The Running Fox in Northumberland

We went out of our way to eat here as we heard it was good. The food was poor. I had soup and steak pie, the pie was cold and very gloopy, my husband had soup and sarnie also poor very thick bread but hard to eat. The tomato soup was very peppery , why is it always tomato? Also i am disabled and no help was offered to get me in and out. Getting round the place in a chair almost impossible. We found a seat but were asked to move as it was reserved though not marked as such, the design of the cafe was very bad we had to push past people queueing to pay, no help was offered to get my chair through to new table. i felt as if i wasn't wanted there.

We ate here 3 times over the course of a weekend in Alnwick, once for afternoon tea, and twice for breakfast. Everything was absolutely delicious. The staff here are what really makes the place special, we were served on each occasion by the most lovely friendly lady called Lisa, she made sure we had everything we needed. Absolutely worth her weight in gold, thank you Lisa for making our visits memorable.

Went for afternoon tea. It was very nice. You choose a sandwich a pie or quiche a scone and a cake. There's a wide selection. Huge portions a big doorstep sarnie ( not delicate finger sandwiches as you get with sine afternoon teas) . The steak pie I had was delicious and my favourite item. Everything is good quality and plentiful. The only minor downsides were that the turkey sandwich was processed sliced turkey and not nice. The tea was stewed and no hot water offered. Overall very nice, good value and lovely surroundings.

Had fantastic sharing board of soup and sandwich served with crisps and salad. Great value, finished off with tea and cake. Amazing selection on menu really friendly staff and dog friendly. You must go!! such a relaxing experience so much so we returned next day.

Well what a gem of a place fantastic food fantastic staff went for the ham cheese and pickle large sandwich with a bowl of soup and a cake afterwards and what a choice of cakes a great find make it number one on your list you won’t be disappointed first class

Wonderful athmosphere, music and decor Portions are generous and delicious The staff are very friendly and attentive A definite yes in a lovely little village

Easy to book online, they take a £5 deposit per person which was then deducted from our bill with no hassle etc. We went for breakfast, the menu had a good range of the usual and then their own little twists on things! I had the breakfast in egg which was great, my daughter had the sweet eggy bread which was delicious and the eggs royale on a cheese scone went down a treat with my husband! Lots of parking to the rear, excellent toilets - the ladies has a baby change table with mobiles hanging over the top and stools for littler ones to reach the sinks etc! The servers were so friendly, there was a highchair available and our whole experience was generally just really pleasant!

We had breakfast on the way back home from Alnwick. The choice was very wide and the meal was cooked very well. Definitely a must place to eat

Fantastic breakfast, great coffee lovely staff. We would highly recommend this place and it’s dog friendly it’s great !

Nice spot, plenty parking, comfortable and friendly but food very disappointing. The “melts” have more bread than filling. Bit overpriced. Won’t be returning.

Visited with family for lunch, who have been to other Running Fox locations and raved about it. Overall quite good, but I don’t think this location and this visit matched the hype. The main restaurant and shop seem nice, but we were then seated in the “older” part (ie the old pub) - this was a bit disappointing to some members of the party, especially as our table was right next to a window with a view of the rather unsightly car park and the bins! The table was quite old and stained. The toilets were not great and clearly exactly as they would have been as old pub toilets. Most of the party got a soup, sandwich and cake deal for £12 each which is really good value - they all enjoyed, especially the soup of the day. Selection of cakes looked great. I got a slice of pie, which came with roast baby potatoes, mushy peas, bread and butter, and gravy. The pie (pan haggerty) was tasty, but quite stodgy and the pastry should have been a lot crispier. The potatoes were arguably not roasted more baked, making them very stodgy/chewy, and came as a huge portion that I couldn’t finish. Bread and butter was a bit lacklustre in addition to this meal, and again very stodgy. Left me feeling quite bloated and not satisfied afterwards. Mixed experience with service. Staff were so lovely, very pleasant and chatty and clearly trying their best. Did seem to only be a couple of people working who were a bit thin on the ground. All table service, but the found it odd that then you’d then pay on the way out. We left at least 15-20 minutes after finishing eating, and in this time nobody cleared the table, or even came into the section of the restaurant we were in. Would be interested to try some other locations and see if this was just our particular experience here, but unsure if this location fully matches the hype.

Went for a late breakfast just before the lunch service started. As the Running Fox has such a good reputation I was looking forward to a treat. Sat in the pub part, seats were very lumpy. Staff were friendly. We waited almost 45 minutes for the food to arrive. The full English breakfast was very disappointing. I was expecting nice quality butchers sausages however they were not only supermarket sausages, but had been kept sitting and were dried out, it was like eating rocks. The bacon was the same, it seemed to have been kept sitting until it was like leather. It was all warm rather than hot. We did get a free coffee refill which was good as the first coffee was long gone by the time the food arrived. Next time I would go to Wetherspoon's or a Little Chef and get a nicer, fresher breakfast, and if I go back to the Running Fox I would go for lunch, as the sandwiches and cakes looked nice.

Quality of food was good , food over priced . Venue not that clean , windows very dirty and hanging cobwebs !!! Our sever was very efficient, but had too many tables to serve . Would not be rushing back

Afternoon tea with friends, lovely food in lovely company. Pretty, rural location, we are working our way through all the sites. Lovely staff and a smashing afternoon had by all.

Absolutely freezing. Apparently they don’t put the heating on as it takes too long to heat (3 of us had to keep our coat on). Waited over an hour for our food to arrive, when we enquired how long it would be, the response was “you will just have to wait there are others that need serving too”, which seemed a rude response. Waited over 10 minutes at the counter to pay, being ignored by staff who were too busy cleaning and wrapping food in cling film to allow me and another person to pay. Food was nice, but couldn’t enjoy it as too cold. Won’t be returning.

We booked for afternoon to use a voucher we got as a gift for Christmas. Our table was not ready when we arrived but I not took a few minutes for staff to sort. Our food arrived promptly however we did not get opportunity to get refills for our tea and coffee as the staff are mainly through the other side. The sandwiches were tasty however the cheese scone was very bland and doughy, When we went to pay using our voucher which was bought online and states for afternoon tea for two we were asked for a further payment. When I questioned this as the voucher does not state a monetary value on it the staff member became abrupt and defensive stating it was not her fault. I’m had not said it was and was only pointing out that the voucher was for what we had purchased. Online the option to purchase a voucher for afternoon tea is priced as £24 however the actual price in the cafe does not match this and is £24.50!

First visit to the Shilbottle arm of the infamous Running Fox and we were so pleased we took the journey as it was worth every mile and penny. Greeting was so welcoming and we were immediately settled into a great booth and provided extensive menus. Food was outstanding opting for doorstep sandwiches with small side dishes and delicious coffee and tea. The place started to fill up and we were quite happy sitting nattering and ordering more coffee, preparing to place an order for a sweet treat, however, we were notified that our table was required for another booking, which we weren't aware of and were disappointed to have to leave without tasting their sweet choices. If it said on the website when I booked I must have missed the time restrictions (even though we had a table for 2 hours) take this as a compliment for us wanting to stay longer. Not to worry we will be back again to try your cakes.

Perfect place for an afternoon tea. Some of the best scones. The atmosphere is beautiful and the staff were so wonderful. Everything was gorgeous. It's our second afternoon tea and it won't be the last

We have been to all locations of the running fox and we book afternoon tea at least 3-4 times a year, always recommend it to people as we have always had amazing service and food. Today was a total let down on the service side - table wasn’t ready when we arrived and we were given lunch menus when we booked afternoon tea. Got up to ask where the menus for afternoon tea were. Had to wait a long time for orders to be taken and then the food arrived before the drinks to have to remind them we still didn’t have the drinks we ordered. Had to constantly ask for things like drink top ups, extra milk, boxes to take things home. Which usually isn’t the case - normally very attentive. There was staff standing doing nothing on the other side as we were ignored. The table next to us also had to do this and it was quiet frustrating. Not their normal standard. Trying to catch a member of staff to shout up for things isn’t the experience you want when you book such a treat of afternoon tea. I wouldn’t be back in a hurry after that visit

It was OK but nothing special. Had I known our seating would be in the bar, I probably would have cancelled as I found the seats uncomfortable and the area we sat it to be cold. My friend said her full English was delicious. I had the vegetarian breakfast. I didn't like the rosti was burnt on the outside and uncooked on the inside. The tomato was solid and cold. My entire breakfast was warm and I prefer it to be hot as it should be. Everything else was OK. Service was efficient but I wasn't feeling any happy or friendly vibes from the lass serving our table, although other staff were lovely. Didn't think the little bolt on the ladies loo door was up to much, didn't think it would withstand a forceful opening of door? I would only return if I was guaranteed a seat in the restaurant. I wouldn't have vegetarian brekky again, maybe go for the porridge or toast Lovely little shop.

Afternoon Tea at Shilbottle running Fox What can I say apart from Fantastic service Wonderful food I visited today with a friend from Newcastle it was her first visit she was very impressed with the attention to detail , the lovely food And the service from all the staff but especially Lisa We have had a lovely afternoon I would highly recommend anyone to try it out, I have never been disappointed and now you have a fan from Newcastle who would make the trip again to enjoy the experience of Shilbottle running fox Well done Lisa and all the staff you made this very special

I ordered the Quiche Lorraine, it was delicious served with new potatoes homemade coleslaw and salad with tasty dressing. I ordered the lemon drizzle cake which was moist and lemony. The staff were friendly and very helpful.

We have been coming to the Running Fox for years at the various locations, its sad to say its average at best now with the quality seeming to just get worse with the increasing popularity..To us the standards of food served have dropped significantly and it’s expensive for an average at best product. We recently stopped in at Shilbottle for a takeaway sandwich and were really disappointed, we definitely wont be returning anytime soon. You pay a lot of money for a sandwich with ingredients only filling half the sandwich and used so sparingly that there is no taste. The sandwiches used to be lovely and full of filling and its just not worth the money now. Wish yous wouldn’t of changed so much for the worse, disappointing!

Gorgeous place. The Fox advocado smash or something on that lines was lovely as were our pain au chocolates and hot chocolates. We then went back to get quiches for lunch, great sized portions and very tasty. Definitely worth a visit.

My hubby surprised me with a visit for our silver wedding anniversary. Staff were sooo lovely & friendly & this really made our visit more enjoyable. The afternoon tea was amazing. Food fresh, tasty & with plenty of choice. Thank you everyone for making us so welcome. So glad we could take home a doggy bag!!

Popped in for lunch on a rainy day. Sandwiches and wedges, soup and the doorstop sandwich all lovely. Pricy however so definitely treat only.

A lovely lunch here with our daughter, her husband and two kids aged 7 and 10. We all enjoyed the wonderful sandwiches and friendly service. It's good value and has a great feel in an attractive venue.

Excellent food, great service and a nice thoughtful touch of birthday confetti 🎉 and a sparkling decoration on the table 😀

I don’t know why this place is getting such great reviews. We must have just been unlucky. All our our meals came out lukewarm and in the end we ended up not eating them as the food just wasn’t nice at all. The staff were...

This cafe was a holiday highlight. Fabulous breakfasts, amazing cakes, and lovely pies to go. Well worth a visit.

Myself and my husband stopped here for breakfast after reading they cater for vegans. We both had the full vegan breakfast, which did not disappoint! A lovely little cafe, with excellent service and quality food. Definitely recommend.

Visited this morning for a birthday breakfast, my mam was made to feel extra special with table decorations and staff coming over to wish her a happy birthday, such a thoughtful and lovely touch and the full English was amazing, quality produce and service cannot...

Tryed banoffee pie , which was all cream with pastries base not the best cookie cream cake was a little bit dry , lovely place to sit in quick service

We visited here for breakfast a number of times. Every day we were warmly greeted. Plenty of menu choices and everyday a tasty breakfast.

What a fantastic experience - from the really welcoming and wonderful staff to the superb food and the very dog friendly cafe! We stopped for breakfast which I truly cannot fault. It all came out piping hot and every element tasted fantastic - the huge...

Had a celebratory family afternoon tea. Been visiting Felton and Longframlington a few times over the years but first visit to Shilbottle. Food is as nice as ever, but like everywhere else prices have risen and portions decreased. The first slice of cake ever bought...

We had the deservedly-famous Afternoon Tea. The food was amazing. We loved the fact that we could choose each element of our Tea. Our family genuinely said we’d never enjoyed such wonderful, sandwiches with different and interesting fillings. The quiches and pies were fabulous. The...

Visited many times now and we love it here Lovely staff and amazing food - wish we lived closer so we could become regulars !!

We were very pleased to find a table as this place is often booked up. We arrived cold and soaking wet on an absolutely deadful day for weather and needed something hot. A bowl of lovely soup with a sloce of quiche was perfect. All...

We discovered the Running Fox during a winter break about 18 months ago, and were keen to return on our summer break this year. We enjoyed a hearty lunch here on our arrival in Northumberland. As we had a long drive, we hadn’t booked ahead...

We went early for breakfast, hadn’t booked so got sat in the really dark bar next to the games machine. Place smelt of bleach like pub the morning after the night before smell. Very odd place as I’d seen all the lovely photos on fb....

Fantastic breakfast - had the Foxy Avocado with salmon, one of the best breakfasts we've had EVER! Stunning quality coffee and excellent and very friendly service,thanks so much.

Great service, lovely food and very generous portions. Large selection of sandwiches and pies. Would definitely visit again.

AVOID! The staff are devoid of good manners and we have never seen such dirty toilets nor been served such appalling, tasteless, overpriced cakes. when we complained we were bombarded with abuse. AVOID!

This part of Northumberland has fine beaches ,stunning castles great friendly accommodations but decidedly mediocre restaurants. The Running Fox is a great exception This is baking of the very highest standard.Savoury or sweet ,the choice is wide A quiche was plump with outstanding flavour and...

Scrumptious cooked breakfast for my husband and son. Son has coeliac disease but the Running Fox more than stepped up to look after him. On previous occasions we have also picked up takeaway food for lunch - also scrummy with great gluten free options. I...

Tom and I were fortunate enough to hire The Running Fox to host our wedding party. They served a variety of pies and salads, drinks were available to order from the bar. How do I even put to words how wonderful our experience was with....

Friends and I went for breakfast at The Running Fox at Shilbottle today. What a fabulous dining experience. Must admit my hopes weren’t too high as we walked up to it but once inside the experience was five stars all the way. The staff were...

Great service. Lovely food and surroundings. We stopped for breakfast on our way to Alnwick Castle. Excellent. This is a fantastic find.

They were right that breakfast comes with lashings of toast - and lovely they were too- even got a small portion of marmalade to finish off a small bit left ! Nice to have coffee in cafetière as it stayed warm Staff were really friendly...

scrambled eggs were dry & rubbery, served with 2 unnecessarily huge pieced of bread. Overcooked solid fried egg on the full breakfast, again with 2 huge bits of bread. Just need to get the basics right, wasn't particularly busy so no excuses for a chef...

We have been before for afternoon tea. It's not dainty or for the faint hearted. Fabulous food, loads of choice and you get boxes to take home what you don't eat. I dare you not to return for more 😁

Quality food, lovely surroundings abd fantastic service. Couldn't ask for anything better. This was my first ever visit to any of the running fox restaurants and I was very impressed.

Amazing place. We decided to eat here with my wife’s parents for her 40th and although her parents are hypercritical of everywhere we ever take them they both enjoyed eating here. We eat here often and would like to give a huge mention of Lisa...

Superb breakfasts and afternoon tea. Service exemplary. Relaxed atmosphere. My "eating out" highlight of our trip to the north east

Well we had heard about the running fox on other visits to the area. By chance we stopped just to check it out. I walked in and was struck by how nice everything looked! I basically just wanted to try someone to takeaway. I ordered...

Fantastic food! Halloumi melt & soup of the day were delicious , piping hot & huge portions. Heggerty pie came served with bread, wedges & mushy peas too. I’ve been told this was delicious too & every last bit was eaten! This branch of running...

Many people I trust recommended the running fox to me, noting, in particular, the quality of the pies. I took my mam for her birthday. Staff were friendly (which is important) and the decor is warm and welcoming. Mam had a falafel and sweet potato...

Fabulous lunch - superb quality. We booked on the way up the A1 for a late lunch. A fussy mum was delighted, husband claimed the steak and ale pie "amazing." So good in.fact, we're trying one of the companies' other venues tomorrow!

We had a fantastic afternoon tea, everything was so tasty, sandwiches, quiche, scone and cake, the staff were so friendly and welcoming and the room was cosy, would thoroughly recommend

We went as a family of adults , no teens for afternoon tea and this is the letter of thanks that I have sent to the Running Fox and I will happily share far and wide. A letter of thanks takes so very little to...

Attended Good Friday for breakfast whilst travelling from south Tyneside to Edinburgh. Staff really friendly and the breakfast was absolutely fantastic, the old saying you get what you pay for has never been clearer. Quality produce bacon sausage black and white pudding , all first...

A wonderful selection of great sandwiches (my favourite being brie and cranberry), pie (steak and ale recommended!), quiche (spinach, feta and pine nut is my favourite), scones and cakes for afternoon tea. Always way too much food so a box is provided to take treats...

Good quality afternoon tea. Far too much to eat so takeaway boxes provided. Great service and plenty tea top-up's.

This was a great find on our trip back North. They serve lovely cakes and coffee. We have been to one of their other places and that was also good. We would definitely return.

Having visited all four Running Fox locations for their excellent pies, sandwiches and cakes previously, I was intrigued when they advertised a Valentines special meal ! I am usually disappointed whenever I make the mistake of opting for a steak at an establishment that doesn’t...

"What a lovely place, the food is delicious. We had the eggy bread for breakfast, savoury and sweet and probably should have just got one to share. The portions are huge. Doggy bags needed and supplied. One of the standout experiences of the running fox...

Just got back after having afternoon tea with my daughter. Food was totally beautiful and was well pleased with size and quality of the coffee. Staff are all lovely, parking on site. Quite a lot of food so they boxed what we didnt eat to...

My husband received a voucher for afternoon tea at The Running Fox as a retirement present. We chose to go to the Shilbottle venue and we are so pleased that we did. We took our elderly mothers too and all four of us were over...

Whilst out for our Saturday drive the three of us decided to call into the Flying Fox - just to check it out for a future visit - as we had already eaten. When we saw what was on offer we took no convincing that...

Went here for lunch. Friendly staff, nothing was a bother and lovely food. The only thing that let it down was that the cafe wasn’t that warm and the toilets were very cold, I needed to go get my coat. I understand about the costs...

Visited for brunch with the family, great table, plenty room. We ordered a mixture it tho ha including a vegan option all were great and thoroughly enjoyed. Staff were pleasant and attentive. Hoping to get a return visit in before we head home.

It's hard to overstate what a difference this place will make to Shilbottle, a former mining village that's now re-inventing itself as a dormitory village and holiday destination. It was always hard to find places to eat, apart from the long-standing chip shp and an...

Visited here with my family, partner and dog. The staff were very accommodating and friendly. The food choices were extensive and absolutely delicious. We had the afternoon tea and ended up having to take some home the portions were so generous. Especially impressed with their...

Extremely good food - generous portions so don’t be tempted by extras😂 Staff very helpful and warm . Dogs welcomed and looked after so well We had breakfast both visits but lunch afternoon tea looks great - Pub in the evenings but starting dinner party...

Booked in for breakfast on the drive home from a holiday in Northumberland. We got there half an hour early, but they accommodated us with smiles. Breakfasts and scones ordered all around, which were served with teas and coffees. I could wax lyrical about the...

Afternoon tea for four. Excellent food, good quantity (had to take some home), staff friendly and very helpful. Pleasant surroundings, tables not too close together. Advise booking.

Delicious afternoon tea at this dog friendly cafe/pub. So much choice with sandwiches, pies and cakes. A lot better than normal afternoon tea, where you can’t choose individual elements. Unlimited tea was great too. This was handy for us just staying in the village for...

Very poor customer service experience. We live over an hour away and forgot a gift voucher. Asked them to check the system to verify purchase and was told that it’s not possible because ‘we might use the voucher again’. Also an item was added to...

Unbelievably good pies. Minced beef is my favourite. Veggie options look great too. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Second visit just a good as the first. Can't wait to return. We'll be back for takeaways as well.

We visited here to celebrate my birthday, the food was outstanding, huge portions of excellent quality food, the service was great but most of all they made us feel so welcome. So many ‘dog friendly’ places are more like dog tolerant however they made ourselves...

Had breakfast here before heading back home from Alnwick. Very accommodating staff and we had such a lovely breakfast. Cakes and pastries were delicious when we ate them on the way back home. A shame we couldn't try out the afternoon tea due to the...

Booked for afternoon tea, and not having been here before, was expecting the usual salmon/cucumber/ham sandwiches. Wrong!!!! There was an extensive choice of sandwiches, pies/quiches, scones and cakes, along with bottomless tea or coffee. Food was excellent, portions were very generous ( needed a doggy...

I visited the Running Fox in Shilbottle to pick up provisions and stayed for the pan haggerty pie lunch. Excellent pie, gravy and roasted potatoes.

We visited today and it was just spectacular- honestly some of the best food we’ve ever had! We got seated quickly even though they were very busy and the order was taken equally as quickly by a super friendly member of staff. My husband had...

Dropped in on the way south. Best pie EVER. Nothing more needs said. We even popped back to get more on the way home. Looking forward to visiting again soon.

Popped in for lunch after reading some great reviews, unfortunately there were no tables available so we decided on some take out cake, just as we were leaving a lovely member of the team stopped us to say a table was available for an hr...

I had afternoon tea and it was fantastic. Beautiful home cooked food . There was so much I took half home for the following day in the boxes provided. Very friendly staff and great service. We came with a dog and there was plenty of...

Stopped off for breakfast- beautifully cooked and presented, full English £12 , artisan bread, very generous with top up coffee and extra marmalade, ladies working really hard and so friendly, recommend. Little gift shop too - with food items for sale, took steak and ale...

We stopped here on the way home for breakfast before the long journey. The service was friendly and very helpful. The menu had a good selection to choose from, and the food we chose was brilliant. I would recommend booking a table. We will definitely...

We have visited the Running Fox many times when holidaying in Northumberland and they have always been spot on. A popular choice is the afternoon tea and it is always plentiful and too much to eat. The cakes are gorgeous. I feel it is value...

We visited twice in the last couple of weeks. The first was a family breakfast on route to a wedding in Scotland. As on previous visits the food and service were excellent. between us we had quite a variety of dishes on the menu and...

Best to book in advance. Arrived early for 11.30 booking. Straight to table. Opted for steak and ale pie with peas wedges gravy and bread with butter. Very very good. My wife had pan haggerty which I was told was excellent. Staff and service excellent....

We visited here on 18th June 2022 at around 1100. Ordered 2 cakes, a corned beef slice and 2 coffees, to take away. The cakes and pie were packed promptly. However, we had about a ten minute wait for the coffees. Other people seemed to...

Found this place by accident driving through Shilbottle. Bought the last beautiful artisan loaf and sat outside with coffees. From the range of baked goods it looked like a good place for breakfast and lunch. It was nearing the end of the day but the...

Yummy cooked breakfast and amazing bakery. We had a lovely treat for mums birthday. Great coffee and lovely friendly service too.

We were recommended this place by a friend. Choice of menu excellent, quality of food superb and portions generous. Lots of people having afternoon tea but we had soup and a melt- to die for. Staff were prompt, friendly and attentive. Don't miss this- its...

We had a really lovely brunch at Shilbottle Running Fox today. The staff made us feel welcome from walking through the door and throughout. The food was all really fresh and good quality, you really notice that The food is quality produce and they put...

Absolutely delicious cakes and generous amounts of tea. Not unreasonably priced and dog friendly. Will certainly be back next time we head north up the A1.

Today we went to The Running Fox for a afternoon tea for the Mam's birthday and it was amazing. Staff were lovely to us and very helpful, I regret not asking their names but thank you ladies if you read this. The food was amazing....