The Rat Inn

A Hilltop Drovers' Inn and the Ales That Hold It Together

Northumberland's pub tradition runs deep, shaped by drovers' routes, Border reivers, and the kind of upland climate that makes a well-kept ale feel less like a preference and more like a necessity. The Rat Inn in Anick sits squarely inside that tradition: an 18th-century inn on a hill above the Tyne Valley, rebuilt and reopened in recent years, but carrying enough original character that the restoration reads as revival rather than reinvention. Reader testimony captures it plainly: "Great food, great atmosphere, proper pub." That phrase, stripped of any promotional intent, is about as useful a three-word summary as a place like this could ask for.

The bar itself is the anchor. Up to six ales from North Country microbreweries rotate on tap at any given time, which places The Rat Inn in a specific tier of regional pub curation: not a tap-room for a single brewery, and not a generic national-brand house, but a rotating showcase for the smaller producers working across Northumberland, County Durham, and the wider North Country. For visitors arriving from outside the region, it doubles as a quick education in what that microbrewery scene looks like at its most accessible. For our full Anick restaurants guide, the inn represents one of the clearest examples of a pub that earns its food reputation partly because the drinking side is already well managed.

The interior reinforces that sense of place. Quirky items collected over years line the walls and shelves, the kind of accumulation that only works when it's genuinely the product of time rather than a decorator's brief. The views from the hilltop position extend across the Tyne Valley, which on a clear afternoon provides a backdrop that no amount of interior design spend could replicate. The atmosphere leans toward low-key rather than high-energy: conversation-friendly, unpretentious, the sort of room where you might find a table of farmers alongside a couple who've driven an hour to eat here.

What the Drinks Programme Actually Tells You

In the broader conversation about what constitutes a serious drinks offer at a rural British pub, the approach here is worth examining. The shift across Northern England's better village and market-town pubs has been away from national lager dominance and toward locally sourced cask ale programmes with genuine rotation. The Rat Inn's commitment to up to six microbrewery ales on tap represents that shift in its most direct form. Compared to the technical cocktail programmes you'd find at urban operators like 69 Colebrooke Row in London or Bramble in Edinburgh, or the heritage bar culture of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, this is a different proposition entirely. The ambition here is regional curation rather than technical innovation, and the standard for success is consistency and provenance rather than bartending craft in the metropolitan sense.

The wine list takes a similar approach: personally selected, running to around a dozen options by the glass. That number is not large, but it suggests a deliberate edit rather than a compromise. In a rural pub context, a tight, well-chosen glass list tends to outperform a sprawling one that turns over too slowly. It also keeps the focus where the kitchen wants it: on the food, and specifically on the Northumbrian producers behind it.

This stands in contrast to city-based drinking destinations that prioritise programme depth above all else. Schofield's in Manchester, Mojo Leeds, and Horseshoe Bar Glasgow each represent a different urban drinking culture. The Rat Inn operates in a different register entirely, one where the quality of the pint and the sourcing of the beef are equally weighted in the reader's calculus.

The Kitchen's Approach and What It Puts on the Table

The food at The Rat Inn is grounded in a provenance-first approach that has become the benchmark for serious pub cooking across Northumberland and the broader North East. A board behind the bar names the local farms and herds supplying the meat, which is less a marketing gesture and more a statement of how the kitchen has structured its supplier relationships. Steaks dominate the regular seasonal menu, sold by weight and paired with the pub's own steak sauce, a format that keeps the kitchen's sourcing central to the eating experience.

The daily specials list extends the range considerably. Dishes like pork and black pudding terrine, or griddled sea bass with roasted cauliflower, lemon and caper butter, speak to a kitchen that can shift registers without losing coherence. Black pudding is a Northern staple with roots in the region's agricultural traditions; sea bass with caper butter leans toward something more considered. The fact that both appear on the same specials board without awkwardness suggests a confident kitchen rather than one trying to cover too much ground.

Desserts follow the same logic. Basque cheesecake and Manchester tart appear alongside rhubarb crumble with homemade ice cream, the last of which has drawn consistent positive comment from regulars. The range across those three options reflects a kitchen that understands its audience: some diners want something that signals ambition, others want something that signals comfort, and a good pub kitchen serves both without apology.

For visitors travelling from further afield, whether from Newcastle along the A69 or from the Scottish Borders heading south, the practical case for The Rat Inn rests on that combination: the ales, the views, and a kitchen that treats Northumbrian provenance as a structural principle rather than a tagline. Comparable rural drinking experiences with serious food credentials can be found at other outposts of the British Isles, from Digby Chick in the Western Isles to the Harbour View and Fraggle Rock Bar on Bryher, each operating in a remote setting where the quality of what's in the glass and on the plate carries extra weight precisely because there are fewer alternatives nearby.

Planning Your Visit

The Rat Inn sits in Anick, a small village just outside Hexham in Northumberland, positioned to serve both locals and visitors exploring the Tyne Valley and the wider National Park. The hilltop location means the approach on foot or by car arrives with a view before you've even opened the door. Given the pub's reputation and the limited seating that a building of this scale implies, arriving early on weekend afternoons is advisable, particularly when the specials board is likely to be at its fullest. The ales rotate, so repeat visits will typically yield a different tap selection. For those planning a longer visit to Northumberland, the inn sits within reasonable reach of Hadrian's Wall and the broader heritage circuit of the North Tyne corridor, making it a natural stopping point rather than a detour. And for readers whose interest in drinking culture extends beyond the rural British pub format to technically driven urban programmes, the contrast is worth noting: what places like L'Atelier Du Vin in Brighton, Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin in Bristol, or Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu do with technique and programme depth, The Rat Inn does with place, produce, and the direct pleasures of a properly kept Northern English ale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Rat Inn more low-key or high-energy?

Low-key, deliberately so. The atmospheric bar, hilltop setting outside Hexham, and rotating microbrewery ale selection attract a local crowd and destination visitors seeking a genuine Northumbrian pub rather than an event-driven venue. The pace is unhurried, and the room is built around conversation rather than spectacle.

What do regulars order at The Rat Inn?

The steaks, sold by weight from the seasonal menu and served with the pub's own steak sauce, draw consistent repeat custom. The rhubarb crumble with homemade ice cream has also built a following on the dessert side. The daily specials board extends the options further, with dishes built around the same Northumbrian farm and herd suppliers named on the bar board.

What's the standout thing about The Rat Inn?

The combination of a genuine 18th-century drovers' inn setting above the Tyne Valley, a rotating programme of up to six North Country microbrewery ales, and a kitchen that publishes its local sourcing on a board rather than hiding it in the small print. That alignment between place, drink, and provenance-driven food is what separates it from pubs that do one of those things well but not all three.