£13.95).
Whilst our lovely server went and got that sorted we got chatting to a fab local chap (a fellow dog lover) and then several couples with their furry canine companions came in, so a steady stream of conversation soon bubbled around the bar. It wasn’t long before mine and Fledge’s sandwiches came out, swiftly followed by Mummy’s jacket spud and then His Nibs’ burger; photos were quickly taken and then we all tucked in – sea air doesn’t half make you hungry!
They certainly like to feed you well at The Castle Inn; mine and Fledge’s sandwich choices were rammed to the gunnels with delicious seafood, and we grinned happily at each other as we took bite after bite. My sauce was served in a separate pot for me to add as much as I wanted, whereas Chickadees Prawns came already bound in tangy Marie Rose sauce. The bread was soft and springy which added to the pleasure factor – not that it wasn’t 10/10 anyhow! Even the side salad was superb with its rainbow colours; there was fresh Tomato, sliced Cucumber, Yellow and Red Pepper, mixed leaves and a brilliant Red Cabbage-based Coleslaw that was bound with Mayo. Plenty of crinkle cut, ready salted Crisps completed our hefty platters, and our tummies were soon full and satiated.
Mummy Bird kept ploughing steadily away at her Tuna Mayo spud, but it didn’t seem to be lessening in size. In the end, she had to admit defeat and pass some of the potato to Pooch; waste not, want not as they say! The filling was that perfect balance of Tuna ‘fishiness’ and creamy mildness of Mayonnaise; it wasn’t too wet as to drown the potato, but nor was it too dry that the meal clagged in your mouth.
His Nibs was certainly a very happy chappy when he spied his more-than-ample morsel and wasted no time in taking a massive chomp out of it. There is something very satisfying about a quality burger; its density gives a hearty chew time that ignites the brains’ pleasure centre, and the depth of flavour awakens the taste buds. Our family is a very sharing (whether they want to or not!) unit at mealtimes, and on this occasion it was the home made chips that were in the spotlight! Everyone loves those chips that have a bit of softness to them on the outside, you know, the ones that have that almost nutty quality to their taste? With their come-hither golden hued outers, they looked as good as they tasted and His Nibs, me, Mummy Bird and Fledge all munched on them happily.
Our server had come to check we were enjoying our meals and refreshed drinks for us, and was very happy to see a quartet of clean plates when we’d all put our cutlery down. Nothing had been too much trouble for her, and actually the same could be said of all the team we’d encountered at The Castle Inn in Bamburgh.
Much as I like The Copper Kettle, I have to say that I’m glad things worked out the way they did; The Castle Inn certainly has the edge on savoury food (I don’t think anyone will beat The Copper Kettle when it comes to its cakes and scones). Price-wise you certainly can’t complain at The Castle Inn, both for quality and quantity. Hot Wings more than happily awarded to this brilliant Bamburgh team – we’ll definitely be back in future.... and Pooch will be, too!!
