Eat Local: Tour Britain’s Best Local Produce

Small girl picks apples in orchard

Picking autumn apples. Photo © David Hanlon

Britain’s foodie scene is booming and a growing number of restaurants are boasting about local produce on their menus. So where do you need to go to taste some of the UK’s best local food, grown or made right on your doorstep?

1. Jersey Royal Potatoes, Jersey Islands

For over 130 years Jersey Royals potatoes have been grown on the island of Jersey, and local farmers often use seaweed as a natural fertilizer.

To get the best of the crop, visit between March and the end of July. Try the potatoes roasted or boiled as a a side for locally caught bass or bream.

2. Rhubarb, Leeds

The area between Leeds and Wakefield produces most of the rhubarb for the UK. The secret to the delicious tangy-but-sweet taste is in the farmer’s use of waste wool from local sheep. Spread over the ground, the wool gradually releases vital minerals into the soil.

Rhubarb crumble

Crumble sale. Photo © Falombini

Rhubarb is at its best from February to May and is usually served in puddings or with meat dishes. Try rhubarb crumble for a taste of traditional English puddings – with or without the cream!

3. Highland beef, Scotland

The Highlands in Scotland yield plenty of delicious beef steaks, often thought to be among the best red meats in the world. Lean and tender, Highland beef is reared naturally on the Scottish hillsides from native cattle.

You can find excellent Highland beef across Scotland, although Kyloe restaurant in Edinburgh is a particular favourite.

4. Oysters, Whitstable

Whitstable Bay in Kent is home to several colonies of native and rock oysters, thought to be among the most succulent in the country.

Plates of oysters with lemon at oyster farm

Oysters with lemon. Photo © Jack F

Most local seafood shacks and restaurants offer oysters on the menu. Add a dash of vinegar or lemon juice for the true taste of the Great British seaside.

5. Cheese, Gloucester

A traditional semi-hard cheese that’s loved across the UK, Gloucester cheese can be found locally all year long. And restaurants in the area have found a variety of ways to show off their prized produce.

Once a year, a wheel of Gloucester cheese is used in the controversial Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling contest.

Our Gloucester Travelodge hotel has a fresh new design complete with king size beds for a comfortable place to rest after cheese tasting.

6. Clotted Cream, Cornwall

Traditional scones and tea wouldn’t be the same without a touch of clotted cream. The largest producer in the area makes an impressive 25 tons of cream a day.

Spread clotted cream on scone for tea

Scones and clotted cream. Photo © cpa2011

7. Apples and cider, Somerset

Apple trees have been growing in Britain since before the Romans arrived. For traditional English cider, there’s nowhere better than Somerset, where you’ll find a range of local brews. Stop at any local pub for a taste of the golden nectar.

Or try fresh-pressed apple juice (completely different to shop-bought) during the picking season in early September. Book a room at our Wellington Travelodge hotel to be at the heart of cider country.