This Autumn the northern counties of Northumberland and Durham are coming together to celebrate their fantastic food & drink offer and would like to invite you to sample the best that the North East has to offer.

To give you a small taste of the delectable experiences on offer, we have put together some fantastic two night experiences, which make perfect Autumn/Winter getaways.

Grow your own

The South Causey Inn was named Best Family Pub in the UK and North East Tourism Pub of the year in 2013. The grounds surrounding the Inn have been landscaped and now house a small farm, which provides fresh ingredients used by the kitchen staff.

Brocksbushes Farm is a thriving rural Retail Centre with an award-winning farm shop, tea room and pick your own fields bursting with fruit. You can pick fruit to take on your travels or sample it in the form of delicious wares in the tea room before continuing on to your next destination.

The Battlesteads Hotel holds a Gold Green Tourism award and prides itself on its sustainability. Their kitchen garden provides an array of herbs, salads, vegetables and fruit that are built into their menu seasonally, alongside their locally sourced ingredients.
 
Heritage

At Beamish visitors can sample a range of traditional recipes like singin' hinnies, stotties and oat cakes cooked by costumed folk on coal-fired ranges in homes around the site.  They can also visit Herron's Bakery, watch Empire biscuits being cooked and iced and mouth-watering gingerbread being made to a secret recipe.
For those with a sweet tooth, the Jubilee Sweetshop provides temptations galore. The factory at the back visitors can see how local favourites such as cinder toffee, black bullets and Tyne mints were made using techniques, recipes and equipment from the 1900s. When it's time for lunch Davy's Fried Fish Shop, which serves fish and chips fried in coal-fired ranges in real beef dripping and wrapped in specially printed newspaper, is the place to go.

Ford and Etal is home to the only working water mill in Northumberland, powered by a 16ft water wheel, there is over 700 years of milling history at Heatherslaw. You can explore the historic building and see the 21st Century millers at work. Then enjoy a cup of tea and a cake at the Heatherslaw Tearoom, which uses the flour from the mill in its produce, plus you can buy some Heatherslaw Corn Mill wheat flour to take home.

Stay the night at Doxford Hall, whose architecture dates back to 1818 and has been lovingly refurbished into the beautiful 4 Red Star hotel you see today, one of only 55 hotels in the UK to hold that accolade. Dine in their 2AA rosette restaurant, enjoying seasonal produce at its best.
 
Country House

Headlam Hall is a family-owned and run 17th century country mansion stands near Barnard Castle.
The kitchen team use fresh and locally sourced produce including fruits, herbs and vegetables from the hotel's own gardens. The 2 AA Rosette restaurant is set over three rooms, each offering its own style and character. The hotel also holds a Taste Durham Local Champion, Taste Durham Highest Quality Assured and an Enjoy England Breakfast Award.

On the border of Durham and Northumberland is the model village of Blanchland. Used as a film location many times due to its unspoilt nature and picturesque buildings it is also home to the Lord Crewe Arms. Once a 12th century Abbot's Priory, it has been recently refurbished and is the perfect place to stop off and enjoy a British menu showcasing simply but beautifully cooked home-grown foods.

Matfen Hall is the ancestral home of Sir Hugh and Lady Blackett, set in 300 acres of parkland it offers true Northumbrian hospitality. They have four eateries on site, including The Library, a 2AA rosette restaurant combining classic and contemporary dining in stately surroundings. Their newly improved Aqua Vitae spa facilities offer an exquisite space to relax, with a Juice Bar on site which offers healthy meals lovingly prepared and locally sourced. If outdoor pursuits are of interest, Matfen is also home to a golf course and Go Ape treetop adventure.

Christmas Markets
 
Durham Christmas Market runs for three days from December 5th and has a local food producers market featuring more than 30 traders in the Cathedral Cloisters.  This could tie into afternoon tea which is now being served in the Cathedral's Undercroft restaurant or a meal at the Café on the Green.

Stop off between counties and experience Christmas at Wallington, admire the beautiful decorations and soak up the special Christmas atmosphere at the much-loved home of generations of the Trevelyan family.

The Alnwick Garden are holding their Christmas Market every weekend before Christmas in December, where you can Fill your Christmas stockings with unique and eclectic delights from around the region.  Hand-picked by The Alnwick Garden, the market hosts a selection of handmade, artisan and traditional gifts, and offers shoppers the chance to indulge in festive nibbles and live carolling.

For more information, high res images, or to arrange a press trip around these themes (or other food & drink related ideas, such as 'lake to plate' at Derwent and Kielder Water, or the seafood on the Northumberland Coast) please contact Natalie.