Paying upwards of £10 for a meal from a food van in a car park probably might raise a few eyebrows, especially with the current cost of living crisis showing no signs of abating.
However, Bamburgh's Creel and Reel Seafood Trailer is no ordinary food van. With all but one of its 17 TripAdvisor reviews giving it five stars, it's a popular lunch spot just south of the village named the best seaside destination in Britain.
Offering seafood prepared right in front of you and spectacular views of the village's castle, customers come from all over the place - even in just the short time I was there on a drizzly Wednesday afternoon. Just ahead of me in the queue, a Belgian father and son were having a pit stop ahead of their trip back to the continent on the ferry later that day.
Read more: Bamburgh wins best seaside town in Britain title for second year running
After being served their meals, they returned to their ancient Volvo estate which had curtains all around the rear windows. And I should have followed their lead on eating in my car, but instead got a very wet bottom from sitting on one of the car park's three picnic tables.
However, the view of the mighty Bamburgh Castle is part of the attraction. And I wanted to feel the salty sea air, so I guess having wet jeans for the rest of the day was worth it.
Anyway, the food. Unfortunately, the Belgians had got the last slices of lemon with their scallops, and that wasn't all that Creel and Reel had run out of.
But I guess that's what you get for turning up five minutes before the trailer is supposed to shut. Nevertheless, it was hard not to feel disappointed on missing out on a lobster roll and chips (£17), but the fact that the trailer doesn't over-order and keeps waste low is not something to complain about, in my opinion.
The menu had a decent selection of made to order seafood and usually it changes depending on what's in season. As well as that aforementioned lobster roll, there was a monkfish and chorizo skewer with lemon mayo (£9.70), Korean style grilled squid (£7) and hand-picked crab sandwiches (8.80).
I was left with the still quite enviable choice of a scallop and bacon roll (£8.60), seared scallops with garlic butter and toast (£11), or a steak and king prawn skewer with fries and garlic butter (£12.50). After umming and ahhing between the two latter options, the scallops won - and what a good choice that was.
They were beautiful - with just the right amount of garlic butter, so as not to soak through the bread and make it soggy. Springy and succulent, they were the perfect alternative to traditional fish and chips, light enough that I didn't feel I'd drunk a vat of oil once the taste had faded away.
Where's your favourite place to get seafood in Northumberland? Let us know in the comments below!
The scallops were one of plenty reasons to go to Creel and Reel - and I could point to at least three more to those who turn up when it opens at midday. The seafood was prepared beautifully and tasted great - but its location would keep any beachcomber coming back again and again.
While weather wasn't great, the sea breeze was invigorating and I couldn't imagine that view of the south side of the castle ever getting boring. From Links car park and the path leading through the dunes, you've got one of the top 10 beaches in Europe to your north, and the slightly more hidden North Sunderland Beach to the south - you'll do well to find anywhere better for a post lunch walk.
Creel and Reel is open from 12pm - 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday and is located in the Links Road Car Park (which has a £4 daily charge) on the road between Bamburgh and Seahouses. For more information including what's on the menu on the day, check out the Facebook page.
