The Eats family don't need any excuse for scranning but Fathers' Day is an opportunity to have someone else pick up the bill.
 Mrs Eats had decided she was going to treat me for a change and booked a restaurant we'd passed many times on our travels through the North's countryside. Our nephew Stringbean generously offered to chip in to the feast if he could tag along and bring his friend with him, so on Sunday we all bundled into the Eatsmobile and trundled off to the picturesque village of Whalton, Northumberland, to try the Beresford Arms. Located a couple of miles from Bolam Lake, and six miles from the picturesque market town of Morpeth, the leafy village - once described as "one of the neatest and cleanest villages in the county" - is as perfect a spot for a Sunday lunch as can be found. Following a brisk walk around Bolam Lake, tummies were rumbling and we were in no doubt that only traditional roast dinners all round would suffice. The inn - which has been providing sustenance to villagers for many years - is an ivy-clad stone building set back off the main road which runs through the village. There is ample parking and wooden seating outside, while inside wooden- beamed ceilings give the place a homely feel. We were shown to our table upstairs in the restaurant where the decor was fresh and pleasant and there were good views over the garden. The pub had laid on a special Fathers' Day Menu with two courses for £12.50 or three for £15.95. We decided we fancied pudding over a starter and chose roast beef although Mrs Eats decided she fancied the roast pork with apricot stuffing and crackling. There were plenty of other options including a chicken and fish dish. The waitress must have sensed our hunger as food arrived quickly. However, we were dismayed to find we were given only one bowl of vegetables to share amongst four and the plates did not have enough gravy . . . a must in the Eats family. After a word from the veritable She Who Must Be Fed, the waitress rectified the situation and brought out another plate of piping hot vegetables, a gravy bowl and extra crackling. With this we tucked in and the only sounds were those of approval over the tenderness of the meat and delicious roasties, washed down with a dry white wine. Still there is always room for more and with empty plates taken away we asked to see the dessert menu, which was bursting with choice, including the delicious sounding apple and blackberry crumble with custard. Settled on what to have, we called our waitress over and asked for four apple and blackberry crumbles only to be told they had all gone. Sent off to the kitchen to double check, she came back and said there was one left, which - as the guest of honour - I took immediately. Mrs Eats and Stringbean's friend opted for the pineapple tart with ice cream, which, strangely, came with cream instead, while Stringbean went into a huff because there was nothing with chocolate on the menu. The tart was described as delicious, despite the lack of any ice cream, and the apple and blackberry crumble was delicious as well. While the food was pretty good quality, the service was a bit of a disappointment. However, some time in the future we would like to try it again . . . on a less busy Sunday. | 
