Britain’s best food heads South
The southwest of England has become the hot new region to experience the best of British food. Lonely Planet’s brand new edition of Devon, Cornwall and Southwest England reveals that the region has overtaken the rest of the UK with its sublime cuisine, challenging London for the culinary throne.
According to the guidebook, the southwest is producing the UK’s most innovative cuisine; locally sourced, ethically produced, organic and what’s more it is being prepared by fantastic home grown talent. The region’s celebrity chefs opened their kitchens to train some of the southwest’s rising stars and a wealth of gourmet talent can now be found in this culinary corner of Britain. The region is already blessed with a handful of Michelin stars and the authors of the guide are in little doubt that more are sure to follow.
Author Oliver Berry says “the southwest is every foodie’s dream; just caught crab accompanied with local wine in spectacular settings – what could be better? The southwest’s culinary stars have none of the pretension you can find eating out in London. If you want an insight into where British food is at right now, there’s really nowhere better than the southwest.”
The guide highlights the importance of the overall gourmet experience – from catching your own seafood to ordering direct from farmers’ fields. “Take a superb array of local, seasonal and organic produce, mix in a range of atmospheric eateries and finish with a sizable scattering of celebrity chefs. The result? A region whipping up a perfect culinary storm – and a series of very satisfied stomachs” (p16).
Whilst the guide recognises the incredible number of celebrity chefs offering the region masses of gourmet options within a few miles of each other; the local authors also reveal the region’s lesser known culinary highlights. Author Oliver Berry identifies rising stars such as Paul Ainsworth, Jude Kereama and recently double Michelin starred Nathan Outlaw as offering some of the region’s innovative and fresh cooking.
The region’s top five eateries revealed:
– GIDLEIGH PARK “The southwest’s best set in a luxurious country pile.”
– BORDEAUX QUAY “Provincial European flavours infuse meals at Bristol’s most stylish eatery.”
– SIENNA “This sleek Dorchester venue is a favourite with the foodie crowd.”
– RIVERFORD FIELD KITCHEN “A pioneering eco-eatery dishing up superb meals in a Devon farm canteen.”
– PAUL AINSWORTH AT NO 6 “The Mediterranean in the heart of Padstow.”
The guide’s authors are based in the southwest and so are well placed to offer an insight on the region’s best and worst. They heap praise on Bristol and Exeter, but on the flip side criticise Perranporth’s “untidy sprawl of concrete chalets” and Newquay’s “rampant property development.”
The guide’s new format includes full colour introductory pages featuring the best of the region. The southwest‘s top castles, top beaches and top pubs are all rated in the new edition.
