The story
Perched on a hill with sweeping views of the Northumberland countryside, the Feathers Inn is a small, family-run pub where the cooking begins with where they are. Chef-owner Rhian Cradock and his wife Helen have been at the helm since 2007, and their philosophy is simple: “Honest food. Thoughtfully made. Always rooted in place and season.” It’s a promise that has earned them a place in the Michelin Guide for 2025, alongside numerous other accolades.
Everything at the Feathers Inn is cooked from scratch, every day. Rhian works closely with local growers, farmers, and foragers – people who know the Northumbrian landscape as well as he does. Heritage-breed meats, wild greens, and ingredients that reflect the rhythms of the land are the foundation of his modern British cooking. The menu shifts with the harvest, the weather, and what’s fresh from the fields and hedgerows. There are no shortcuts, just flavour and a deep belief in doing things properly.
The pub itself is built from local stone, with three snug areas, each with a wood-burning stove, and a large, sheltered outside yard open from Easter to September. It’s family-friendly and dogs are welcome in the bar and outside spaces. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed – a gathering place for locals, walkers, and anyone who enjoys good food in good company. In summer, the Hill Top Pizza Company offers stone-baked pizzas in the yard, made with slow-fermented doughs and local produce. And on Saturday mornings, the Feathers Bakehouse fills the air with the scent of sweet buns, flaky pies, and seasonal bakes – one morning a week, worth the wait.
Rhian’s passion for food began early, with work experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Newcastle at age 15. He later trained in London with chefs like Richard Corrigan and Bruce Poole before returning to the North East. His cooking is rooted in regional British traditions with a classical French influence – a style that is often called modern British, but that, as he says, “is totally meaningless without recourse to the strong traditional and historical aspects of cooking.” At the Feathers Inn, that tradition is alive and well, served with a warm Northumbrian welcome.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
A centuries-old village local atop a hill midway between Hadrian's Wall and the conurbations of Tyne & Wear, the Feathers continues to provide sustenance for locals and visitors alike. Inside, it looks the part with beams, log-burning stoves, Northumbrian ales and old-fashioned pub games as part of the offer, although the place has built its current reputation on locally sourced seasonal food, industrious home production and a commitment to ethical practices. The kitchen cures its own charcuterie, makes black pudding and pickles North Sea herrings (‘as good as most I’ve had in Scandinavia,’ noted one visitor) – as well as producing bespoke spirits including mulberry gin. They have a published list of more than 60 local suppliers, including foragers and growers, Northumbrian farmers specialising in rare breeds and day-boat fishermen catching sustainable species off the East Coast. An outdoor fire pit works its magic on flatbreads, grilled vegetables (used for vegan meze) and Haydon Bridge beef patties (slotted into brioche buns with Gorgonzola piccante and dill pickles). Otherwise, the kitchen’s eclectic approach sees battered haddock and fillet of wild halibut with chilli and rosemary velouté alongside braised local roe deer with celeriac purée, English lentils and emmer wheat or Spanish-style home-cured pork chop with fried potatoes and bravas sauce. For afters, the Northumbrian cheeses are well worth a punt, as are the homemade ices and homespun desserts such as blackberry and apple sponge with custard or steamed gingerbread pudding. To drink, vermouth-based cocktails and keenly priced, well-chosen wines fit the bill nicely.
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