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Beamish Hall Country House Hotel, County Durham

Beamish Hall Country House Hotel, Stanley

THE weather at this time of year is so unpredictable. One day warm and calm, the next lashing it down. Sometimes it gets even more ridiculous. For example, I booked a table at Beamish Hall in County Durham a couple of weeks ago and set off from Newcastle in misty rain. Read

Dorothy Ritzema of Wildon Grange Relishes

UK about to discover how good our food is

REGIONAL food could soon be on the menu across the UK after local producers headed north of the border to woo new customers. Read

Fillet of venison with couscous

THIS recipe is for fillet of venison, a meat that fulfills modern health food criteria but needs treating carefully to avoid it being tough or dry. Read

Eating local is top of menu

MORE than 140 people have put their name to The Journal Taste North East England pledge to buy local, use local, eat local. Read

Mussel man needs muscle

ASKED if he makes a decent living, Steve Oldale gives a wry laugh and exclaims: “Do I heck.” Read

Website with byte

FOOD lovers have put The Journal’s newest website top of the menu with more than 500 people logging on in its first week. Read

National Trust opens up its larder to local produce

LOCAL food has been given a welcome boost with the opening of a new National Trust shop devoted to North East produce. Read

Made in Northumberland scheme...producers aboard a bus which will be touring the berwick area in March

On road to success

THE Journal Taste North East England Campaign is taking to the road – courtesy of a red London double-decker. Read

The Journal Taste columnist Bill Oldfield

Restaurant cooks up ‘slow food’ award

OLDFIELDS Restaurant in Durham has outpaced its competitors to gain a ‘Slow Food’ Award. Read

Importance of close teamwork

IT’S all about teamwork. That’s what I was taught at school. It was then reinforced to me during my time in the Merchant Navy and again in other lines of work. Read

La Gabbia restaurant, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle

La Gabbia, Boyd Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle

AMAZINGLY, La Gabbia is the only Italian restaurant in Newcastle with no licence – yet. Read

Go native for a quality quaff

ENGLISH wine growers have just celebrated a very happy Christmas. Not only did they enjoy a huge hike in sales over the run-up to the festivities, but they were handed a timely present on December 19 in the form of an official exclusion by the European Union from reforms which would have prevented any new vineyards being planted in the UK. Read

PINK FOR LOVERS

AS Valentine’s Day approaches, the number of pink wines on the supermarket shelves rises almost as quickly as the price of red rosés. Read

Sue Hooper of The Deli Around the Corner in Tynemouth

Journal campaign hits close to home

The Journal has launched a campaign to get the people of the North East buying, using and eating more local produce. Jane Hall speaks to three people who in their different ways are doing their bit to promote the region’s fine food and drink. Read