The Pack Horse is a quaint pub with traditional features, the entrance leads straight into a small bar area with chunky rustic wooden tables and stools, wooden beams and an open fireplace decorated with fresh flowers for the summer months.
One of the most interesting features was the display of hundreds of china tankards, old and new, hanging from the wooden beams on the ceiling. It added a homely feel to the bar.
We were salivating as soon as we saw the menu, and with the added note that all dished were freshly cooked to order with local produce sourced where possible, we knew we were in for a treat.
And a treat it definitely was!
Ravenous after a hard day at work we went for starters as well as mains. I went for the Seahouses smoked salmon with lemon black pepper and rocket (£5.75) and he the pork rillette with toasted bread and baby gherkins (£4.25). Other options included soup of the day (£3.50), baked goat's cheese with beetroot and walnut salad (£5.25) and Caesar salad with crispy bacon and Parmesan shavings (£3.95).
For main course, I decided on Bamburgh bangers with Maris Piper mash and caramelised onion gravy (£6.95). Being a real ale buff, Rob went for the Black Sheep beer-battered haddock with French fries and home-made tartare sauce (£7.95). Other choices included 100 per cent beef quarter pound cheeseburger with relish and French fries (£6.95), hot smoked salmon and spring onion fish cakes with tartare sauce and French fries (£7.95), rare breed pork loin with roast tomato and pesto risotto (£8.95), penne pasta with marinated aubergine, tomato and basil sauce, parmesan cheese (£6.95), new potato, onion and rocket tart with French fries (£5.95) and 8oz ribeye steak (from Foremans of Norham) with French fries, field mushroom, lemon and parsley butter (£13.95).
We ordered our food at the bar and were taken through to the light and airy restaurant when the food was ready to be served.
The restaurant was fresh and clean and gave views of the beer garden which looked great for a summer's day. There was also a lounge with comfy sofas and a TV for customers and guests to wait in.
The waitress brought some fresh bread and butter to the table, followed soon after by our starters.
There was no stinting on portions, that's for sure. I had a decent amount of smoked salmon drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, a sprinkling of pepper and piled with rocket – the perfect combination, it was beautiful.
Rob's pork rillette came in its own dish and was amazing. It was a coarse pate, creamy but meaty, with a layer of solid butter on the top, served with two slices of toast made from fresh bread and three baby gherkins.
Our main meals arrived soon after our plates had been cleared and were piping hot, which guaranteed their freshness.
My three Bamburgh bangers, Northumberland's champion sausage 2007 from Carter's butchers in Bamburgh, were arranged on a mound of creamy mashed potato and smothered in onion gravy, with a dish of broccoli and carrots.
The sausages were delicious, meaty and flavoursome, the mash divine and the gravy was sweet with chunks of onion in. The vegetables were also cooked perfectly.
The fish was lightly battered and served with lots of fresh chips and salad and the tartare sauce went down a treat.
After such lovely meals we couldn't miss the opportunity to try the desserts. Both being crumble fiends, we chose the apple crumble, other options included vanilla creme brulee, banana bavavois, Baileys tart, Doddington's ice cream or cheese, all £3.95.
The crumble was served in individual dishes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It was very sweet but delicious, with a sprinkling of crumble on top.
With two halves of real ale, two glasses of rose wine and two coffees, the total came to a reasonable £45.
My only criticism would be the lack of background atmosphere in the restaurant. Quiet music would have done the trick, but as more customers arrived it picked up.
All in all it was a great way to spend a Monday night, the food couldn't be faulted and using local produce gave it a little something extra in my eyes.
The Pack Horse Inn serves lunches, evening meals and Sunday lunch and its menus state it can vary meals to suit certain tastes if required.