The Rat Inn and Feathers Inn Named in Good Food Guide's 100 Best Pubs 2026

If you need a reason for a pub lunch this weekend, the Good Food Guide has supplied three within easy reach of Hexham. Its 100 Best Pubs 2026 list, announced on 2 November, includes three Tynedale pubs, led by the Rat Inn at Anick, just across the river from the town.

The Rat Inn, Anick: 31st

The Rat Inn is Northumberland's highest entry, at 31st. The 18th-century country inn on the green at Anick looks out over the Tyne Valley and is known for a daily-changing blackboard menu built on local produce. It was also on last year's list, the first edition of the 100 Best Pubs.

The Feathers Inn, Hedley on the Hill: 64th

The Feathers Inn, the family-run free house in the hilltop village of Hedley on the Hill near Stocksfield, comes in at 64th, returning to the list after featuring last year too. The pub is known for seasonal cooking and close links with Northumberland farmers and producers. "We're absolutely thrilled to be recognised by the Good Food Guide," the Feathers team told the Hexham Courant.

The Kirkstyle Inn, Slaggyford: 65th

Further west in the South Tyne valley, the Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman's Rest near Slaggyford is 65th. It is the latest in a run of national awards for the inn this year, which included Pub of the Year at VisitEngland's Awards for Excellence.

The wider North East

The Ship Inn at Low Newton-by-the-Sea, on the north Northumberland coast, was 71st, and Newcastle's Broad Chare on the Quayside came 20th. The top spot went to the Queens Arms in Eccles, Greater Manchester. The Good Food Guide, first published in 1951, inspects anonymously and its inspectors pay for their meals; the list is chosen by its editors and regional inspectors after public nominations.

For more ideas closer to home, see our guide to the best pubs in Hexham. As all three pubs are busy at weekends, booking ahead is wise.

Sources: the Hexham Courant and the Morning Advertiser. Spotted a local story we should cover? Get in touch.