The Angel Inn, Corbridge

Corbridge is a well-to-do small village in Northumberland which lies along the Tyne Valley. The town currently boasts two of the top ten most expensive streets in the region by average house price. This explains why, along with tourism, it supports such an amazing range of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

One of the gems of Corbridge is the Angel Inn, branded the Angel of Corbridge, which is a great big traditional inn with rooms, a restaurant and a bar. We went to the bar.

I went for the Wylam Beer battered Cod fillet, hand cut chips and mushy peas at £11.95.

The fish was tasty without being anything special and I did need to remove the skin before I could enjoy its flavour. The Wylam Brewery batter was very good. It was crisp, a golden brown colour and had a taste that was fulfilling without being overpowering. It also had some bit crispy bits hanging off it, which went down a treat.

The chips were hand cut by someone who had a very limited amount of time in which to cut chips. They therefore decided that instead of aiming for a traditional chipped potato they would use scaling as a time-saving device. They were huge. Huge, long, wide rectangles of chips and although they did have a good flavour they should have been in the fryer for a couple of minutes longer. But at least they brought back a reminder of childhood songs.

 

There were chips, chips as big as battle ships,

In the store, in the store,

There were chips, chips as big as battle ships,

In the quartermaster’s store.

The peas were excellent. They had a deep, intense colour which was matched by the flavour and they were probably the highlight of the meal.

I did have to ask for the salt and vinegar but this wasn’t a problem as the staff were friendly, helpful and attentive, without being too interested in upselling you more drinks. The lemon was very clever. It was tall and had been cut in such a way as you could hold it in one hand by the skin and get an efficient squeeze out with no pips. The tartare was fine, in both quality and density, with a blend of gherkin and caper tang.

The meal was washed down with a cold pint of Tyneside Blonde. Sadly the temperature killed much of the flavour of this normally fine beer, but all in all it was a good meal, in good company in a charming pub, in a delightful Northumbrian location.