Hadrian Hotel in Northumberland to Reopen in March
The Hadrian Hotel in Wall, Northumberland, is scheduled to reopen in March under the new management of Jack Brown and Alice Lawson. The relaunch of the 14-bedroom hotel, located near Hadrian's Wall, follows the closure of the acclaimed Hjem restaurant that was previously housed there.
- The previous restaurant, Hjem, earned Northumberland's first Michelin star in 2021 and retained it annually. Hjem was opened in May 2019 by Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born wife, Ally Thompson-Nietosvuori. - Hjem's closure on December 31, 2025, was not due to failure but to allow its chefs to pursue a new, purpose-built restaurant-with-rooms called Freyja, which is planned to open on the Close House Estate in Wylam in autumn 2026. - While their new restaurant is being built, the Hjem team is running a temporary six-month residency at the South Causey Inn in County Durham, which began on February 4, 2026. - New operator Jack Brown has a background in Newcastle's hospitality scene, co-owning Nest and Flight bar in Heaton and previously managing the Hide Restaurant. He is undertaking the new venture with his fiancée, Alice Lawson. - The new management plans a dual concept for the Hadrian Hotel, opening a new fine-dining restaurant in the former Hjem space while also reviving the hotel's pub to serve traditional English food. - Staff from Brown's former establishment, Hide restaurant, including chef Aaron McLellan, will be retained and brought to the new venture at the Hadrian Hotel. - The name Hjem (pronounced 'yem') is a word for 'home' in both Northumbrian dialect and Scandinavian languages, reflecting the heritage of its founding couple. - Prior to its closure, some local residents had expressed frustration that the pub at the Hadrian Hotel had stopped serving bar meals and had reduced its opening hours, impacting its role as a community hub.
