by Porthleven, Cornwall
Britain’s most southerly port, Porthleven has swapped its traditional tin and porcelain products for some of the gelato, seafood tapas and freshly caught fish on the Cornish coast. The place to stay is The Harbor Inn (doubles from £109 B&B; harbourinnporthleven.co.uk), a recently restored pub with seafront rooms, serving fish caught in nearby Newlyn and a “Shop Upgrade Chips” – curry sauce. , pickled egg and onion and bread and butter. Elsewhere, Amelies (ameliesporthleven.co.uk) overlooks the fishing boats and offers small plates of Cornish mackerel pâté and salt and pepper squid, crispy pizzas and fragrant bouillabaisse. Leave room to choose at least two of the 30 flavors of ice cream at Nauti (nautibutice.co.uk) and then stock up on Cornish treats at Pengelly’s (pengellys-porthleven.co.uk) before heading out finally back home.
Tisbury, Wiltshire
The largest village in Wiltshire’s beautiful Nadder Valley, Tisbury is surrounded by working farms and the 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate, all contributing to a thriving food scene, loved by locals and visitors, who come to stay. at the charming Beckford Arms (doubles from £125 B&B; beckfordarms.com). A glorious pub with large blazing fireplaces, casks of hops above the bar and a shotgun cartridge blackboard menu as well as daily specials, it’s the perfect country setting. Enjoy candlelight dinners of meat and game from local producers, and vegetables from Beckford’s kitchen garden.
The Beckford is a great base for exploring Tisbury and the surrounding area, full of farm shops and restaurants. Dip into Messums (messums.com) – an arts center and gallery that also has an exhibition space in London – to see the latest exhibition and sample artisan cakes and coffee, or a lunch of modern British dishes in the airy restaurant. You could also pop into Bird & Carter (birdandcarter.co.uk), in the neighboring town of Fonthill Bishop, a fireside restaurant that makes the perfect place to refuel after a wander through the rolling Fonthill Estate.
A five minute drive from the pub, Tisbury’s quiet high street offers a handful of foodie emporiums. Try the Tisbury Deli (tisburydeli.co.uk), filled with cheeses, charcuterie and hand-picked Mediterranean goods. There’s also Provenance (provenanceonline.co.uk), which produces fresh salads, pastries and cakes every day, as well as pantry items, such as pickled wild garlic buds and relishes, and takeaway meals. All ingredients are sourced locally and all products are free from additives and preservatives. Further up the street, Beckford’s Bottle Shop (beckfordbottleshop.com, pictured above) has a collection of 3,000 wines and more than 2,000 spirits, while Beatons Tearooms (beatonstearooms.co.uk) is a great place to warm up. with him. hot chocolate and a slab of gooey cake (great GF options).
Deal, Kent
One of Kent’s prettiest coastal towns, Deal has picked up the baton from Margate with a thriving foodie culture, which includes everything from unctuous French cheeses and tangy charcuterie at deli No Name Shop. co.uk) to fishing. straight from the boat at 81 Beach Street (excellent GF/vegan options, 81beachstreet.co.uk). Stay at The Rose (doubles from £100 B&B; therosedeal.com, pictured below) a former pub turned quirky eight-room boutique hotel with bold colors and an eclectic mix of retro and contemporary works and furniture, and Nuno Mendes , ex the Chiltern Firehouse, as executive chef of the hotel’s excellent restaurant. Elsewhere in town, evenings start with cocktails at The Lane, followed by dinner at the Updown Farmhouse (updownfarmhouse.com) – a beautiful restaurant with rooms. Before you head home, pop into Arno & Co (94 High Street) for small batch wines, craft beers and tapas snacks, and Jenkins’ fishmongers for great fish pâté.
Orford, Suffolk
Drowning in classic Suffolk, Orford is best known for its food scene and its 12th-century castle and endless skies above the shingle spit of Orford Ness. It is also famous for its oysters and the best place to try them is Orford’s Botany Oysters, where the Pinneys serve the seafood and smoked fish they have been producing since 1959 (pinneysoforford.co. UK). For sweets, head to Pump Street Bakery (pumpstreetchocolate.com) where artisan chocolate made on the premises shares shelf space with the sweetest pastries and fresh sourdough loaves. Stay at the Crown & Castle (doubles from £113 B&B; crownandcastle.co.uk), an award-winning restaurant with rooms, with a menu of upmarket dishes, using Orford country seafood and locally raised meat. Pick up some to take home at Orford’s Meat Shed on Bakers Lane, which also does an excellent line in local cheeses.
Clitheroe, Lancashire
In the culinary heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley, visit Clitheroe on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday to indulge in one of the region’s best food markets, held since the 12th century. Pair local farm produce with a bottle or two of wine from the 4,000-strong selection at D Byrne & Co (dbyrne-finewines.co.uk), and pick up breakfast treats at the Cowmans Famous Sausage Shop (cowmans.co.uk), where -includes the 70 different flavors of cured beef sausage and marmalade pork. For something more classic, book dinner at Tom’s Table (tomstable.co.uk), a French-inspired bistro offering traditional Welsh dishes alongside locally sourced steaks. Stay at the Spinning Block Hotel – part Holmes Mill – a restored textile mill dating back to the 1820s, with 39 chic bedrooms furnished with a bowl with Bowland Dining Hall (above) – part deli, part farm shop, part cafe, offering great breakfast, including crispy bacon bulbs and free-range eggs Benedict (doubles from £75 single room, jamesplaces.com).
