WooHooooo, The Flock is on holiday baybee!! Well, me, His Nibs and Mummy Bird are; Fledge and The beau are house-sitting. Northumberland is our final destination, to a bungalow in the beautiful village of Beadnell...but first we had to get there. The roads had their usual share of speed restrictions and roadworks going on, so we stopped at services for a coffee after about an hour and then carried on a bit more until we got to our lunch venue. On a previous holiday with poochy-do, we’d stopped at The Farmers Arms at Brompton-On-Swale, and knew that it was a really friendly, chilled pub-with-kitchen and, more importantly, was easily accessible for those who can’t ‘do’ steps/stairs particularly well.
We were greeted warmly and asked if we’d like to sit inside or go out to the garden at the rear; we chose a booth table with banquette seats and, having ordered a sparkling water, a half of lager and a pint of Madri, gave the menu some attention. Whatever day of the week you visit The Farmers Arms, there’s a deal on food, and on Saturday they do a ‘kids eat for a quid with an adult having a main course’ as well as a selection of dishes that are 2-4-£14. The dilemma we had was, could we eat two courses at lunch and then potentially have a large meal in the evening? After a bit of soul-searching, we resolved to just have a main course each:Marinated, Grilled Chicken Breast with Chips and Salad/Rice for Mummy (£14.95), Honey and Sesame Belly Pork with stir-fried Vegetables, deep-fried Mango Rice Cake and Curried Coconut sauce (£18.50) for me, and slow-braised, salted Beef short-rib with Sweet Potato and Chive mash, seasonal greens, and red wine and mushroom sauce (£18.95) for The Man.
Whilst we were waiting, several more tables came in; some with, and some without, their furry family members, and bowls of fresh water were offered for the doggies. There’s no pretension at The Farmers Arms; everyone and everything is treated like old friends. Soon enough, our food was being served to us by two of the team and we were asked if we needed more sauces etc. before being left to tuck in.
His Nibs’ Beef simply fell apart into ribbons at the threat of the knife and the taste was incredible: rich and deep, meaty, yet subtly sweet. The happiness experienced by The Mans’ tummy spread up to his face, manifesting in a huge, satisfied grin! Chive had been mingled with Sweet Potato and, to be honest, was just as good a partnership as Chive and ‘ordinary’ spuds. Savoy Cabbage, Peas and Carrots had all been cooked perfectly to retain some of their crunch, allowing all their in-season flavour to burst in the mouth. I snaffled the mushrooms before His Nibs could object, savouring their earthiness; well, just lately there’s been too many foods that he’s decided he suddenly likes, and I’m not getting the level of pass-overs that I’m used to - dummy well and truly spat out!!
To go with her Chicken, Mummy had chosen a creamy Leek and Ham sauce; there was also Peppercorn, Diane, Creamy Cajun, or Gravy on offer, too. The chips were proper, fat, homemade ones and were exceptionally tasty: no greasy taste, just beautifully nutty, earthy spuddiness. A small side salad was lovely and fresh, with a coolness of temperature that contrasted well with the warmth of the chicken and sauce. Ah yes, the sauce; deliciously unctuous and flecked with rose-pink pieces of Ham and pastel green slivers of Leek, this was deceptively light and bouncy on the palate – no mean feat, given its cream base.
My Belly Pork was just as it should be; creamy meat with a good layer of smooth, rich fat running through it for that deep, satiating experience. Best of all, there was a good piece of super-crunchy crackling to get stuck into, and, boy, did this keep me occupied for a while. All the finely chopped and sliced veggies were gorgeously crunchy, but the star of the show was the crisp-outered, Mango-pimped rice cake; this had a great crust to it that tasted of toast, whilst the inside was soft, creamy rice with a hint of fruitiness. Melding everything together was a marvellously multi-layered sauce that married spice and sweetness beautifully, and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every mouthful.
Our server had checked back on us after a couple of minutes, ascertaining that we were happy with our meals, and had this confirmed by a trio of clean plates. Much as we wanted to, we still couldn’t manage a second course, so declined the offer of dessert...maybe next time?!
With tummies happy, it was time to carry on to our accommodation, Little Tern, in Beadnell. All the signs were looking good for our week away, and we walked to the jalopy with a spring in our steps. Hot Wings awarded again to this great pub-with-kitchen. Visit www.bromptononswalefarmersarms.co.uk to book a table or accommodation, or ring 01748 818062.
