Eating Out at Madhatter Tearoom & Kitchen, Barnard Castle

Of course the challenge is not in finding new and interesting places to write about – our region is blessed with a huge array of fine cafes, restaurants and pubs. It is in enjoying lavish lunches and tasty teas without the waistline expanding along with the wordcount.

It’s not always possible, especially in the depths of winter, but at this time of year I try and combine meals out with a long walk, or sometimes a run.

On a recent Sunday, I took this slightly to the extreme, entering the Tees Trailtastic 9.5 mile run at Barnard Castle alongside work colleague Amy Smith, before seeking out an early lunch. It was a beautiful route, starting and finishing at the TCR hub and taking in lovely woodland paths, parkland and quiet lanes.

The miles flew by, particularly for Amy who burned me off with two to go after suffering my plodding pace for the first 7.5. Following some excellent post-race tray bakes at the hub, and a recovery cup of tea or two, we were joined by my sister Claire, who cheered us across the finish line, in searching out something a little more substantial to eat.

Without any real plan, we just looked for somewhere that seemed fairly full, the theory being that in these competitive times for hospitality, busyness must indicate decent quality.

And with our tired legs, we didn’t want to walk any further than we had to.

The venue we stumbled into was The Madhatter Kitchen & Tea Room on Horsemarket, and while not quite Wonderland, it was certainly quirky.

We grabbed one of only two free tables and got to work studying the menu – plenty of breakfast options with a full English or veggie breakfast priced at £10.50, a few brunch choices including bacon, egg and chips for £8.20, three different burgers (all £9.80), plus various sandwiches for £7.50. And that was before we even got to the lunch section (all priced at £10.80), the pizzas (starting at £7.80) or the children’s menu (£5.80).

We didn’t actually spot the specials board until we were leaving as it was tucked away near the kitchen, but there were no fewer than eight choices – pretty good going.

With it not yet being midday, we didn’t really want anything too heavy, so, intrigued by the savoury croissant section of the menu, I ordered a ham and cheese one, and Claire chose one with salmon and cream cheese (both £6.60), while Amy opted for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (£8.20).

A savoury croissant – surprisingly flat but tasty nevertheless

Perhaps not being at the peak of my mental powers, after a very early start and the rigorous exercise, I hadn’t really thought too deeply about what a savoury croissant would be. But I hadn’t expected it to be quite so, well, flat. Both looked to have been in some sort of toastie-maker – or come off second best in an encounter with a steamroller.

That being said, mine was absolutely delicious. Proper ham, plenty of melty cheese and the side salad was fresh and plentiful. Claire agreed – describing hers as warm, light and nicely flavoured.

Amy’s scrambled egg and smoked salmon was a terrific-sized portion. The toast was a slab of proper bread, and the salmon was heaped high, although she did feel the pepper in the eggs was a little heavy handed.

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon – a more than decent portion

With a tea, a coffee and two beautifully refreshing raspberry lemonades, the bill came to £33.40. Really decent value.

Service was solid – the young chap who took our order came back to clarify a couple of items he wasn’t sure of. A tick in my book as some places might have been tempted to just wing it.

The Mad Hatter theme wasn’t totally obvious, although there is a lifesize Hatter-type near the toilet, plus a few other peculiar little toy characters nearby.

I assumed this was the Hatter himself, found just outside the toilet door

I did consult eminent Lewis Carroll expert, and fellow Eating Out relay team member Chris Lloyd, on whether there is a Barnard Castle connection to his famous stories.

Apparently, Carroll visited the town in the summer of 1856 on his way back from the Lake District and had a tour of the castle, which sits just behind the Madhatter premises. He was so unimpressed by the monotony of his guide that when the tour was over, Carroll fell on the grass outside the castle roaring with laughter – much to the bemusement of arriving visitors.

There was no such hilarity when we were in the vicinity, but that’s probably just as well. Tearooms on a Sunday morning are really not the place for such behaviour, and anyway, we didn’t have the energy.

Instead there were interesting surroundings, and a menu that works hard to cater for all tastes at really good prices. There’s no madness in that.

Recommended reading:

The Madhatter Kitchen & Tearoom

Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, DL128NA

01833 908227

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Madhatter-Kitchen-Tearoom-100057456878857

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 7 Surroundings 7 Value 9 Service 8