A TRADITIONAL Northumbrian dish has earned a permanent place on a top restaurant’s menu after wowing the stars of a new tv show.
When chefs at the Northumberland Arms, at Felton, added pan haggerty – a layered dish of sliced potatoes, onions, butter and shredded cheddar cheese – to their list of specials, little did they know it would be such a hit with one of tv’s most famous faces.
But when former TOWIE star Mark Wright, his dad Mark and brother Josh – visiting the area with their new BBC show, A Wright Family Holiday – turned up at the venue, they were determined to give the dish a try.
And they loved it so much that pan haggerty, once a staple meal for the region’s poorer families, has been once again thrust into the spotlight.
The simple dish has now been moved from the specials board and will take its place alongside dishes such as pork fillet Wellington and sirloin steak on the pub’s main menu.
Although its exact date of origin is unknown, pan haggerty, which should always be served from the vessel it was cooked in, probably derived from the Industrial Revolution.
Its cheap and readily available ingredients – and the fact it could be cooked in one pan on a cast iron range – made it an instant hit with working families.
And its popularity soon spread outside Northumberland with most UK counties now having their own version of it.
The Wright family stopped off at the Northumberland Arms – a former coaching inn with an outside terrace, overlooking the picturesque River Coquet – during filming of their new series, which is a road trip around Britain.
“They’d never tried pan haggerty before,” said Stuart Young of the Northumberland Pub Co, which operates The Northumberland Arms, “and they absolutely loved it.
“After all, what’s not to love. Potatoes, onions and cheese sourced from one of our finest Northumberland cheesemakers – they’re a match made in heaven.
“If you’re from the North East you’ve probably had pan haggerty – or a version of it – before. But often we’re so keen to try new things that old dishes fall out of favour.
“Seeing how much Mark and his family enjoyed it reminded us of just how special it is.”
For more information about The Northumberland Arms, or to book, visit www.northumberlandarms-felton.co.uk