When you’re staying near Ilminster for a large group stay in Somerset, it’s an opportunity to shop local and enjoy the best of the enormous bounty of produce that’s sown, grown, raised or made in this beautiful part of the UK. Join us on a round up of the best places to shop for a true taste of the West Country, supporting the local economy and doing your bit for the world by cutting down on your carbon footprint.
The fertile pastures of South Somerset are great for raising livestock and growing top quality fruit and vegetables; it’s also an area that’s abundant with artisan suppliers who work to traditional methods to produce everything from proper job cider and craft beers to small batch chocolates and homemade bread, pies and cakes. Just the kind of thing you should be eating when you’re staying in this neck of the woods, usually organic, full of flavour, and the kind of thing that the supermarkets just don’t come close to. Eat real, eat healthy and love the unique taste.
We’ve been out and about checking out the best places to shop near our local town, Ilminster, so here we go:
Perry’s Cider, Dowlish Wake, Ilminster
Perry’s Cider is now in its third generation producing award winning craft ciders to age old methods in their cider mills, set in a picturesque village just a couple of miles from Ilminster. On site there’s a café and a farm shop that’s well stocked with everything local – freshly baked bread and pies, meat, cheese, jams, chutneys, craft beers, cider of course, and so much more. There’s a cider bar and tasting, but if the sun is shining there’s no better place to sample it than out in the orchard beneath the trees.
The Trading Post, Lopen, Ilminster
The Trading Post at Lopen is a good one to stop off at on your way back down the A303 after a day out to one of the many attractions that way. The focus is on food and drink that’s local and organic, supporting over 150 suppliers. It’s like a min borough market with a deli counter, wholefoods, greengrocery, and a refill room. You’ll find some more unusual things here, and a good selection for those on restrictive diets, like gluten free and sugar free. Fill your baskets!
Barleymows Farm Shop, Chard, Somerset
Stop at Barleymows when you’re off exploring the beautiful Blackdown Hills. There’s an array of foodstuffs to choose from, most of it from within a 10 mile radius, with meat from their onsite butchery, farm and pies and pastries made in their own kitchen, and a fresh fish stall on Fridays. There’s a deli counter, fresh fruit and veg, freshly baked bread and cakes, chillers and freezers packed with local foods, and a good ‘free from’ section for people with allergies. Have a light lunch or cream tea in the restaurant, if it’s summer the kids can play in the Outdoor Activity Field and find their way around the Maize Maze.
The Trading Post, Tytherleigh
If you’re planning a trip to the Jurassic Coast, you’ll be going right past The Trading Post when you pass through the tiny hamlet of Tytherleigh, so remember it’s there and stop off to see the delights they have on offer. You’ll find locally made cakes and bread, cheeses, fruit and veg, some more usual cured meats, and all manner of sauces, condiments, pickles and sweet spreads that you never even knew about. Bring bags to fill up with dried goods and a big box to take your bounty back to your holiday house.
North Perrott Fruit Farm, North Perrott, Crewkerne
The orchards at North Perrott Fruit Farm are now being tended by the third generation of the family who live and work here. They have one mission: to promote local, healthy, natural food that goes a long way to sustaining the rural economy. A must is cider, pear and apple juice from their own fruit but there’s so much more in the onsite farm shop to treat yourselves to, from English wines and craft beers to freshly baked bread, small batch cakes, chutneys and jams, and delicious baked goods.
The Old Railway Farm Shop, Martock
Go to the Old Railway Farm Shop in Martock and feast your eyes on all that’s good and local; fill your baskets, take it home and fill your bellies. There’s a whole lot that’s hard to resist - meat, seasonal fruit and veg from their own and nearby farms, cheeses, butters, farm fresh milk and ice cream from local dairies, bread, croissants, cakes, scotch eggs, sausage rolls and pasties from regional bakers, and a whole load of stuff that you just ain’t gonna find in the supermarkets. I mean, what’s this? Rhea eggs! Now there’s something you don’t see very often.
Forest & Brown, Hambridge, Langport
If you’re out exploring the beautiful flatlands of the Somerset Levels, you really should call into Forrest & Brown. This small family run smokery produces hot and cold smoked foods using their own brine recipes, and including salmon, trout, chicken, duck and cheeses. Hot smoking is done over an open log fire, cold smoking in traditional brick kilns; some say it’s the best smoked food they’ve ever tasted. The shop is also stocked with all kinds of enticements – nibbles, condiments, drinks, cheese, bread, chocolate… you get the picture? If you have time, stop for lunch in the café and try before you buy.