The Nook Farm Shop & Cafe in Northumberland

I was ghosthunting nearby Epiacum Fort with my vagabond companion recently but first enjoyed lunch of a tasty bacon bun & a bowl of posh chips at this popular bikers cafe which is conveniently located just 200 yards north east of the fort. The café also features an interesting archaeological slideshow history of the fort on a large screen inside for any customer curious enough to watch. I found the staff considerate but the bun & chips were relatively expensive but I suspect this reflects the slightly higher cost of food delivery to this relatively remote but scenic location

What a gorgeous little cafe. Hubby and I came today whilst out on his motorbike, he’d visited before for breakfast which he’d raved about and today was my 1st visit. Firstly, we received a lovely warm welcome when we entered the cafe which is always a good start for me. I chose the specials mushrooms in creamy garlic sauce on sourdough bread which was absolutely amazing, whilst hubby had quiche, chips and beans (I had to steal on of his chips because they looked so good) The cakes looked delicious too but we were good on this occasion and declined pudding. Got some sourdough, sausage and bacon from the farm shop for brekkie which I cannot wait to try. Thank you

Last year (2024) by chance I discovered "The Nook" farm-shop style roadside café. It's a few miles north of Alston on the A689 which has stunning scenery driven north to south. I was impressed by The Nook then so I made a detour to today on my drive from Newcastle to Penrith. This is only a slightly longer route than taking the shorter A686 from Haydon Bridge - just stay on the A69 for another 10 miles further west, before taking the turning south signposted "Alston (A689)" when on the Haltwhistle by-pass. I arrived at The Nook car park just after 3:15 pm on a late spring Tuesday. There were a handful of other customers sat inside who were getting hot food delivered to their table as I walked in. I'd only intended getting a coffee to go, and there was the usual selection of sliced cake at the counter. However, I was temped by the menu of "Today's specials". I asked if I could get the "Garlic Mushrooms on Sourdough Bread", expecting to be told the kitchen was now closed, but it was not a problem. I also asked if I could have the food to take away - also not a problem - the chef even offered to add tinfoil if I wanted. Whilst the mushrooms were cooked and prepared as I waited, the cashier and barista who turned out to be the owner chatted for a few minutes with me. The Nook opened in Nov 19, but had a slow start due to CV19. In the summer months they are popular with motorcyclists. The food smelled so good I decided to eat a few mouthfuls at a table before getting on the road again. Absolutely delicious and compliments to the chef ! This is the small independent café experience at its best. Well done !

We went Saturday morning party of 10 We had bacon Butty's Scones teas and coffees everything was great and service was excellent. We'll be back again..

Amazing little cafe in a beautiful location The food was delicious and the staff made you feel welcome from the moment you landed. Highly recommend you all pop in

What a gem of a place this cafe is, we had Coffee and scones and the most delicious Mars Bar Cake. Lovely staff, and some nice jams and chutneys for sale. Definitely would call in again.

Always been a fan of this place lovely fresh food and friendly service Both not so good today extremely salty soul and bc a very watery Americano which was supposed to be a long black

We stopped here for a night whilst travelling in the area. Wonderful find. Lovely friendly staff. Fantastic tasty food. Spotlessly clean toilets. Will be returning and would highly recommend.

Very good nice jacket potato with coronation chicken nice cakes. Lovely to sit outside with the view. Near Roman ruins very interesting

Lovely views to enjoy a very tasty bacon cob and cuppa. Plus Bakewell tart to take home for later, which was divine the taste very yummy. Staff very friendly and efficient Will be back next time around Alston and visit fort on a less sunny day. Thank you

Lovely late breakfast (brunch). Delicious and great service. Friendly staff and good coffee. Great value. Would recommend.

This was the second time I'd visited in two months. The first time they were running out of food and the second time they were also running out of food! I wouldn't normally have chosen a (relatively expensive) jacket spud but 'needs must' as they say. The potato, the cheese savoury topping and the salad/ slaw was actually lovely and worth the price. The coffee was awful. I took it back, they re-did one and they explained they'd been having problems with the machine. The second one was just as bad, but I'd given up by then and put it down to experience. The female clearing up looked at it and asked if that wasn't very nice either. The coffee wasn't particularly cheap so it was quite annoying that A. They carried on serving it B. Didn't really bother about what they were serving or check if it was ok or not. Twice. Anyway, the spud was lovely, so they're forgiven!

Great location to start walks, pit stop or even a stay over. Great breakfast and reasonably priced. Friendly and clean.

Great customer service, overall really enjoyed the food. Will definitely be coming again.(great scrambled eggs!!!)

Visited with friends and Allendale family. Easy+spacious parking, good choice on the menu. Food was very good, enhanced by the calm atmosphere of the place. Very pleased we came, thanks!

Excellent coffee and breakfast. In a fabulous location beside a Roman earthwork fort in Beautiful South Tyne Valley, Local produce. Support this excellent local venture. We shall be back. Only minor negative comment was that service was very slow- but we weren’t in a rush in fact the opposite. It added to the experience.

Lovely little find when we were exploring the area. We all really enjoyed our breakfast and gorgeous views too! Service was very nice and welcoming

Gem of a place easy parking cafe is very clean and tidy nice to be able to sit outside or inside, great choice on the menu lovely sandwiches can recommend the panini with ham,mozzarella and chutney with salad, the fish finger with tartare and salad was lovely nice little farm shop and clean toilets. Also some lovely knitted item so sale in aid of Northumberland air ambulance.

Good menu. Very popular with bikers. Plenty of seating outside. Slight level of chaos with numbered tables and then adding numbered orders and using the 2 systems lead to confusion. The group before us in the queue took our numbered table ( which we had temporarily vacated!) and they left their numbered order on s wooden spoon behind on the counter so no one knew what was going on! However once the food arrived it was delicious. I can highly recommend the garlic mushrooms on sourdough and we would happily go back there again

This roadside cafe near Alston has ample parking. It has proved to be a honeytrap for bikers at weekends now that the Hartside Pass cafe is closed. A selection of home made cakes are available but the scones are incredible. Both cheese and fruit are really light and I was assured that they did not contain baking powder or bicarbonate of soda. There is a small farmshop area which the owners are hoping to expand. The Nook is close to Epiacum Roman Fort anda Bastle House. These are worth a visit if only to provide an excuse to eat more cake!

Came across The Nook while out for journey in car and what a gem of a place. Friendly staff reasonable priced menu only wish I’d been wanting a breakfast because what was on offer looked good. As it was we were only having Lattes and Coffee cake the home baked cake was “A1” Everything about this place was good “Cleanliness of premises was Immaculate”. Highly recommended give it a try if your in the area going from Carlisle to Alston.

We searched this tea room whilst trying to find lunch somewhere near Alston Staff were lovely got a high chair for our grandson I had beef stew husband breakfast in a bun grandson cheese sandwich All arrived promptly and tasted Great What a find we ll be back definitely Thanks so much

We had an excellent tea and breakfast roll (sausage and egg) followed by a crisp frosty walk around the Roman Fort - stunning views of the South Tyne Valley and an amazing fort! Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Lovely peaceful stop over in the motorhome. Small charge for this but more than happy to pay. Beautiful views. Lovely wee cafe. Friendly helpful staff. Really nice breakfast. Although the food cooled quickly. ( maybe plates were cold as we were early) Didn't make it to the Fort as the weather was terrible. Maybe next time.

Where to start? The Nook is welcoming, friendly with fantastic food. We've previously only visited for breakfast but it was lunch this time. The quiche is perfect and the accompanying salad was super fresh. I had previously had a piece of gluten free carrot cake out of interest but this time our daughter who is gluten intolerant was with us. I messaged The Nook via Facebook asking if they would have any gluten free cakes when we visited. The very quick response stated they have a gluten free cake option daily but if we could give a rough day we expected to visit they would aim to have gluten free carrot cake there (it really was sublime when I tried it). You know what, they did! And not only was it gluten free it was dairy free. And delicious!! There's not many places in the UK you can get gluten free dairy free with taste too. But you can get it here. I recommend here whole heartedly to both people needing special dietary needs and those lucky enough not to need extra accomodation. The team are so helpful, the setting is stunning and the food is just delicious. Some reviews have mentioned the prices but in my opinion they're no more than other establishments locally and the food is fresh and appears to be pretty much locally sourced as much as possible. And no, I'm not related, just very happy to be able to eat out as a family without worrying about dietary needs. We'll definitely come back.

We are on holiday in Lake District and went here for brunch. Excellent Vegetarian English breakfast. Great location and customer service! Tx

Stopped for afternoon tea and a delicious scone. Lovely location, friendly service, spotlessly clean, free parking, walks from the door... we'll definitely be back!!

Stopped in for Breakfast and to have a deco at the Roman Fort. Lovely clean bright premises and dog friendly, a bonus. Friendly service. I had Bacon and Egg Bap. Husband had the Centurion Breakfast (hes a growing lad 😁) Both cooked to perfection.

Great little place for breakfast and goodies from the farm shop (proper black pudding!). Prices are ok for products, but a breakfast is Gona cost a bit more than you think. Usually the place is full of bikers, but they've catered for this by chucking hut outside serving food during the day.

Great location just out of Alston. A couple of us visited on a busy dinner time on Saturday in July while out on the bike. It has Outdoor seating benches and small cranny trailer serving food and drinks in addition to the main building cafe...

Visited over the Jubilee weekend and what a nice find it was too. Super location with beautiful panoramic views. The weather was really nice so we were able to eat outside. Not sure what we would have done if the weather was inclement as the...

We met up with friends here on Wednesday the 4th May and I was so impressed by the cleanliness, ambience, service and food. Prices were very reasonable, quality was good, everything was fresh and well presented. Other places could learn lots from visiting here -...

Since the best cafe in Melmerby closed this has become the go to Cafe for anyone crossing Hartside in either direction Lovely home cooked fresh food friendly and efficient service and a lovely location What more could you want ? And if you’re there today...

Well worth the drive. The food was fresh and very tasty. Homemade with generous portions. The setting is beautiful and the service was great. I wish we lived near by, because I would be a regular. Thank you for a real homemade treat

Despite being very busy when we visited the staff were friendly and efficient and we didn't have to wait long for the freshly-prepared food. We enjoyed beef and mushroom sandwiches: the fillings were plentiful and the beef was home-cooked. The takeaway sausage rolls were delicious...

Visited this Café twice whilst staying in the area and on both occasions ordered their 'Centurions' breakfast which was excellent and I can thoroughly recommend it. Staff were nice and friendly and the Café is dog friendly so my sons dog could come along as...

Stopped off for a brew and a visit to the Epiacum Roman Fort. We had a fabulous Cheese Scone with local cheese and chutney with a pot of tea for two. Staff where really friendly. Farm shop had local produce to buy where we picked...

The beef lasagna was the best I’ve ever tasted and the staff were so friendly and helpful. A lovely day away with a wonderful walk in the sunshine. Thank you.

This is a nice cafe just outside of Alston, it's ideal for a visit to the Roman fort, Epiacum which is up the hill behind it. They have a decent selection of food and drink and the place is spotless.

good cafe in a beautiful location. stopped for tea & ice creams after a visit to the nearby roman fort. popular with motorcyclists as it is on a popular route. good outdoor area with great views along the south tyne valley to alston & the...

I found the Nook whilst out with Biker mates, last week I took the wife to try it too. She loved it so much, she wanted to go again this weekend. Fabulous Centurion breakfast this morning (Saturday 14th August) for me, scrummy scrambled eggs on...

Lovely café and shop in beautiful spot. Convenient location, whether arriving by car, by bike or on foot. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Staff very friendly. Great selection of local produce. Epiacum Roman Fort very interesting - especially info about mole archaeologists!

We have been to The Nook a number of times now. Initially because it is at the base of the Roman Fort and we went to explore on a lovely sunny day. What a fabulous venue. The food is top notch and the prices are...

Simply the best. Back in May a group of 3 guys on a motorbike tour of Cumbria heard about the fab food at the Nook. We then found out it was just a mile or so from the house we had rented as a base....

We met up with friends at this lovely cafe. After having coffee in the morning, we returned for lunch. The quiche and pate were excellent! We then came back for afternoon tea and cake. The service was great, staff rrally friendly, made you feel that...

Tried the cafe today for the first time. We had great service and delicious home cooked food. The owner made us feel very welcome and spoke to us in length about the farm heritage which was so interesting. Her passion really shone through and you...

We called at The Nook Farm shop for lunch and we're not disappointed. The food was freshly prepared and there was an excellent choice. The portions were very generous, so much so that I had to buy my desert to take out for later! The...

A group of us walkers called after a lovely walk starting from Slaggyford.. . Lovely reasonably priced cakes and tea/coffees .. sadly no scones left .. but do appreciate they are not nice to eat a day old if not sold… plenty of outside tables...

We stopped for a coffee and a snack, the quality was superb and staff very friendly. Full marks for the covered area. Certainly recommended.

Stopped off on motorcycle for coffee and a butty. As usual excellent friendly service and excellent food. Thank you to all the staff.

excellent in every way pleasant staff ,rebecca always got something nice to say ,the breakfast was lovely but had other meals in there on other occasions all were nice.

Fabulous black pudding and pies :) we popped in just for some bits and pieces from the chiller cabinet and the quality of the food was excellent. Make a point to pop in if you are nearby.

An oasis, brilliant place to eat and relax, we found this little gem when out riding in the area and getting diverted through roadworks, the food was great and the tea bang on, the staff where very hospitable and entertaining especially Rebecca, as The terminator...

We stopped here for tea and cake one afternoon while staying in the area the cake portions are very generous and tasty and there is a large selection. We then returned for breakfast which was also very tasty. The staff are very friendly and helpful...

We stopped off here approx 2 Weeks ago for lunch and were not disappointed. The Nook Farm Cafe is located near Alston so the views / scenery are awesome. Staff, Service and food were as expected and presented very well along with the most important...

Super place for a break in your journey or just go there for the brilliant food! Elaine and the staff are really friendly and the whole place is spotlessly clean. Loads of parking and a beautiful setting, including a Roman fort!

A lovely little cafe and farm shop. The coffee and walnut cake was amazing. The service was friendly and we could eat outside. Attached to a Roman fort site that we found a little disappointing, mainly because we couldn't link the site to the map...

Great cake, great value, great welcome and their own Roman fort - what more could you want ? A sandwich - also great.

Ideal stop for a coffee and bacon sarnie whilst out on the motorcycle Warm friendly staff and plenty of parking spaces

So pleased we went to this fabulous new place. The building is spotlessly clean, products are beautiful and and the staff are lovely and friendly. They are really making a real effort and deserve success. Huge flat car park and pleasent walk to the roman...

A new local venture to our town of Alston, and situated right next to our historic Roman Fort, The Nook, is a warm and friendly cafe/resturant offering a variety of fresh baked local produce and an excellent choice of tea or coffee. Not only is...

A real find while driving to Alston. Lovely place with great home-based food and friendly staff. Can't wait to go back

Lovely Valentine’s afternoon tea at the Nook Cafe 💖 it was our first Valentine’s as Mr and Mrs Kemp and our first anniversary of our first date! Lovely food and great company with some old friends from Alston made it a fantastic day out. We...

This is a great addition to the area. We bought steaks and eggs at the farm shop enjoyed great coffee and visited the Roman fort. We will return for breakfast this week because the food looked fantastic. Interesting gifts also available including stained glass.

This is a relatively new cafe built at the foot of the (muddy) path to the amazing Epiacum roman fort.The cafe is really good with good quality local food including meat from the farm itself. We had a delicious soup and amazing sausage sandwich, Service...

We have been here twice now, really wish it had opened months earlier!! Staff are ever so friendly. Had the pleasure of meeting the chef too, lovely lady so friendly she cooks amazing food and cakes! The cafe is very clean, warm and welcoming, spacious...

I have eaten here twice now and will definitely be returning. I am gluten free but this didnt cause any problems with my meal selection which was very refreshing. The gluten free bun was the nicest i have ever tasted and was filled with copious...

Visited today with my husband. The Nook is a lovely place just outside Alston and near the site of the Roman Fort, Epiacum. The food was delicious, staff friendly and the farm produce locally sourced and sold. Reasonably priced and we wirth a visit.

We visited for breakfast with friends and were made to feel very welcome on arrival. We all had the Centurion breakfast which was hot and delicious as was the coffee.

Our party of walkers stopped here at the end of the afternoon. Warm welcome, speedy service, delicious cakes. But only one cheese scone left ☹️. Apart from that, a great cafe.

This new Farm shop and Café is going to put the area on the map! The coffee is excellent and I'm sure the food in the cafe will be too as it looks delicious, although I personally have not had the time to try it...

We were doing a big bike ride in horrible conditions. We had battled headwinds all day and had climbed over hartside and descended down the other side to enjoy a centurion breakfas. It was just what we all needed and we even got a round...

Beautifully kitted out to a high standard, lovely food and friendly staff; well worth a visit. Also a good range of fresh meat, ready meals, vegetables and gifts. The car park is a good size too.

Stopped by yesterday to this newly opened eatery with a side of village store. Easy parking including two disabled spots. Found ourselves some seats and were brought menues by cheery staff member. Both selected homemade mince pie with mash, seasonal veg and gravy,a wise choice...

We called in for a cuppa and scone after a walk up to the Roman fort. We were very impressed with the new tea room and farm shop. It is beautifully decorated with a homely feel. The staff were lovely(apologies for the muddy boots).The menu...