Both the British Pullman and Northern Belle are popular luxury trains that offer day-trips and journeys in the UK – their main differences between the British Pullman vs Northern Belle are to do with travel destinations and routes.
Often, the choice between these two iconic trains comes down to location. While the British Pullman exclusively departs from London Victoria, travelling primarily across the southern regions of England, the Northern Belle has departures and destinations in various locations from the Midlands of England to the more northern regions.
Although they have their similarities, the two trains both hold an unique charm, distinct to each other. We’ll dissect each luxury train from the journeys and itineraries down to the canapés served onboard to make explicitly clear the differences and perhaps, help you find which train will provide your perfect journey on rails.
British Pullman vs Northern Belle: The Train And Carriages
British Pullman
The British Pullman is a restored luxury train composed of original carriages from the 1920s and 1930s. It consists of 12 carriages, all of which have their own storied history, such as the Phoenix – originally known as ‘Rainbow’, in 1936, a fire engulfed the carriage and when it was rebuilt from ashes, it became the Phoenix. Or the Vera carriage which was meticulously restored after it was hit during an air raid in World War II. These carriages have entwined themselves with some of the most iconic figures of recent history as well as royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Standout carriages include the Celia, which features a delicate and dreamy design with floral motifs, lovingly designed by director, Baz Luhrmann and production designer, Catherine Martin. Known for their work together in film, the two have united together yet again in this project to bring forth the breathtaking, Celia carriage.
The Celia carriage is not the only one reimagined by visionaries of film. The Cygnus carriage was redesigned by film director, Wes Anderson, known for his whimsical, unique, and exquisite aesthetic in his work. A closer glance at the carriage and you’ll see the stunning marquetry with motifs of the sky and sea; Vivid, emerald hues; and angular, bold lines seen in the decor.
Although, the other carriages have the same level of care and quiet elegance to them. Whether you’re seated aboard on Audrey, Gwen, Ibis, Ione, Minerva, Perseus, Phoenix, Vera or Xena – each carriage is crafted with artisanal detail in the wood panels or upholstery. Each carriage has been meticulously designed, inviting you into a comfortable ride aboard one of Britain’s most glamorous and luxurious trains.
Northern Belle
The Northern Belle is a restored 7-carriage train, with each carriage bearing the name of a British castle or stately home.
Working with leading British artisans, experts have imbued the Northern Belle with their craft from the mosaics and murals to the fine work of the marquetry onboard. Traditional techniques and material were employed to give passengers the most authentic and glamorous experience of 1930s travel. Contemporary engineering and convenience has been integrated to ensure comfort and safety at every mile of the journey.
To the credit of A Dunn & Son, whose marquetry projects have been seen on luxury ocean liners, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor castle, the carriage of the Northern Belle features stunning marquetry of the stately home or castle of its namesake using traditional methods from the 1700s for an intricate and inspiring display.
As mentioned previously, there are 7 carriages on the Northern Belle, named after and inspired by British castles and stately homes, the Alnwick, Belvoir, Chatsworth, Glamis, Harlech, Duart, and lastly, the Warwick.
British Pullman vs Northern Belle: The Journeys
British Pullman
Departures for the British Pullman only occur at London Victoria. Though there are limited departure points, there’s a variety of journeys and routes available, totalling to 35 different experiences.
The British Pullman offers iconic experiences and journeys like the ‘A Moving Murder Mystery Lunch’ (or Dinner), where you can solve a murder mystery onboard over a 5-course meal in the Kent countryside. Or perhaps instead, take a round trip to the World Heritage Site in the ‘Historic Bath’ journey, stroll the famed Roman baths and enjoy the stunning architecture. There are also plenty of journeys to events available – you can take your step aboard and arrive at Royal Ascot, Goodwood, or The Grand National in style and enjoy brunch and dinner on board.
The variety and mesmerising panoramic routes make this train a perfect choice for Mother’s day, Christmas, festivities, birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, or any occasion worth celebrating.
A current list of journeys offered by the British Pullman is as follows:
- A Moving Murder Mystery
- Bath at Christmas
- Blenheim Palace
- Blenheim Palace at Christmas
- Bletchley Park
- Bombay Sapphire at Christmas
- Bombay Sapphire Distillery
- Burghley House & Stamford
- Canterbury Christmas Carols
- Chatsworth
- Christmas Lunch
- Coates and Seely Winery
- Glorious Goodwood
- Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Goodwood Revival
- Grand National
- Great British Seaside: Broadstairs
- Great British Seaside: Whitstable
- Gusbourne Winery
- Herbert Hall Winery
- Highclere Castle
- Highclere Castle at Christmas
- Historic Bath
- Historic Oxford
- Historic York
- Murder Mystery Dinner
- Nutbourne Vineyards
- Nyetimber Estate
- Simpson Winery
- The Golden Age of Travel
- The Golden Age of Travel by Steam
- The Great British Sunday Lunch
- Westwell Wine Estate
- Winston Winery
- Worcester by Steam
Northern Belle
The Northern Belle offers 27 journey types and departs from 10 regions and 49 cities across the UK. Despite offering less journey types overall, Northern Belle offers a variety of departure stations nationwide, making taking a luxury train journey far more convenient than many of its modern compatriots.
Signature journeys like the ‘Settle & Carlisle Steam Special’ which takes place aboard steam haulage, you can ride the 73-mile route through a dreamlike passage all the way to Carlisle Station. There’s also the ‘Royal Yacht Britannia – Edinburgh’ where you can enjoy a three-course brunch, board a private transfer at Leith to witness the magnificent Royal Yacht Britannia restored to its formal glory, and enjoy a six-course dinner paired with fine wines on your journey home – accompanied by live musicians, a touch of magic as you bid final farewells to friends made onboard and the magic of the journey.
A current list of journeys offered by the Northern Belle is as follows:
- Blenheim Palace
- Castle Howard
- Chatsworth House
- Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Christmas Lunch
- Conway Castle & Bodnant Gardens
- Cornish Lunch via Dawlish
- Dartmouth Steam Railway & Paignton
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Leisure
- Historic Bath at Leisure
- Historic Edinburgh at Christmas
- Historic Edinburgh at Leisure
- Historic Llandudno at Leisure
- Historic Oban at Leisure
- Historic Oxford at Leisure
- Historic Roman Baths, Bath
- Historic Torquay at Leisure
- Historic York at Leisure
- Historic York Christmas Markets
- Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
- Penderyn Distillery & Llandudno at Leisure
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show
- Royal Yacht Britannia – Edinburgh
- Settle & Carlisle Special
- Settle & Carlisle Steam Special
- Summer Lunch – West Highland Line
- West Highland Lunch
British Pullman vs Northern Belle: The Menu
Menus are always subject to change, especially when the focus is seasonal and fresh ingredients – this means menus are refreshed to ensure passengers get the best gastronomic experience possible. The following is a sample of what you can expect aboard each journey.
British Pullman Welcome & Day-Trip Menu
The menu onboard the British Pullman offers a seasonal,local, and fresh taste of British produce. Whether it’s brunch or dinner, never will the food menu, nor the drinks menu fall short of the most refined palate.
Responsible for the excellent cuisine onboard is Chef Jon Freeman who has been serving brilliant courses on the British Pullman for two decades.
Be welcomed aboard with a seasonal bellini. Ice cold prosecco. Seasonal fruit puree.
For brunch, expect delicately and freshly baked English pastries, artisanal granola bowls, smoked fish alongside poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Or for those who abstain from meat vegetarians and vegans, an egg or spinach florentine in place of smoked fish. Enjoy your meal with a delightful selection of teas and coffees.
For dinner, start with a refreshing plate of locally sourced Isle of Wight tomatoes, milky and tangy mozzarella, tart and delightful tomato essence, and a texturally rich seed and herb brittle. Move onto the main course, pan-fried cornfed chicken alongside rich sauce, with light and creamy tarragon mousseline, summer vegetables, and potato salad. A hard-to-dislike and easy-to-love dish, made to be savoured. End with an indulgent elderflower trifle with English strawberries and petit fours, served with HR Higgins coffee or a selection of Newby London teas of your choice.
Dinner for vegetarians and vegans remains mostly the same, in place of the pan-fried chicken, you can instead, enjoy an artfully crafted, nutty, earthy, and tender Queen Anne artichoke tart. For vegans, the mozzarella is forgoed in the appetiser, instead, a refreshing and comforting bowl of pea and spinach soup is served – elevated with borage flowers and mint oil for a crisp flavour. Before ending the meal with the petit four, vegan-passengers onboard also get a plant-based cheeseboard served with chutney, fruit bread and crackers.
British Pullman Sunday Lunch Menu
Sunday lunch aboard is even more indulgent and rich.
Start off with smoked salmon paupiettes, stuffed with sweet, tender, and delicate cornish crab with a zesty citrus dressing. Meanwhile, the vegan appetiser begins with Isle of Wight Tomatoes, tart tomato essence, and seed and herb brittle – vegetarians may enjoy this as well, alongside English mascarpone.
The next course serves up an elevated classic – the Sunday Roast. Enjoy a roasted English fillet and short-rib, or beef alongside crisp roast potatoes; tenderstem broccoli; snappy and bright pickled carrots; savory, sharp and velvety cauliflower cheese – and of course, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy. Those indulging in the vegetarian and vegan menu can expect the same usual sides, made to fit your dietary restrictions. Instead of beef, expect a veggie wellington, and for vegetarians, with Lincolnshire poacher.
Round of the first few courses with, yet again, a sweet elderflower trifle with English strawberries. A “Great British Cheese Board” or a plant-based cheeseboard with all the accoutrements, and finally petit four with coffee or a range of teas.
The British Pullman is also able to accommodate specific allergy-related dietary needs but you should be aware that they need to be notified at the time of booking so that the culinary team has sufficient time to prepare and ensure your food is as safe as it is delectable.
Northern Belle Welcome & Day-Trip Menu
Led by Head Chef, Matthew Green the table d’hôte offered aboard is carefully designed and created using fresh and local ingredients, sourced sustainably from across the British Isles.
As passengers step aboard the stunning carriages and take their seats, a welcome drink – a choice between a Sparkling Mimosa or Bloody Mary is served.
With the day-trip menu, you can start the day for the journey ahead with rich French viennoiseries. Delicious and golden pastries served alongside seasonal fruit for a taste of the sweetest and freshest bounty available at the time of year of your travel.
Brunch continues with a signature appetiser ‘Stone Fruit & Silk’ – hand-strained yoghurt with organic wildflower honey and Tahitian vanilla beans. This rich and decadent silkiness is cut with lemon verbena-poached fruit for a delicate tangy-sweetness, toasted pistachio dust, and a vibrant basil chlorophyll oil so it becomes a treat for the eyes as much as it is a treat for the palate.
For the main-star of breakfast, you’re given the choice between a couple of options:
‘The Belle Breakfast’ is an elevation of a classic and the beloved English breakfast. Hand-linked London sausages are seasoned with black pepper and toasted mace, which gives it a pleasant and deep woody aroma. The bacon is cured in maple for 24-hours and seared in a pan until crispy and served alongside Portobello mushrooms which are salt-baked and glazed; a hash brown pavé to bring out the crispiness without losing the comfort of the staple hash brown; a poached egg; and a plum tomato confit which provides a fresh acidity to cut through the richness of the rest of the plate.
‘The Arnold Bennett’ is a contemporary take on the classic 1929 dish. A savoury opened-face tart – topped with poached cold-smoked haddock, hollandaise mousseline, and glazed with aged gruyère de grotte. To balance out the dish, a delicate side salad of chervil and lemon-macerated shallots is served alongside the plate.
‘The Verdant Orchard’ is a highly technical dish with whipped avocado, emulsified with cold-pressed lime oil and sea salt topped on house-made sourdough which has been toasted in noisette butter. The finishing touches include a slow-poached egg and garnishing of togarashi-spiced pepitas, shaved radish ribbons and a vibrant cilantro chlorophyll oil.
Brunch concludes with a range of Fortnum & Mason tea or Northern Belle’s own house-blend coffee.
Dinner onboard the Northern Belle is an extensive six-course experience – even more decadent and technical than brunch as you might expect.
Your evening meal onboard commences with a chilled flute of champagne to enjoy over conversation as a paired bite and cocktail is carted out. For the small bite – ‘The First Sprout’ delights the palate with a burst of freshness with garden pea and mint essence encapsulated in a delicate sphere, suspended in cucumber and elderflower consommé, finished with a single nasturtium leaf for a perfectly accounted for peppery aftertaste. For the cocktail – The “Primavera” Spritz is a rhubarb-distilled dry gin with clarified strawberry water, with fresh yuzu and a whisper of basil-infused agave for a zesty and bright finish. Made a longer drink with Brut Champagne for a crispness, garnished with an English strawberry and micro-basil.
Before the appetisers are served, begin with Italian or French sourced Siberian Baerii caviar – harvested for peak-quality or plant-based olive pearls caviar.
Choose between a range of dishes for your starter – suitable for any palate, and all equally lavish and carefully crafted. All starters are served with a warm artisanal mini-boule and seal-salt butter – hand-churned.
‘Chicken & Smoked duck Terrine’ is paired alongside charred baby-leeks, a complex prune reduction and pickled mustard seeds, finished off with shards of pancetta
‘Cured South Coast Sea Bream’ provides a clean minerality and is complimented with segments of blood orange and kohlrabi for a peppery and tart taste. The whipped crème fraîche and dashi-ginger infusion imbues a bright and incredibly rich finish.
‘Compressed Ruby Watermelon’ utilised vacuum-compressed watermelon “steaks” which are infused with mint and lime for a bright finish. It’s paired with barrel-aged feta and charred black onions and olive tapenade. Dimension is added with a textural delight with the toasted pumpkin seed and made visually brilliant with a vibrant drizzle of cold-pressed herb oil.
We move onto the main course which again, offers a choice between bounties of the sea, the land, and earth.
The Lake District Lamb “Two Ways”. The lamb loin is basted in butter and a seven hour slow-cooked belly pressé. It’s accompanied by vibrant English peas, mint purée and pressed thyme potatoes. The dish is finished off with a sweet redcurrant and rosemary jus.
The Monkfish “Osso Buco”. A fillet of monkfish tail, roasted and served over a saffron and leek chowder for a velvety texture, brilliantly complimenting the flaky fish. Paired with poached cockles, crisp samphire, fondant potato and dehydrated seaweed – this dish is a true tribute to the vast waters.
The Salt-Baked Heritage Celeriac “Steak”. A generous cut of celeriac, salt crust-roasted slowly to intensify its nutty and sweet flavours. Served alongside the dish is the vegetable “jus gras”, infused with black truffle, a sharp Granny Smith apple remoulade in order to cut the richness with a touch of tartness, and a silky cauliflower purée.
With course after course of richness and decadence, cut through the savoury flavours with some the citrussy and tart flavours, originally curated for the Spring dessert menu.
L’Assiette de Citron. A Deconstructed dessert made with Amalfi Lemon, known for its highly fragrant and less acidic qualities, and served with seasonal botanicals.
Buttermilk & Lemon Panna Cotta Fashion Éclair – chilled and silky cream made from Amalfi lemons, topped with droplets of elderflower gel, finished with a meringue poppyseed shard.
The Citrus “Pebble”. A sculpted and lemon-infused cheesecake “pebble” encapsulated in a citrus glaze atop shortbread and a touch of Maldon sea salt to bring out and balance the sweetness. Beautifully garnished with bright Veolia flowers.
The Petite Citron Jardin. Lemon-infused sponge which has been soaked in lemon syrup and topped with whipped lemon curd, garnished with lemon balm for a touch of vibrancy.
After dessert, enjoy Northern Belle’s beautiful award-winning cheeseboard – Batch Clothbound Cheddar, Lilibet Blue, Baron Bigod, and Sheffield Forge – served with Yorkshire chutney, apple sage and cider jelly, water biscuits, fruit cake, and a glass of Port wine.
Finally, finish off with petit fours, tea, and coffee.
Northern Belle Christmas Day-Trip Menu
For welcome drinks and pastries from the baker’s basket, they remain the same as the usual day-trip menus. For breakfast, enjoy honey from the Peak District & toasted granola – served with seasonal fruits and a delicate Earl Grey tea syrup to start off.
For the main event at brunch, enjoy either the smoked salmon and Whitby crab on warm buttered crumpet with a tangy sauce, and confit tomato. Treacle-Cured bacon and a soufflé potato and chive pancake, grilled king oyster mushroom, wilted spinach, confit tomato, and sauce gribiche; or grilled king oyster mushrooms and wild mushroom fricassee, served with, yet again a soufflé potato and chive pancake, wilted spinach, slow-roasted overnight tomatoes.
End brunch the same as you would on any day-trip with Northern Belle, with an elegant and expertly poured cup of tea or coffee.
Dinner at Christmas onboard the Northern Belle is described as a “Grand Yuletide Feast”. Start with Champagne and Caviar at reception like any other Northern Belle Day Trip, an appetiser to prepare your palate in their six-course menu.
Start with a paired bite – A Northern Belle signature cocktail, an elixir of aged cognac, spiced pear
liqueur with ginger and fresh lemon, made a longer drink with bubbly champagne. Enjoy with the curated bite, Parmesan & Black Truffle Gougères.
Appetisers conclude with Scottish salmon, varieties of smoked, poached, and hot-smoked salmon nestled alongside horseradish and lemon crème, pea shoot salad, crispy cider vinegar capers, and a drizzle of dill oil to cut through the fattiness of the salmon with something refreshing and balanced. Fittingly and lavishly named, ‘The Overture: Roulade of Scottish Salmon’.
The main event is the next course, the Turkey Ballotine, slow roasted until tender and generously filled with truffle butter, and sausage meat stuffing. The turkey is accompanied by all the sides: Désirée potatoes, roasted in flavourful goose-fat; heritage potatoes and parsnips, glazed in Lake District honey; brussel sprouts with smoked pancetta and chestnuts; and of course, the gravy.
After indulgent dining, passengers are served dessert – a choice between a spiced apple and cranberry tart with a delicate oat and almond crumble on a bed of vanilla bean ice cream; rich dark chocolate, layered with crunchy hazelnut praline, vibrant raspberry coulis – garnished with crystalised violets; or panna cotta, infused mandarin zest, gingerbread, and garnished with candied mandarin and a, again, gingerbread biscuit.
The award winning cheeseboard keeps all the accoutrements, but switches out the selection of cheese: Rhuby Crumble, Flat Capper Brie, Quicke’s Extra Mature Clothbound Cheddar, and Peakland Blue for a more festive touch.
Finally, the menu concludes with petit fours, alongside tea and coffee.
British Pullman vs Northern Belle: Price Comparison
Price points can vary greatly depending on the specific journey. For a list of prices corresponding to journeys offered by the British Pullman and Northern Belle, you can visit our Northern Belle prices page or British Pullman prices page.
If you don’t see a price listed for a journey you’re interested in taking, you can contact us for more information on the prices for journeys such as Northern Belle’s ‘Great British Sunday Lunch’, ‘Steam Special Christmas Lunch’, ‘The Flying Scotsman Steam Journey to Edinburgh & Royal Yacht Britannia’ – or the British Pullman’s ‘Murder Mystery Lunch’, ‘Glorious Goodwood’, ‘Historic Bath by Steam’, and many more.
We are able to provide you a price on request. You can reach one of our specialists by phone – +44 20 3640 8887, or by email – info@luxurytraintickets.com.
British Pullman
With so many journeys available, day-trip prices for the British Pullman can range from £469 – £870, which is $654 – $1,189, or €555 – €1,009.
Northern Belle
Again, as there’s quite a few different journeys offered with varying routes which means each experience is priced differently. However, you can expect to pay around £395 – £795 depending on the journey.
