If you love your food along with new discoveries and surprises in a place of unbeatable natural beauty, then our North Somerset Foodie Trail is just for you! Day 1 If you love your food along with new discoveries and surprises in a place of unbeatable natural beauty, then our North Somerset Foodie Trail is just for you! We start at a beautiful spot that combines beautiful scenery and rich farmland. Fittingly that gives rise to world-class dairy products and the organic range of Yeo Valley. Their HQ at Blagdon boasts a canteen with novel décor along with penthouse-style views of the magnificent Blagdon Lake. Local produce is a feature and of course the farm’s dairy products including organic milk, yogurt, butter, cream and ice cream take pride of place. There is also an adjacent shop where you can stock up. A short drive towards Blagdon Lake brings you to Yeo Valley’s Organic Garden, six and a half acres of ornamental and edible plants. This is open from spring to autumn at various times and you will see exactly why their creativity led to a Gold at the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. A short onward journey brings you to the showcase of the valley – Blagdon Lake. Popular with anglers, it is also place to relax with tranquil views. Boats can be hired at the Fishing Lodge which is at the western edge of the lake, you need to book ahead for these. After all that scenery and fresh air, you will want to relax and savour the Somerset way of life, so there is no better place than to spend your first night of our tour a little way west of the lake at the Plume of Feathers in Rickford. The local theme continues with a wide menu choice and locally produced ales from Butcombe Brewery which is only 3 miles away! www.butcombe.com Day 2 We start day two, with one of the surprises! After all that Somerset hospitality, it’s time for some energetic fun! Mendip Activity Centre has a long list of family activities that make the most of the landscape in which you have immersed yourselves. Kayaking, abseiling and caving come to mind but you will be surprised to know you could also try axe throwing, tobogganing or even frisbee golf! Check out the long list in advance of your trip so that you can make the most and be sure to get booked on. What is Somerset famous for? Well this one is not a surprise as we all know it’s cider. If you’re making it a half day of the Activity Centre then you’ll need somewhere to get lunch. A few miles east on the main road is the Railway Inn at Sandford, which is also the home of Thatchers Cider. The Thatchers Shop is just a few yards down the road where you can stock up on their exciting range, but here in their pub you can still enjoy the full range along with a choice of local snacks and main lunches. An ideal afternoon activity means that from here you simply take a scenic walk around Sandford. It affords a 3 mile walk through woodland with the reward of wonderful views across rolling countryside. For the evening and overnight, then the Ring O’Bells is a real hospitality treat. This charming inn dates back to the 16th century and has atmospheric beams, stone walls and an inglenook fireplace. Owned by Butcombe Inns, you can be sure of local food and drink provenance and comprehensive menu. Staying over will ensure that you are at one with the North Somerset countryside and way of life. Day 3 What better way to continue your food tour of North Somerset by visiting a farm that is also a family theme park. Puxton Park started as a farm, you can still see the cows being milked, however it is now a much larger attraction and is an all-weather experience. There is an animal zone, adventure area, play areas as well as a farm shop. You could stay at Puxton all day, however you might choose a leisure stroll along the seafront in Weston-super-Mare. This famous resort has a long genteel promenade for taking the sea air. A local surprise is the Old Town Quarry, a little walk towards the north of town that has a gallery for art exhibitions, events, performances and also serves light lunches and afternoon tea. Alternatively you could take a late lunch or early dinner at Lasseter’s which is found in the beautiful Winter Gardens Pavilion. You can enjoy wonderful sea views whilst taking advantage of the long drinks list, including cocktails. Pre-theatre dining is popular here, which takes us neatly on to your final evening, taking advantage of performances at The Blakehay Theatre or the Playhouse, both in the middle of the town. We hope that you will take away great memories of North Somerset’s food and drink with you, plus the inside track on some of our surprising secrets!