The story
Feathers Inn stands at Hedley on the Hill, NE43 7SW, just outside Stocksfield, and cooks Modern British food from Northumbrian suppliers. Michelin lists it as Recommended for 2026.
Rhian Cradock and Helen have run the pub since 2007, with Thomas Stanbury as head chef. Rhian describes his cooking as regional British food with a classical French influence. The kitchen cures its own charcuterie, makes black pudding and pickles North Sea herrings. A published list names more than 60 local suppliers, from foragers to rare-breed farmers and day-boat fishermen.
Outside, a fire pit handles flatbreads, grilled vegetables and Haydon Bridge beef patties in brioche buns with Gorgonzola piccante. Indoors, the British kitchen turns to battered haddock, wild halibut with chilli and rosemary velouté, or braised local roe deer with celeriac purée and emmer wheat. Dessert might be blackberry and apple sponge with custard, steamed gingerbread pudding or Northumbrian cheeses. The Good Food Guide rates the pub Good for 2026.
The pub has three snug areas, each with a wood-burning stove, and dogs are welcome in the bar. Northumbrian ales share the bar with vermouth-based cocktails and a mulberry gin made on site. In summer, a covered yard opens to diners.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
A centuries-old village local atop a hill midway between Hadrian's Wall and the conurbations of Tyne & Wear, the Feathers continues to provide sustenance for locals and visitors alike. Inside, it looks the part with beams, log-burning stoves, Northumbrian ales and old-fashioned pub games as part of the offer, although the place has built its current reputation on locally sourced seasonal food, industrious home production and a commitment to ethical practices. The kitchen cures its own charcuterie, makes black pudding and pickles North Sea herrings (‘as good as most I’ve had in Scandinavia,’ noted one visitor) – as well as producing bespoke spirits including mulberry gin. They have a published list of more than 60 local suppliers, including foragers and growers, Northumbrian farmers specialising in rare breeds and day-boat fishermen catching sustainable species off the East Coast. An outdoor fire pit works its magic on flatbreads, grilled vegetables (used for vegan meze) and Haydon Bridge beef patties (slotted into brioche buns with Gorgonzola piccante and dill pickles). Otherwise, the kitchen’s eclectic approach sees battered haddock and fillet of wild halibut with chilli and rosemary velouté alongside braised local roe deer with celeriac purée, English lentils and emmer wheat or Spanish-style home-cured pork chop with fried potatoes and bravas sauce. For afters, the Northumbrian cheeses are well worth a punt, as are the homemade ices and homespun desserts such as blackberry and apple sponge with custard or steamed gingerbread pudding. To drink, vermouth-based cocktails and keenly priced, well-chosen wines fit the bill nicely.
Location
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