Those of you with small children will share our apprehension before a long car journey! Have I packed my ear defenders? Will a bucket be required? Well, a few stops along the way, to break up the endless games of eye spy etc, are essential to get the holiday off to a smooth start. Like many, we enjoy a trip to the West Country so here’s 5 of our Top Stops between The Solent Cellar in Lymington and Salcombe to keep good Carma and break up the journey!
· Rise Bakery and Market, Bridport (Next to the Esso garage) –This gem in Bridport offers mouth-watering pastries, breads, and cakes, all handmade daily. If you’ve had an early start to beat the traffic it’s a perfect stop for grabbing a coffee and croissant to fuel your journey. If you’re self catering it’s also a good spot to pick up a loaf and the English muffins are particularly good!
· Sladers Yard, West Bay – Just down the road in West Bay, Sladers Yard is a wonderful art gallery and café, showcasing contemporary British artists – many who wouldn’t be out of place in a smart London gallery. The café does teas and light lunches – I can’t recall a better or more generous crab sandwich anywhere and the chunky fish stew is always a winner! There is also a very good play ground next to the pay and display car park a couple of hundred yards away. Perfect for letting the kids blow off some steam before continuing the journey.
· Emilia, Ashburton – We’ve enjoyed lunch here a couple of times and it’s now definitely become part of the journey. It’s a small restaurant with a tiny open kitchen serving Italian-inspired sharing plates. Their menu changes with the seasons, offering everything from homemade pasta to delicious desserts, crafted from high-quality, local ingredients. The wine list is also really interesting with lots of natural wines available and the cellar is the old bank vault. We enjoy sitting at the counter watching the chefs hard at work and it’s very well supported by locals so worth booking.
· Briar Bakery, Ashburton – Also in Ashburton, Briar Bakery is known for its artisan breads and pastries. Pick up a loaf or two – their sourdough is especially popular and we love their porridge loaf which keeps well. Top Tip – go and buy your bread before having lunch at Emilia as they sell out quickly!
· Ben’s Farm Shop, Staverton Nr Totnes – This is an essential pit stop for us as we self cater and like to explore local food as much as possible while we’re away. It’s a great farm shop where you can stock up on everything you’ll need including local cheeses, organic meats and a great selection of fruits and vegetables – as you’d expect from the family behind Riverford Farm. An honourable mention must go to their loaf shaped slices of black pudding, perfect after a bracing October sea swim!
October 2024