Venue > Eating Out West > Bristol Cafes

ABOUT SOUP
Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ
Tel: 07980 710246
Look out for some tasty barbecued chicken, steak and salmon arriving in 2009 to go with the 30-strong award-winning soup range at this super, innovative little bijou stall selling soups, nuts, seeds and mini fruit bowls. The French mushroom soup bagged a bronze and the beetroot & roast tomato a gold in Taste of the West’s 2007 gongfest, followed by gold for pea and mint last year. New concoctions include celeriac & apple and winter vegetable. Casseroles are due to arrive shortly, and there are six salads on daily. You’ll also find Chris’s wares at Whiteladies Road Farmers’ Market, Corn Street’s Bristol Farmers’ Market and Bristol Slow Food Market (see below). Bread supplied by a neighbouring artisan baker. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

NEW
AGNES BAKERY
Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ
Tel: 07948 289524
Arnaud and Emm sell a mouth-watering selection of freshly made breads, including Hobbs House breads and their own range of artisan loaves, cakes and pastries. Also stock Lovely Drinks, Extract Coffee, Tip Top Tea and handmade fine chocolates from Clifton Cakes. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

ATTIC
115 Coldharbour Rd, Redland, BS6 7SD
Tel: 0117 909 0357, web: www.attictea.co.uk
Attic, an acronym for ‘All the Tea in China’, offers a brilliant selection of different Chinese teas, traditional black tea and a herbal range, with such exotica as chai and spectacular hand-tied teas that ‘flower’ as they brew. The emphasis is on loose leaf tea: enjoy your chosen fave using their unique Magic Filter at your table, then buy it to take away from the in-house shop. Food is cake, soup and a tasty hummus & olive plate, with nonconformists getting a coffee choice.

AVON BAKEHOUSE
240 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8NZ
Tel: 0117 942 1391
All bread is baked using traditional methods for fresh results, with a wide range of artisan breads, including olive breads, cheese plaits, French loaves and bagels.

BAR CAKE
Tel: 0117 967 0245, web: www.barcake.co.uk
‘Cakes for discerning adults’ created by a brother-and-sister team. Their Kingswood bakery supplies sweetness to places like Whiteladies Road’s Forty Five, MeMe Chocolat in Clifton and Portishead, Pieminister, Tobacco Factory and Watershed among numerous other outlets. In 2007, their lemon & poppy seed cake, Belgian chocolate, cherry & coconut flapjack and orange almond chocolate truffle won gold at the Great Taste Awards staged at London’s Olympia, with dark chocolate & beetroot grabbing more glory last year. That Chris Horridge (from the Michelin-starred Priory in Bath) said Georgina and Tom’s cake was like his mum made comes as no surprise.

BAY TREE
176 Henleaze Rd, BS9 4NE
Tel: 0117 962 1115
Popular shop stocking a wide range of organic and natural foods, and one of the largest selections of vitamins and minerals in Bristol, along with various herbal remedies and homeopathic medicines. Cafe at the rear of the shop sells homemade produce to eat in or take away.

BOB WHERLOCK BUTCHER
250 North St, Southville, BS3 1JD
Tel: 0117 966 3593
The glorious regaining of the Ashes in 2005 led patriot Bob Wherlock to create the KP banger in honour of Kevin Pietersen, whose Aussie-tormenting summer included a thrilling one-day innings in Bristol. Boerewors, seasoning and a drop of English ale represented the big fella’s background in a banger which ended up in the inkies. Bob may repeat the recipe in 2009 if Kevin does his stuff again, but until then you can rely on a dozen-strong range made on the premises of this traditional butcher’s - there’s been one on the site for some seven decades. Try the spicy beef & cracked black pepper variety, or opt for low-salt options. The Southville Sizzler is an established favourite, with French, Spanish and Mexican varieties also up for grabs. Loads of locally produced meat: pork from Gloucestershire, lamb from the Mendips, bacon from Wiltshire. Steak comes with a money-back guarantee of quality. Chew Valley eggs, local cheddar and pickles, too.

BREAD SHOP
18 Chandos Rd, BS6 6PQ
Tel: 0117 904 7227
Much-loved and very long-established bakery drawing regulars from far and wide to get their bread, cakes, sarnies, pastries and great slabs of pizza from an institution serving up love with their loaves. One shop window functions as a community board; donations go to Barnardo’s. Open Mon-Fri 7am-5.30pm, Sat 7am-2pm

BREADSTORE
45 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AD
Tel: 0117 942 1654
Home to a wonderful selection of around 40 different kinds of loaves, rolls and sticks, including organic, olive, walnut, basil, cranberry, nut. The sundried tomato bread is particularly great, and there’s low-salt soda bread in wholemeal and white options. Good range of cakes and croissants, pizzas and pasties, and always something tasty in yesterday’s half-price bargain basket. If you’re pressed for pennies, doughnut middles go for 7p each. Also do a fine line in refuelling weary revellers returning home in the wee small hours. Open (officially) Mon-Sat 7am-6pm

BRISTOL SAUSAGE SHOP
28-30 Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ
Tel: 0781 747 8302, web: bristolsausageshop.co.uk
Super-fresh sausages - try the St Nicholas 1743 (pork, cider, chives, wholegrain mustard) or the Bury black pudding (finest black pud in the world) - plus white pudding, bacon, condiments, goose fat and bangers & mash or sausage sandwiches to take away. Around 20 sausages sold, and about 90% of what they buy is reared, grown, produced or sourced locally - that’s pretty much everything except the Bury black pud and Spanish chorizo. Stockists of the addictive Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding. Open Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm

BRISTOL SLOW FOOD MARKET
Corn St, BS1
Tel: 0117 922 4014, web: www.bristolslowfood.org
Held on the first Sun of the month, 10am-3pm. Expect the very best local, seasonal, traditionally produced food and drink from all corners of the region. To complement the local producers, there’s also a fine selection of traders with produce from further afield, such as Italy and Spain. Everything you need for a perfect Sunday lunch, as well as cheese, bread, sausages, beer, cakes, preserves, olive oil and fine wines, Somerset cider, perry and apple brandy. Hot food available, plus regular cookery demos from some of Bristol’s finest chefs. Local producers include Trethowan’s Dairy, Lovely Drinks, the Better Food Co, Brown Cow Organics, Avalon Vineyards, and many, many more.

BRISTOL SWEET MART
80 St Marks Rd, Easton, BS5 6JH
Tel: 0117 951 2257, web: www.sweetmart.co.uk
By the time you read this it’s likely a deli and cookery school will have been added to the already extensive offerings at this renowned local institution. Its international reputation is largely due to the success of its website, which includes recipes and email updates. This place is a must for any lover of Indian food but they also stock plenty of other Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African treats, plus exotic frozen fish from Thailand, West Indies and around the globe. There’s guava jelly, aloo gobi pie, Mexican orange blossom honey, halal meat and a vast range chilli sauces. Fine ethnic snacks include samosas, kachori and aloo tikki, and their organic selection is excellent and steadily growing, including bread, milk, coffee, dairy, pulses and grains. Also carry lots of Indian sweets and ice-creams. If they haven’t got it, they’ll do their best to find it for you.

BRITTAN’S PORK BUTCHERS
17 Wade St, St Judes, BS2 9DR
Tel: 0117 935 1800
Very traditional butchery offering just about every conceivable and cookable part of a pig you can imagine, from the trotters up to the ears and all parts between. Supplying Bath chaps, bacon, offal, wonderful faggots and more than 400kg of chitterlings a week to restaurants, caterers and the public.

BUTTERNUT DELI
341 Church Rd, St George, BS5 8AA
Tel: 0773 833 6573, web: www.butternutdeli.co.uk
Also at Bradford on Avon (Thur), Wells Farmers’ Market (Sat)
Lucy and husband Mark opened this fantastic deli in Dec 2006 and it’s since been a regional finalist in UKTV’s Food Heroes awards - get the full story via the website. A veritable cornucopia of nosh from nearby, the shelves hold jars, packets and boxes with an emphasis on local sourcing. Sweet treats from James Chocolates, bread from Herberts, Brian Wogan coffee and meat pies from Gingell’s. Also sells homebaked savouries and sweets: the brownies can be ordered online. Open Tue 8.30am-5.30pm, Wed 8.30am-
5.30pm, Fri 8.30am-6.30pm, Sat 8-6pm

CHANDOS DELI
NEW Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, BS1 3DX Tel: 0117 934 9611
Bristol University Sports Centre, Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TQ
97 Henleaze Rd, BS9 4JP Tel: 0117 907 4391
6 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, BS8 4BP Tel: 0117 974 3275
121 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, BS8 2PL Tel: 0117 970 6565, web: www.chandosdeli.com
This popular deli stocks an eclectic range of cheese, charcuterie, fresh bread, olives, homemade savoury tarts and cakes, and fantastic wines, not to mention award-winning sandwiches. Products are sourced directly from Italy, France and Spain, as well as from local British producers. The Clifton Village branch has a fab fresh fish counter - whole turbot, lobsters, fresh gleaming mackerel, plump juicy scallops. Open Henleaze: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm. Princess Victoria St: Mon 9am-5pm, Tue-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Whiteladies Rd: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Quakers Friars: Mon-Sat 9.30am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm

CHARLIE HICKS
36 The Mall, Clifton, BS8 4DS
Tel: 0117 973 4429, web: www.charliehicks.com
Seasonality is central here, and it’s hard to imagine a better grocer shop than this. It gives fruit and veg the celebratory treatment long enjoyed by the cheeses and meats of this world. Charlie co-presented Radio 4’s ‘Veg Talk’, so definitely knows his onions. Produce covers countries and counties, with Kent Bramleys, Hereford pears, Lincolnshire caulis, Somerset beetroot, Devon swedes and Hampshire spinach. Offerings from further afield including Sicilian tomatoes and Amalfi lemons. While clearly placing substance before style, his premises bear almost boutique chic, with smart prints, dinky bulldog clips holding neat cards and a royal warrant presented to dad by the Queen Mother. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm

DAVE GILES
170 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8NU
Tel: 0117 942 5667
Dave Giles has been around for some 19 years now, supplying mostly locally sourced, organic and non-organic meat, cheese, preserves and other goodies. Majority of the meat comes from Somerset, with organic pork from Salisbury, organic chickens and loads of great sausages. Traditional farmhouse cheeses come from Alvis Brothers (the people behind Lye Cross Organics) and preserves and chutneys from Rose Farm in Weston-super-Mare. Organic milk from Jess’s Ladies in Gloucestershire is a new addition.

NEW
DR BURNORIUM’S HOT SAUCE EMPORIUM
Exchange Hall, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ
Tel: 07855 395150, www.hotsauceemporium.co.uk
Nick Moore has been selling his unique range of products to customers all over the UK via his website since 2008. More recently he’s been reaching out to shoppers in Bristol from his Corn Street market stall. Boasting an array of over 75 of the world’s finest hot chilli sauces (many new to the UK), as well as spicy barbecue sauces, wing sauces, salsas, hot mustards, chilli rubs and seasonings, fiery snacks, chilli extracts and chilli-head gift pack, this emporium is set to get temperatures rising with strap lines such as ‘Your pain is our pleasure!’ Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

EARTHBOUND
8 Abbotsford Rd, Cotham, BS6 6HB
Tel: 0117 904 2260
Friendly local shop run by ever-helpful husband-and-wife team Pat and Martin, selling an excellent range of organic and fine foods, good-value wholefoods, organic fruit and veg, fine breads and superb chocolates. Local produce is important: pates come from Bath’s Natural Vitality, Herberts deliver bread daily, and there are terrific sandwiches from the Old Cheese Shop. Specialist breads (yeast-free, gluten-free, rye, etc) come from the Artisan Bread folk, plus Helsett Farm Cornish ice-cream. Marmalade, chutneys and jams come from Stroud’s Kitchen Garden, and handmade organic choccy from Austria’s Zotter is also now stocked. Plus large range of pastas and pestos, juices, teas and coffees, ethical cleaning products, ethically caught canned fish (mostly in organic oil) and Fairtrade goods. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

ESSENTIAL TRADING
Unit 3, Lodge Causeway Trading Estate, Fishponds, BS16 3RQ
Tel: 0845 458 0201, web: www.essential-trading.coop
Supplier of natural and organic wholefoods to many of Bristol’s retailers, restaurants and cafes. Also distribute throughout the country via their own fleet of vehicles. All products GM-free, vegetarian or vegan, and many carry the Fairtrade mark. International partnerships with organic farmers and co-operatives enable them to source fab-quality foods at excellent prices: the Italian ‘tomatoey stuff’ is a must-buy. Look out for Essential’s ever-growing own-brand range, which includes organic (and Fairtrade) coconut milk, dates, quinoa, basmati, goji berries and pastas in shops throughout the area. They also manufacture, mix and label wholefoods for stores around the UK. Essential also have two 100% vegetarian shops, Harvest Natural Foods, in Bath and Bristol.

FISH BAZAAR
71 St Marks Rd, Easton, BS5 6JH
Tel: 0117 951 0690
Offshoot of the legendary Bristol Sweet Mart dedicated to high-quality seafood. Includes a huge range of exotic and imported fish, many of which are much cheaper than local fish such as cod and herring. Pangasius (just like cod), you can put in the oven, grill or use in a curry – it tastes like tender chicken. Magur comes from Bangladesh and Thailand, while boal – a ‘cream’ fish - is very popular with the Bangladeshi community. Cleanse palates with shatkara, a particularly dry lemon, among the exotic fruit and veg on offer. A deli should be on site before 2009 is out. Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm

R GINGELL BUTCHER
19 Nags Head Hill, St George, BS5 8LN
Tel: 0117 967 2142
Fantastic, quality traditional butcher. When you ask for bacon (the unsmoked back is fantastic), one of the friendly, helpful staff fetches half a pig from the fridge and then cuts it right in front of you. You don’t get fresher than that. Pies, plus locally produced sauces, chutneys and preserves.

HARVEST NATURAL FOODS
11 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AA
Tel: 0117 942 5997, web: www.harvest-bristol.coop
Specialists in vegetarian and vegan wholefoods. Shop with a clear conscience for certified organic fresh fruit and vegetables and gluten/dairy-free alternatives, without a GM ingredient in sight. Dispensing bins hold organic nuts, seeds, grains and dried fruit, the deli features freshly made rolls, fresh snacks and cakes, and there’s Fairtrade chocolates and coffees plus unsulphurated wines and organic beers. Visit the refill station for environmentally friendly cleaning products.

NEW
HARVEY NICHOLS FOODMARKET
Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BZ
Tel: 0117 916 8898, web: www.harveynichols.com
Specially sourced products from around the world. As well as a wide range of the best produce from independent suppliers, there are over 600 exclusive products proudly wearing the Harvey Nichols label, including kitchen accessories and cleaning products.

HERBERTS BAKERY
12 York Rd, Montpelier, BS6 5HP
Tel: 0117 924 7713
Well-loved, distinguished and unpretentious bakery, four decades in Montpelier, now sold to new owners. Many different and excellent types of bread and cakes draw inspiration from around the globe - Scandinavian rye, Irish soda, Tuscan and Grecian olive, Italian tomato, American bagels, Swiss rye and overnight dough made to a traditional English recipe. Deliver wholesale to a large number of outlets, sandwich shops and restaurants.

JOHN SHEPPARD BUTCHERS
Unit 6, Ashley Trading Estate, Ashley Parade, BS2 9XS
Tel: 0117 955 7775, web: www.johnshepparddirect.com
The Sheppard family have been in the trade for more than six decades, and supply some of the finest restaurants and hotels in the country. Home delivery of fresh meat - everything from steaks to roasting joints. Also do hugely popular packs and hampers for special occasions, barbecues and dinner parties. Website is excellent and easy to use; order hampers, barbecue packs and joints online.

NEW
JOHN’S COOKING SAUCES
John’s, 27-29 Midland Rd, BS2 0JT
Tel: 0117 955 0333, web: www.johnscafebar.co.uk
“I pick up my favourite riccioli from my favourite shop from my favourite checkout girl and head home,” wrote our chap in anticipation of creating his speciality pasta bolognese with the help of a sublime frozen sauce from John’s. Proprietor John Wright has come up with a corking idea – making the sauces featuring in the much-loved Thai dishes at his Midland Road cafe-bar available in takeaway form. “If you like cooking just a bit, these sauces are ideal,” say John. “Frozen sauces aren’t identical to fresh ones, but with some cream, yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon, you can get it back.” Or try some extra virgin, a bit of reduction and a lime leaf. Around 10 sauces available, ready to star in dishes like beef in red wine, chicken in cashews, red Thai curry, green chicken curry, Malaysian fish curry and princess chicken curry, with Sunday roast gravies worthy of knighthoods. Open Fri, Sat eves, Sun from 1pm (call or email at other times; there’s usually someone around)

KALAHARI MOON
88-91 Covered Market, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1JQ
Tel: 0117 929 9879, web: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk
South African one-stop shop supplying excellent boerewors and biltong, drinks, sweets, mementos, gifts, newspapers, magazines and music. If you’re after something not in stock, they’ll do their best to order it in. New shop with cafe open in Weston-super-Mare if you fancy a spin to the seaside. Open 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat

KIN YIP HON SUPERMARKET
16a St Thomas St, BS1 6JJ
Tel: 0117 929 9098
Excellent city-centre Chinese specialists with helpful staff and everything you could ever need for your oriental banquet. Fresh foods like tofu and Chinese vegetables, full range of oils, pickles and flavourings, fresh and instant noodles, Chinese beer and rice wine, plus authentic kitchenware. Very competitive prices. Open Daily 10am-6pm

LA RUCA
89 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AS
Tel: 0117 944 6810
This local speciality health food shop serves cosmopolitan, globally inspired meals, along with a good selection of natural and organic foods. A mere £1 at the deli counter gets you three wrapped vine leaves or three falafels or an incredibly tasty spinach & couscous tortilla. Renowned veggie chimichangas are only £2 each. Huge amount of Fairtrade teas and coffees, delicious chocolate, herbs and spices, organic soups and cheeses and wonderful olives. Ecover refills, household cleaning and bodycare, too, and everything’s sold by the friendliest and most helpful staff.

C&T LICATA & SON
36 Picton St, Montpelier, BS6 5QA Tel: 0117 924 7725
332 Gloucester Rd, Horfield, BS7 8TJ Tel: 0117 924 7718, web: www.licata.co.uk
Very popular with locals and Italophiles alike in search of a prosciutto or parmesan fix. First opened its doors to lovers of fine food way back in 1959 and has kept its reputation by offering great products at very reasonable prices. Also operate as wholesalers, stocking catering-sized mounds of mozzarella, huge bags of pizza flour and tins of every conceivable bean or vegetable. Good selection of cheeses, salamis, excellent olives, good vegetables, flour and polenta, Italian wines and beers, plus biscotti. Dozens of different types of pasta - often cheaper than the supermarket.

MANOR KITCHEN
3 Soundwell Rd, Staple Hill, BS16 4QG
Tel: 0117 956 9291, web: www.manorkitchen.co.uk
Four generations of the Bracey family have been trading in Staple Hill, providing homecured artisan hams, speciality roast meats, handmade pies and deli produce. With award-winning home-produced foods and knowledgeable staff, they support local, small, specialist producers, farmers and businesses by carefully selecting products including handmade chutneys and pickles, cheeses, handmade cakes and handmade rare-breed pork sausages. Gold winners in 2005 for their home-produced gammon at the National Great Taste Awards; in 2006 they took two silvers at the Taste of the West awards (where they’ve bagged nine in total).

MELANIE’S KITCHEN
2 Downend Rd, Downend, BS16 5UJ
Tel: 0117 957 2662, web: www.melanieskitchen.co.uk
With 40 new lines arriving at Melanie’s Kitchen in the week before we go to press, this deli with a difference thinks big. Peter and Melanie previously spent several years producing fabulous cakes and savoury items to sell at farmers’ markets. Here, they stock a wide range of produce from the South West and beyond, mainly from small producers who are equally passionate about their products. There are always things to taste, fresh bread arrives daily from the local bakery, and there’s a great selection of cheeses and olives. Milk, local ham and chicken, fresh pasta, local cereals, chocolate, tea, coffee and preserves are all available. Try Mel’s cakes in the cafe area, or choose fresh homemade soup, sandwiches and deli platters at lunchtime. Popular hamper service for gift seekers. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm (early closing Tue 1pm)

NEW
MEME CHOCOLAT
19 The Mall, Clifton, BS8 4JG
Tel: 0117 974 7000, web: www.memechocolat.co.uk
The stylish homage to all things choccy, formerly known as Bar Chocolat. Drop in for chocolates to take away, gifts and some natty cups. Cafe, too. New branch in Portishead. Open Mon-Sat 8.30am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-6.30pm

O’CELEIRO
Covered Market, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1JQ
Tel: 0117 927 6897
This emporium of gorgeous food from Portugal, Brazil, Italy and Spain is run by the lovely Olga from Lisbon. Authentic offerings include sardine pate, pasta, coffee, biscuits, oils, juice and Guanama energy products, with the deli counter serving sausages, cheese and fish. Olga is also sorting out an impressive range of alcoholic drinks, including Sagres and Superbok beers, muscatel, a white wine (that’s known as ‘green wine’) from north Portugal called Casal Garcia and Licor Beirao from Porto. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

OLIVE SHED
Princes Wharf, BS1 4RN
Tel: 0117 929 1960, web: www.therealolivecompany.co.uk/oliveshed.html
The Real Olive Co’s operations include this fantastically popular dockside restaurant, which also houses a downstairs deli full to bursting with delicious delights - a lovely array of tapas, from seafood to Lombardy peppers. Speciality breads and organic drinks to enjoy in or take away. Oh, and the odd olive too, plus marquee due for summer festival partying. Open Tue-Sat 12noon-10pm, Sun 12noon-4pm

PAECKERT BUTCHERS
230 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5QU
Tel: 0117 924 5454
Impressive selection of homemade sausages, renowned among the faithful clientele. Try the continental ones, including South African, Spanish, Hungarian or the flagship Toulouse. Pork, honey & mustard particularly recommended. Good place for ordering barbecue goods, such as their own excellent burgers.

PAPA COSTA DELI
67 Queens Rd, Clifton, BS8 1QL
Tel: 0117 929 1600
Fabulous Mediterranean-style deli, cafe and takeaway serving everything from a full English breakfast to continental meats, olives, a great selection of jarred products (pestos, oils, sauces) and breads and cheeses, too. Good range of continental beers and wines, plus outside catering.

PAPADELI
84 Alma Rd, Clifton, BS8 2DJ
Tel: 0117 973 6569, web: www.papadeli.co.uk
A pure celebration of food. Owned and run by chef Simon MacDonnell, Papadeli is an Aladdin’s cave of delights, with dozens of artisan cheeses, an excellent range of charcuterie and antipasti, superb food products with much local sourcing and a delicious selection of restaurant-quality dishes and cakes, made daily on site, to take home or enjoy in the air-conditioned cafe upstairs. Handmade chocolate, delicious biscuits, olives and olive oils, and everything you need for authentic paella. Monthly talks and tastings by Spanish food expert Jenny Chandler are proving popular. Mail-order gifts and hampers via the website or phone. Voted top in the Cheap Eats category by the Observer Magazine’s readers in 2006; in 2007 they were in the Guardian’s directory and nominated for UKTV Food Hero recognition. Catering service, too.

PAWSON’S GREENGROCERS
186 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8NU
Tel: 0117 942 8464
Real community greengrocer, with an astonishing range of fresh fruit and veg. Come here for your everydays as well as your exotics and seasonal goodies. Oyster mushrooms, freshly dug horseradish, butternut squash, lemongrass, and an amazing range of fresh herbs at half the price of the supermarket. The local honey is particularly sublime, as is the blackcurrant cordial from Herefordshire’s Pixley Court.

REAL OLIVE CO
40-42 Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ Tel: 0117 909 9587
235 North St Southville, BS3 1JT Tel: 0117 966 7934
123 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AX Tel: 0117 924 0572
Thornbury Precinct (Sat) Web: www.therealolivecompany.co.uk
Established in 1998, the Real Olive Company (those lovely folk behind the Olive Shed restaurant) has grown from a St Nicholas Market stall to a multi-outlet operation bringing 50 olive varieties, antipasti products like feta-stuffed bell peppers, homemade hummus, pesto and its own range of artisan breads to streets across Bristol and beyond. A Gloucester Road operation adds to this street’s renowned bustle.

SCOOPAWAY
113 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AT
Tel: 0117 987 2199
Gloucester Road is rightly renowned for its diversity, and Scoopaway’s 4,000 product lines are a neat microcosm of all that colour, dispensing with unnecessary packaging across a diverse range of goods. You’ll find everything from cereals, coffees, spices and popping corn to chocolate, porridge and vegetarian slicing sausage at this emporium to food not leaving empty packets behind. The past 12 months have seen a move to more ethical and Fairtrade products. Customers may be environmentally aware but they’re still indulgent: the semolina did a roaring trade when Nigella raved about it on her roasters. A bristling notice board has advertised everything from satanic book clubs to stick insects for sale. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm

SMITHFISH
23 North View, Westbury Park, BS6 7PT
Tel: 0117 973 1666
This wonderful, slightly old-fashioned shop, where smartly dressed ladies of retirement age are addressed as Mrs So-and-so, has bowed to modern convenience and installed card-swiping facilities since last year’s guide. It was opened in 1981 by David Smith, who was running a restaurant in Bath at the time and not seeing much of his two young children. He decided to move into retail, and as the whole family were “great fish eaters”, he restored then-empty premises in Westbury Park into a fishmonger. Almost three decades later years later, he sees plenty of son Matthew, as the pair serve loyal customers with the briny’s bounty. Find kippers, mackerel, mussels, bream, cod, skate, trout, even monkfish livers - “Everyone’s eating them in Sicily!” apparently. Open Tue 8am-4.30pm, Wed 8am-4pm, Thur 8am-4.30pm, Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-1pm

SOUTHVILLE DELI
262 North St, Southville, BS3 1JA
Tel: 0117 966 4507, web: www.southvilledeli.com
A move into the premises next door brought a doubling in size of this proper neighbourhood deli selling a great range of organic produce and health foods, award-winning local cheeses plus others from across Europe including the revered Stinking Bishop, manchego sheep’s cheese from Spain and a fine French goat’s cheese. Olives, roasted peppers, cured meats and salamis and other Mediterranean fare, wholefoods from Bristol’s own Essential Trading, beers, wines and spirits. Self-serve wholefoods, too, plus certified organic bread from Herberts and an excellent range of gluten/wheat-free produce. There’s an espresso machine, and the tables outdoors are a great place to nibble on a pan au chocolat and watch the world pass by. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm

ST NICHOLAS MARKET
Corn St, BS1 1JQ
Popular city centre destination for a tasty and diverse range of foods to eat in, take away or take home, with specialist cheese, sausage, Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan outlets. Enjoy world foods from the Caribbean, Morocco, Italy, Portugal and India. Or just a good old English breakfast. Great coffees, freshly prepared juices and smoothies. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

STAN BUTT BUTCHER
137 East St, Bedminster, BS3 4RJ Tel: 0117 966 3488
23 Regent St, Kingswood, BS15 8JX Tel: 0117 967 0773
Quality traditional community butcher, with excellent meat and poultry, supplying restaurants, caterers and the public.

STOKES THE GREENGROCERS
23 Broad St, Staple Hill, BS16 5LP
Tel: 0117 956 7442, web: www.stokesplc.com
Bristol and Bath’s best-kept fruit ‘n’ veg secret, with dozens of stores dotted around the South West. See Bath listing for more info. Handy Hampers fruit and veg boxes delivered in Bristol.

T&P MURRAY BUTCHER
153 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8BA
Tel: 0117 942 4025
There’s some natty recycling going on here, with the oil from the olives being recycled to end up as biofuel. This traditional butcher sells a range of additive-free and free-range meats. The Bishopston banger (free-range pork, nutmeg, sundried tomatoes, red and green peppers) is a local favourite. Good deli side includes two-year-old parmesan among a good range of cheeses. Chorizo, salamis, parma ham and an excellent selection of chutneys and jams. Every Sat throughout the year customers form long queues while free-range burgers and sausages sizzle on the shop’s pavement barbecue.

NEW
TART CAFE & FOOD STORE
16 The Promenade, Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AE
Tel: 0117 924 7628, web: www.lovelytart.com
Cafe, private dining/function room and shop selling all manner of ace things. Expect chutneys and preserves from Bit on the Side, tea by Miles Tea and delicious sweetness from James Chocolates. Coffee comes from Bristol’s Brian Wogan, while Day’s Cottage Juices from Gloucestershire are harvested and pressed on a family farm maintaining traditional unsprayed orchards. Sloe gin and liquors from the award-winning Bramley & Gage. Food served in the cafe can also be bought to take home. Open Tue-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-5.30pm

NEW
TASTE AT ST NICKS
1-3 Exchange Ave, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1JP
Tel: 0117 927 2998, web: www.taste.gb.com
As well as supreme fish offerings (the man behind this venture, Steve Downey, started off sourcing salmon for Raymond Blanc), you’ll find a top-notch meat counter and fresh produce from local suppliers including Wrington Greens fruit and veg, wonderful handmade pies, fantastic artisan cheeses and loads of yummy ingredients. Food served at the onsite cafe can be taken to reheat at home. Events like an oyster festival lined up for later in 2009. Plans are now in place for top-floor expansion with the arrival of 50 seats. Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

TEOHS
28-34 Lower Ashley Rd, St Agnes, BS2 9NP
Tel: 0117 907 1191, web: www.teohs.net
Fabulous emporium of Far Eastern foods and goods, specialising in Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Filipino and Indonesian. Inside is piled high with everything you need for a genuine banquet - plus quite a few things you wouldn’t. Excellent range of oils, sauces, snacks, seasonings and lots of fresh goodies like tofu, fresh oriental vegetables, herbs, etc, to make your own Asian dinner. Cookery schools run on one Sun monthly, or eat in their next-door restaurant at exceptionally good prices. Sister restaurant in Southville, too.

TOBACCO FACTORY MARKET
Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Rd, Southville, BS3 1TF
Tel: 07974 683038, web: www.tobaccofactory.com
Takes place every Sun (10.30am-2.30pm), when around 30 stalls make it very worth your while to venture out from under the duvet. A strong bias towards ethical, eco-friendly, fair trade, organic and local products. Cafe serves brunch from 10am… this is more than just a place to shop.

TONY’S CARIBBEAN FOOD
128 Grosvenor Rd, BS2 8YA
Tel: 0117 941 4266
This lot stock, in their own words, “everything”. Which since last year’s guide now includes milk, Texas sauce, spices and even birthday cards. You’ll find seriously exotic fresh fruit and veg, from matokie (African banana) to cho-cho (type of squash) and sweet yam alongside akee and callaloo (broadleaf vegetable similar to spinach). Some wonderfully named fish offerings include Caribbean headless fish, goatfish and parrot fish.

TOVEY’S SEAFOODS
198-200 Stapleton Rd, Easton, BS5 0NY
Tel: 0117 951 0987, web: www.toveys.co.uk
Established in 1935, this family-run wholesaler of a fantastic range of fresh fish and shellfish has suppliers from all over Europe. In turn, Tovey’s supply many businesses, but the shop’s also open to the public, with a range of stock capable of broadening anyone’s culinary horizons. Game and poultry, too. Open Mon 9am-12noon, Tue-Sat 9am-5pm

TREASURE ISLAND SWEETS
70 Covered Market, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1JQ
Tel: 0117 927 9918, web: www.treasureislandsweets.co.uk
Old-fashioned confectionery, plus sugar-free and vegetarian sweets. Mail-order available. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

TRETHOWAN’S DAIRY SHOP
33-34 The Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, BS1 1LJ
Tel: 0117 902 0332, web: www.trethowansdairy.co.uk
The perfect marriage of cheese and carbohydrates is available here, with toasties made with poilane bread and raclette coming on grilled new potatoes. Whenever you drop in, expect to find around a dozen cheeses on offer, with the couple’s own Gorwydd Caerphilly joined by cheeses made or matured by friends of cheesemakers and cheesemongers Todd and Jess. Gorgeous – almost illegally so – wedding cakes are made from cheese by these experts, combining all sorts of scrumptious varieties like cheddar, caerphilly, stichelton (made as stilton but with unpasteurised milk) and Tunworth from Hampshire. Numerous brides-to-be have already said ‘I do’ to ordering one in. Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm

TWO DAY COFFEE ROASTERS
135 St Michaels Hill, BS2 8BS
Tel: 0117 929 9191, email: deanefrancis@aol.com
A new espresso machine has arrived at this mecca for caffeine freaks, so you can have your drink to go if you can’t wait to get home for a coffee. Cups, cafetieres and grinders – just about everything you could want for the perfect cup – alongside awesome, ethically sourced coffee beans. Around a dozen different coffees on the shelves all come from single estates or small co-operatives in developing countries. Try Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (tiny beans producing a subtle aroma not dissimilar to Earl Grey tea), Sumatran Lintong (for more of a kick) or the Rwandan Burenera Cup of Excellence bean – one of the best coffees in the country. Stunning espresso range. The ‘Two Day’ name stems from their mission to sell everything within a maximum of 48 hours of roasting.

USSR EAST EUROPEAN DELICATESSEN
60 West St, Old Market, BS2 0BL
Tel: 0117 955 8585, web: www.atasteofukraine.co.uk
An Aladdin’s Cave of the exotic, eclectic and the downright fascinating, with food from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria. Impressive variety includes strawberry, blueberry & pear flavoured cider, borsch (in red Russian and white Polish takes) and five kinds of polonies. The weird and wonderful includes calo (paprika-flavoured pork fat), bags of squid and octopus slithers and boczek, a malt loaf-sized block made from pig’s ears and tongues.

WAI YEE HONG SUPERMARKET
Eastgate Oriental City, Eastgate Rd, Eastville, BS5 6XX
Tel: 0845 873 3388, web: www.waiyeehong.com
Big got bigger last July when this fantastic Chinese supermarket with a massive variety of oriental cooking ingredients and equipment at amazingly cheap prices moved to new premises. Check out their exotic fresh fruits and veg. Open Daily 9.30am-6pm

WILD OATS
9-11 Lower Redland Rd, BS6 6TB
Tel: 0117 973 1967, web: www.wild-oats.co.uk
Sunday opening has arrived at a shop that’s been pioneering wellbeing through good eating in Bristol for years, where expert advice is tailored to the individual. More like an extensive grocery than a health store, with one of the region’s most comprehensive stocks of natural foods and goodies. Only certified organic and GMO-free products wherever possible. A huge selection of organic produce, from grains, pulses, yogurts, spreads, jams, flours and deli products to fresh and organic bread. Large deli counter, fine, fresh gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups. Special diets catered for. Range of healthy recipe books also stocked, plus skincare products and homeopathic remedies. The website is a virtual guided tour of the shop, and the staff, possibly Bristol’s most highly trained, are knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.45pm, Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm

NEW
ZULU
391 Gloucester Rd, Horfield, BS7 8TS
Tel: 07899 011139, web: www.osgrow.com
Recently opened cafe with onsite shop inviting you to take away some frozen delicacies you don’t see every day. Incredibly varied choices include chocolate-covered ants and scorpions, crickets and locusts, with meat ranging from camel, crocodile and frog’s legs to wildebeest, bison and python. Open Mon-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm

BANTHON ORIENTAL SUPERMARKET
10 Brookside House, High St, Weston, BA1 4BY
Tel: 01225 420468
Wide range of cooking ingredients, herbs, spices and remedies, all with Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and other Far Eastern influences. Open Tue-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm

BARRIQUE
6 George St, BA1 2EH
Tel: 01225 427423, web: www.barrique.com
Pret-a-porter kegs and barrels of oils, vinegars, spirits and liqueurs; coffees, teas and fresh pasta; wines and champagnes – phew! All produce is sourced from individual suppliers, and specialities include first-pressing olive oil, Italian grappas and a very rare French fortified wine. Complimentary gift-wrap service and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm

BARTLETT & SONS BUTCHERS
10-11 Green St, BA1 2JZ
Tel: 01225 466731, web: www.bartlettandsons.co.uk
Traditional family butcher serving Bath and the surrounding areas since 1931. All meat is locally sourced and chemical/additive free, prepared using traditional methods. They make their own sausages and burgers on the premises, and a selection of cooked meats, pastries and pickles completes the experience. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm

BATH BAKERY
3 Chelsea Rd, BA1 3DU
Tel: 01225 421702, web: www.bathbakery.co.uk
Other branches in High St (Upper Weston) BA1 4BY, Bradford Rd (Combe Down) BA2 5BP, St Margaret’s St (Bradford on Avon) BA15 1DE
Established in 1985, this family-owned bakery specialises in using traditional practices, recipes and ingredients to create excellent examples of what ‘real bread’ (and related products) should taste like. All breads are made from unbleached and untreated flours, without preservatives or mould inhibitors. Range includes sandwich loaves, wholemeal, malted wheat, spelt, sour dough, rye, ciabatta, multigrain and organics, oat, olive and focaccia. Cakes include doughnuts, Bath buns, lardies, chocolate fudge brownies, carrot cake. They make excellent sausage rolls and Cornish pasties, too. Open Mon-Sat 8am-4.30pm

BATH DELI
31 Bathwick St, BA2 6NZ
Tel: 01225 316265, web: www.bathwickdeli.co.uk
Innovative, interesting but down-to-earth deli stocking locally sourced and/or organic meat, olives, cheeses, wines, ales and cider and a wide range of gluten- and wheat-free products. Artisan breads, charcuterie, locally made traditional cakes, ice-cream, jams and chutneys, organic grocery and dairy produce and organic baby food are all to be found here. Sandwiches and takeaway available, alongside a hamper and delivery service. Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm

BATH FARMERS’ MARKET
Green Park Station, BA1 1JB
Tel: 01225 787910, web: www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk
The one that kick-started the whole Farmers’ Market movement, now held every Sat. Dozens of stalls sell an excellent range of locally produced fresh and organic meat, dairy, breads and vegetables, plus foods for people on restricted diets, hot food to nibble on as you browse and plenty of fantastic tasters. Open Sat 8.30am-1pm

BEEHIVE BAKERY
Noads Corner, Odd Down, BA2 2RX
Tel: 01225 833322
Roger Noad’s family have been baking bread for around 150 years - long enough to have a street re-named after them. Unlike many of the other craftsman bakers in the area, the majority of the Beehive’s bread is sold directly from their small shop to local residents, making Roger a proper, traditional, community baker. Open Mon-Sat 8am-4pm

BEN’S COOKIES
21 Union Passage, BA1 1RD
Tel: 01225 460983, web: www.benscookies.com
Dinky little cookie bakery. Funky, chunky fresh cookies (priced by the kilo) to take away or enjoy at a table on the traffic-free lane out front. Excellent cappuccino, too. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm

CHANDOS DELI
St George St, BA1 2EH Tel: 01225 314418
Egg Cafe, St Johns Place, BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 823408, www.chandosdeli.com
See Bristol listing

CULPEPERS
28 Milsom St, BA1 1DG
Tel: 01225 425875, web: www.culpeper.co.uk
Respected herbalists offering a wide range of herbs, relishes, pickles, spices and other kitchen-cupboard goodies like honey, ginger, homemade jams, fruit drinks (many organic) and stock/soup bases. Friendly, knowledgeable staff are as happy to advise on natural remedies as they are on curry ingredients, of which they stock a small but perfectly formed range. Mail-order available. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

DA VINCI ITALIAN DELI
33 Wellsway, Bear Flat, BA2 4RR
Tel: 01225 471850, web: www.davincideliandpizza.co.uk
Authentic Italian deli bringing a real taste of Italy to Bear Flat. Cured meats, cheeses, fresh and dried pasta, breads and rolls, oils, Italian wines and puddings, plus fresh baguettes with delicious fillings. Take away a bowl of fresh pasta for a lunchtime snack or evening meal, or enjoy a hot lunch in the cafe or the gorgeous little garden out back (alcohol served with food 12noon-3pm). Full outside catering service available. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

DARLING DELI
Isabella House, The Avenue, Combe Down, BA2 5EH
Tel: 01225 835118
Award-winning deli-cafe featuring a tapas counter and salad bar alongside all manner of homemade savouries and cakes (including gluten-free/vegetarian options), hot breakfast rolls (available all day), gourmet sandwiches, hot ciabattas, wholesome soup, freshly made pasta and Fairtrade tea and coffee from Union Coffee Roasters. Most items are freshly prepared by their own chef, and the top-quality meals to go are truly scrumptious. Outside catering menu available. Open Mon-Thur 8.30am-4pm, Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 8.30am-2pm

DEL SOLE DELI
37 Moorland Rd, Oldfield Park, BA2 3PN
Tel: 01225 481477, web: www.delsole.co.uk
Woolworths may have gone but Moorland Road continues to thrive, thanks to places like this. Light, bright and welcoming, Del Sole produce and sell real Italian food, without unnecessary additives, using local and organic ingredients wherever possible. Enjoy an Illy coffee and biscotti, lunchtime panini or more substantial, freshly prepared Italian meal. Deli counter offers olives, cheeses, salamis, pesto sauces. There are racks full of handpicked, specialist Italian products including high-quality pastas and authentic sauces. Pick up a full meal to serve up at home or make the most of the outside catering, buffet and dinner party menus. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

DELI SHUSH
8a Guildhall Market, BA2 4AW
Tel: 07970 851094
Fabulously well-stocked deli offering a full range of sweet and savoury goodies from cooked meats and artisan cheeses to homemade sausage rolls, quiches, bhajis, pasties and handraised pork pies. Around 20 different kinds of olives and other antipasti, local jams, preserves and chutneys and all manner of food-on-the-move specials, with a daily changing range of pasta salads, filled baguettes and rolls to take away. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

EPICUREAN DELI
18 Northumberland Place, BA1 5AR
Tel: 01225 471900, web: www.epicurean-deli.co.uk
Having spent over two decades cooking in some of the world’s top restaurants, ED Founder Matthew Fanthorpe has brought his trademark passion for locally sourced, seasonal food to Bath. Sample some of the most outstanding produce from the surrounding area in his gourmet sandwiches, homemade pates and terrines and freshly prepared meals to take away, alongside a carefully selected range of fine charcuterie, pickles and chutneys, plus salads, Fairtrade and organic teas, coffees and juices and extremely moreish sweet treats. Catering service, too. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

FINE CHEESE CO
29-31 Walcot St, BA1 5BN
Tel: 01225 448748, web: www.finecheese.co.uk
Mecca for cheese lovers, featuring around 150 varieties on any given day. But this wonderfully eclectic gourmet grocery offers far more than its name suggests. Find an excellent deli, bakery and cafe, all under one roof, with everything from olive oil and homemade chutney to fine wine, chocolate and sweet and savoury delights. Eat in, take away or order for delivery via the website. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-5.30pm

FISHWORKS
6 Green St, BA1 2JY
Tel: 01225 448707, web: www.fishworks.co.uk
The original incantation of the nationally renowned seafood cafe-restaurant, cookery school and fishmonger, now sadly no longer under the auspices of celebrity chef Mitch Tonks. The chain recently went into administration before being taken over by a ‘leading UK entrepreneur’, leading to the sad loss of both the Bristol branch and the Bath cookery school. But at time of going to press, few changes have been brought about under the new ownership at this excellent fishmonger. Open Mon-Sun 10am-8pm

GOODIES
2a St Saviours Rd, Larkhall, BA1 6RJ
Tel: 01225 336033, web: www.goodiesdeli.co.uk
English and continental deli with in-store French bakery offering warm, freshly baked filled baguettes. Brain-boggling number of specialist beers, organic wines, inspired selection of cheeses, olives, breads and pastries, and the justly famous Goodie Bar. Croissants from France - warmed every morning - make getting up worthwhile.

LONDON ROAD STORES
3 Cleveland Place East, London Rd, BA1 5DJ
Tel: 01225 336307
Bath’s finest source of West Indian cooking supplies, including fresh yams, mangoes, plantains, coriander, ackee, jerk pork, chicken and an extensive range of spices, including the infamous and delicious West Indian hot pepper sauces. Also doubles up as a traditionally English corner shop - handy for a tin of beans and fresh wholemeal loaf on the way home from work. Fresh bhajis, pakoras and Greek pastries often appear on the counter, too. Open Mon-Sun 10am-6pm

MANGIA BENE
5-6 St James St, BA1 2TW
Tel: 01225 336106
There may be something doll’s house-ish about this inspiring deli/cafe/caterer situated behind the Royal Crescent, but there’s nothing dinky about the variety of flavours on offer. An enticing range of Mediterranean food specialities (including a vast array of cheese, charcuterie, wine and champagne) combine with the irresistible aromas floating from the kitchen to give Mangia Bene a distinctly seductive edge. The gorgeous little cafe area can seat 12, with more outside in clement weather. Breakfast menus hover around £5, lunches start at £7, and takeaway sandwiches and an outside catering service complete the experience. Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 8.30am-5pm

MINERVA CHOCOLATES
15 Abbey Church Yard, BA1 1NA
Tel: 01225 464999, web: www.chocolatemaster.co.uk
The Belgian-born owners of Bath’s most exclusive chocolatier offer a dazzling selection of every type of chocolate confectionery you can imagine, from carefully made truffles and pralines to exclusive handcrafted chocolates based on characters and fables from Bath’s past. Cafe serves up what’s probably the best hot chocolate in the city, and the live chocolate-making demos are good fun to watch. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

NIBBLES
Stall 53, Guildhall Market, BA1 4AW
Tel: 01225 460213
‘Bath’s other cheese shop’, selling quality cheeses of all sorts from around the UK and further afield alongside British and continental bacon and hams. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

PAXTON & WHITFIELD
1 John St, BA1 2JL
Tel: 01225 466403, web: www.cheesemongers.co.uk
l Holders of no less than three Royal Warrants, Bath’s purveyors of premier-quality traditional English and continental cheeses also do luxury olive oils, pickles and preserves, a good selection of wines, beers and spirits and a selection of cheese-related equipment you don’t know you need until you start shopping here. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm

PICNICS
8 Chelsea Rd, BA2 3DU
Tel: 01225 482045
Lovely, lively, long-standing family-run deli specialising in authentic foods imported from Greece, Spain and Italy. Find cured meats, olives, cheeses, speciality oils, etc, plus a fine deli counter selling homemade soups, salads, cakes and even homemade baklava, alongside Spanish cookware and recycled cotton rugs to brighten up your kitchen. Open Mon-Sat 8.30am-5pm

POLISH DELICATESSEN
James St West, BA1 2BX
Wide range of traditional Polish foodstuffs (including excellent Polish rye bread), plus fresh fruit and veg and fascinating sweet treats. Open Mon-Sun 10am-6pm

NEW
PRIOR PARK GARDEN CENTRE & FARM SHOP
Prior Park Rd, BA2 4NF
Tel: 01225 427175, web: www.priorparkgardencentre.co.uk
Garden/pet care centre incorporating a thriving cafe and well-stocked farm shop. Find meat and pies from butcher Jon Thorner (Shepton Mallet), Hobbs House bread, dairy produce from Ivy House Farm, eggs from Paxcroft Farm and Marshfield Farm/Bakery ice-cream, cakes and biscuits. Open Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm (summer 6pm), Sun 10.30am-4.30pm

REAL ITALIAN ICE CREAM COMPANY
17 York St, BA1 1NG
Tel: 01225 330121
One of only a handful of authentic Italian gelaterias in the UK.

REAL MEAT CO
7 Hayes Place, BA2 4QW
Tel: 01225 335139, web: www.realmeat.co.uk
Established over 21 years ago (and the first shop in the chain), all the meat sold here - from sausage rolls to steak, chops and cooked ham on the bone - has been reared according to a strictly monitored welfare code, and lacks hormones, growth promoters, pre-emptive medication and additives. The shop also stocks its own pre-cooked meals and pies alongside dairy produce, free-range eggs, chocolate, breakfast cereals and puddings, plus wholefoods and preserves. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and local delivery service. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm

SAUSAGE SHOP
7 Green St, BA1 2JY
Tel: 01225 318300, web: www.sausage-shop.co.uk
Speciality sausages (about three dozen varieties at the last count) handmade with the finest ingredients to traditional methods – without a single E-number in sight. Perennial favourites include the Somerset Scrumpy, the traditional Cumberland and the Newmarket chipolata, all sold individually or by the kilo. Gourmet delights like duck & mango or pork, prune & cognac nestle happily alongside vegetarian and gluten-free versions and award-winning black pudding. Deli counter offers olives, cured continental meats and their own locally famous pork pies, takeaway hot sausages of the day (in a baguette or with mash) plus a wide range of mustards and tracklements. If they’re good enough for Delia Smith (apparently she raves about them), they’re good enough for you. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm

SEASONS WHOLEFOOD
10 George St, BA1 2EH
Tel: 01225 469730
Popular, well-stocked health food shop with serve-yourself bins for dried fruits and nuts, cereals and mixes, beans and pulses. Good choice of fruit and herb teas and coffees, plus full range of tins and packets for the veggie store cupboard. Good selection of food supplements, vitamins and minerals, and Bach Natural Flower Remedies. Staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Takeaway counter for frozen yogurts in summer, homemade soups in winter, and a variety of salads and sandwiches. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm

SOUTHSIDE FOOD CO-OP
Twerton, Whiteway & Southdown
Tel: 01225 787924
Southside Food Co-op offers people in south-west Bath fresh, high-quality vegetables, fruit and eggs at wholesale prices, with bags of seasonal, locally grown produce, or order from their price list. Collect orders on Wed from Twerton (and save 50p), or they’ll deliver to homes in Twerton/Whiteway/Southdown. The food co-op also runs courses in basic cookery, giving participants the confidence and skills to cook simple, healthy meals, and they host a city-wide initiative, with volunteers offering drop-off points in their own homes and receiving credits towards the cost of their own boxes of fruit and veg. Produce mostly grown in Batheaston by a traditional market gardener, with minimal use of sprays and chemicals. Membership of the co-op costs £1 per year.

STOKES THE GREENGROCERS
38 Moorland Rd, Oldfield Park, BA2 3PN
Tel: 01225 424414, web: www.stokesplc.com
The largest independent fruit and vegetable retailer in the UK and an extremely keen supporter of local growers, Stokes stock everything from pink ladies to pineapples, maris pipers to mouli, with quality fresh produce that isn’t overpriced. See website for details of their other stores. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm

NEW
THAI BALCONY MINI MART
40 Monmouth St, BA1 2AN
Tel: 01225 337213
If you can’t get a table at the popular Thai Balcony restaurant, do it yourself at home instead. Find everything Thai – from storecupboard ingredients (including noodles, dipping sauces, exotic fruit in cans, jars, soup bases) to frozen dim sum, fresh herbs and spices and freshly cooked Thai ready meals to take away. Staff are happy to talk you through the whole lot, making recommendations and suggestions as they go. Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm

VOM FASS
Shires Yard, BA1 1DN
Tel: 01225 447660, web: www.vomfass.net
The original ‘Sweetshop for Grown-ups’, offering over 100 exquisite oils, vinegars, wines, liqueurs and spirits of all descriptions, available straight from the cask in any quantity. Non-edible essential oils include evening primrose, wheatgerm and wild rose. Speciality chocolates, regular tastings and a complimentary personalised inscription/gift-wrapping service make presents a doddle. Free delivery on online orders over £45. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm

CANTERBURY HOUSE
10 Silver St, Bradford on Avon, Wilts, BA15 1JY
Tel: 01225 309385
Award-winning chefs Paul McEvoy and Claire Evans have been trading out of their Silver Street premises for six years, offering a bijou cafe and deli featuring goodies with a strong emphasis on local sourcing. Full range of fresh, free-range poultry alongside local game, free-range pork, organic Dorset lamb and a small daily fish selection (although they can source any fish from anywhere in the world within 24 hours). Full English breakfasts, lunch, afternoon teas, coffee and cakes served all day. Open Mon 8.30am-1.30pm, Tue-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm

FARMERS’ MARKETS
Web: www.farmersmarkets.net
Website giving full listings and details of farmers’ markets licensed by the National Farmers’ Retail & Markets Association (FARMA) - the best way to buy organic, locally grown produce of excellent quality, direct from the producers, from meat and dairy products to bread, wine, jams, chutneys and much more.

FARRINGTONS FARM SHOP
Home Farm, Farrington Gurney, nr Bristol, BS39 6UB
Tel: 01761 452266, web: www.farringtons.co.uk
Extensive farm shop stocking over 450 varieties of foodstuffs including cheese, bread, fruit, veg, ready meals, homemade soups, Fairtrade goods from around the world and oodles of goodies from small local producers. The small cafe offers lunches and snacks prepared on the premises from fresh ingredients. Groups are always welcome (call in adv), and the farm - which features an outdoor classroom - regularly hosts educational visits. Trailer rides around the whole site, children’s parties and outside catering can also be arranged. Open Mon-Sat 8am-7pm (cafe 9am-5pm), Sun 10am-4pm (cafe 10am-3.30pm)

GORGEOUS
52 Phoenix Way, Portishead
Tel: 05602 759082, web: www.gorgeous-food.co.uk
Specialist pastas, rice, oils and lots of other tasty stuff incorporated into exclusive luxury food hampers that can be tailored to your individual dietary needs. All produce is carefully sourced from small and specialist producers around the world, many of whom have attracted acclaim from the Macrobiotic Society, Guild of Fine Food, Soil Association and other awarding bodies. Mail-order only.

NEW
KALAHARI MOON
7 Locking Rd, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3B
Tel: 01934 708089, web: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk
Similar product range to the original Bristol shop (biltong, drinks, sweets), with an onsite cafe to give South African expats a still greater hit of flavours from home. Drop in for melktert, boerewors rolls, koeksisters (sweet dough deep-fried in syrup) and authentic South African teas and coffees. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm

MANOR FARM SHOP
Upton Cheyney, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6NQ
Tel: 0117 932 3064, web: www.manorfarm-shop.co.uk
Tucked away up a narrow, winding side road between Bristol and Bath, the signpost from the A431 and a massive word-of-mouth reputation keeps David Hawking’s 280-acre, organic, family-run farm extremely busy. Find just about everything you need to fill your cupboards with healthy, organic options, and leave time for tea and cakes in the lovely little cafe. Open Mon-Sun 10am-6pm

MAPLES DELICATESSEN
4 The Shambles, Bradford on Avon, Wilts, BA15 1JS
Tel: 01225 862203, web: www.maplesdeli.com
Friendly little deli on a pedestrianised street at the heart of one of the region’s prettiest towns. Breads, cheeses, salamis, chocolates, jams, pickles, traditional baking ingredients, wild and roast smoked salmon and lots of organic/local produce. Freshly made sandwiches. Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-5.15pm

MARSHFIELD ICE CREAM & BAKERY
Marshfield, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 8LE
Tel: 01225 891221, web: www.marshfield-icecream.co.uk
Ice-creams made with milk from their own herd (which grazes on organic pasture), cream from neighbouring farms and a whole range of natural, largely locally sourced ingredients (including fudge and chocolate). Discover 21 flavours in the Real Dairy Ice-cream selection, eight in the Value range, seven sorbets and four fully organic varieties available all year round, and a special Christmas Pudding Ice-Cream at Yuletide. The fresh bread from the bakery is excellent, too.

NEW
MEME CHOCOLAT
The Mirage, 21 Harbour Rd, Portishead, BS20 7AJ
Tel: 01275 390823, web: www.memechocolat.co.uk
Sizeable cafe plus retail outlet for the chocoholic in your life, opened in September 2009, from the same folk behind Clifton Village’s MeMe Chocolat (formerly Bar Chocolat) – see Specialist Food Suppliers, Bristol. Food offerings include panini, baguettes, wraps and breakfasts joined by dishes like stuffed jalapeno peppers, risotto, pancakes, spring rolls, Thai fishcakes and gourmet burgers. Open Mon-Thur 8.30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 8.30am-12midnight, Sun 9.30am-8pm

NORWOOD FARM
Bath Rd, Norton St Philip, BA2 7LP
Tel: 01373 834356
Norwood Farm rears many rare breeds, from saddleback pigs to Shetland ponies and Wiltshire horn sheep, and preserves a ‘gene bank’ of animals for future generations. The butcher sells homegrown organic meat and potatoes; adjoining shop sells other organic foodstuffs, gifts and souvenirs; cafe offers hot and cold light meals, cream teas and refreshments. Car park and a big play area for children make this a lovely family day out. Open Daily Mar-Sept, weather permitting (call in adv when planning a trip)

PUXTON PARK
Cowslip Lane, Hewish, Weston-super-Mare, BS24 6AH
Tel: 0844 800 2295, web: www.puxton.co.uk
Incorporating a restaurant, cafe, kids’ play area, falconry centre, working dairy farm, educational facility and fabulous farm shop, all set within acre upon acre of lush Somerset farmland, Puxton Park has been designed to help visitors discover the connection between food, farming and conservation while having a fun day out. Based around a 70-acre organic dairy farm, the development has two dining areas - the Meadows Restaurant and Cow Shed Cafe - and a food hall specialising in high-quality local produce from more than 50 Somerset-based producers. Open Daily 10am-5pm (Oct-Mar 4pm)

SKIDMORE’S
Old Bell House, 17 High St, Sherston, SN16 0LH
Tel: 01666 840268
Quality butcher and game dealer specialising in delicious homemade sausages and fabulous game that’s both organic and locally sourced. The owner’s grandmother used the word ‘tracklements’ to describe savoury, saucy accompaniments to a meal, and her grandson revived it: Skidmore’s are now the main outlet for these quintessentially English treats, offering over 50 varieties, including the world-renowned Cider Mustard with Honey. Open Mon & Thur 8am-1pm, Tue, Wed & Fri, Sat 8am-3pm

TASTE
Lakeside, Barrow Gurney, BS48 3SJ
Tel: 01275 475252, web: www.taste.gb.com
Taste specialise in British seafood, including tanks full of the freshest crustaceans. Superb range of local, organically reared beef, pork, lamb and poultry, and their experienced butcher offers excellent-quality faggots, sausages, terrines and hams. In-house chefs cook exciting dishes and sauces, at surprisingly affordable prices, for you to take home, while a vast selection of high-quality French and British cheeses, Mediterranean treats, fresh coffee beans, gourmet chocolates, fine wines, fresh veg, local eggs, fresh organic bread, dairy products and many other staple goods make this a veritable gourmet paradise. Regular tasting sessions (see website for details), a branch in Bristol’s St Nicholas Market, access to a culinary helpline and priority ordering for seasonal produce make Taste the most tasteful foodie shopping experiences for miles around. Open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

TORTWORTH ESTATE SHOP
Box Walk, Tortworth, nr Wotton-under-Edge, Glos, GL12 8HF
Tel: 01454 261633, email: simonrball@googlemail.com
Fantastic slice of gourmet retail therapy, featuring produce from over 100 local suppliers including chilli products from the South Devon Chilli Farm, Hobbs House bread, coffee from Olveston Fresh Coffee company and estate-reared, prize-winning aged beef, local lamb, free-range pork and poultry. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm

WRINGTON GREENS
Wrington Greens Organic Farm, Nates Lane, Wrington, N Somerset, BS40 5RS
Tel: 01934 863636, web: www.wringtongreens.co.uk
Farm shop selling all produce grown by Wrington Greens on their organic farm and nearby walled garden. Drop in for vegetables, fruit, herbs, cut flowers, plants and eggs as well as homemade apple juice, cider, chutneys and jams. Also sells local organic bread, milk and artisan cheeses, British-made environmentally friendly household detergents and local timber, charcoal, handmade soaps and honey. All packaging is kept to an absolute minimum. Get a 10% discount if you walk or cycle to the shop!
Open Mon 9am-5pm, Tue 9am-7pm (late-night shopping for box collection), Wed-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm (longer opening times currently being planned)

BEST OF BRITISH
12 Broad St, Bath, BA1 5LJ
Tel: 01225 448055, web: www.bestofbritishdeli.co.uk
This welcoming, well-stocked deli and takeaway uses and supplies 100% organic ingredients and mostly British produce, much of which is locally sourced. Organic gift hampers available; free delivery in the city centre for orders over £25. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm

BETTER FOOD COMPANY
Bristol Proving House, Sevier St, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9QS
Tel: 0117 935 1725, web: www.betterfood.co.uk
Big, bright emporium of all things organic including fresh fruit and veg from their own walled garden in Wrington, fresh local meat, poultry and line-caught fish, bread from artisan bakers and deli produce like organic cheeses, olives, sausages. Also supplies to shops, restaurants, schools and businesses. Open Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

BORDEAUX QUAY
V-Shed, Canons Way, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5UH
Tel: 0117 943 1200, web: www.bordeaux-quay.co.uk
Stylish eco-haven, home to a cookery school, bar, restaurant, brasserie, deli and bakery. Bordeaux Quay’s guiding principle of sourcing the very best local, seasonal, sustainable and delicious products, most of which are organic, is writ large at every turn. Open See website for details

BRISTOL FARMERS’ MARKET
Corn St, Bristol, BS1 1JQ
Tel: 0117 922 4016
Around 40 local producers sell produce that’s grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked or smoked by the stallholders. Find a massive range of food from buffalo cheese, pickles and chutneys to organic fruit and veg, honey, jam, bread, dairy produce and fresh fish. Look out for the summer fruit stalls, but get there early - they’re very popular. Open Wed 9.30am-2.30pm

HARVEST
37 Walcot St, Bath, BA1 5BN
Tel: 01225 465519, web: www.harvest-bath.coop
Harvest has been providing Bathonians with a cornucopia of organic vegetarian food since 1971. An entirely GM-free zone, the shop stocks everything from organic fruit and veg (much of it sourced locally) and organic bread to Fairtrade chocolate, teas, coffees, organic wines, international specialities and products from the Essential range. This workers’ co-operative offers a comprehensive self-service herbs and spices section, bins for cereals, dried fruits and pulses, and a large range of gluten-free and dairy-free products. The deli section also stocks fresh, locally prepared vegetarian and vegan rolls and specialities, plus their famous luxury gourmet hummus. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-6.30pm, Sat 9am-6pm

HOBBS HOUSE
Bakery: Unit 6, Chipping Edge Estate, Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6AA Tel: 01454 321629
Shops: 39 High St, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6BA Tel: 01454 317525
18-20 Church St, Tetbury, GL8 8JG Tel: 01666 504533
4 George St, Nailsworth, GL6 0AG Tel: 01453 839396, web: www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk
Renowned and highly recommended bakery with a fantastic reputation for range and imagination, and winner of countless awards for their artisan breads and baked goodies. Open See website for details of individual outlets

NEW
LOVE FOOD FESTIVAL & MARKET
Regularly, approx every month
Paintworks, Bath Rd, Bristol, BS4 3EH
Web: www. www.lovefoodfestival.com
Shopping as it should be, in a friendly, vibrant indoor/outdoor environment. Festival always features a wide range of regional produce from local producers, alongside children’s activities, picnic area, the ‘Urban Fringe’ pharmacy and guest speakers to learn from and debate with. A strong emphasis on organics and eco-friendly awareness and practices, and an opportunity to sign up for the Love Food Discount Card, which can be used at the market and participating shops and stalls around Bristol. Free admission.

LOWER PERTWOOD FARM
Hindon, nr Salisbury, Wilts, SP3 6TA
Tel: 01747 820499, web: www.pertwoodorganicfarm.co.uk
Nurturing 1,850 acres of downland, Pertwood is a 100% organic farm that produces its own range of six organic breakfast cereals, as well as rearing cattle, sheep and chickens. Look out for the full range of Pertwood Organic Farm cereals from all good supermarkets and your local deli or farm shop, or contact Pertwood Organic Cereals on 01985 841155.

MASALA
18 North St, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1HW
Tel: 0117 963 6062
Ethnic deli which stocks Fairtrade products and local organic food wherever possible. Fine selection of cheeses and dairy produce, many from local, named farms. Huge range of ingredients, and a wide variety of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian foods, organic herbs and spices. Fresh fish direct from Cornwall, free Wi-Fi access. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

NATURAL VITALITY
Tunley Farm, Tunley, nr Bath, BA2 0DL
Tel: 01761 479555, web: www.natural-vitality.co.uk
Cook and nutritionist Carol Kenward’s company supplies delicious and nutritious vegetarian and vegan food to farm shops, wholefood specialists, delis, grocers and cafes throughout the region. Also available from their stall in Bristol’s weekly Farmers’ Market.

RADFORD MILL FARM SHOP
39-41 Picton St, Montpelier, Bristol, BS6 5PZ
Tel: 0117 942 6644
Bristol’s original wholefood and organic food suppliers offer a vast range of GM-free and organic products at really reasonable prices. Small deli offers local cheeses, vegan and vegetarian specialities, sandwiches and cakes, supplemented by fresh juices in the cafe. Open Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm

SHEEPDROVE ORGANIC FARM BUTCHERS
3 Lower Redland Rd, Bristol, BS6 9TB
Tel: 0117 973 4643, web: www.sheepdrove.com
There’s been a butcher on this site for over a century, and Sheepdrove is now the only fully organic butcher’s in the city. The smart shop stocks organic wines, own-brand honey, preserves and flour as well as superb organic lamb, mutton, beef, pork, chicken, black and white pudding and turkey direct from their Berkshire farm. Online and phone ordering available. Open Mon-Sat 8am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-2pm

SUE’S PANTRY
Cheapside, Langport, Somerset, TA10 9PW
Tel: 01458 252853, web: www.suespantry.co.uk
A wealth of healthy, wholesome, organic produce available online or directly from this charming, characterful shop which stocks a large selection of vegetarian and vegan foods and an extensive range of dairy/gluten/wheat-free products, plus natural remedies, vitamins and minerals alongside specialist teas, pulses and more. Easy-to-use website contains info on local professional advisers, links to ethical and environmental organisations and groups offering dietary advice.

TOBACCO FACTORY MARKET
Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1TF
Web: www.tobaccofactory.com
Food, crafts, clothes and other items, with occasional live music and other events, a strong community vibe and a strong bias towards organic and local products. Open Sun 10.30am-2.30pm

WHITELADIES FARMERS’ MARKET
Whiteladies Rd/Apsley Rd, Bristol, BS8
Web: www.sustainableredland.org.uk/home/farmers-market
Locally produced, fairly traded, largely organic goodies in a lively atmosphere. If you’d like to get involved in organising, publicising or trading at the market, visit the website. Open First Fri of month, 8.30am-2pm, third Sat of month 9am-2pm

ABEL & COLE
16 Waterside Way, Plough Lane, Wimbledon, London, SW17 0HB
Tel: 08452 626262, web: www.abel-cole.co.uk
Abel and Cole deliver boxes of delicious, fresh organic fruit and veg, organic meat, sustainably sourced fish and loads of other ethically produced foods around the country. Order from their easy-to-use website.

BETTER FOOD CO
Bristol Proving House, Sevier St, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9QS
Tel: 0117 935 1725, web: www.betterfood.co.uk
Delivering fruit and veg boxes throughout the area. See Organic for more info.

NUTRICHEF
Tel: 0117 944 4446, web: www.nutrichef.co.uk
Specifically aimed at those who want to improve their unhealthy eating habits, Nutrichef offer complete meal plans (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for busy people interested in a healthy lifestyle. The website is packed with easy-to-digest information, facts and figures, and food is delivered freshly prepared and chilled several times a week.

RIVERFORD ORGANIC
Wash Barn, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0LD
Tel: 0845 600 2311, web: www.riverford.co.uk
Established in 1987, Riverford is now one of the country’s largest independent growers, delivering boxes of organic produce (veg, fruit and/or meat) to households across the southern half of the country every week.

TRACKLEMENTS
Dairy Farm, Pinkney Park, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts, SN16 0NX
Tel: 01666 840851, web: www.tracklements.co.uk
Tracklements is an olde-worlde term meaning traditional accompaniments for food, and this company offers a good range of complementary sauces for any dish. Multiple-award-winning mustards, chutneys, relishes, vinaigrettes, jellies, ketchups and sauces. All products available via mail-order or local suppliers (details on request).

WILTSHIRE FARM FOODS
Tel: 01225 756019, web: www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com
Wiltshire Farm Foods’ menu contains around 175 different frozen dishes, from traditional favourites such as roasts, pies and stews to coq au vin or fillet of trout with prawns. It’s very reasonably priced, too. Delivery is free, and friendly drivers will even put the meals in the freezer for you.

Eating Out West - Bristol and Bath's best restaurant guide, including extra sections on Pubs, Bars, Sandwich Shops, Takeaways, Wine Merchants, Caterers, Dining Clubs and Cookery Schools. To order your copy ring 0117 942 8491. Only £4.95. Yum.