Siân Buchan and Cal Byerley’s Northumberland restaurant had a sensational debut year, winning a Michelin star just nine months after it opened in 2021 and being described by The Sunday Times’ Marina O’Loughlin as ‘life affirming’.
Located in an old cow barn, it might not sound like the most glamorous of locations, but with a complete overhaul and with views over the Northumberland landscape and Hadrian’s Wall it’s a dining room that more than delivers on the visuals. It’s a tactile environment of light woods and furs with the room taking on an almost ethereal warm glow as the sun sets through its large window for a truly bucolic dining experience.
The theatre of nature extends to what’s on the plate with Pine chefs Byerley and Ian Waller serving an almost 20-course procession of dishes, many of which use ingredients foraged from the Northumberland countryside or grown within the restaurant’s own kitchen garden. The cooking is progressive, using techniques such as preserving, fermenting and ageing to full effect, but never feels overwrought.
Uniquely for a restaurant such as Pine, during the day service switches to a three-tier afternoon tea offer with a modern twist. Here custard tarts and madeleines featuring foraged ingredients sit with crustless sandwiches and savoury caneles. In short, Pine is a restaurant you’ll need to visit at least twice to really get to grips with what it’s about.
