A HISTORIC building which once formed part of a 13th century abbey in Blanchland has undergone a renovation and now stands as a new food haven in the heart of the village.

The Abbey Gatehouse – the central part of the village – used to be linked to the former monastic buildings across the road and is one of the surviving elements of the old Blanchland Abbey, which fell into ruin in the 16th century.

Now, under the management of the Lord Crewe Arms, itself located in what was once the abbot’s residence, the gatehouse has been transformed into a private dining area.

The space offers dining facilities for up to 18 people, a kitchen set up for cooking demonstrations and space for conferencing.

Head chef Simon Hicks said his first private dining session on Easter weekend was a hit with diners.

“Private dining offers the chance for a bit of a Q&A,” he said.

“You can get to know people and let them ask what they want to know, before they head through to the dining area.

“As for the demos we are doing quite a lot of lunch ones which are good to work around the school run.

“It’s just demonstrating basic things like puddings or bread making. We are not trying to be show offs or posh, just trying to create a bit of love back into cooking at home.”

While planning for the listed building took three or four years to put in place, general manager Tommy Mark said the renovation took only around nine weeks.

He said: “Part of it used to be the post office house.

“We had to keep a lot of the original features but it works really well for the setting.

“There are some quirky things like the stonework at the back of the kitchen which still has old text on it, which you can see if you look closely.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while; it’s a great space and it’s about showing people what they can do in a normal kitchen.”

Simon has also organised demonstrations with visiting chefs including Bob Arora, from Sachins in Newcastle, and Martin Sweeney, head chef at the acclaimed Tramshed in Shoreditch.

Details of events taking place and how to book can be found at www.lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk/gatehouse.html