Food & Adventures

Thursday 13 June 2019

Bat and Pizza Nights with Wild Intrigue


Being an avid foodie and being curious about wildlife (especially in Northumberland) the idea of a Bats and Pizza Night is right up my street. We were invited by Wild Intrigue to Wild Northumbrian which is a glamping site in Kielder to try this special night.

On our drive up to the site the heavens opened and we had to find our way in torrential rain, luckily just as we got there the clouds parted and the rain stopped, phew! We arrived at Wild Northumbrian and were greeted by Heather and Cain who run Wild Intrigue and we were taken to the 'Peewit Hut' to begin our Pizza making.


On the decking of the Hut were two tables laid out for us to prepare our Pizza. We got our hands floured and rolled out the dough (the kids loved this part).  We then chose our topping, Cheese and Tomato for Heidi, Sweetcorn for Jack, an array of veg for Mrs Cool and Pepperoni for Harry. Me being me, I went all out and filled mine with as many toppings as I could. There is a Wood Fired Pizza oven right next to the hut so once the Pizza were ready we gave them to Cain top pop in the Oven. Vegetable toppings and all ingredients are provided but if you'd live to bring any meat toppings, you're welcome to.

The Pizza only take a few minutes and need to be turned a couple of time to stop them burning, the smell from the oven with the wood smoke and the cooking pizza is something to die for. In hindsight I think overloading my pizza with ingredients was my downfall as it ended up misshapen but still tasted amazing. Heidi was particularly pleased with her 'smiley face' pizza.

After we had finished our Pizza the kids all sat round the camp fire and we had hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows while we waited for darkness to fall. This also gave Heather a chance to fill us in on what kind of Bats we might see and how to use the Bat Detectors. We all love a good campfire and everyone was sharing their technique for toasting the perfect marshmallow. Anyone who is interested the perfect marshmallow should be burned black and be as hot as the surface of the sun.
When it was suitably dark we headed into the wood to look for bats. The trek through the woods was fascinating finding out which animals you can find in the Northumberland Woods (keep your eyes peeled for Red Squirrels) and Heidi loved finding a slug that she named Mr. Slimey, she even made a nature Hotel (a pile of grass) before setting him free. We crossed a very wobbly bridge and had to climb down a steep bank with only a rope for support but Heather was on hand throughout to let us know anything significant. My favourite part was when she pointed out some wood sorrel that was growing at the base of a tree, if you try some it tastes like green apple peel.
Finally we arrive where the Bats roost. An old store house where the bats can snuggle up together under the roof tiles during the day and at night they come out in their droves. Each of the kids took it in turns to adjust the Bat detector and listen out for Pipistrelle and Brown Long Eared bats. The Bat detectors made it really easy to find the bats, letting you hear their call and I was surprised how easy the were to see flying around and they are tiny (some no bigger than your thumb) and they fly super fast, too fast to get any photos but you know what a bat looks like, right?
We all really loved the Bats and Pizza Night and I would highly recommend it, especially if you or your kids have an interest in Bats. Wild Intrigue also do similar events such as Kittiwakes and Doughnuts at The Baltic. If you are going to try Bats and Pizza Night for yourselves then I would advise you use some insect repellant as despite all the fun we had we were eaten alive my midgeys. However we definitely want to return to Wild Northumbrian and try a stay at one of the Yurts (the Treehouse Yurt reminded me of the Ewoks homes in Return of the Jedi).

Pizza and Bat Nights are fantastic value for money at just £12 per adult £10 per child and under 5s are free. Everything is included from pizza ingredients to refreshments, hot chocolates, marshmallows, bat detectors and bug collection pots. Their events run throughout the summer and last around 2.5 hours long. The night was nice and laid back and I'd recommend booking with a few friends and making a night of it. Child-free bat and pizza nights are also available.

Find out more and book here. 

Well, that's all for now.

S


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Bats and Pizza Night with Wild Intrigue

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2 comments

  1. This looks awesome. A stay in the wild with pizza, what could be more perfect!

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  2. What a fantastic night! I really love the idea of people taking more time to get out into the wilds of Northumberland and explore!

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