Well, here we are again, now the proud owners of a five-star food hygiene certificate. Read on and we’ll fill you in on the marvellous menu currently on offer at Temple Croft.  

Things have really picked up over the past month or two, which has meant that the kitchen has been a hive of activity. Although the bulk of our business has been walkers and cyclists doing the Pennine Way or C2C respectively, we’ve welcomed a good blend of other travellers. These include touring motorcyclists from Yorkshire; globetrotting Italian marathon runners from Naples; and an Aussie mum holidaying with her Cumbria-based son and and his wife. 

Thankfully, they’ve all been very hungry and as yet we’ve had no complaints from anyone about the food. On the contrary, everyone has been very complimentary – which is nice.

Breakfast

They say it’s the most important meal of the day (and we are a bed and breakfast after all), so it seems only right to start with breakfast. As with the other meals we provide, we try wherever possible to use good-quality locally sourced produce from trusted suppliers. Breakfast is included in the price of the room (except for the Bunkhouse, where beds are booked individually and breakfast is extra). 

Full Cumbrian breakfast comprises bacon, sausage, egg, black pudding, grilled tomato, beans and  mushrooms. Our vegetarian offering includes meat-free sausage, egg, stuffed field mushroom, guacamole-style avocado, hash browns, grilled tomato and beans. There’s also a continental breakfast which features home-made Bircher muesli, crusty rolls, croissants, cheeses, cold meats and sweet pastries. All come with tea, coffee, juices, Greek yoghurt, cereals, berries, toast and preserves. If preferred, you can opt for this cheaper ‘basic breakfast’ option when booking a Bunkhouse bed.

Dinner

Our hearty and delicious evening meals have proved a godsend to intrepid walkers and cyclists who have covered many miles and arrived tired and hungry. While some guests can’t wait to get to the boozer and go looking for pub grub in the hostelries of Alston, many others prefer the cosier (and arguably tastier) option of dining with us at here Temple Croft. Our ‘What’s in the Pot?’ menu boasts a small selection of home-cooked meals, with tried and tested favourites ranged alongside a few more exotic offerings. So you might  be looking at fisherman’s pie, game pie, beef bourguignon, chicken, leek and mushroom casserole, or fabada Asturiana, pork and cannellini beans and spicy veggie ‘meatball’ wraps.

We’re not a restaurant, so we can’t cook to order; we tend to batch cook and what we’ve got is what we’ve got. We have, however, had many glowing reports about our meals, so it might just be worth giving us a try. You can book one, two or three courses at very reasonable prices, either online when you book your room or in person when you check in. But don’t leave it too late: when it’s gone it’s gone.

Packed lunch

Many of our guests, especially those heading out for a long day’s hiking or cycling, like the reassurance of knowing they are going to get something decent to eat en route, so take the precaution of booking one of our excellent packed lunches. Again, as with our dinner menu, the feedback has been tremendous. However, as the packed lunches include several speciality home-made items, (such as Scotch eggs, falafels and hi-pro chocolate and hazelnut brownies) and seasonal delicacies like potato and wild garlic bhajis, they must be booked in advance to avoid disappointment – you have been warned!

I think I’d better sign off now: it’s past G&T time and I suddenly feel rather peckish. If all that isn’t enough to whet your appetite for a stay at Temple Croft, then I’m a smoked haddock! Hope to see you around the breakfast/dinner table sometime very soon.

Laters alligators,

AC/PC