Scott's of Alnmouth

Northumberland

The bright interiors of this neighbourhood shop offer a warm escape from the North Sea winds that whip Northumberland’s coastline. After a bracing yomp along the shore, Scott’s is the ideal spot to revive with freshly baked cakes and steaming cups of Pilgrim coffee, roasted on nearby Holy Island. And then to shop...

Behind the store’s traditional navy facade (which has served this area for a century), owner Andrew Scott, who bought it in 2016, has refined the spirit of the community hub, rather than losing it, by blending the cosiness of a corner shop with fine gourmet produce. Browse colourful cans of IPA from Newcastle’s independent Wylam Brewery, bottles of Hepple Gin distilled in the Simonside hills and North Chocolate small-batch bars decorated with hand-drawn illustrations of Durham Cathedral. The cheese counter holds an array of speciality cheeses, including the fabulous Welsh cheddar Hafod, but it’s the foods from further afield that pique the locals’ interest, such as a za’atar and onion marmalade from Dubai’sLimeTreeCafé.

Also here are products inspired by Scott’s recent trip to Cape Town, including bottles of Keermont Vineyards’ crisp chenin blanc and packets of samp, a dried corn kernel which makes a great risotto base. Keep an eye out, too, for the deli’s expanding range of own-brand offerings, including fresh sourdough and frangipane tarts.

Regulars are greeted by name, and friendly, apron-clad staff offer recommendations based on previous buys. Once you’ve plundered the shelves, head downstairs and tuck into local mackerel pâté on toast or a Scott’s BLT, which stars the deli’s own espresso-cured bacon. On the first Friday of every month, the café opens late for a supper club-style three-course meal, but be warned: tickets sell out up to eight weeks in advance.