A truly great find that the people of the area have been keeping secret too long. The Rat Inn offers a quite special atmosphere, good beer and great home-cooked food. It is a locals' local that is worthy of a wider audience. Two miles outside Hexham, in a tiny hamlet, the pub overlooks the ancient town of Hexham and the fertile Tyne Valley.

There is something tongue in cheek about the pub, a sign tells mobile users that other customers will go and stand outside if they wish to take a call, the menu features rat burgers (made from beef thankfully) and the advice that the chips come in odd shapes and sizes as they are home-made. And no one knows why the pub's name changed to The Rat in the 1960s, though several locals offered interesting theories, but then no one seemed to know why it was called The Board before that.

The best views are from the small conservatory or the dining room, which is decorated in a romantic, Romano style - perhaps a whim or a hint to the pub's proximity to the world heritage site of Hadrian's Wall, the northern most outpost of the Roman Empire.

The friendly main bar features a collection of chamber pots, drinking mugs and a lead-black range, from which the heat pours on a cold day. The food is wholesome and served with gusto - and as I discovered it's best to get in early if you want to try the dumplings as they were already sold out within 15 minutes of the pub opening at noon.

The Rat,
Anick,
Hexham,
Northumberland,
NE46 4LN
Tel: 01434 602814

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Regional Winners 2005

Overall Winners 2006
Regional Winners 2006