All aboard the Bamburgh Castle Inn's new courtesy bus
July 12 2010
We have invested in a great new courtesy vehicle to help our customers get out and about.
As a rural pub and with customer service a key priority for us, we decided to purchase our new courtesy vehicle so we can offer an improved travel service to our customers.
Sean Donkin, our general manager said: “Looking after our customer’s needs is very important to us and getting out and about easily is part of that.
“One of our greatest assets is the fact that we are located in a rural area, but this can mean restricted transport options for visitors.
“Thanks to our new courtesy vehicle we are able to pick up and drop off guests from train and bus stations, transport golfers and people on walking trips and collect or take their equipment to their next locations. We also transport guests to the many attractions we have in the area too.
“The courtesy vehicle is subject to availability – we can’t provide a taxi service – but we do want to provide a great customer service wherever we possibly can.”
Ready, steady, cook...
July 12 2010
Youngsters cook up new skills in pub kitchen
Youngsters have been stirring things up in the kitchen and trying tasty local produce inspired dishes at the Bamburgh Castle Inn.
Budding Nigella Lawsons and Gordon Ramsays headed to the Seahouses inn to learn about the local produce on their doorstep and discover how the inn turns raw ingredients into tasty dishes for customers to enjoy.
Youngsters from Seahouses Middle School learnt how to prepare and make dishes using local meat, shellfish, vegetables and dairy products as part of a week-long learning challenge project on tourism.
Learning that food forms a big part of people’s holiday experience, the youngsters, helped by Bamburgh Castle Inn head chef David Barella, cooked up dishes using local produce including Pheasant Breast stuffed with Smoked Northumberland Cheese and Banoffee Tart with local cream.
The learning challenge, run by Seahouses Middle School teachers Jane Patterson and Annette Monelly, helps children understand the importance of tourism in the area and how local produce, along with attractions to visit and things to do are all part of making sure people have a great holiday experience.
Mrs Patterson said: “Our pupils are lucky to live in an outstanding part of the country, which is a growing visitor destination.
“This project has helped children to realise just how important tourism is to the area. They have looked at what different businesses do to enhance the experience people have when they come to our area, so hopefully they want to come back again.
“The children have discovered more about the benefits of local food for themselves as well as for visitors and have learnt more about how it is made or grown and how by buying and using it as consumers they are helping the local economy.
“The children had great fun visiting the Bamburgh Castle Inn and getting hands on in the kitchen with some of the fantastic local produce we have here. It was a great opportunity for them to see how a professional kitchen works and learn lots of cooking tips from a top chef.”
David Barella, head chef at The Bamburgh Castle Inn, said: “It’s really important young people get a feel for food and drink grown, reared and caught locally and how we use it in our menus. Of course there’s a place for it, but kids need to know there’s more to food than fast food outlets and how to cook it too.
“We try to use as many local ingredients in our menus as we can, like scallops and prawns caught by fisherman from the harbour opposite, game from the Bamburgh Castle and Cragside estate and Northumberland sourced dairy produce.
“The kids were really keen and interested in making the dishes and tasting different ingredients as well. They liked watching what happens when we take a food order and saw how the dish was put together and sent out to customers. There were definitely some aspiring young cooks in the kitchen that day!”
James Winter, 13, learnt how to make Stuffed Pheasant Breast. He said: “I hadn’t tasted pheasant before. It was really nice. I learnt how to roll it up in cling film so it kept in the right shape when you cooked it.”
Toni Mallen, 13 said: “It was good going into a real kitchen. I really enjoyed tasting all the different things and learning how to cook with them.
The children are making a recipe booklet featuring local produce including the dishes they made at the Bamburgh Castle Inn.
Drinkers get a taste of Northumberland at beer exhibition
June 01 2010
Glasses were raised to Northumberland beers at a Seahouses ale exhibition last weekend.
Drinkers sampled ales from independent Northumberland microbrewers including Hexhamshire Brewery, Allendale Brewery, High House Farm Brewery, Wylam Brewery and Northumberland Brewery at the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s first Northumbrian Ale Exhibition.
Real ale enthusiast Doug Fletcher – on the left of picture, above right – of Derby, made a beeline for the exhibition at the Seahouses inn. Supping a pint of Auld Hemp, brewed by High House Farm Brewery at Matfen, Northumberland, he said:
“I didn’t know Northumberland had so many microbrewers. It’s surprising how many there are now. I’m a big fan of real ale. We’re here on holiday and I always like to sample the local ales when we come away and these are first-class.”
And of Auld Hemp, Doug said: “I like the hoppiness in it – it’s a nice malt.”
The exhibition, held in a marquee inside the inn’s beer garden overlooking the Farne Islands, coincided with confirmation of the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s LocAle accreditation, awarded by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). LocAle accreditation is awarded to pubs stocking at least one Northumberland-produced real ale, which in turn supports the local economy around the pub.
Bamburgh Castle Inn general manager Sean Donkin said: “The exhibition has gone down a treat with people. We’ve had a great weekend celebrating the best Northumberland has to offer in real ale and championing its independent micro brewers.
“We ran a regional real ale festival at Easter time, but we closed the net this time and presented just Northumberland ales or beers with their roots in the county to customers. With 16 hand pull ales to try, I think we’ve definitely given people a true taste of Northumberland.”
He added: “Customers are showing an increasing interest in real ales. They’re also more interested in where they’ve come from and how they’re brewed as well which is something we want to develop further. It’s why we’ve gone down the route of offering Northumberland beers to customers. We’ve gone from having no real ales at all to becoming LocAle accredited.
“We’ll keep on showcasing local ales to customers and fly the flag for distinctive Northumberland beers.”
Cheers for Northumbrian beers
May 20 2010
Above (left): "Cheers!" – Ryan Thompson of the Bamburgh Castle Inn which is hosting a Northumbrian Real Ale Exhibition, and (right) a real ale fan at the Bamburgh Castle Inn raises a glass to the inn’s first Northumbrian Ale Exhibition.
Ales from independent Northumberland microbrewers will be toasted at the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s local beer exhibition this Bank Holiday Weekend.
The Seahouses inn has teamed up with six microbrewers from across Northumberland including High House Farm Brewery, Northumberland Breweries and Wylam Brewery to host the exhibition.
Taking place in a marquee inside the inn’s beer garden which overlooks the Farne Islands, the exhibition will feature hand pumps presenting real ales from close to home. Tasting notes as well as ‘beer miles’ will be chalked up on boards for drinkers as well as samples to try.
The Bamburgh Castle Inn, which holds a Cask Marque accreditation for serving the perfect pint of cask conditioned ale, is now locAle accredited with the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) organisation. To qualify, the Inn has to sell at least one locally produced real ale at all times.
Manager Sean Donkin said that the Northumbrian Ale Exhibition will give more people the chance to try the eclectic mix of flavours Northumberland is brewing up.
He said: “Customers show a lot of interest in the real ales we have at the Inn, especially the local ones. People are much more interested in the beers they’re drinking and where it comes from. We want to develop this further by offering people more choice and drinking experiences they won’t come across every day.
“We held a very successful regional beer festival last month. This time we want to close the net even further and showcase only beers from Northumberland-based microbrewers and lay on an interesting mix of styles and tastes from our doorstep for drinkers to enjoy.”
Mr Donkin added: “The real ale scene is alive and well with beers to suit everyone’s liking from milds to pale ales, fruit beers and stouts. We’re hoping to attract real ale enthusiasts and convert a few non-beer drinkers to real ale too!”
The Bamburgh Castle Inn Northumbrian Ale Exhibition follows on from the inn’s successful regional real ale and cider festival in April and runs over the May Bank Holiday weekend (Friday May 28 – Monday May 31) from 12 noon onwards each day in the beer garden.
Beer festival ‘aled’ a success
April 6 2010
A Seahouses beer festival has been ‘aled’ an overwhelming success by drinkers last weekend.
Drinkers attending the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s first ever beer festival raised a glass to 15 locally-produced ales and two ciders served in a marquee in the Inn’s beer garden overlooking the Farne Islands over the four day event.
Teaming up with Newcastle-based Hadrian & Border Brewery plus County Durham micro-brewers Consett Ale Works and Scottish cider maker Thistly Cross Cider to lay on the festival, manager of the Bamburgh Castle Inn Sean Donkin said the event had proved a hit with locals and visitors alike:
“We were really pleased with the response we had to the beer festival. As a Cask Marque accredited pub, we’re passionate about serving quality real ales in peak condition to our customers and we’re always looking to offer real ales that are just that little bit different. We’re also keen to ramp up the amount of local food and drink we serve here. As well as supporting local suppliers we want to offer visitors a taste of the North East and Northumberland too.
“We’re delighted Hadrian & Border Brewery launched their new ale, Byker Light at the Bamburgh Castle Inn. It proved to be a hit with drinkers, especially those who like the flavour and taste of a real ale but want a lower alcohol level.”
Hadrian & Border managing director, Andrew Burrows, said: “The Bamburgh Castle Inn Beer Festival was the ideal opportunity to introduce our new ale Byker Light. We have trialed it in January and the excellent response has encouraged us to include it into our regular range of beers.
“We have brewed a “full strength” flavour beer and kept the alcohol level down to 3.5% to meet the demands of the customers who love the flavors of Real Ale but want that combined into a low alcohol beverage.
“Usually a low alcohol beer is a cheap product with insipid taste, brewed to produce a low priced beer. Byker Light is positively bursting with flavour.”
Also popular at the beer festival pumps was Hadrian & Border’s beer of the month “Noggins Nog”.
Visitor Vicki Clark said: “I’m not usually a big real ale drinker but I’ve really enjoyed trying the different ales and ciders and reading the drinking notes that come with them. I’ve become a convert!”
Following the success of the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s first beer festival, Sean is already preparing for the next festival which will take place over the May Bank Holiday (28th to 31st May).
Inn aid of charity
March 9 2010
Big hearted patrons and staff at the Bamburgh Castle Inn have handed over a cheque for over £500 to a local cancer charity.
Manager Sean Donkin presented the cheque for £535.87 to Joan Turnbull, fund chair of the Seahouses and District Cancer Research and Relief Fund, at the charity’s annual coffee morning, held in the Bamburgh Castle Inn last Saturday boosting the amount raised that day to over £3,400.
And staff at the Seahouses branch of Barclays Bank have pledged a further £750 to match funds raised on the charity’s ever-popular cake stall.
Accepting the cheque on behalf of the fund which helps support people from the Seahouses district suffering from cancer or other life threatening illnesses, Mrs Turnbull said: “The fund relies entirely on donations therefore we value the support of businesses like the Bamburgh Castle Inn and Seahouses Barclays who are working with the community like this.
“Our charity urgently needs funds to carry out the services we offer people in our community like taxi fares and travelling expenses for patients going to and from hospital appointments, carer relief and equipment. We also make donations towards hospices and cancer research.”
Joan said: “The Fund started in the 60s and we held our first coffee morning in what was then the Bamburgh Castle Hotel over 40 years ago. To have the coffee morning back to its original venue is fantastic. Sean and the staff are absolutely wonderful. They have been so helpful and cheerful and very, very supportive.”
Sean said: “The Seahouses and District Cancer Research and Relief Fund is our dedicated charity because we feel it is such a worthwhile cause to support. It is beneficial to the entire community. A lot of our customers have had call to use the service directly or have family and friends who have."
Game from our namesake on the menu
February 26 2010
Above: Sourcing locally; The Bamburgh Castle Inn’s Sean Donkin (left) with chef David Barella (right) and Francis Watson Armstrong of Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estates.
Game sourced from our namesake Bamburgh Castle Estates is on the menu.
The Bamburgh Castle Inn has sourced naturally-reared pheasant and partridges from the Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estate for its winter menu this year.
Diners can enjoy the game in dishes like oven roasted breast of pheasant with rosemary and thyme and in game casseroles with herb dumplings.
Sourcing the game is part of a drive by the Inn to feature tasty and affordable local produce on its menu boards.
Sean Donkin, general manager at the Bamburgh Castle Inn said: “We’re very keen to source and use local produce in our dishes and are delighted to be growing the contacts we have with suppliers.
“Game is a great ingredient. It’s wild, natural and free range. It’s a great alternative to chicken and has a lovely subtle flavour and being very low in fat and cholesterol makes it a healthy option as well.”
Francis Watson Armstrong of Bamburgh Castle and Cragside Estate said: “We are delighted local businesses like the Bamburgh Castle Inn are using game on their menus. Game is a delicious local produce which is enjoying a rise in popularity. I’m certainly looking forward to sampling some of the dishes.”
Getting it fright! Youngsters get inn-to Halloween spirit
October 23 2009
It’s a Halloween hat-trick for pupils at Seahouses Middle School with help from the village’s Bamburgh Castle Inn.
Thanks to a 60-strong pumpkin pile, donated to the school by the inn and G S Clark of Bamburgh, pupils will learn hauntingly-good Halloween recipes and take pumpkin flesh home to recreate spooky savouries for their families.
Head chef at the Bamburgh Castle Inn, David Barilla, will be coming into the school to show youngsters how throwing away tasty pumpkin flesh could mean missing a treat.
David said: “While pumpkins make great Halloween lanterns there’s so much you can do with the scooped-out flesh that usually just ends up in the bin.
“Pumpkin is very good for you as it’s packed full of vitamins but it’s also a great ingredient for lots of recipes like soup, casseroles and of course, pies.”
Youngsters will also be carving out lanterns with the pumpkins to enter into the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s Halloween lantern competition. The competition takes place on Saturday, October 31 and is open to all children from the district or who are holidaying here.
Children wanting to enter the competition can take their lanterns along to the Bamburgh Castle Inn at 6:00pm. The prize for the winning lantern is a family meal for four at the inn.
Above: Treating it; Seahouses Middle School pupils get round ways
to use pumpkins with the Bamburgh Castle Inn’s David Barella.
Seaside inn pulls top award for ale quality
June 17 2009
Licensees at a popular Northumberland inn are celebrating this week after pulling a prestigious award for the quality of their beer.
Sean Donkin, who runs the Bamburgh Castle Inn in Seahouses, has been awarded Cask Marque accreditation for serving the perfect pint of cask conditioned ale.
Sean said: “This award is a great endorsement for us. We are getting a growing number of customers who visit the inn especially for its cask ale. It is rewarding and a testament to the hard work and effort our bar team puts into looking after our ale to know we’re getting the formula just right.”
Backed by 34 of the country’s leading brewers and pub companies, Cask Marque accreditation is only awarded to licensees whose ale passes a series of rigorous independent beer quality audits.
Since its foundation in 1997, Cask Marque has inspected over 100,000 pints of beer and accredited over 5,000 of the country’s 36,500 pubs estimated to serve one or more cask conditioned ales.
Cask Marque director, Paul Nunny, said: “Sean and his team should feel justifiably proud of this excellent achievement, which not only recognises the effort they put into serving the perfect pint but also acts as an independent guarantee of quality for customers.
“All too often, publicans don’t appreciate the care and attention cask beers require and then run the risk of losing custom by serving pints that are below par.”
Fittingly for a pub with panoramic views towards the Farne Islands, The Bamburgh Castle Inn serves Farne Island ale and Black Sheep ale along with a variety of lagers, wines, spirits and soft drinks.
Diners treated to dolphin display
A pod of 12 dolphins, believed to be the Bottlenose species, were watched playing in the waves by guests and staff at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from the hotel’s first floor bar which overlooks the harbour and sea.
Manager Sean Donkin said: “We watched the creatures for over half an hour looping around in the water before they headed slowly southwards. They were coming quite close in to the shoreline. It looked as if they were feeding as they weren’t travelling very fast and spent a while circling in the same spot. It was a very high tide which made them seem even closer to the inn which looks out over the harbour towards the Farne Islands beyond.
“I’ve seen dolphins and porpoises out to sea but never as close in as this. They looked very relaxed and were certainly in no hurry to move on.
“At first we thought they were killer whales because they were so large and dark in colour. You could just see their fins and backs coming out of the water but one of the party boats closer to the pod identified them as Bottlenose dolphins.”
Sean added: “It was an amazing sight and really made the day for our customers who were watching during the lunchtime service. Observing a pod of dolphins from your hotel window or while you’re having lunch isn’t the sort of thing that happens every day. We were lucky to witness them.”
More news...
The Lancashire Evening Post: A Tour of the North East
The Sunday Mirror: Travel – Wish You Were Here (Dog-Friendly Hotels)
The Independent: National Cask Ale Week
The Evening Chronicle: Review – The Bamburgh Castle Inn
The Evening Chronicle: Review – The Bamburgh Castle Inn, Seahouses
