This Vintage Inn has plenty of charm (The Badger Country Pub (Newcastle))

Member Name: jeffjen

Product:	The Badger Country Pub (Newcastle)
Date:	11/08/09 (177 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely meals and a friendly service

Disadvantages: None for me

I recently had to make a trip to Newcastle airport to drop my daughter off for a flight, and although the airport is not far from where we live, it does involve a trip on the A1 here in Newcastle, which is a nightmare at the best of times. However, it has recently became a bigger nightmare due to lane closures for bridge strengthening works to be carried out.

Because of this, and with the time approaching rush hour, we decided to leave earlier and go for a meal somewhere.

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LOCATION
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My partner fancied trying The Badger country pub as it had been recommended to him by friends. We have drove by it many times, and it may be familiar to anyone who has been to Newcastle Airport, but we had never been inside, and so decided to give it a try.

Situated just half a mile from the airport, on Street Houses road, Ponteland, The Badger Country Pub, which is part of the Vintage Inns chain, looks quite large and welcoming from the outside.
Built in the 1700's, The Badger was at first a gentleman's residence, which was later split into three houses occupied by various farmers, until it became The Badger Country Pub.

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THE BADGER COUNTRY PUB
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We parked the car in the large car park and went inside. Just before the entrance there is a raised decking area under the trees, with tables and chairs which I presumed was the beer garden, However, on entering the pub we noticed another larger beer garden at the rear of the pub, with a patio area and garden area. There were plenty of tables and chairs, with canopies, lights and heaters.

The inside of the pub has a cosy feel to it with low ceilings and dark wood beams. Candles were lit on the tables and there is real log fire, though being August it was not lit of course. It seems quite large inside, but sectioned off into smaller areas and alcoves which enhance its cosy feel.

We were given a warm welcome by whom I presumed was the manageress, and chose our table. There was only a handful of people in the pub, but it was late afternoon at the beginning of the week. I would expect it is very popular at weekends and evenings, as it seemed a lovely place and has a nice atmosphere about it.

The pub itself, and access to it is suitable for disabled people, however, I did notice the toilets are located upstairs. I did not see all areas of the pub downstairs, and they may well have a downstairs toilet for disabled customers which I have overlooked. So it may be best to check with the pub about this if it is important to you.

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THE MENU
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The menu is quite extensive, with plenty of choice. I would defy anyone to say there was nothing they liked! It was divided into sections of classic pub meals such as Beer battered fish & chips, Toad In The Hole, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagne, Gammon Steak, Burgers, Steaks, Chicken Open Pie, Salads, and a variety of chicken or fish dishes.
Prices ranged from around £6.95 to £8.50 for most of the meals, however it was obviously more expensive for a fillet steak for example.

Starters were priced around £2.95 - £ 5.00 and included soup of the day, prawn cocktail pate' etc.

Side orders of onion rings, chips, garlic bread etc were all priced at around £2.00.

There was a nice selction of puddings available from profiteroles, chocolate brownie and eve's pudding to a selection of cheeses, all priced at around £3.95.

A lighter menu is available such as sandwiches served with chips, and also a Sunday lunch menu, and children's menu, which looked like smaller portions of the main menu, with starters from £2.00 , mains around £4.00 and puddings from £1.00.

Offers are available throughout the day such as a selection of meals priced at £5.95 for one course, £7.95 for 2 courses and £9.95 for 3 courses, which is a great price if you can eat that much!

There is a good selection of beers and real ales, which change on a regular basis. A wide variety of alcoholic and soft drinks were available.

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MEALS
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When you have chosen your meals, you then order your food at the bar and are given a wooden spoon with a number on it to place on your table.
I ordered chicken open pie with chips and peas, my partner had beer battered fish and chips, and my daughter had gammon steak, which was served with chips, peas, 2 eggs and pineapple.
We also ordered 'summer breeze' drinks which consisted of orange and cranberry juice, priced at a reasonable £1.25 for a tall glass.

The meals were brought to our table after a short wait, and they were delicious. My chicken open pie consisted of a puff pastry crust in a dish with a chicken breast, ham and leeks in a creamy sauce, it looked lovely and tasted even better!
My daughter and partner both thoroughly enjoyed their meals too. The portions were large and very filling.
I had been tempted by the Eve's pudding for dessert, but none of us had room, so we ordered tea and coffee and went outside to sit in the beer garden. It was lovely and relaxing.

Our bill for the three meals and 'summer breeze' drinks came to £25, which I think is very good value. The coffee and teas came to £5.00 and were served in pots which provided a couple of cups each, so again good value.

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SERVICE
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The welcome and service at The Badger was first class! We were served our meals by a lovely woman who chatted to us, brought sauces etc and was very friendly and welcoming throughout. Nothing seemed too much trouble.
When we went outside, we offered to wait and carry our tea & coffee through to the garden, but were told it was no trouble and they were brought out to our table.

I know we will return here again soon, and wish we had visited sooner! I can highly recommend The Badger to everyone.
When we came out of the pub, the airport itself is only a few minutes walk up the road, so if you were staying overnight at one of the airport hotels then The Badger would be a nice alternative to visit for a meal.

The Badger is open everyday from 12pm until 11pm (10.30pm on Sundays) and food is served all day. There is no need to book. The pub also opens earlier depending on public demand, and you are invited to ring them if you would like to visit earlier.
I understand you can also hire parts of the pub for private functions etc.

The Badger
Street Houses
Ponteland
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
NE20 9BT Tel - 01661 871037

Summary: Excellent pub for a nice meal out.