A RESTAURANT which has only been open for four months has joined four more of Tynedale’s top-rated eateries in a prestigious good food guide.

Restaurant Hjem in Wall village, which opened in May, has been selected as a new entry in The Good Food Guide 2020. A mention in the guide is considered to be one of the highest accolades in the industry.

It joins Bouchon Bistrot in Hexham, the Barrasford Arms, the Rat Inn at Anick and the Feathers Inn at Hedley-on-the-Hill, which are long-time favourites and award winners several times over.

Last year the Feathers Inn won County Dining Pub of the Year in The Good Pub Guide 2019.

The Good Food Guide reviews the best restaurants, pubs and cafés across the UK through feedback from readers coupled with anonymous expert inspections.

The guide is updated annually and was most recently published on September 12 by Waitrose.

Hjem is attached to the popular pub, The Hadrian at Wall, and was the dream project of Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his partner, Northumberland-born Ally Thompson.

It combines the best local produce with Scandinavian values and cooking techniques. The 24-cover restaurant has attracted food lovers from all over the North-East and beyond and is already fully booked until November.

Ally said: “Alex and I are really thrilled to have been recognised by The Good Food Guide so soon after our opening and will look forward to welcoming lots of its readers to our Hjem.

“We strive for excellence throughout every service so it’s lovely to hear that what we’re doing at Hjem is being appreciated and enjoyed.

“We’ve been genuinely delighted with the reception Hjem has been given by both diners and those across the North-East’s burgeoning food scene and are incredibly proud to be helping to fly the flag for the region in such a longstanding and respected publication.”

Elizabeth Carter, editor of The Good Food Guide by Waitrose & Partners, said: “Seven decades of publication have given The Good Food Guide a unique insight into eating out in Britain.

“And the more we conduct our lives online, the more we look for care, provenance and thoughtfulness – especially when it comes to food.”