Inside the new-look Bertram's in Northumberland as it aims to stamp Warkworth on the dining map

Encircled by the River Coquet, its high street lined by honey-coloured stone cottages, pubs and shops, this ancient village is surely one of Northumberland’s most-charming.

At its heart is Bertram’s, so called after the legend of Sir Bertram of Bothal, a hermit who, stricken by grief, is said to have given up all his lands and wealth and built, with his own hands, the tiny Warkworth Hermitage into the side of a cliff face.

One of the popular spots on the main road through the chocolate box village, the venue was taken over in November by renowned North East chef Richard Sim and entrepreneur Tom Leslie.

It’s the third county venture for the pair who have had great success with Michelin Guide featured, The Potted Lobster in Bamburgh, and, as featured in The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay in 2023, The Whittling House in Alnmouth.

The Warkworth establishment already had a following thanks to it cafe and B&B and the pair have worked to only improve the offering, with the dining area undergoing an extensive refurbishment which was unveiled in March and introducing an evening menu, in addition to the dog-friendly daytime cafe.

Working with Cheshire-based interior designers, JoJo Bradley Interiors, the result of the refurbishment is elegance meets country cottage, with a natural colour palette of muted tones that complement the exposed brickwork of the period property, open fires in inglenook fireplaces, artworks depicting the local village and surrounding nature and a feature wine fridge spanning one wall. It’s all very tastefully done, striking a good balance between homely and stylish.

Make sure to check out the courtyard too, with its rustic timbers and centuries old stonework that’s a great suntrap.

Down to the food.

As you’d expect from Richard, one of the county’s best chefs, there’s a real focus on locally-sourced produce, using Northumberland’s vast natural larder to great effect.

With the North Sea on his doorstep, there’s a good choice of fish on the menu, such as North Sea squid and cod, as well as hake, scallops and fish of the day, depending on what’s available at the market, but there’s also meatier options as well as vegetarian choices, like pumpkin and sage tortellini and wild mushroom cannelloni.

It’s a really strong menu and one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in months.

Richard’s passion for using great ingredients well shone through in our dish choices.

To start, I had the pan roasted scallops, with crispy pork belly and quince (£16). The succulent scallops were plump with natural flavour, their subtle nuance complemented by the punchier belly pork with its perfectly crisp crackling and the hint of sweetness from the quince. Beautiful stuff.

There’s some real imagination gone into the menu. Take for instance, my mains of pan fried fillet of wild roe deer with rosti potatoes, whisky apples and peppercorn just (£28.50).

Not a meat you see on many menus, but it was a fantastic cut of game, lean and sweet and served atop a satisfyingly golden crisp rosti.

My friend’s choice was also a triumph - slow cooked feather blade of Angus beef, port wine jus on truffle mash (£27).

It was beautifully presented and had us oohing and ahhing as soon as it was served to the table - a huge mound of melt in the mouth beef that fell into submission with the lightest of pokes, served with a hugely comforting and velvety mash.

Worth noting that my friend has various dietary requirements and staff were excellent at accommodating these.

The wine list is also really well thought out and we really enjoyed our bottle of organic Vinuva Pinot Grigio, a really light all-rounder of a wine with a hint of citrus.

If its mighty castle and rich natural beauty wasn’t enough to draw you to this quaint corner of Northumberland, then this new foodie hotspot may well do.

Bertram’s also has five bedrooms, some of which are dog-friendly. They’re well-equipped and continue the countryside theme, and are also in line for refurbishment.

Open seven days a week, from 9am – 9pm, Bertram’s currently only accept bookings for their evening menu, commencing at 5.30pm. During the day they work on a first come, first serve basis with a waiting list running at busy times.

To make a reservation or to find out more about Bertram’s visit their website www.bertrams.co.uk

No parking on site, but there’s free village square parking a stone’s throw away with no time restrictions.