FOOD glorious FOOD
Nick Harding sets out to see what makes Somerset special on a mouthwatering foodie tour of the county
FIRST, I SHOULD declare a personal interest. I’m not Somerset born (Aberdeen, Scotland, actually). And I’m not quite Somerset bred
(we came south when I was six and our village moved overnight into the then-new county of Avon when I was still at primary school, the victim of boundary changes). But I’m definitely here now, having made the cathedral city of Wells my home some four years ago.
Food and drink research
And what better place than Wells to start my food and drink research/tour? A small, particularly welcoming restaurant, Root (it even caters for well-behaved dogs), in the city is spearheading something of a dining revolution here, with its mantra of ‘veg-led, small sharing plates’ (think tapas, but Somerset-style!).
So our Somerset food and drink route kicked off in Wells, which is served by plenty of other restaurants, of course. It’s also home to Wells Deli (offering an excellent range of cheeses, in particular), as well as its annual
Food Festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023.
Among a list of fine local speciality ingredients, mostly organic, head chef Rob Howell (who owns Root with his wife, Meg) explains: “Unlike you, Nick, I am Somerset born and bred, which might explain why I’m so happy to offer Somerset produce wherever possible.
“That includes all sorts of sources for our ingredients – a micro-farm at Useful Beyond Buildings, Pitney Farm Market Garden, where there’s also a farm shop, Homewood Cheeses, Yonder Brewing for beers, and Wilding for cider (they also supply us with fruit and veg).” All of which led us nicely on to our next stop.
Somerset for cider
At this point in any discussion of Somerset cider, folk point to a visit to the near-mythical Roger Wilkins. We’ve been to his place many times – just not on this tour. Roger’s celebrity clients past and present include actor Nicolas Cage, impressionist Rory Bremner, comedian Syd Little, supermodel Jerry Hall, and rock stars Mick Jagger (whose brother Chris lives locally) and Joe Strummer. You’ll find a Banksy on the wall of Roger’s ‘cider lounge’, and if you sit on the battered old Chesterfield, you should know it once belonged to comedian Frankie Howerd.
Truly, a trip to Mudgley should
be a rite of passage for any cider drinker (although it’s worth knowing that they also sell excellent cheese and preserves).
Sorry Roger, but this time, our itinerary included visiting a much newer kid on the cider block. Sam and Beccy Leach gave up running a successful restaurant to turn their cidermaking hobby into a business, called Wilding. Sam says: “We started in 2018 and this is our sixth full-time harvest.” They are based in Chew Magna, but their orchards are spread across the Chew Valley.
They’re all-organic, stressing the time it takes to make proper cider. “The natural approach,” says Sam. “It is slow, it takes time. It takes a minimum of a year to make cider. It’s still live when it’s bottled. That’s the key for ageing and longevity.”
This foodie trail was becoming all too easy: “You must also visit Westcombe,” Sam and Beccy told us, pointing us to the next stop on our tasty tour – Westcombe Dairy – and an unexpected encounter with Tina Turner! Cheese and charcuterie are the key products here, but there’s also a bakery, and they make superb butter and ice cream onsite.
Maturing the cheese
Around 8500 cheeses are carefully stored at Westcombe as they mature, which can take anything up to 18 months. And that’s where Tina Turner comes in – this is the machine, named after the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, that picks up each full-size cheese, dusts off the mould growing on its cloth, and turns it, all as part of the maturing process.
Along with plenty of parking space, there’s also a small shop here, where we tasted Westcombe’s cheeses and charcuterie – including some amazing salami – all home-produced.
From Westcombe, we drove 20 miles north to Homewood Cheeses, in Ubley, where Tim Homewood and Angela Morris make superb feta, ricotta, halloumi and curd cheese, using milk from local ewes.
Tim explained how this homogenises naturally, making it more efficient than cow’s milk for the types of cheese they produce at Homewood. They set out their stall at otherwise unassuming premises (the complex is tucked into one corner of a former sawmill).
We just caught their typical opening times, 2-5pm on Fridays (but like the other businesses mentioned here, it’s best to check if you’re planning to visit).
“We welcome well-behaved spaniels, too,” added Angela. Lucky for us, eh?
Homewood was only about seven miles from our first campsite, Cheddar Mendip Heights. Eating out hadn’t actually been on the agenda for any of our nights away, but it was less than a mile down the road to the village of Priddy and its sole pub,
The Queen Victoria Inn.
Definitely a typical Somerset pub – locals and low beams, open fires, dog-friendly, and plenty of good regional produce on the food and drinks menus.
Free-range camping
But there’s more to Somerset than cider and cheese (although I’d happily reel off at least a dozen other specialists for visits and tastings). There’s also beer. And wine. Our next site, Petruth Paddocks, just outside Cheddar, describes itself as ‘free-range camping’, and there’s certainly a lovely laid-back ambience here.
From Petruth, you could take a walk to the only place in Cheddar that still makes
the eponymous cheese.
A bit closer to home is the Cider Barn
(you can guess what they specialise in).
It’s also well placed for a footpath visit to the excellent Cheddar Ales Brewery.
We were planning to head further afield, though. In addition to the top-class cider and beer, Somerset also has more than its fair share of superb wineries.
Oatley Vineyard is just one of many. A single track takes you the final half-mile or so to Oatley, but before you make the journey, note that visits are by appointment during summer only (although the wines are for sale on Saturday mornings). If you fancy enjoying private tastings and a walk through the beautiful vineyards – a picnic, even – here’s your place.
As owner Ned Auty puts it: “Plenty of locals don’t know we’re here. It’s easy to lose time here.” Ned’s parents bought the land and planted the first vines 35 years ago, having come across the area on a family camping trip and realised that it was perfect grape country, in Exmoor’s rain shadow.
Great English wines
Today’s grape varieties are Kernling (related to Riesling) and Madeleine Angevine (akin to a more subtle Sauvignon Blanc). Pinot noir is planned for the coming year.
You won’t have read it here first, but English wines are improving by the season. As Ned says: “2018 was the first great year for English wine.” Producers are confident enough to make their own styles, using
‘Westcombe’s cheeses and charcuterie included some amazing salami’
grape varieties that are more suited to our climate and soils (or terroir, as the French would have it), rather than subscribing to a generic, Continental vision.
And surely that’s exactly what specialist local food and drink should be all about?
Cider and soft drinks
Another cider stop was now on our itinerary – King Brain, home to fine ciders and soft drinks (as well as Scrumpy the spaniel).
Here in the village of Little Weston, King Brain Drinks is a family business based at an organic farm. In the ‘Cider House’, Jenny King Brain talked us enthusiastically through their products. “We have our lovely traditional Somerset cider apple orchards, with lots of heritage cider apple trees. We harvest, press, ferment and bottle all of our ciders here on our farm.
“We also make our organic pressés – Elderflower, Rhubarb and Ginger (using elderflowers and rhubarb grown on the farm), as well as a Lemon pressé.”
Our day ended with a visit to another farm and more excellent cheese. Along with something of a history lesson.
Historic cheesemaking
Master Cheesemaker Jamie Montgomery can tell some fascinating stories about the history of cheese in Somerset.
Jamie reckons that at one time (before World War II), there might have been as many as 400 producers in the area, typically farmers who made cheese for their workers. It was certainly being made back in 1911, when the Montgomery family purchased the farm in North Cadbury.
Montgomery’s award-winning Cheddar will need no introduction to cheese-lovers, but a more recent addition to its offering is the intriguing Ogleshield. Jamie told us how his mum kept a herd of Jersey cows, whose milk was deemed unsuitable for local cheesemaking, but the family developed Ogleshield, a raclette-style cheese that’s especially good for melting. You can buy both from the local village store (and elsewhere).
Our final stay was at Old Oaks Touring Park, just beyond Glastonbury. Adults-only, this is one of the most immaculately
H Homemade provisions at Old Oaks include dog treats baked by the site owners’ son I Pitched up at Cheddar Mendip Heights C&CC Site
presented campsites I’ve ever stayed on.
But that doesn’t mean it lacks character.
The provisions on sale at reception here would easily qualify the place as a farm shop anywhere else.
The site is run by husband and wife
James and Tara White, and Tara was quick to reel off some of the local produce they provide: “We stock Glastonbury Ales (they are just a mile away from us), Wookey Hole Ales, Hecks cider (from Street, five miles along the road), Burrow Hill ciders and Somerset Cider Brandy.
“We also have a milk-dispensing machine, which we introduced three years ago and which must have reduced our plastic waste by tonnes. And our honey is from Overleigh Apiaries (also at Street) – they’ll be placing some hives here at Old Oaks next year.
“In addition, we’ve done away with as many household products in single-use plastic as possible.”
There are lots of local family connections here, too. “Our Somerset butter is from the White family firm, Partners in Cream. Beef, steaks, burgers and so on are from Wick Farm Meats (run by James’s brother).
“We have our own free-range eggs from the site’s hens, and the homemade dog biscuits are made here by our son, Henry.”
Getting a taste for the region
Visit Somerset and you’ll find yourself travelling through some iconic landscapes – from Cheddar Gorge to the Somerset Levels, from the Mendip and Quantock
Hills to Chew Valley.
Hopefully, while you’re enjoying the gorgeous scenery, you’ll also discover the many brilliant food and drink specialities the area provides.
Could we have visited more places on our foodie tour? Of course. Treat this article as a taste of the authentic produce – real food, real drinks – that Somerset has to offer if you’re prepared to delve a little deeper.
I deliberately haven’t mentioned the many flavours we enjoyed, because that, just like beauty, is only ever down to the beholder. Let’s just say this was one trip when we were absolutely delighted to be returning home with the van more loaded up than when we departed!