The Cook and Barker Inn

On arrival we were made feel very welcome. We found all staff to be very pleasant, helpful and efficient. The food was superb and the service excellent. It would have been helpful to have a fan in our room as the weather was extremely hot during our stay.

This was our third stay at the Cook and Barker and we'd grown very fond of this beautifully-positioned Northumberland inn, largely because of its comfortable rooms and, above all, its excellent food. This time (between Christmas and New Year 2024), though the room and chambermaid service were still excellent and a very effective electric fire was, on request, quickly provided to supplement the wholly inadequate central heating, we were disappointed to find that the dining experience had deteriorated. This was evident but less marked with my vegetarian and fish choices, but very striking for my meat-eating partner. The beef stroganoff on night one was poor enough in presentation (previously a trademark of the C&B) and taste - stewing steak with little flavour and no seasoning - for her to complain to our waitress. Interestingly, (1) no refund was offered but (2) observing another customer ordering the same dish two nights later, we saw something that looked very different - and seemed to satisfy the customer. Sunday dinner had previously been a speciality at the C&B, but this time the roast beef was overcooked, difficult to cut and swamped in gravy, robbing the goose-fat roasted potatoes of their texture and taste. Puddings (bought in rather than prepared on site?) and breakfasts were still fine and But, oh dear, what a falling-off in what was one of the best, in quality and value, dining experiences we'd ever come across at a British inn.

Cannot speak too highly of the Cook and Barker - friendly and welcoming staff, great food, comfortable accommodation . Lovely atmosphere in bar and restaurant with an amazing menu choice. Reasonably priced. Have stayed here a number of times since 2005 and never been disappointed.