This award-winning parlour on Amble’s harbour is a must-visit for gelato lovers. Spurreli crafts artisan ice creams and sorbets with local ingredients – like Doddington Dairy milk, Cheviot hills heather honey, and Northumberland strawberries. Flavours change seasonally but look for hits like Buttered Crumble, Wild Blackberry, or the unique Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream!
Set on a working farm, Morwick has a delightful parlour and play area for families. Their Jersey cows’ rich milk makes the creamiest ice cream, and Morwick offers over 30 flavours on rotation, from traditional vanilla to cheeky specials like Ferrero Rocher or Jelly Bean. Kids love the tractor-themed play park and seeing calves in the field and adults love the quality of the ice cream. It’s dog-friendly outside and just a lovely countryside stop for family fun.
Arrighi’s is a 100+ year-old family ice cream business in Seaton Delaval. Their original retro ice cream parlour on Astley Road looks untouched by time. They serve scoops of their award-winning vanilla and other classics, so if you’re visiting Seaton Delaval Hall or Blyth beach, it’s worth detouring to experience old-fashioned ice cream hospitality. Their vanilla is the classic North East vanilla, don’t miss out trying this one!
England’s oldest pedigree Jersey herd lives at Wheelbirks Farm, and from their milk comes the very best ice cream. Flavours are often simple and elegant but we definitely recommend trying the Raspberry Ripple made with their own berries, or the Dandelion & Burdock for a Victorian twist. There’s an orchard playground outside and sometimes you can watch calves being fed.
Not a dedicated parlour per se, but mention must be made of their homemade whinberry (wild blueberry) ice cream. Using berries picked from nearby moors, they create a purple-hued, aromatic ice cream that tastes like Northumberland’s uplands in summer. On a warm day after walking Hareshaw Linn waterfall, sitting outside the café with a scoop of whinberry ice cream is bliss.
Up near Wooler, Doddington Dairy also has an ice cream dairy. The Doddington ice cream is superb, so be sure to try the ‘Rum & Raisin’ which uses real Jamaican rum and plump raisins, or the ‘Border Tart’ flavour inspired by the famous pastry. It’s very low-key – essentially a freezer chest in a shed but that’s half the charm!
A warm singin’ hinny split and spread with butter and maybe a drizzle of local honey is a simple yet extremely tasty pudding. Its currant-studded, slightly briny dough contrasts beautifully with sweet toppings. The name always brings a smile, imagining the scone “singing” as it cooks on the griddle. Many cafés in tourist areas serve singing hinnies all day, so be sure to try one for “afters” with a dollop of clotted cream and jam for a truly indulgent finish.
A traditional tart from the Borders area, very much beloved in North Northumberland too. It’s essentially a shortcrust pastry shell filled with a rich mixture of dried fruits, and often a splash of whisky or vinegar, baked and then topped with white almond icing. The result is a moist, tangy-sweet slice that goes wonderfully with coffee.
Like a Bakewell tart but with apple and raspberry jam layers under the frangipane filling. It won a competition decades ago as the village of Norham’s signature recipe. They aren’t widely sold, but if you attend the Norham Food Festival or drop by specific tea rooms in Norham, you will certainly find them.
A tiny jewel of a chocolate shop on Warkworth’s main street. The owner creates exquisite handmade chocolates that could rival Brussels’ best and the flavours showcase local ingredients – think violet cream truffles or Alnwick Rum ganaches. Truly a chocolate lover’s paradise in the shadow of Warkworth Castle!
A chic dessert café and chocolatier in central Morpeth. They not only sell artisan chocolates but also serve incredible hot chocolate concoctions, fondue, and patisserie. The pralines and truffles use fine origin chocolate – try the Northumbrian honeycomb truffle or the “Earl Grey” infused chocolate for local twists. They also have a signature Morpeth Bomber truffle dedicated to a famous WW2 RAF plane. It’s called a “spa” because, honestly, indulging here feels like therapy!
Speaking of fudge, Alnwick has a branch of Roly’s Fudge Pantry on Narrowgate. While not unique to Northumberland, it’s notable because you can watch fudge being made in the shop window, drawn in by the buttery aroma. They often make local-inspired flavors like Craster Sea Salt fudge or Northumbrian Heather Honey fudge. The theatrics of the fudge-pulling and the free samples make it a great stop for families.
This rising-star artisan bakery specialises in sourdough breads with a Geordie twist – e.g. a stottie-shaped sourdough and a “Pitman’s Loaf” using stout in the dough. Think crusty loaves with great chew, focaccias topped with local rosemary, and inventive seasonal danishes. It’s an example of new-generation Northumbrian baking: rooted in tradition but with a modern twist!
Not just a café, The Running Fox is also an in-house bakery that produces all the bread for their famous sandwiches and afternoon teas. At their Felton site you can see the bread ovens and even buy loaves to take away. Plus, don’t miss out on their sausage rolls – massive and delicious, they often using local sausage from down the road. They blur the line between bakery and café so well that you’ll likely sit for cake then leave with a loaf and scones for later.
A family-run, old-school bakery established in 1940, now run by the third generation Grants. It’s beloved for its pies, rolls, and especially the Corbridge Bun – a fruit bun with icing that is a local specialty. Their bread selection ranges from simple bloomers to seeded wholemeals. Try their “Devon” or a toffee tart – classic British bakery fare done well.
This charming tearoom near the Heatherslaw Corn Mill specialises in freshly-baked scones and cakes made with flour ground at the mill next door. The result? Incredibly tender scones with a unique nutty flavour. Their fruit scone with a dollop of Roddam clotted cream and Etal plum jam is afternoon bliss and they also do a mean Victoria sponge cake. What’s more, you get to enjoy your treat on the patio overlooking the River Till and cornfields!
This quirky café is inside vintage train carriages, and they’re known for their toffee and date cake and seasonal creations like blackberry and apple crumble cake in autumn. Every cake here feels homemade because they are, by the owner who pours love into each bake. After a long walk in Kielder or Hareshaw Linn, a slice of their moist carrot cake or a giant warm cheese scone really hits the spot!
A classic village tea room in Bamburgh where the coffee and walnut cake stands tall and proud on the counter – an old-fashioned recipe with rich coffee buttercream that pairs perfectly with a pot of tea. Also try their apple and sultana slice – a traybake that’s essentially soft apples and plump raisins baked under a buttery crust, served warm with cream. After touring Bamburgh Castle, this is the homey treat you deserve!
With around 1,500 hives placed in sites from moorland to meadow to hedgerow, they produce a range of honeys each with distinctive character. Their Heather Honey is dark, aromatic and almost toffee-like and their Wildflower Honey from lowland hives is lighter and floral. At their visitor centre you can sample different types side by side but don’t leave without picking up a jar or three, as well as their lovely beeswax candles or skin creams.
This is a small cottage industry making artisanal jams, marmalades and chutneys often sold at local markets and in some estate gift shops. They use fruits from the Ford & Etal Estate where possible – e.g. their Etal Plum Jam is rich and tangy, great on scones, and their Border Bramble Jelly captures the wild blackberries from hedgerows. If you see them at a fair, sample the chutney – the Northumberland Relish (a dark, date-based chutney) is superb with cheeses or cold meats. Like something your nana would make!
A husband-and-wife team making award-winning chutneys and preserves using local produce. Their Spiced Carrot Chutney and Beetroot & Orange Chutney both took Great Taste awards and they do a Seville Orange & Whisky Marmalade that is essentially breakfast dessert. If you love chutney with your cheese or meats, check them out – it’s like a Geordie twist on Indian pickle.
