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 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 and particularly welcoming restaurant called 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 local speciality ingredients, mostly organic, head chef Rob Howell (who owns Root with his wife, Meg) explains: “Unlike you, Nick, I am indeed 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 called 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 article concerning Somerset cider, folk point to a visit to the near-mythical Roger Wilkins. We’ve been to his place many, 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 k
