Have you heard of the Morpeth Chinese Van? If not, you're missing a treat. It has to be the best place to visit in Northumberland for a cheap yet satisfying lunch.
Fortune Cookies has been there for as long as I can remember and we visit a couple of times a year (I'd be there every week if I lived in Morpeth). Everyone you speak to who knows about Morpeth's secret will rave about how good it is.
Fortune Cookies is open from 12noon - 8:30pm Tuesday-Sunday. They are closed every Monday and close for lunch between 2:30-3pm.
You'll find the van in the main car park just outside of Morpeth Leisure Centre (postcode NE61 1PR) before the bridge across the river into Carlisle Park.
The car park is free for three hours but you will need to display a Northumberland Parking Disc (if you don't have one you can buy one for £1 from the leisure centre). The park is just a short walk across the road from Morpeth Bus Station too.
Fortune Cookies lunch deal is such a bargain and there are ALWAYS queues for food here. Luckily service is pretty quick.
Fortune Cookies lunch deal is such a bargain and there are ALWAYS queues for food here. Luckily service is pretty quick.
You can pick from over 30 dishes including rice or chips for just £3.40! What a bargain. During our last visit we ordered three meals with chips, 2 additional bags of chips (Heidi and Jack aren't too keen on Chinese food), 4 cans of pop and 1 bottle of juice for the grand total of £16.
This deal is available Tuesday - Sunday 12noon-4pm (closed 2:30-3pm).
The meals come in their own container with a fork and it's just a hop, skip and a jump across the bridge to the park where you'll find picnic benches and seats by the river or plenty of grass to enjoy your feast.
The meals aren't going to win any awards for being the best Chinese food ever and they aren't anywhere near on par with the likes of my favourite La Yuan but they're just as good as any generic town takeaway you probably already visit and for the price, we've always found the meals to be excellent.
The meals come in their own container with a fork and it's just a hop, skip and a jump across the bridge to the park where you'll find picnic benches and seats by the river or plenty of grass to enjoy your feast.
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Sweet and Sour Chicken |
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Chilli and Garlic Beef |
Everything is cooked to order and it really hits the spot. We just can't believe you can get a full meal like this to enjoy in such beautiful surroundings for just £3.40.
After lunch, you'll probably feel pretty stuffed if I'm honest but the kids can never resist a run around the park while us grown-ups let our lunch settle a bit. Carlisle Park is one of the best in Northumberland with an outdoor paddling pool, 2 play areas (for different age groups), a trim trail, lots of grass, an aviary, formal gardens, boats to hire, ducks to feed, stepping stones, sports courts and more. There's loads to fill your day.
We visited on Market Day (currently Wednesdays 10-4pm in the market place) and had a nice little potter around before heading home. Definitely one of the best value lunches we've enjoyed this summer.
After lunch, you'll probably feel pretty stuffed if I'm honest but the kids can never resist a run around the park while us grown-ups let our lunch settle a bit. Carlisle Park is one of the best in Northumberland with an outdoor paddling pool, 2 play areas (for different age groups), a trim trail, lots of grass, an aviary, formal gardens, boats to hire, ducks to feed, stepping stones, sports courts and more. There's loads to fill your day.
We visited on Market Day (currently Wednesdays 10-4pm in the market place) and had a nice little potter around before heading home. Definitely one of the best value lunches we've enjoyed this summer.
Have you ever paid Fortune Cookies a visit?
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Please follow social distancing rules & Government guidelines , respect the local area. leave no trace, take litter home, park responsibly and if somewhere is busy on arrival, please consider leaving and returning at a later date.
Always check updated opening hours / protocols / parking advice and charges with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed since this post was published.
Always check updated opening hours / protocols / parking advice and charges with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed since this post was published.
We love it here, every time we go to Morpeth we go for lunch. Such amazing value and just as nice as any Chinese takeaway I have been too x
ReplyDeleteIt's the best isn't it. I honestly can't believe the prices! X
DeleteQe live in ashington and its by far the beat around. We frequent this place maybe once every 5 weeks while the kids are at school on a nice day (they have their treats on the weekend). Truly is the heart and gem of morpeth. They even survived the flooding of morpeth several years back. 10/10
ReplyDelete