Accolade Brasserie, Northumberland - Compact Modern Restaurant Serves Top Quality Local Fare

hnub(66)

Published in

#tasteem

Words

633

Reading

3 min

Listen

Play

title_image

A modern restaurant specializing in the best of British food has been recognised for the quality of the dishes it offers at a local awards ceremony.

Accolade Brasserie of Front Street West in the small Northumberland town of Bedlington is owned by local couple Emma and David Hall. One of the few top quality restaurants in the region outside of Newcastle, Accolade is well worth a visit for locals and tourists in the area.

A Modern Setting and a Warm Welcome

This neat and compact restaurant seats about 30 covers. This fact, combined with the limited opening hours, suggests that booking in advance is the best way to avoid disappointment.

insert Img

Clean lines and subtle lighting best describe the tasteful interior, with dark furniture accented and warmed by touches of a deep red shade in the accessories. The result is an attractive layout which manages to appear classy and refined, yet still homely and welcoming.

The staff are very professional, neatly attired and friendly, and are accommodating and unobtrusive, allowing diners to enjoy their meal completely undisturbed, unless a customer should require anything, at which time they are the model of efficiency.

A Changing Menu at Accolade Brasserie

With the focus on the best seasonal local produce available, the menu varies accordingly with what is at its peak throughout the year.

insert Img
Meat dishes on the menu usually include steak and chicken in various guises, there is always a vegetarian option, in the starters and the mains, and fish of an appropriate variety depending on the time of year also usually makes an appearance. The short but exciting menu indicates that Accolade concentrate on doing a few recipes very well, rather than multiple recipes to an average standard.

insert Img
The starters included simple prawns, a risotto and a delicious stilton and pear combination with toasted almonds, with mains of steak, chicken on mash, asparagus with soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds and grilled salmon.

At the time of writing, the season dictates that the restaurant currently offers starters including grilled Elsdon goat’s cheese on a tomato and wild rocket salad with balsamic glaze, yellow pea and rosemary soup and Northumbrian beef meatballs on a cucumber and coriander salsa with sweet soy & honey dressing, mains of Northumbrian sirloin steak with homemade thick cut chips, pan fried local plaice fillet with sweet potatoes, green beans and lemon and parsley butter and the ever popular breast of chicken with a grain mustard mash and parsnip crisps. Vegetarians may enjoy the caramelised red onion and tomato risotto with basil oil.

Desserts also vary - but the cheese board of Northumbrian and traditional varieties is a highly recommended constant. Another praise-worthy dessert is the warm ginger sponge with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream, moreish flavours of childhood with a clean and grown up presentation.

insert Img

Food Fit For Royalty

Emma and David have not simply stumbled into their current vocation, as evidenced by the early success of their restaurant venture. The couple have previously organised high end events and cooked for such dignitaries as the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family, including the Queen. David worked as a chef in top class restaurants around the country, before returning to his home region to lead kitchen teams at Alnwick Castle and The Sage Gateshead. With his restaurant he has the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his own cooking ideals and style, and if the past year is anything to go by, Accolade and its owners look to have an extremely exciting future ahead of them.