The story
The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest in Haltwhistle anchors its Modern British kitchen to the surrounding uplands. Originally serving as a local rectory before becoming a nineteenth-century inn, the building retains a grounded character that matches the menu. Chef Connor Wilson sources pedigree livestock and seasonal catch directly from across Northumberland. Pasture raised cattle and sheep form the backbone of a straightforward cooking philosophy recently recognized with a Good Food Guide rating.
Connor Wilson layers texture and acidity into familiar British staples without losing their essential nature. Diners begin with a pigeon pie starter simmered in cherry gravy, followed by scallops resting on a bed of spelt ragoût and mushroom hollandaise. Heavier plates feature pork collar paired with crispy jowl and fermented hispi cabbage, while pollock arrives alongside mussels, celeriac, and kale. Dessert shifts toward precision with a Darling Blue cheese panna cotta folded through plums and walnuts.
The dining room pairs these Modern British plates with an extensive wine selection. French classics lead the charge, but the list quickly expands into unexpected territories. Guests can explore a crisp Brazilian Chardonnay or a structured German Pinot Noir alongside a Swiss Dôle. This breadth supports everything from casual pub visits to carefully planned weekend drives.
Recognition
Details
History
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Slaggyford's finest, the Kirkstyle, has been a watering hole since the 19th century, although it did service as the local rectory for many centuries before that. In ravishing open moorland near the Cumbrian border, it capitalises on its rugged location by bringing in pedigree produce from across the county of Northumberland. Pasture-raised sheep and cattle, together with seasonal game and fish, adorn Connor Wilson's enterprising menus, and the immaculate presentational style is full of contemporary chic, although it doesn't occlude the essentially straightforward approach to its distinguished ingredients. A party who undertook an intrepid three-hour drive weren't disappointed, but instead sang the praises of a pigeon pie starter in cherry gravy, as well as the concluding Darling Blue (cheese) panna cotta with plums and walnuts ('a work of alchemy'). Lucky locals also take full advantage of this 'fantastic community hub'. Diners might kick off with a scallop alongside mushroom and spelt ragoût and hollandaise, while mains pump up the volume for pork collar and crispy jowl with carrot and fermented hispi, or pollock and mussels with celeriac and kale. There are, of course, crowd-pulling Sunday roasts, and if you're after something offbeat to finish, look to madeleine with blackberries and woodruff. The magnificent wine list wouldn't let the side down at a Mayfair boutique, albeit at mark-ups that Mayfair hasn't seen in half a century. French classics lead the charge, but are followed by a Brazilian Chardonnay, a German Pinot, Swiss Dôle, Uruguayan Tannat – it's all good.
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