Hjem x South Causey Inn is a beautiful partnership. Taking up residency in the heart of the Beamish Valley for a 6 month pop-up in South Causey’s farm house, it’s a gorgeous setting for an incredible tasting menu that takes you through fresh Northern ingredients with Scandinavian suavity.
We visited on a Friday afternoon and were excited to see Hjem’s creator Alex Nietosvuori preparing our food with head chef Marek and his kitchen team. Alex and his wife Ally are behind Wall’s famous Hjem restaurant which has received global acclaim and rave reviews for its menus.
Hjem closed down at the end of last year so work could begin on Alex and Ally’s exciting new project – Restaurant Freyja. Freyja will occupy an incredible space in the walled gardens of Close House in the Tyne Valley. Housing twelve rooms for staying guests, Freyja’s menu will use produce from its own gardens and local suppliers.
So what makes Hjem so special? Well, it’s not particularly easy to get your hands on Scandinavian food in the North East. This clean cuisine with a focus on fresh fish and root veg is elevated by Hjem with tasty twists on each dish. And ‘fresh’ is most definitely the focus here. You’ll be eating vegetables that have literally been pulled from the ground on the same day, or fish that has been plucked from the freezing North Sea just hours before.
With Hjem’s ten course tasting menu priced at £105 and a three course special menu for £60, there is Michelin star magic at work at here, so like us, you’ll probably want to experience as many courses as you can with the full works.
Three complimenting starters are brought out after a baked boule of warm sourdough and cultured butter which we hungrily devour.
We enjoy a rich and creamy Vichyssoise with potato, leek and cream and a drizzle of spring onion oil, thin slabs of crispy chicken skin which form a kind of sandwich around slices of salmon with a green tabasco crème fraiche, and beef tartare tartlets from North Acomb farm are elevated by parsley oil and a sprinkling of grated cheese from the Doddington Dairy in Wooler.
Cured seatrout, Chinese artichoke and ajo blanco comes next – the seatrout is delicately translucent bringing clean Nordic freshness to the palate with a crunch of artichoke and a silky ajo blanco for almond-rich flavour.
Then it’s onto the cod course with the fish served in a buttermilk foam along with delicious Shetland mussels, celeriac and dill. There’s intense flavour in this dish from the brine notes to the perky dill freshness and earthy celeriac.
Next, salt-baked beetroots with leek and buttermilk gives a harmonious sweetness from the beetroot complimented by tender leek and luxurious foamy buttermilk. Beads of puffed wheat add textured crunch.
Just as you’re starting to get full, out comes the biggest dish yet – a main of pork neck with punchy radish and root vegetables from the garden, fermented in beef stock. There’s a playful floret of crackling on the side and a rich green peppercorn sauce which runs through this dish. If you like really powerful flavours, you’ll love this, but I felt slightly overwhelmed by the busyness of the plate.
Transcending from mains to desserts happens subtlely with a crossover horseradish sorbet served with warm apple caramel and spelt crumb. Totally wow-ing, this long-standing palate cleanser has been on the menu since Hjem opened. An unexpected hit of nose tingling sharp flavour cooled by the icy texture is offset by sweet caramel notes and a nutty crumb and I just can’t get enough of it.
We finish with Fika – a Swedish tradition which invites a daily moment to pause. Highlights here include the rich mousse-like Japanese namalaka served as a chocolate pot in an eggshell, along with rum and vanilla canelé with an amazing caramelized crust.
Sitting in this peaceful farm house setting looking out onto greenery with the most exceptional service, Hjem’s residency at South Causey Inn has a real sense of occasion but still feels relaxed. Even better, there are constant tweaks to the menu and a variation on the fish, vegetables and oils, meaning if you visit more than once, you’ll get a different experience.
We can’t wait to see what’s in store at Restaurant Freyja, but for now, we’re extremely lucky to have something as special as this in this North East. There really is no place like Hjem.