Robson’s of Craster

Craster is one of those villages that smells like where you are before you even see it, woodsmoke drifting from the smokehouses that have been curing herring here since 1856. Robson’s is the name behind it, and a visit here is as much about the story as the food. Watch the kippers being smoked over oak sawdust in the traditional chimneys, then sit down to try them properly, simply grilled with butter and a squeeze of lemon. The harbour itself is worth lingering over too, small, working, and lined with lobster pots rather than gift shops, with the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle visible along the coastal path if you fancy walking off lunch afterwards. It’s an easy stop on a Northumberland coast day out, and pairs naturally with Bamburgh or Seahouses if you’re making a full day of it. Go for an early lunch if you can, the smokehouse and harbour are at their most atmospheric before the day-trip crowds properly arrive. It’s a proper taste of Northumberland’s fishing heritage, and a world away from a standard seaside lunch.