Family Sunday lunch in the Library at Whitworth Hall, Durham - A review

After an unfortunate accident during a trip to Enchanted Christmas at Whitworth Hall last year, the manager presented us with a gift voucher for Sunday lunch at the hotel as way of an apology. We decided to redeem our voucher in May and booked a table online without any problems. 

Whitworth Hall is only a 3 star hotel but it feels a lot grander than that. It's a lovely building with beautiful grounds. After what happened last time we weren't brave enough to enter the deer enclosure but the kids still loved feeding them through the fence. There were a few other families inside and they didn't seem to be having any problems. You can buy deer food from the hotel reception desk. 

The Library is quite a formal dining room with proper napkins, fancy cutlery and chair covers. Whilst Jack perused the menu, Heidi found it funny to style a new hat! 

I think Whitworth Hall may be the only place I have ever been where there isn't a children's menu or any mention of children on the main menu. If I didn't have a gift voucher I would have had to ask what the provisions were for children - I am still unsure if they pay full price or receive a discount. It's something to keep in mind should you visit. 

Sunday lunch is £14.95 for 2 courses which is a bargain. We all opted for slow cooked beef and it was deliciously tender. The gravy was nice and meaty and the Yorkshires and Roast Potatoes were homemade and perfect. 

Jack Vs Yorkshire Pudding

A word about service - although the food was superb we did feel let down by the service. We waited FOREVER to order and then there was another long wait as we waited for our main course plates to be cleared. This is fine if you are looking for a leisurely Sunday lunch but those of you with kids will know, it's best to move things a long at a quick pace. I would have appreciated it if the service had been a little more attentive. 

For dessert the boys ordered treacle sponge and vanilla ice cream which they devoured, Heidi went for the ice cream and for me it was the raspberry sorbet and fresh fruit salad - all wonderful. 

Another niggle with the service though - this time the staff making comments about how hard it is having three children. I know she might have been trying to make conversation but I think this is an inappropriate comment. Then as we paid our drinks we were asked if we wanted to wait for our chang (£3). Again, I feel like this sort of comment is completely inappropriate. 

I realise I sound like a bit of a whinge bag here and I really don't mean to be. Our experience overall was a very positive one. The food was fabulous and well worth the drive we thought.

I noticed that Whitworth Hall offer afternoon tea in the lounge for only £14 per person and there is a children's version for £4.95 which includes finger sandwiches, gingerbread deer biscuits and fruit fingers with fruit coulis. This sounds like a bargain and I think my three would love it so I am sure we will be back in the summer to try this out. 

www.bw-whitworthhall.co.uk

Why not join our North East Food Lovers Facebook Group where we share more reviews and recommendations of places to eat on in the North East. 

10 of the Best North East Ice Cream Parlours

Who doesn't love an ice cream in the summer? A trip to the ice cream parlour is many a child's idea of heaven and definitely something to add to your summer bucket list.

If you're stuck for ideas, here are 10 ice cream parlours in the North East to try this year:-

1- Crescent Cafe

Photo Credit - New Girl In Toon

'Seaton Delaval Ice Cream' is legendary in the North East and as soon as the sun pops out you can expect large queues outside Arrighi's | Crescent Cafe. Using a secret recipe from Southern Italy, this family business has been going strong since 1925. 

Arrighi's Crescent Cafe Website

2 - Spurrelli

A trip to Amble would not be complete for us without a trip to the Harbour Fish and Chip Shop for Fish n Chips followed by an ice cream from Spurreli - boutique ice cream at it's best. 

Spurelli Boutique Icecream Website

3 - Minchella South Shields

Michella & Co have several locations across South Tyneside ranging from the original parlour on Ocean Road to a trailer in South Shields Market Place. Specialising in ice creams and sundaes you will also find a range of delicious cakes available for sale.

Mincella & Co Website

4 - Ciccarelli Blyth

Ciccarelli is the place to visit for authentic Italian Gelato. Using only the finest ingredients imported from Italy and fresh cream and whole milk from a local dairy you'll find an extensive range of cones, sundaes, tubs and oysters for sale. It's right on the beach and by the park too so perfect for an afternoon in the sunshine. 

Ciccarelli Website

5 - Morwick

Morwick Dairy Parlour near Warkworth is on a working farm so you can actually meet the cows where your ice cream is sourced from. There's a kids playground and there are a massive 160 flavours to choose from. 

Morwick Dairy Website

6 - Mark Toney

Mark Toney in Newcastle has been established for over a century and is probably where a lot of us first experienced an ice cream parlour for ourselves. There are lots of enticing flavours to try including Caramel Apple Granny and Candy Clouds and service is always with a friendly smile.

Mark Toney Website

7 - Wheelbirks

Photo Credit - New Girl In Toon

Wheelbirks Farm and Parlour near Stocksfield is a lovely place to spend a summer's afternoon. You can say hello to the farm cows and chickens, play in the orchid, play barn and indoor play area and enjoy award winning ice cream from the oldest pedigree Jersey herd in Northumberland.

Wheelbirks Website

8 - Lickety Split

Photo Credit - Canny Food

Lickety Split in Seaham is the original 1950's American Diner-style parlour in the North East. You'll find speciality sundaes, premium shakes alongside proper bottles of coca-cola in glass bottles. 

Lickety Split Website

9 - Blagdon Parlour (ICE CREAM PARLOUR NOW CLOSED)

Alongside the Parlour's Poppy Tearoom you will find and ice cream kiosk serving traditional Marcantonio ice cream which is manufactured on-site. There are 8 flavours to choose from which change with the seasons. There is ample seating in the garden too so you can enjoy your treat in the sunshine.

The Parlour Website

10 - Tutti Frutti Whitburn

Image Source - Canny Food

Tutti Frutti is a traditional family-run ice cream parlour in the charming village of Whitburn. You'll find a large selection of sundaes on offer including Heart Break Hotel which is made up of Toffee Fudge and White Chocolate Ice Cream, Fudge Pieces, Gold Bar Crumbs, Toffee and Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream. Yum!

Tutti Frutti Website 

11 - Di Meo's

BONUS ENTRY:- After posting this article on my Facebook Page there was outrage that I hadn't included Di Meo's in Whitley Bay so due to popular demand, here it is. The award winning ice cream is handmade daily with a secret recipe dating back to 1925 and available in a huge selection of flavours to either sit in or take out.

Di Meo's Website

Let me know if you have visited any of these parlours (or others) and which ice creams you would recommend :-)

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Thank you for your support as always. 

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. 

Are you looking for more ideas for days out across North East England? Why not join 2000 other parents in our North East Days Out Facebook group. It's FREE to join and a fab place to post your own recommendations, find inspiration or ask for ideas. You can request to join here. 

Introducing the South Causey Inn Market | Beamish, County Durham

We are always keen to support local and independent businesses where possible and everyone knows that we love a good farm shop/market so I have been very excited to learn about the weekly market at South Causey Inn and can't wait to visit myself. 

The South Causey Inn is a family friendly pub conveniently located near top family attractions Beamish and Tanfield Railway. Children's meals are priced at £5.95 and include a free slush drink which I know will please my three a great deal. There is a selection of farm animals on site and there is lots of outdoor space and picnic tables where children can play about. Basically, it's a perfect pub for families! They even won 'Best Family Pub' in the Great British Pub Awards 2013. 

The South Causey Inn runs a weekly market from 10:30am - 2pm every Tuesday (12noon-2pm 21st June). There are lots of goodies to be found with a variety of food stalls such as fresh fruit and vegetables, locally sourced meat, specialty cheeses, gourmet pies, as well as a variety of craft stalls and stalls selling vintage items and antiques. Sounds perfect for us and we'll definitely be paying them a visit this summer. 

Bratz Festival Vibe collection #BratzFest

This summer is a summer of firsts for our family. Now that our children are ages 5, 7 and 9 we feel a lot more confident in taking them to places that I feel might have been a tad stressful when they were younger. Before you judge, it's seriously hard looking after 3 small children, especially when they outnumber you. Anyway, it feels like the time is right for us to attend a festival and we have booked tickets to the Corbridge festival in July and Just So festival in August. I simply can't wait. Fingers crossed there's a Pimm's tent!

Heidi was asked by the lovely people at Bratz if she'd like to create her own festival poncho. I thought this would be an ideal way to introduce the idea of a festival to Heidi but also, chances are with the British weather, a poncho will come in handy so we agreed to take part. First up, take a look at our video which includes a super cute rendition of 'Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside':-

Festival Vibe Yasmin

The new Bratz Festival Vibe collection is perfect for summer and dolls include not one but two festival outfits plus a wide range of accessories (bag, sunnies, hairband, mobile phone, phone case, earrings, hair brush, festival wristband....) plus a festival wristband for your child to wear too. Heidi is already very much attached to Festival Vibe Yasmin as you can see and has already packed her in her suitcase to take on holiday in a few weeks. 

Down to the business of making a poncho though. Heidi decided to use stickers, glitter glue (oh joy), flowers and sticky letters to create her very own Bratz-style poncho. 

Festival Vibe Yasmin was never far away and inspired the look......

Flower Power! 

In true British style it started raining right on cue and we headed outside to put Heidi's poncho through it's paces. We think it looks super stylish and I'm sure you'll agree. 

Visit the Bratz website to find out more about the Bratz Festival Vibe collection. You can find Bratz dolls at Tesco, Argos, Smyths, Toys R Us, The Entertainer, Asda, Very & all good toy shops. 

Northumberland Cheese Dairy Tour With Kids - A Review

We are huge fans of the Northumberland Cheese Company and have visited their Cheese Loft for lunch or to pick up some cheese on many an occasion. We always make sure we visit their stall if we spot them at a market too. Northumberland Cheese really is something special and this half term we were invited along to take a special behind the scenes look at how their cheese is actually produced with a special family-friendly dairy tour. 

The Northumberland Cheese Company is hidden away on the outskirts of the Blagdon estate but if you follow the brown 'cheese farm' signs from the Blagdon Farm Shop you should find your way. There is ample free parking, an abundant cheese counter with cheese and cheese-related preserves and gifts for sale, a cheese loft tea room serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea plus the dairy itself. Dairy tours must be pre-booked - call 01670 789798 or visit their website for details.

We met Martin (production manager) who provided us all with overalls, hair nets and safety instructions. It's important to remember that the dairy is a working factory so if your children aren't able to follow instructions or understand the importance of not running around/messing about then this probably isn't the tour for them. As you can see by their faces, my children took the briefing VERY seriously. 

Martin went through every step of the cheese making process with us from showing the kids where the milk (the cows milk is from Blagdon farm) is stored to demonstrating how the curd is cut. As a grown up, I found it fascinating just how much work goes into producing cheese and how every stage in the process can change how the cheese tastes. 

It is just a small team that work here but they work hard! Our children were made to feel welcome and it was very much a 'real life' factory tour. Nothing was sugar coated (which is a good thing I think). There were plenty of opportunities for us to ask questions too. 

Learning about rennet and why it is added to the cheese-making process

We were able to try some of the cheese in it's very raw form before it had been added to brine or given any flavour. I was very surprised when the kids all agreed to try some too! We all agreed that it tasted very bland indeed. 

We found the salt brine baths to be fascinating - the same core liquid has been used for 30 years and it is part of the key to providing the Northumberland cheese character. 

So much cheese!

This is where the cheese is stored to mature - it is a proper maturing process, no chemicals are added. Every task is completed by hand with the Northumberland Cheese Company and every week it is some poor soul's job to turn every wheel of cheese! This ensures that they mature and settle at an even rate. Only the best will do for Northumberland Cheese customers.

Special Black Northumberlandia Cheese gives a nod to the Coal Mining Heritage of our region

Next we were passed onto a team leader who went through the next stages of the process with us. Now I imagined in my head that there would be some sort of machine that cut the cheese into wedges - nope, again it was all done by hand and the kids watched and listened as we were informed how cheese is graded and every batch has to pass a strict taste test/grading process (I am very jealous of whoever has the job of chief cheese-taster).

We were given a mini-cheese tasting talk and watched a demonstration on how to test cheese before trying it ourselves. I was very shocked again when the kids tried every type of cheese presented to them - their interest had definitely been sparked and I loved that they were encouraged to try something new. 

Chief cheese tasters for the day

To test cheese properly, first you need to take a sample that spans the entire width of the cheese. Take a look at it and check for colour, consistancy and air bubbles. Then you need to take a small piece and roll it between your fingers to help bring it up to room temperature. Next up, smell the cheese before finally putting it inside your mouth and tasting the flavours. Cheese tasting was definitely a tour highlight!

The Cheese Loft

If you take a tour you are provided with a 10% off voucher to use on purchases made on that day. Of course it would be rude of us not too and after tasting some of the cheese on offer, we were all very keen to try more. The cheese loft is a lovely space and the staff were super friendly. 

Cheese scone, wedge of cheese and chutney

Half portion of Tomato soup with bread - only £2.50

Cheese soup - my favourite and highly recommended

Child's cheese on toast

Jack surprised us all and asked if he could buy some more nettle cheese to take home - who'd have thought it! I bought some original to (about 150g each). We found the prices to be incredibly reasonable - lunch for the 5 of us, plus drinks and two wedges of cheese to take home was only £25 with our 10% discount - mega bargain!

Advice for taking your children on a dairy tour

• Child-friendly tours are very new to Northumberland Cheese Company - we were one of the first to try them out. Family tours are priced at a very reasonable £30 per family (2 adults & 2 children - additional children can be booked for an extra £5 per child). You can find out more and book via the Northumberland Cheese Company Websit 
• If your children are inquisitive, ask questions and generally enjoy learning about how things work, I think they'll enjoy the tour.

• Children must be aged 5+

• Tours last around 1 hour - if your children are not able to listen to someone talk for this length of time, the tour might not be for them.

• Protective clothing is provided but you will need to tie hair back and remove all jewellery.

• Remember you are entering a factory environment and need to be responsible for your children - there are a few trip hazards to look out for and the floor is wet/slippy in parts.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would recommend. I always like doing something that is educational and/or involves food so it was pretty much always going to be a winner for us I think. I wasn't sure my 5 year old would enjoy it but to be honest he loved it and has been telling everyone who will listen about his special nettle cheese and how it is made!

http://northumberlandcheese.co.uk

Disclosure - we received a complimentary family dairy tour and asked to provide our honest feedback. We paid for our own lunch/cheese.