FIRST generation farmer, chef and internet star, Dorset-based Julius Roberts comes to the Butterfly House at Castle Gardens at Sherborne on Wednesday 8th November at 7pm to talk about his newly published, first book, The Farm Table at Castle Gardens The event is being held to conjunction with Winstone’s Bookshop in Sherborne, and will include…
THE pandemic had a massive (and mainly adverse) impact on the hospitality and catering industry, but post-Covid many have predicted a “new dawn for fine dining” and the recent publication of the 31st edition of the Trencherman’s Guide, the South West’s dining guide, proves it, says Michael Caines, who chairs the Trencherman’s committee. “In the…
The writer Henry James famously wrote in The Portrait of a Lady: “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” WHATEVER your view on the cream or jam on top scone debate, most of us can agree that the South West has the best…
THIS year’s Somerset Food Trail, from 14th to 30th July, builds on the success of the inaugural 2022 event, with more than 170 producers and retailer, 350-plus events and 100 venues taking part in the fortnight-long programme of dinners, farm walks, open days, tastings and more. The headline theme of The Mile Feast is a…
THE deadline for entries to the 2023 Somerset Food Trail is on Wednesday 15th March. The food trail, which last year attracted 8,500 people to visit more than 190 sustainable food producers and retailers, runs from 14th to 30th July and focuses on smaller scale and more nature-friendly farmers and artisan producers. The 2023 trail…
– the first in a new series by nutritionist Daisy Ilchovska DAISY Ilchovska is an MSc level educated and registered nutritional therapist and founder of Optimal Health Nutrition (www.optimalhealthnutrition.co.uk) She re-trained as a nutritional therapist after her own health quickly deteriorated in her mid-20s when she was diagnosed with a debilitating autoimmune condition. Nutrition and…
SOMETIMES you just need a treat. There are people who claim that they only “eat to live” and others whose attitude is more “live to eat.” Most of us, fortunately, come somewhere in between. But sometimes you need a treat and on those days there are few destinations that offer more than Summer Lodge, the…
MANY restaurants have recognised the multiple benefits of putting produce that is local to their area on the menu – but not many chefs have an historic family tie to the food they serve. Mark Hartstone, chef-proprietor of La Fosse restaurant with rooms at Cranborne, grows many of his own salads, herbs and vegetables on…
WHEN did you last have a nut roast? If you are a life-long vegetarian, you might say maybe 20 years ago. The best nut roasts were served at Cranks restaurant in Covent Garden, and the most reliable recipes were in the two Cranks cookbooks, which still deserve a place on the shelves of any keen…
THE world’s oldest alcoholic drink is the perfect accompaniment for your Valentine’s Day dinner, says Lyme Bay Winery, the West Country drinks maker which has put mead back on the off-licence shelves and the cook’s working top. Mead isn’t just a different drink; it’s a whole new drinks category. Made with honey, and believed to…