Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish – review

26th October 2025 0 By Rachael Stray

We were kindly invited for Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish so thought I’d share an honest review*.

Sunday lunch is one of my favourite meals and isn’t one I get to have often so I was excited for a lunch date with my husband.

Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish

The Black Horse Beamish has expanded since my last visit for Afternoon Tea in 2022, but it has managed to retain its warm, welcoming, and homely charm.

On arrival, we were greeted with genuine friendliness and shown to our table in the bright and airy orangery, a lovely setting for a Sunday lunch.

Our drinks arrived swiftly, and as we sipped them we enjoyed watching wedding guests – including the bridesmaids and even the bride herself – arrive for a beautiful celebration in the marquee set within the grounds.

After browsing the menu, we decided on a two-course option of main and dessert. Steve chose the roast sirloin of Herefordshire beef, while I opted for the trio of meats – pork, feather blade of beef, and chicken.

Each main was served with roast and mashed potatoes, swede mash, roasted root vegetables, and the all-important Yorkshire pudding. Steve stuck with his go-to Appletiser, and I had a classic Coca-Cola.

The food did not disappoint.

Steve’s beef was tender and melt-in-the-mouth, cooked to perfection.

My trio of meats was a real treat – the chicken was juicy and far from dry, the beef was rich and flavoursome, and the pork, which I don’t often choose, was succulent with perfectly crisp crackling.

The Yorkshire puddings were enormous and wonderfully crispy, exactly how they should be. Even the black pudding, which I was hesitant about, turned out to be surprisingly tasty.

Everything was plated up for us, meaning there was no need for self-serving, which made the experience feel effortless and relaxed.

The gravy deserves a special mention – rich and full of flavour. We requested extra (as did many other tables), and it was well worth it.

For dessert, I spotted a white chocolate Crunchie cheesecake on the specials board. It wasn’t listed on the main menu, but the waitress kindly checked with the chef, and I was given the green light to order it. I’m so glad I did.

The cheesecake was incredibly soft and indulgent, though very sweet – I enjoyed every bite, but I think it could be a little overwhelming for those with a less sweet tooth.

Steve chose the classic sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, served with custard. While the custard was disappointingly lukewarm, it had a lovely flavour and the right consistency – neither too thick nor too runny, exactly how he likes it.

The toilets are located through the courtyard area, which itself has plenty of inviting outdoor seating for when the weather is fine.

The facilities were clean and well-maintained, adding to the overall positive impression.

All in all, Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish was hearty, comforting, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The combination of excellent food, warm hospitality, and a relaxed setting makes it easy to see why it’s such a popular spot for a weekend treat.

A huge thank you to The Black Horse Beamish team for inviting us back after my disappointing Afternoon Tea experience for a lovely Sunday lunch.

The desserts rounded off the meal perfectly, and despite the small hiccup with the custard, it was a memorable lunch that we’d happily return for.

There’s a children’s menu and a lovely play area outside so we’d happily take Elsie with us next time.

Price wise Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish is on par with other restaurants we’ve enjoyed prices for mains start at £16 rising to £19 and starters from £7, desserts are £8 and portions are good.

Where is The Black Horse Beamish?

Postcode for sat nav: DH9 0RW

How to get to The Black Horse Beamish

Follow the A1(M) until you reach the turn off for Chester-le-Street.

At the roundabout take the road sign-posted A693 for Stanley and the Beamish Museum. Take this road, and head for Stanley.

After crossing two roundabouts, you will come across a third, roundabout where the signs for Beamish Museum tell you to turn off to the right – take this turn.

Just in front of the arched entrance to the museum, there is a left turn, which you must take.

Keep on this road down into the bottom of the valley, past a high wall on your left and through a very sharp left- hand turn, past the Coppy Lodge on your right, until you arrive at a ‘T’ junction, with a hump-backed bridge to the left.

Turn right at this junction, the road goes up then levels out and then up and levels out again.

You will now see Black Horse Beamish on your right set back from the road down a short lane.

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*Disclaimer

This review has been written with 100% honesty.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I was gifted a two-course Sunday lunch with two soft drinks for two people with no expectation for me to provide a review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own based on my own experience.

If you would like your company/service featured on rachaelstray.com either in the form of review, sponsored post or an advertising slot, please feel free to contact me at rachaelstray@gmail.com

Please visit my contact/work with me page for more information.

Sunday lunch at The Black Horse Beamish – review