Jane Pikett and co head to the new Blyth Boathouse for what turns out to be quite an occasion
A landmark, dear reader, in a young life has been reached. Number three son, aged seven, has discovered the joy of oysters. Precocious I call it, but then there is a bit of me that’s a little bit proud of such sophisticated tastes in one so young, even though I ended up quite a bit poorer since I had to order extra.
Plus, it’s something in which, I think, you can share, it having taken place in the name of an appetite magazine lunch review at Blyth Boathouse, which is a good place to taste your first oyster, by the sea, coastal air in your lungs and the River Blyth making its way seaward yards from your table. This was one of those lunches where you end up fighting off tiny hands which reach across the table to nab not only oysters, but crab claws, panko fish fingers, sweet brown shrimps, big juicy prawns, roll mop herrings, mackerel and more from the seafood platter which had been ordered, we thought, for the adults of the party.
The young pretender to Egon Ronay’s crown also made short work of a plate of fantastic salt, pepper and chilli squid and an excellent smoked salmon selection, so there was no option but to order more of those, plus another half dozen oysters – ‘so fresh and clean-tasting, just like eating the sea,’ declared my friend Vicky, who is more than partial to them herself.
We got a bit of peace when the young culinary pretender and friend (chips and panko fish fingers and far too polite – and squeamish – for oysters) went to run off some energy on the big riverside terrace, and we watched through the huge picture windows as they bounced around wildly, fuelled by the pure unbridled joy of childhood and the sea; that unique exhilaration which comes only by the coast and then leads to a massive energy drop later, when the post-seaside yawns come, and they were dozing by the time we got home.
For me, a pescetarian, this place is food heaven. Sister to the excellent The Old Boat House on Amble Harbour, where the seafood travels just yards from the fishing boats to the kitchen, it’s part of the port heritage centre on a site which also houses a marine science building for Newcastle Uni and the Blyth Tall Ship heritage boat building workshop, which makes it rather special.
Come at the right time, and you might see the boats which land the catch on your plate, while the meat on the chalkboard menus is reared on Northumberland’s green and pleasant land.
The kitchen and waiting team is young and enthusiastic, which is always nice to see, and the dining room itself is happily understated in blond timber.
This place, and its sister in Amble, are part of the Old Boat House Food group owned by chef Martin Charlton. He’s doing a grand job of spreading the word for good, fresh fish, landed locally, the premise being, if the boats have landed it, you can have it. And my, the produce of the North Sea is a marvellous thing, all the more so when you’re very young and tasting some of it for the first time. We’ll be back, and next time we’ll have two dozen…
