Award-winning Northumberland gastro pub launches new summer menu - pledging to 'generously' cater for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan diners

The Blackbird Inn at Ponteland won Pub of the Year for 2022 at the North East England Tourism Awards earlier this year.

And now it has unveiled a new menu which bosses say showcases the skill which helped the pub scoop the top honours.

Stuart Young of the Northumberland Pub Company, which operates the Blackbird, is enthusiastic about the new look menu, adding gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan diners are all generously catered for with a wide selection of dishes.

“It’s great to shake things up and we like to change our menu along with the changing of the seasons,” he said.

“There’ll be old favourites, of course, so people won’t miss out on those, but even better there’s now a dash of excitement among diners as they try tastes they may not have encountered before.”

Stuart said the inn’s summer menu is focused on seasonal favourites such as raspberries, strawberries, pak choi, rocket, coriander, red onion, heritage tomatoes, organic cucumber, apples, local leeks, romaine lettuce and an array of locally grown herbs

The starter menu includes a choice of smaller lighter dishes including duck and pistachio terrine, asparagus and egg as well as smoked haddock fishcakes.

Mains range from chicken supreme, slow-cooked pork belly, Thai pan-fried king prawns, North Sea chunky cod to pea and mint risotto with potato lattice crisps.

And there are popular traditional pub classics such as grilled Cajun chicken burger, the Blackbird beef burger, beer battered North Sea cod and pie of the day return to the menu, while new offerings include Asian crispy beef salad, potato and golden beetroot pave, slow-cooked pork belly and beef char sui noodles.

The latest summer desserts offer an array of fruit inspired choices ranging from mandarin roulade, cherry parfait and berry Basque burnt cheesecake to sticky toffee pudding with a honeycomb vanilla ice cream.

Elderberry crème brulee, strawberry cake ice cream, plus a selection of creative vegan ice creams, sorbets and fruit salads also feature.

For more information visit www.theblackbirdponteland.co.uk.