The Rat Inn

The Rat Inn (usually shortened to The Rat) is a historic country pub and gastropub in the small village of Anick in Northumberland, England, in the Tyne Valley a few miles from the market town of Hexham. The pub sits beside the idyllic village green and looks out over the surrounding countryside, with the River Tyne winding in the distance toward the Roman town of Corbridge. Originally a drovers' inn, it is an 18th-century pub with a story behind it; the origin of its curious name is lost to time, and local legends hold either that it was a meeting place for rat catchers or that a landlord was nicknamed "the rat" for informing to the Crown during the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745. Since Phil and Karen took it on in 2007, The Rat Inn has earned an enviable reputation for award-winning food sourced locally. The menu is built on abundant seasonal local produce and changes daily according to the best ingredients of the day. Diners can eat in three areas—the cosy bar with polished oak, flagstone floors and an open fire, the conservatory with views over the valley, and the dining room suited to special occasions; in warm weather there is also outdoor dining in the beer garden. The pub serves fine wines, real ales and cocktails, and sells gift vouchers and branded clothing. Its best-known achievement nationally is its repeated inclusion in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list; the pub says 2026 marks its 14th consecutive year on the list, at No. 8. It has also drawn press praise, with The Journal calling it "charmingly cluttered... a well-run pub with great cooking... excellent service." The pub is a small, independently run private business rather than a chain, and its pet policy allows only small, well-behaved dogs, by prior arrangement.

The Rat Inn stands in the hamlet of Anick in Northumberland, a few miles from the market town of Hexham, in the Tyne Valley. The site has a long history as an alehouse: the pub describes itself as originally a drovers' inn, and notes that for centuries there has been an alehouse in Anick. The present building is an historic 18th-century inn with a colourful past. The origin of the pub's unusual name — described on its own website as "surely one of the oddest names for an Inn in Britain" — remains shrouded in mystery. Local theories include that it was a regular meeting place for local rat catchers, or that the largest rat ever seen was caught there. The most intriguing tale concerns an ale keeper who gave information to the Crown during the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745 and thus became known as "the Rat". Northumberland had a strong network of Jacobite sympathisers who met under cover of bowls games and horse races at local pubs and alehouses, while government spies were posted across the county to gather information; the Rat Inn may have hosted some of these meetings. A turning point in the pub's modern history came in 2007, when Phil and Karen took over. Under their stewardship the Rat earned an enviable reputation for locally sourced, award-winning food, becoming a destination gastropub in the Tyne Valley. Visitors travel from miles around throughout the year to sample its charms, and the pub has been praised by critics such as The Journal, which called it "full of paraphernalia and quite charming… a thoroughly well-run pub with a lot of excellent cooking… top notch service." The Rat has been a fixture on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list. Its website states that 2026 marks its 14th consecutive year of inclusion, with a ranking of number 8. The pub continues to operate as an independent country inn with a cosy bar, conservatory, dining room and beer garden, serving daily-changing menus based on seasonal local produce alongside wines, real ales and cocktails.

• An alehouse has existed in Anick for centuries; the Rat Inn is described as originally a drovers' inn in an 18th-century building.

• Local legend links the pub's name to an ale keeper nicknamed "the Rat" who informed for the Crown during the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745.

• Phil and Karen take over the pub, beginning its modern era as an award-winning food destination.

• The Rat is ranked number 8 in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2026, its 14th consecutive year on the list.

Independent, award-winning country gastropub offering locally sourced seasonal British food, fine wines and real ales in a historic 18th-century inn setting.

• Seasonal menu

  Daily-changing menu built around locally sourced seasonal produce.

• Sunday lunch

  Sunday lunch offering at the pub.

• Real ales, wines and cocktails

  Bar drinks served in the cosy bar area.

• Gift vouchers

  Gift vouchers in £10, £25, £50 and £100 denominations.

• Branded clothing

  Clothing sold via the pub's online shop.

1. 1Welcome - The Rat at Anick, an award winning country pubtheratinn.com
2. 2Our History - The Rat at Anick, an award winning country pubtheratinn.com
3. 3About us - The Rat at Anick, an award winning country pubtheratinn.com
4. 4Rat Inn - Wikidatawikidata.org