The Northumberland Arms, Felton | Sunday Lunch & Children's Menu Review

*This is a collaborative post

Felton in Northumberland is one of those villages where Steve and I would love to retire to. Unfortunately, with an average property price of £333,500, this is unlikely to ever happen but we do get the chance to dream every now and then and visit the village regularly. 

If you fancy a drive to a beautiful village in Northumberland, they honestly don't get more idyllic than Felton. It's fairly easy to get to, just off the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick and there is plenty of free parking (or The Northumberland Arms has it's own car park too). 

We were invited down to sample Sunday lunch at The Northumberland Arms - pretty much what I'd describe as the perfect country pub with rooms. There are cosy corners for romantic meals for two, larger dining areas for families, a bright and airy conservatory for larger groups and parties and a busy bar where locals meet for a pint or a spot of lunch. It's one of those pubs that really feels as if it's the hub of the community and we've always received a warm welcome here.

Bookings are recommended on Sunday's as it was fairly busy. We were seated straight away by our lovely waitress Heidi (our actual waitress was called Heidi too - my daughter hasn't suddenly landed herself a Sunday job) and the children were given various colouring sheets and crayons which was enough to keep them entertained whilst we browsed the menu.

The Northumberland Arms, Felton | Sunday Lunch 

There are several options available for Sunday lunch ranging from just a main course for £11.95 up to three courses for £19.50. It is rare that we can manage a full three courses on a Sunday so we opted for a main each and a dessert to share. 

There was a good choice of lamb, beef, pork or turkey or a platter of all meats if you were feeling particularly hungry (available for a £3 supplement). I was pleased to see that meat is locally sourced from Northumberland and the Scottish borders.

We rarely have roast beef at home so it's my pretty much go-to order when we're out for Sunday lunch. I was very impressed with the portion sizes - I think there were 4-5 slices of beef on my plate and it was beautifully tender. It had obviously been slow cooked as it just fell apart when I cut into it. Delicious! It was served with a giant homemade yorkshire pudding, a bowl of cauliflower cheese and a bowl of perfectly cooked seasonal veg including my favourite - green beans! These ones still had a good crunch to them too.

I was very pleased when a jug of gravy was brought to our table without asking too. Top marks for this! I will say that the gravy didn't taste as good as the offering at The Stables or The Cherry Tree but for £11.95, this lunch was plentiful, home-cooked and delicious. Definitely worth a trip to Felton for.

Steve pushed the boat out and ordered a 40 day aged, Himalayan salted sirloin with all of the trimmings. Fairly pricey for a Sunday lunch at £18.95 but if you're looking for a special treat and love steak, this is the dish for you. Steve enjoyed every bite and said it's definitely a dish worth pushing the boat out for. It's unique to Northumberland too! You can read more of Steve's thoughts over on his review of The Northumberland Arms on Big Stevie Cool here. 

The Northumberland Arms, Felton | Children's Menu Review

The children's menu at The Northumberland Arms is a very reasonable £5.95 for a main and a drink. I tried to persuade the kids to order a children's Sunday lunch but they were having none of it and to be honest, I pick my battles and let them order whatever they fancied.

The boys ordered pizza and chips. I was disappointed that the pizza was the type you just stick in a microwave and expected something homemade if I'm honest. This is probably me just being a little snobby though as the kids didn't mind at all and wolfed it down. Served with skin on fries and a side of beans, they were super happy and cleared their plates. 

Heidi opted for pasta with garlic bread - again, I'm not convinced the sauce ect.... was homemade however this didn't matter to Heidi who thoroughly enjoyed her lunch. The children's meals did not come with any side orders of veg or salad (apart from the boys' beans) so Steve and I convinced them to have a few spoonfuls of our veg in return for a pudding. There was plenty to go around. 

The Northumberland Arms, Felton | Desserts 

I am pleased that we skipped starters and left a little room for dessert. Both of our mains were substantial so Steve and I decided to share a 'trio of desserts'. I would highly recommend this dish - especially the cheesecake, it was so morish! I am pleased it was on my side of the plate as I managed to finish about 80% of it before Steve had a look in. Served with local ice cream, it was a lovely end to our meal.

Harry was pleased to see his favourite sticky toffee pudding on the menu. Served with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream it certainly looked wonderful. Harry refused to let me have a taste though so we'll just have to take his word for it that it was delicious.

Heidi and Jack will always go for ice cream and well - you can't go wrong with ice cream can you? 

If the kids were older I would have let them go and feed the ducks whilst Steve and I enjoyed an after dinner coffee in one of the cosy corners of the pub. We're not quite at that stage yet though so once we'd let our deserts settle we walked over the bridge to the Running Fox bakery to buy a few treats to take home and to help ourselves to some of their free duck bread they have in a basket by the door. 

I swear the ducks in Felton are the happiest ducks you'll ever meet. Imagine living on Running Fox bread! They are living the dream. The ducks are always happy to see you and it's a bit of a tradition of ours to pop over and see them every time we're in the area.

Although I had a few minor quibbles, for me, The Northumberland Arms is still a solid choice when it comes to a decent Northumberland country pub serving Sunday lunch. The ambience is friendly and cosy, the staff are attentive and the food is mostly home-made, locally sourced and tasty too. Families are made to feel super welcome - most tables had at least one child with them and there were lots of extended families with grandparents ect..... making use of the larger tables too. Highchairs are also available. 

We left Felton and The Northumberland Arms knowing that we'll be back over Summer. Felton was looking beautiful in the March sunshine and due to it's location, The Northumberland Arms is the perfect pub to pop into for a bite to eat or a quick drink as you're travelling around Northumberland. The bar area is dog friendly too.

www.northumberlandarms-felton.co.uk