A Flock Dinner At The Hope And Anchor, Alnmouth
Published On Monday 24 Oct 2022 by Sticky Beak
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Staying next door to a gastro pub definitely has its advantages for evening dining – especially if there’s going to be vino involved! A couple of nights’ previously, The Man and I had gone into the Hope and Anchor to pick up the shipping order that was The Flock’s Saturday Fish and Chip supper selection, so we knew that the restaurant in this Hotel was stylish and welcoming. Fast forward 96 hours and Mummy Bird, Fledge, His Nibs and I were all sat in the comfort of said restaurant looking through the menu whilst sipping at some chilled drinks.
As well as the regular menu there is a specials board and I had spied the fresh, oven-baked Mackerel served with Tomato salad (£9), so that’s what I had to begin my meal; Mummy just fancied a bowl of Nocellara de Belice Olives (£3.50), and Fledge and her Daddy both went for their beloved Calamari, coated in a crispy salt n pepper batter and served with Garlic Aioli (£7). Our server for the evening was a lovely young lass called Kaitlin and she checked our order was correct before sending it through to Chef and his team (who we could see, thanks to being seated near the open kitchen).
Both sides of the restaurant were busy; one side is reserved for furry guests and their trained humans, the other exclusively for non-furries. There’s a great, relaxed atmosphere in the whole venue, no doubt due to the super friendly welcome you get from the entire team. Our pooch was having a well deserved chilled evening back at the cottage, so His Nibs bought him a bag of treats from local, Amble-based company ‘Fur Real’ to have when we got back – no creature gets left out in our squad!
We didn’t have long to wait for our starters and Kaitlin brought them all out swiftly so that we could all tuck in together. Mummy was surprised by just how many Olives she got; the bowl was a decent size in itself, and had been piled high with the pretty, verdant Nocellara nibbles, so she got straight down to business. Nocellara Olives are a distinct bright shade of green due to being harvested early, and it’s this early picking that also gives them their mild, buttery, gently sweet taste. In the mouth they are wonderfully firm and crunchy when bitten into and they aren’t as salty in the mouth as their other peers, which Mummy Bird prefers.
His Nibs and Fledge’s portions of Calamari were equally generous, possibly the biggest plateful I’ve seen in the years of doing the blog! Each tender Squid ring had been fried to a gentle golden colour until brilliantly crispy (you got a definite crunch when you bit into them) and you could taste the seasoning quite distinctly on the palate. A separate pot housed the piquant Aioli – good job for The Man that I love Garlic; else he wouldn’t be getting any smooches that night, regardless of whether we were on holiday or not!
My Mackerel had a superbly crispy skin whose charred patches contrasted beautifully against the bright tones of the various Heritage Tomatoes within the salad. Many folks seem to think that Mackerel has quite a robust flavour to it, when actually it has the opposite! Whilst similar to Salmon in some ways, fresh Mackerel is sweeter, with less salinity on the tongue and a superb texture that holds its shape whilst cooking. Chef had treated this morsel with respect and the result was a moist, flavoursome dish whose warmth contrasted wonderfully against the coolness of the fresh Tomatoes – a touch that did not go unnoticed by my senses.
Kaitlin had come around to check that we were happy with our starters (which we most certainly were) and we took the opportunity to ask for some water for the table. It wasn’t long before she appeared with a stoppered bottle of chilled water for us all and poured some out; a nice touch, we all thought. Shortly after we put our cutlery down, Kaitlin came back and cleared the quartet of clean plates with a smile, taking them the short journey back to the kitchen.
Being a coastal town, Alnmouth has the benefit of having an abundance of fish and seafood, its fishermen bringing in catches of fish and seafood fresh every day. The local restaurants take full advantage of this, their menus reflecting the best seasonal catches and luckily for me, Mussels feature heavily on the menus at many restaurants – including the Hope and Anchor in Alnmouth.
I was surprised that Moules Mariniere wasn’t a main course here, but it was available as a starter (£9), so I asked Chef if he would do me a double portion to have as a main, and he kindly obliged.Needless to say, it was a hefty bowlful that was presented to me, but even more surprising was the fact that only one Mussel had failed to open during cooking in the Cream, White Wine, Garlic and Shallot sauce! All the Mussels were plump numbers with a divinely sweet, firm flesh that I took great delight in devouring. I was a very happy birdie because, just as a matter of course, the Hope and Anchor kitchen serves their Moules with chunks of Artisan Bread, so I dived straight in and let the bread soak up all the tasty liquor. What a stonkingly fantastic dish; the best -and I really do mean this - Moules Mariniere that I have had the pleasure of eating, anywhere!
His Nibs and Mummy Bird had both chosen the Picanha Steak Frites (£17) for their mains and this is served medium/rare and comes with chips or fries (both chose the chunkier Chips); you can add a sauce, either Peppercorn or Dianne for an additional £3. I knew The Man would go for the Peppercorn sauce and thought that Mummy would have the Dianne variety but, no, she too went for the punchy Pepper type. The weight of the steak wasn’t specified, but let me just say that you need to bring your appetite to get through it, and what a delicious slab of meat it was, too! The Picanha cut is often said to be the best of Brisket (its fat cap), Filet Mignon (subtle marbling), and Ribeye (deep, confident flavour) and after taking their first mouthfuls, His Nibs and Mummy would definitely agree. The amount of oohing and aahing going on as they chomped their way through the Picanha was testament to its quality, and when you’ve got such a superb steak you only really need a classic garnish to go with it, don’t you? All that was left to prove the Picanha’s had ever existed was the fat layer that had served to keep the meat moist during cooking; everything else had been eaten!
Chickadee had opted for Garlic Prawns with Cherry Tomato, Shallot, fresh Chilli, Herbs and Butter, served on Squid Ink Tagliatelle as her main course (£17). This is a dish that is her go-to, time after time, so she knows when it’s good...and this was deemed to be “excellent”. Whilst there was undeniably a fiery note to the sauce it didn’t overwhelm the delicate sweetness of the juicy, plump Prawns; rather, all the elements swayed together in harmony to create a multi-layered taste sensation that left the palate wanting more. Presentation-wise, the contrast of the dark, moody pasta against the lively, bright tones of the sauce was mesmerising; and they do say that you eat with your eyes as well as your tummy, don’t they? The Tagliatelle was perfectly al dente, giving a pleasing chew time to the meal, and there was a superb ratio of pasta: seafood and sauce.
The restaurant was lively; most tables had been taken, which for a midweek evening in off-peak season is pretty impressive - I would strongly advise reserving a table rather than turning up ad hoc, to guarantee a seat. Kaitlin was doing a sterling job of serving everybody, and His Nibs had ordered another pint of Poretti lager when she’d come over to check back on us. Chef had been keeping an eye on people’s (not just ours) reactions to their food when it left his pass and it was clear to see the pride he takes in his craft. There was nothing going begging on our plates – even the sauce accompanying the steaks had gone, thanks to chips getting dunked in it left-right-and-centre! We’re a classy bunch, what can I say??!
Only The Man and I were up for pudding: I had the homemade Apple Crumble with Custard, he had the homemade Sticky Toffee Pudding (both £7). Chef used a blow-torch to provide a final charred note to my crumble topping and the burnt caramel notes paired with the spiced fruit brilliantly in my mouth. Those that love Cinnamon would’ve happily followed me down this autumn-spiced rabbit hole and revelled in its warming character. I was especially happy to discover that a Cinnamon stick had been used to impart the flavour rather than a ground, tub variety; I know it’s picky, but it’s the little details that make the difference. The portion didn’t look the largest to begin with, but let me tell you its looks were deceiving and I knew I was eating this treasure!
There was no subtlety with His Nibs’ Sticky Toffee Pudding; it was a ruddy huge wedge, sitting proudly in the centre of the dish. Tendrils of steam carried the aroma over the entire table and, boy, was it mouth-watering – His Nibs was definitely going to enjoy this! Dark in colour and pleasingly rich in taste, the texture was utterly perfect: not dense enough to lay heavy on the tum, but robust enough to satisfy on cooler evenings. This was a fitting end to what had been a superb meal, and if ever there was a DeLorean moment, this was it as the cutlery was laid down for the final time.
Back at the cottage we all relived the evening at the Hope and Anchor, not only reliving the best bits of our meals but also commenting on the fact that we could probably eat there every night of the week for the next fortnight thanks to the range of dishes on offer! Hot Wings very happily awarded to this amazing Alnmouth restaurant.
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