Taking pity on Mummy Bird - we had walked her rather far the previous day! - we decided to be lazy and drive the mile to The Landing for breakfast! There’s plenty of parking both to the side and opposite the venue, which looks like one of those large beach huts/shacks you imagine in some far-flung location...except with substantial, weather-proof roof and windows, and no palm fronds!
Although there is outdoor tables and seating wrapped around three sides of The Landing, we elected to sit inside as the sun hadn’t warmed up the temperature enough just yet. Our server was a lovely young lady, really friendly, and very helpful when we asked what dishes she’d recommend. I decided to have the French Toast with Mixed Berries and Crème Fraiche (£8.50, £1 extra for the topping), Mummy had the ‘Swallows of Seahouses’ Kipper, (£14), and - no surprise! – The Man had the Full English (£11.50).
The Landing is owned by the same company that has The Craster Arms, so we were fairly certain that we’d be in good hands. Food is cooked to order, so do be patient, although we weren’t waiting an abnormal amount of time before our choices were being carefully placed before us.
A Full English has to crack off with some smart Bacon, and the dry-cured, Back cuts here were hitting the mark perfectly. That satisfying rich, meaty taste hit His Nibs’ taste Buds full-on, making him smile and the slices were nice and thick, with a good ‘chew-time’. Locally loved Sausage, the Bamburgh Banger, was also receiving praise from The Man as he chomped away merrily. At The Landing, you can choose to have your Egg fried or poached, and His Maj went for the fried option; in the middle, the yolk was still runny – ideal for dipping the toast into – with the white being nicely firm and cooked-through. I was the lucky recipient of the sliced Mushrooms, though I did savour them separately rather than combining them with the Mixed Berries and Crème Fraiche: that would’ve been a bit too left-field, even for me! A fresh Tomato half was gently softened by grilling, its sweetness contrasting well with the deeper, earthier notes of the Black Pudding slice, and the Baked Beans brought up the rear, so to speak, of the plateful of yumminess that had disappeared into The Man’s tummy.
Along with a Full English, the Grilled Kipper is another quintessential staple on an English brekkie menu, but it’s one that has seemingly gone out of favour and you don’t see it as often anymore. Mummy had taken the opportunity to have this morsel, served simply with Brown Bread and Lemon Butter at The Landing and, as she took that first bite, a smile crept across her face. Folks always assume that Kippers are really strong, and they are if they’ve been smoked but, whilst they are certainly a more pronounced taste than white fish, they aren’t nearly as bold as you’d perhaps assume. Whatever, Mummy Bird was occupying herself with scraping all the flesh of the bones and voraciously popping the rewards of her efforts into her mouth!
Recently, I had the utter pleasure of having French Toast a la HongKong (Peanut Butter in the middle, Golden Syrup and butter slathered on top) and, not gunna lie, I knew that this more trad version wasn’t going to topple it off its top-spot. Saying that, this was still an impressive breakfast treat. Thick slices of fresh, springy bread had been generously dunked in a cream and egg mix and then fried to golden, crisp perfection on the outside. Perched on top was plenty of Mixed Berries and compote, along with scoops of sharp, tart Crème Fraiche that brought a great balance to the sweeter elements. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before my plate was as squeaky clean as the other two at the table!
Mummy and I had shared a pot of tea for two (£5.40), a we each got a good couple of cups of Rosie out of the pot, and His Nibs had a Latte (£3.40) and a Hot Chocolate (£3.50). The total bill came to £47.30 for us all.
Hot Wings given to this fab little beach village eaterie which, I should point out, also does lunches and dinner offerings. To book a table ring 01665 524005 or visit www.northcoastcollective.co.uk for more information. The Landing opens Tues-Sat 8.30am-9pm, Sunday, 8.30am-8.30pm, and Monday 8.30am-5pm.
