Page 140 - Homes & Antiques (February 2020)

one of the restaurant’s outdoor feasts,
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
In nearby Shepton Mallet, Kilver
Court Gardens are open all year
round and are well worth a visit;
make a beeline for Matt’s Kitchen
where food is cooked and served
in the chef’s own home; enjoy
award-winning organic cheddar
from Godminster, lovingly
produced in Bruton.
140 Homes & Antiques February 2020
with meat and !sh cooked over
roaring !res.
15:00 Hit the shops
For a town of around 3,000 souls,
Bruton’s shopping o"er is distinctly
impressive. Foodies should look in at
the HQ of cheddar purveyors
Godminster (godminster.com); others
can get their !x of all things botanical
– plants, blooms, botany-themed cards
and more – at Lunaria (!nd it on
Instagram @lunaria_somerset).
If you’ve got the car, it’s well worth
the short trip to the Westcombe Dairy
Shop (westcombedairy.com) at nearby
Evercreech, where you can stock up on
(more) cheese, plus products from
The Somerset Cider Brandy Company
(ciderbrandy.co.uk) – make sure you try
the 25-year-old vintage and local ales by
neighbours The Wild Beer Company
(wildbeerco.com).
19:00 Make yourself at home
Book a table at Ma!’s Kitchen
(Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
evenings only – ma#skitchen.co.uk),
where self-taught chef Ma# Watson
prepares delicious locally sourced meals
in his own home. Each day features a
single main dish of the day, inspired by
whatever great fresh produce has come
Ma#’s way. Look out for his signature
wild mushrooms with tru$e oil and
homemade ginger, or the distinctly
moreish vanilla and cardamom
ice cream.
21:00 See out the evening
Round o" a busy and stimulating day
with a pint of local ale at The Bull Inn
(thebullinn-bruton.com), or head to
At the Chapel (a#hechapel.co.uk – see Standfast/Alamy Stock Photo
‘Where to stay’), a Grade II-listed
former chapel, which morphs into an
atmospheric candlelit venue a%er dark.
DAY TWO
09:00 Shake yourself awake…
…with a bracing walk to Bruton Photo; Gareth Morgans; Mr
Dovecote, a limestone tower built
between the 15th and 17th centuries.
Once used as a dovecote (as the 200
pigeon holes bear witness), it may have Stock
been a watchtower before that. A Grade
II*-listed building managed by the
National Trust, this monument
commands !ne views over the town. Christopher Nicholson/Alamy
10:00 History lessons
Immerse yourself in the town’s past
and present at the excellent Bruton