Farm shops and food producers
Somerset is one of England's great larders: cheddar was invented here, cider is the county drink, and the pastures of the Levels produce superb beef, lamb and dairy. Within a few miles of Hunter's Moon you can stock the kitchen from farm shops, dairies and bakeries that supply some of the country's best restaurants. Your welcome hamper gives you a taste; here is where it came from.
Farm shops
The Newt in Somerset (10 miles)
The farm shop at the Hadspen estate between Castle Cary and Bruton sells produce grown, reared and made on the estate: cyder, bread from its bakery, cheese, charcuterie, vegetables from the walled garden and an enormous deli. Garden entry is separate; the shop and cafe are open to all. thenewtinsomerset.com
Middlewick Farm Shop & Cafe (6 miles)
An award-winning cafe with a small farm shop at the foot of Glastonbury Tor, good for breakfast after the climb and for local eggs, meat, cakes and preserves.
Kilver Court, Shepton Mallet (7 miles)
A food hall and cafe in the historic house beneath the Charlton viaduct, with a secret garden and designer outlets (Mulberry began here) alongside. kilvercourt.co.uk
Dragon Willows Farm, Glastonbury
Traditionally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables, free-range meat and homemade preserves straight from a small farm beneath the Tor. dragonwillowsfarm.co.uk
Baily's Country Store, Glastonbury
On the Street road: Somerset cheeses, ciders, local meat and country goods, plus everything for the garden and the dog.
Hecks Farm Shop, Street (7 miles)
Six generations of cider makers with a shop selling more than twenty ciders and perries from the barrel, apple juice and local produce; see cider and vineyards.
Cheese
Westcombe Dairy, Evercreech (6 miles): cheese has been made at Westcombe Farm since the 1890s. Today the dairy produces one of the three great unpasteurised Somerset cheddars, a raw-milk Caerphilly, Somerset ricotta and its own charcuterie, all matured in a cave in the hill. The dairy shop is open to visitors and is one of the best food stops in the county. westcombedairy.com
Pennard cheese: the parish next to Hunter's Moon has been famous for cheese since a 1,100-pound Pennard cheese made from the milk of 750 cows was presented to Queen Victoria in 1840. Today the name lives on in Pennard Vale goat's cheeses, plain and smoked, sold in local shops and at the markets.
Also worth seeking out: Montgomery's cheddar from North Cadbury and Keen's from Wincanton, the other two members of the raw-milk cheddar trio; the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, the only maker left in Cheddar itself; White Lake goat's and sheep's cheeses from Pylle, two miles from the cottage; and the Bath Soft Cheese Company at Kelston.
Bakeries, butchers and delis
- Burns the Bread, Glastonbury: craft bakery on the High Street; sourdough, pasties and cakes
- Earthfare, Glastonbury: organic supermarket with a good deli counter
- Birdie's Yard, Glastonbury: organic food co-operative
- The Newt bakery, Castle Cary: the estate's town bakery on the market place
- Bruton: At the Chapel bakery and the Sunday market for artisan bread and pastries
- Wells market, Wednesday and Saturday: butchers, fishmonger, cheese and cider stalls
- Glastonbury markets: Tuesday food market and monthly farmers' market; see shopping and markets
Drink
Cider farms and vineyards have their own page: cider farms and vineyards. Glastonbury Ales brews in the town, Wild Beer at Westcombe (next to the dairy) makes some of Britain's most inventive beers and has a taproom, and Somerset Cider Brandy at Burrow Hill distils apples into spirits.
Food festivals
Wells Food Festival fills the market place and the Bishop's Palace grounds with producers on a Sunday in mid-October. The Royal Bath & West Show at Shepton Mallet in early June has the biggest cheese and cider competitions in the country, and Frome Independent market on the first Sunday of the month is a feast in itself. See the what's on calendar for dates.
Stocking the cottage
Ask us to arrange a larger hamper, a cheese board or a case of local cider for your arrival, or a supermarket delivery timed for check-in. The kitchen has a double oven, an American fridge-freezer and a dining table for ten; see kitchen and dining.
Cook with the best of Somerset
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