FOOD TRAIL DIGEST III Somerton, Langport, Martock & nearby villages The programme for the Somerset Food Trail Festival 2023 is live on www.somersetfoodtrail.org: 17 days of specially curated, farm-to-fork events showcasing Somerset's best, most sustainable producers, farms, shops, chefs and eateries – with art and music thrown in for good measure. This is the third in our series of area-by-area digests of what's on, to help you pick your way through a jam-packed programme and plan your summer adventures in food. |
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Boasting one of the prettiest market squares in Somerset, the 'Royal Capital of Ancient Wessex' has more than its fair share of forage-worthy, independent food & drink shops, cafés and a popular gastropub, supporting a network of nature-friendly farms and artisan food producers in the countryside nearby. The Food Trail is a great opportunity to get to know and support them. |
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WHAT'S ON Here's what's happening in and around Somerton during the Festival: |
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| | THE WHITE HART – Special Menu 1 Marketplace, Somerton TA11 7LX Mon-Sunday 9-11pm This popular gastropub is adding a special 'Piggy Platter' to its menu for the Food Trail, featuring sausages from the Somerset Sausage Company (based near the White Hart's sister pub in Wedmore, the Swan). 'Pair them with wine from Mowbarton Estate in the Mendips, or a pint of Harry's Cider from down the road.' Dogs welcome. The pub now also hosts a pop-up bakery every Thursday, 8am-3pm with loaves baked in Bruton's 'At The Chapel' bakery (using organic flour). | | |
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| | NATURE'S PANTRY – Cheese tasting 15 Brunel Precinct, TA11 7PY Friday July 21st, 9am-1pm Run by Eve, this bustling grocery and general deli food shop stocks fresh fruit and veg, cheeses, meats, dairy, eggs, preserves, juices and lots of other pantry items – many locally produced. Perfect for putting together a picnic, it's fast developing a reputation as the 'go-to' shop for an amazing range of cheeses (with a local bias), several of which will be available to taste, along with local pressed fruit juice. | | |
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ACEarts, The Old Town Hall, Marketplace Gallery and shop open Tuesday-Saturday each week, 10am to 5pm As a special Somerset Food Trail Festival event, to complement Vivienne Beaumont's beautiful textile-based exhibition, ‘Seeds, Flowers and Flowing Hair,’ ACEarts is hosting a series of talks and creative workshops that explore our relationship with, and within nature, including our special relationship with pollinators. The events reflect the Food Trail's focus on more nature-friendly and sustainable ways of producing food. |
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LYDIA NEEDLE BEE WORKSHOP Sat 15 July, 10.30am-1pm, £30/pp Needlefelt and stitch workshop with local eco-artist Lydia Needle,whose popular 'Fifty Bees' project toured Somerset last year. Lydia uses sustainable or vintage materials including textile fibres, yarns, and fabric to explore our environmental impact and the true cost of over-consumption. | | |
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| | 'SEEDS, FLOWERS & FLOWING HAIR' 14-22 July An exhibition of work by acclaimed textile artist Vivienne Beaumont on the ephemeral and cyclical nature of life – harvest, seeds, grains and fruits representing life force and loss. | | |
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| | MONOPRINT & STITCH WORKSHOP Wed 19 July, 11-4pm Lead by Vivienne Beaumont, you'll get a chance to experiment with a range of techniques and effects. Tickets: £50 per person. | | |
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| | TALK ON GARDEN POLLINATORS Wed 19 July, 7pm An evening with award winning author Jean Vernon on how to attract garden pollinators, with by a Q&A & discussion. Tickets: £6 per person. | | |
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WHY SHOP LOCAL? Jane Rodger at Cobbs Wholefood, Somerton has championed Somerset's smaller-scale food suppliers and artisan producers for over 20 years. She says: "Buying local food not only keeps your 'food miles' down, it means you can find out more about how your food is farmed or made. If it's organic, you know that farmer doesn't spray pesticides willy nilly. Buying their food is an investment in nature and your own good health. Choosing local is also an investment in your community, and generally the food gets to you in a lot less plastic! Eating good local food doesn't have to break the bank. It's all about little adjustments: like eating what's in season." | | |
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WESSEX COUNTRY MARKET Unicorn Skittle Alley, Somerton Saturday mornings 9-12pm "Home made baked goods, jams, marmalades, chutney and pickles using locally sourced ingredients. Locally sourced butter, cheese, meat and fresh vegetables in season. Orders can be taken to ensure items you want will be available on the day. Call in to see us and discover for yourselves a hidden gem!" |
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GLEBE FARM, PITNEY Wood Birds Hill Ln, Pitney, TA10 9AP Shop open: Mon-Sat 10-4.30pm Cafe open: Wed-Sat 10-4pm Farm tour: 26 July, 3pm Tour of Rob and Lizzie Walrond's organic working farm, to see the animals, polytunnels and new agroforestry plantings. 'Join us for a farm tour to learn more about organic farming. Why not arrive early for lunch or coffee & cake at our on-farm cafe?' | | |
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Many thanks to Somerton Town Council for generously supporting the Somerset Food Trail for a second year! |
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| | HARRY'S CIDER Pizza & Cider Night Friday 21 July, from 5pm-10pm Delicious wood-fired pizzas from Ethic Street Pizza, with Harry's full range of chilled ciders available, and to take away. No admission fee. Book a Cider tour Sat 22 and Sat 29 at 11am & 2pm Minimum of 6 people per booking. Tours normally last 90-120 minutes and include a walk of the orchard, a tour of the cidery, plus a tasting of Harry's full range, accompanied with a local cheddar. £15/pp, including a branded glass to take home. | | |
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| | UPTON BRIDGE FARM / SHOP Classic Cars & Coffee on Sundays Farm Shop open: Mon & Tues: 9am-3pm Wed-Fr:i 8.30am-6pm Sat: 8.30am-4pm Sun: 8.30am-12pm A family farm for three generations, producing the finest meat from grass fed, pedigee rare breed North Devon 'Red Ruby' cattle. Matured for 21 days, cuts are rich in omega-3 fats and a superb source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Meat, and a huge range of local produce is sold in the farm shop and online too. Gift tokens also available. | | |
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LANGPORT & HUISH EPISCOPI |
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On Summer days, Langport, has something of a seaside air, as people gather on the banks and public spaces along the edge of the river Parrett. Once a major trading artery, the river is now a byway for swans and paddleboarders, the town's former wharfs turned into eateries with riverside terraces brimming with life. With views across cattle-grazed meadows, latticed with quiet tracks along willow-lined rhymes, this is picture-perfect walking or cycling country, with some noteworthy 'refuelling' stops on the way... |
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THE BRIDGE BAKERY & CANTEEN The Bridge, Langport, TA10 9RB Wed-Thu 8am-4pm, Fri 8am-8pm, Sat/Sun 8am-4pm 'Plastic free, free range, locally sourced, baked in front of you...and tasty!' This vibrant community hub has a loyal and growing following, hosting regular arts events and flying the flag for fellow local sustainable food producers. TIP: Hire a bike from Parrett Trail Bikes, next door, and take advantage of miles of car-free cycleways to explore the Somerset Levels. | | |
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***SPECIAL EVENT*** THE BRIDGE & FANNY HATSTAND PRESENT A NIGHT OF FEASTS & FROLICS! The Bridge, Langport, TA10 9RB Wednesday 19 July, from 6pm, music starts 7.30pm |
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In the words of the great Fanny herself: 'Watch the swallows dive and listen to the swifts singing overhead, sit back and enjoy a dreamy riverside evening of frolics with The Langport Mummers performing 'Burnt Cakes'. Enjoy a feast from the Bridge Canteen's kitchen and listen to and, maybe even jig about a bit, to the swampy Louisiana sound of The Clay Bottom Jug Busters, celebrating the extraordinary talents, bounties and collaborations of our beautiful county!" Tickets for food and music or just the music available. The bar will serve locally sourced ales, ciders and other fine beverages. |
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"THIS FOOD IS RUBBISH" Eli's Rose & Crown, Huish Episcopi 7pm, 20 July 2023 An unforgettable adventure through multiple courses of food and drink, including foraged and rediscovered ingredients. The evening takes the form of an edible conversation between two contemporary food artists Cherry Truluck (based in Frome) and Annalee Levin (Huish Episcopi), guiding you through a menu of food that is overlooked, misunderstood and wasted in the 30 miles of Somerset countryside that lies between them. This unique artist-led event asks: 'How might we think, eat and farm differently if we took a zero waste approach to food and drink?' | | |
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| | SMITH & EVANS VINEYARD TOURS Self-guided tours Saturdays 11-5pm Or book a group tour here Just turn up and collect your vineyard information sheet for a wander through the vines and then visit the Tasting Room to try the wines, gin and cider. The cost including tasting is £5pp. A group tour for 6-16 people – tasting all the wines, cider and gin, plus a platter of local cheeses, charcuterie and freshly baked bread – is £27/head. Email: info@smithandevans.co.uk | | |
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| | GUIDED TASTING AT THE CASTLE HOTEL, TAUNTON, WITH GUY SMITH Thurs 20th July A fun evening of tutored wine and cheese tasting with Guy Smith of Langport winery Smith & Evans and Dan Starnes of Longmans Dairy. Award-winning Somerset wines paired with some of Somerset's finest cheeses! | | |
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| | BERE ALLER CIDER Open: 7 days a week 9-6pm Special event: Sun 23 July 2pm LIVE MUSIC with the Emerald Jazz Duo playing to celebrate the Somerset Food Trail. No need to book. Bere Cider uses traditional cider making techniques and its products are made from 100% English cider apples, most grown on the farm. Food & drink is available at the cafe from coffee and cake to a light lunch or a cream tea, all washed down with a pint of cider! | | |
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| | THE OLD POUND INN Steak Night Mon-Sat, 11.30am-11pm, Sunday 12- 10.30pm. Food is served 12 noon to 9pm every day 17th century traditional pub in the historic village of Aller, near Langport, with a restaurant, garden, and rooms, a good selection of West Country beers and a 44-seat restaurant. Every Wednesday is Steak Night: locally sourced rump or ribeye steak with all the trimmings for £15, or including a drink for £19. | | |
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THE MUMP MARKET GARDEN Burrowbridge, TA7 0RB Sat 15, 22, 29 July, 9-3pm "We are opening up on Saturdays during the Food Trail to offer guided tours around our farm. Come and find out how we grow our seasonal vegetables adopting the no dig method, without the use of fossil fuels, synthetic pesticides or fertilisers."
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The Somerset Food Trail is sponsored by The Pig near Bath whose restaurant sources 80% of its food from within 25 miles, supporting many of the food producers featured on the Trail. They've kindly offered us 4 tickets to their Party At The Pig on July 30th Follow us on social media for further details. |
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| | DRAYTON FARMERS' MARKET Drayton Village Hall, top of School Street, Drayton TA10 0LH. 22 July, 10am - 12 noon. Take away coffee available as well as bread, cakes, savouries, chutneys, veg, honey, sweets, the Sausage Shed and cakes. Pretty village on the edge of the moors. | | |
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| | BROWN & FOREST SMOKERY, SHOP & CAFE, HAMBRIDGE Open Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Artisan smokery situated in Hambridge producing up to 40 different smoked meats, fish & cheeses as well as monthly boxes, hampers & special offers. On-site cafe & shop and online retail nationwide delivery. | | |
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| | BURROW HILL CIDER & SOMERSET CIDER BRANDY, TA12 6BU Ciderbus Saturdays: 15, 22, 28th 10am-5pm; Also, orchard walks Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm, and guided tours by arrangement 'Cider has been made on our farm for over 300 years and Somerset Cider Brandy for 34 years. We grow all our apples and make liqueurs from other fruit we grow.' The bus, with full bar, is parked on the edge of the orchard near the farm shop where you can get all sorts of tasters. They also have food vans on the Saturdays and live music or other entertainment. No need to book unless you want a guided tour and tasting which takes about an hour. | | |
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| | KINGSBURY EPISCOPI COMMUNITY SHOP & CAFE Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm Sat: 10am-2.30pm Sun: 10am-12pm Community owned and run, this is a great place to stop while exploring the Somerset Levels. Walkers and cyclists are welcome for breakfast bacon rolls, pasties, pies and light lunches or pick up fresh local bread, Somerset cheeses, locally grown vegetables, local beer and cider as well as household groceries from local suppliers. | | |
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TOUR OF A VEGETABLE & ANIMAL LOW IMPACT SMALLHOLDING, Yews Farm, East Street, Martock 18 and 26 July, 6pm, tour approx 1 hr. 'A village farm garden that mixes stylish structure with cottage-garden laisses-faire' - Country Life "See our organically grown vegetables and animals (chickens, pig), heritage variety orchard, and our wondrous garden with its creative topiary and clever planting schemes. Learn how to grow healthy vegetables, build soil fertility and make good compost. Tastings as we go, apple juice/cider too! £10pp, book in advance.' | | |
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To browse ALL Somerset Food Trail events in DATE ORDER click through to the website through the link below: |
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OTHER LOCAL SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRODUCERS & OUTLETS: Hurdlebrook, Babcary Organic whole yoghurt from their Jersey herd The Red Lion, Babcary Gastropub "proud to use nearly all local suppliers for our food and Ales" Melbury Farm, Somerton A smallholding on the southern edge of Somerton. Great for cold pressed rapeseed oil, jams, juice, chutneys and delicious, home grown tomato pasta sauce (available at Cobbs, Nature's Pantry and local farms shops) Cracknell's, Huish Episcopi For the best kept free range chicken, ducks and geese The Etsome Arms & The Etsome Offy, Somerton Extensive range of local ales and ciders (and gift tokens available) Stacey's Butchers, Somerton Locally sourced meats including free-range chicken, plus local cheeses, home-made quiches, pates and chutney. The Little Bakery, Langport Bread, cakes and quiches using organic flour, and coffee. Langport Stores, Langport Wonderful health food / delicatessen with one of the oldest shop interiors in Somerset (1898). Emphasis on local, gluten, wheat and dairy-free products. Elderflower Food Co-op, Huish Episcopi A weekly food co-op held at the Rose and Crown (Eli's), selling organic veg (including from Plotgate and Pitney), fresh local bread, free range eggs, honey, seasonal produce, olive oil, apple juice and dried foods. *SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST TO BE A HOST VENUE ON NEXT YEAR'S FOOD TRAIL OR TO BE LISTED ON OUR FOOD TRAIL WEBSITE IN 2024.* |
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Further afield...A few other festival highlights nearby |
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Baltonsborough & Barton St David |
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PLOTGATE COMMUNITY FARM, Local Feast and Garden Tours Barton St David, TA11 6DF Tuesday 25 July, 4pm on The UK's largest hand-cultivated Community Supported Agriculture organisation and one of the five pivotal farms involved in the 5FF project (see below). Tour the gardens, see how they grow veg for over 100 weekly mixed boxes, find out about volunteering, meet the growers, Shetland sheep, chickens and pigs. They're hosting a 'local feast' featuring garden produce topped pizzas from the wood fired oven, plus their own apple juice and e a licenced cider bar. | | |
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BALTONSBOROUGH FOOD FAYRE Sunday 16 July, 11am-5pm. Half festival, half fete, with food at its heart, you'll be able to grab yourself something to eat from one of 20 or more stalls representing food and drink producers from all over Somerset, and enjoy it at long communal feasting tables in a marquee. There'll be live music, with plenty of children's activities. Free entry | | |
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This is just a 'taster' of what's available on www.somersetfoodtrail.org. We'll be back soon with more festival news from different parts of Somerset. (Next: 'South Petherton, Barrington, Crewkerne & Ilminster.') Until then, keep it local! The Somerset Food Trail Team X |
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PLEASE NOTE: This is by no means a comprehensive list of events or sustainable food outlets for this area. There are simply too many to list here. Later newsletters will cover different areas, and a full list of participating venues can now be found through searches on our website. |
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For a regular deep dive into Somerset's sustainable food news, local intel and insights, try The Wallfish Journal, a weekly reader-supported newsletter by Frome based journalist Hugh Thomas. | | |
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Or, look out for The Tale of a Teaspoon (on Instagram) by Vicki Hunter and sign up for her Food for Fork blog, packed with local food news and reviews and dates for your diary. 'The closer we are to what we eat and the shorter the farm-to-fork journey, the better it is for our health, our farmers and our planet,' says Vicki – and we agree! Vicki's two-part blog on her 'best bits of the Food Trail' and shortcuts for navigating it, is linked below. | | |
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The Somerset Food Trail is organised by Sustainable Food Somerset. If you would like to support our work promoting local, sustainable food and more nature-friendly ways of farming, please get in contact via the link below: |
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With thanks to our sponsors: |
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