The Farmers Arms

We chose this hotel for a stopover on way from Leeds to Beamish on a Sunday evening . On the day of departure we found out there was no restaurant or bar open on a Sunday evening ,! Not a good start so instead opted to get there in time for the Sunday carvery served while about 4.30 pm . The food was well cooked and a very good choice except it was cold !! When the waiter asked if all was ok we told him and he said “ oh , it was cold ? I’ll tell the chef “ That was the last we saw of him ! We paid our food bill and were then shown to our very clean room . However the pillows were like squashed flumps , there were no glasses, no chair just basically a bed , and 4 white walls ! We were then told that there would be no breakfast service but we could walk down the road to a little cafe down the road ! There was no other hostelries in the vicinity so we had no choice but to sit and watch the Ladies Cup Final sat up in bed ! The result made us feel better . We then turned in and the following morning we let ourselves out by a scruffy , dirty back door and went on our way !! Make if it as you will but a very weird experience , good job we have a good sense of humour !

Great pub food in a truly convivial atmosphere, the gentle hum of conversation, the kind attention of the blonde waitress, a visit to our table by the chef, all combined to make a lovely evening out. We are vegetarian and the choices were impressive, looking forward to our next visit.

It was our second visit as we had called in on the way upto nearHexham and been impressed a week ago. Now on the way home, it was just as good as we had remembered. There are some interesting dishes on the menu but also some classics like the fish and chips I had. The portion sizes are huge, be warned. My fish was cooked to perfection in a light tasty batter - it had been skinned, unlike the fish I received recently in a local establishment. The chips were proper chips - hand cut, crisp outside and squidgy middle. We had eaten in a supposedly very upmarket establishment the day before. That had made booking with a small dog a necessity. It had been pleasant enough but the food had been only ok. The chips there had been advertised as being home cooked. They might have been cooked there but they were certainly not home prepared. They prided themselves on Michelin mentions and the prices reflected that. We wouldn’t bother to go back to the other one but we would certainly go to this again. Small things matter - crisp skin on the fish in my husband’s meal, presentation rarely found in a pub. And someone behind the bar who went out of his way to help a disabled chap who was leaving. The Farmer’s Arms deserves recognition. This place has excellent service, wonderful food with real attention to detail and you couldn’t wish for a more down to earth attitude. Prices reflect the quality of the ingredients and the skills of the chef(s).