You might recognise chef Cal Byerley from his main course at the banquet in the latest series of Great British Menu. Pine is his debut restaurant: a former cow barn turned intimate dining room with an open kitchen, a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall. The tasting menu celebrates Northumberland’s natural larder with precision and warmth – it’s easy to see why Pine holds both red and green Michelin stars. 

Northumberland’s wild juniper is the star at Hepple, where you can take the distillery tour to learn how a farmer, foraging chef, legendary bartender and professional distiller are working together to bring gin back to its roots. The Hepple estate has its own ecosystem, with roaming wild ponies, Highland cows and pigs churning up the earth, dispersing wild seeds and exposing juniper to harvest. Tours culminate in a tasting session in the charming stone farmhouse turned distillery. 

What happens when you combine mountaineering with professional cooking? Mountain leader and chef Chris Reay runs Fells’ Kitchen Adventures, leading hikes in the Northumberland National Park’s hills and serving a fine-dining feast at the top. Expect to sample Lindisfarne oysters with tangy vinaigrette, fat scallops atop crisped black pudding and scotch eggs with oozy yolks, all after a satisfying trek over heather-clad hills and past hidden waterfalls. 

Ad Gefrin is the only UK distillery with an Anglo-Saxon museum; fittingly, the domed entrance feels like a vast banqueting hall. Distillery tours take you behind the scenes where copper stills and Douglas-fir barrels vent and hiss, slowly distilling Northumberland’s first single malt. There’s a hushed reverie in the tasting room as you're guided through the distinctive flavours of each spirit.  

Tucked down an unassuming farm track, you’ll find Northumberland’s sweetest secret. At Bamburgh Bee Company, hives buzz with activity as owner Mark Swearman shares his infectious passion for beekeeping and you get to try honey oozing straight from the comb. Mark also offers full-day beekeeping workshops. 

Join Gemma, aka The Cramlington Forager, as she scours Northumberland’s hedgerows, salt marshes and ancient woodlands to discover what’s good to eat. Along the way you might try eye-watering wild garlic, or surprisingly sweet nettle flowers. You’ll leave with a new appreciation of this county’s natural bounty. 

Prepare to rethink the humble potato. On a ‘Meet the Makers’ itinerary with Triple A Tours, you’ll taste how variety and terroir matter: Buston’s heritage spuds roast beautifully and make a dangerously moreish bag of crisps. Swing by the farm shop near Alnwick to stock up. 

In the centre of Alnwick, Sonnet restaurant is a relative newcomer, but people are already talking about it. The 14-course tasting menu is a journey through local flavours, with dishes so pretty you know they’ve used tweezers to get that zesty little sorrel leaf just right – yet the vibe is refreshingly simple and unfussy.