Seven farm shops and markets in Northumberland for a farm-to-fork feast

Alnwick Market and Farmers Market

Last Friday of the month, 9am-4pm

Alnwick is an idyllic market town, all cobbled streets and elegant Georgian houses surrounded by wild, tempestuous countryside. It’s home to a magical castle with a claim to fame – it featured in the first two Harry Potter films – as well as a bustling market, held in the historic market square on the last Friday of each month. Come along and browse a huge selection of fresh local produce: cheese, sausages, artisan bread, homemade scones and cakes, beef, lamb, game and fish. The friendly, knowledgeable traders, many of them farmers, know their stuff and are happy to chat. If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind gifts then dip into the arts and crafts stalls for locally made clothes, jewellery and even dog treats. 

Hexham Market

Every second and fourth Saturday of the month, 9am-1.30pm

Nestled in a super position in the green and pleasant Tyne Valley, Hexham is delightfully picturesque, filled with striking stone architecture – including a rather magnificent Abbey – as well as friendly folk and an independent spirit. All the things we love! Its farmers market, spread over the market place and and around Hexham Abbey, is one of the longest running and best established in the county. Every stall trader comes from within a 50 mile radius, so the meat is locally reared and the vegetables locally grown. Chutney and conserves are all made with local vegetables or fruit and every trader is passionate about what they do. The market is a communal gathering place with stallholders and customers meeting to catch up and swap news. Find meats, cheeses and preserves as well as plants, woollen goods and hand-carved wooden spatulas. Pack down starts about lunch time so it’s best to arrive early; the Christmas market runs until 3pm. 

Blagdon Farmshop

Open during the day Tuesday-Sunday 

Twenty minutes north from the centre of spirited and fiercely independent Newcastle upon Tyne is a farm shop that stands out from the crowd. From handmade pies and quiches to the freshest fruit and vegetables, this is the perfect stop off if you’re looking for a tasty supper to cook at home. Popular with locals who are enticed by the shop’s commitment to growing, rearing and cooking the very best local food, every morning they take delivery of vegetables picked directly from their own fields, kippers and smoked salmon come from nearby Craster Smokehouse and they are one of the few places in the region to butcher their own meat. A small, talented team run by head chef, Michelle, turns out a mouthwatering array of hearty dishes and sweet treats to take away.  

Brockbushes Farmshop

Open daily 9.30am-5.30pm

A thriving family-owned farm shop, tea room and pick your own fruit farm. Depending on the time of year you can pick asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries and pumpkins. It’s a relaxed affair, just book a slot, then fill a basket (or two) and pay at the end. The bustling shop and tea room stock a smorgasbord of local goodies: home cooked meats and pâtés, jams, chutneys and sauces, cheese and freshly baked bread. In the Farm Kitchen they make and bake delicious homemade cakes, scones, quiches, savoury pies, soup and tempting desserts, much of which you can also buy in the shop to take back to your holiday cottage. 

The Nook Farmshop

Open daily 9am-4.30pm

On the Northumberland border, in the heart of the North Pennines AONB, the Nook is a charming farm shop and café based on the Epiacum Roman Fort site. Pick up a leaflet from the Centurion’s Hut in the car park and stroll along the trails that lead you to this fascinating site. You’re also in a great position for The Pennine Way, part of which runs alongside Hadrian’s Wall, and the South Tyne Trail, that meanders through remote and less-visited countryside. Inside, Elaine and her team serve a menu packed with all-day breakfasts, hearty soups, salads and hot mains followed by homemade scones, cakes and other sweet treats. Pick up cuts of meat, preserves, frozen homemade suppers, cheese, fish, milk and more, to enjoy at your self-catering cottage. 

Moorhouse Farmshop

Open daily 9.30am-4pm

Moorhouse are award-winning arable, beef and sheep farmers, as well as one of the few pig producers in Northumberland, with two farms within four miles of their shop and café. The family have farmed in the area for generations and have their finger on the pulse when it comes to knowing what their customers want. All the meat sold in the shop comes from their own farms and everything else is sourced within a 50 mile radius. Bread, fruit and veg are delivered daily, preserves, milk and cheese from just down the road and honey is buzzed in from local bees. They butcher their meat the traditional way so whether you nip in for a sausage roll in the coffee shop or want to buy a roasting joint to take back to your holiday cottage, the flavour will always be divine. Cakes, scones and flapjacks are baked daily as are pies, soups and snacks. An easy place to pop to from pretty Morpeth. 

Holy Island National Trust Shop

Opening hours dependant on causeway crossing times, call 01289 389253 to check

Check the tide times before heading out along Holy Island Causeway to the Holy Island National Trust shop. Its opening hours depend on the tide, as do the other shops in the island’s one little village, Marygate. Stroll along the rocky coastline to 16th-century Lindisfarne Castle, perched high on a rocky outcrop, and remodelled by Edwin Lutyens in the early 1900s, then pick up some goodies at the NT shop. They sell a selection of local products, gifts, homeware, outdoor clothing and food, and the back garden is open to browse a range of plants and vegetables grown in the Gertrude Jekyll garden at the castle. Every purchase supports the National Trust’s conservation work, including its guardianship of Lindisfarne Castle.

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