When it comes to food shops, restaurants and bars, Bristol and Bath are home to more than their fair share of big-name franchises. But there’s also a healthy independent sector which just goes on getting bigger and stronger all the time. Tony Benjamin gorges himself.

If your idea of holiday heaven is finding that little local place, just off the beaten track, that gives you a warm welcome and lovely homespun things to eat, drink or stick in your shopping bag, then here’s some good news: both Bristol and Bath are teeming with independent businesses offering to satisfy that foodie buzz all year round! Grinding juggernauts of chains and franchises may be putting the squeeze on independent businesses, but many have stood the test of time thanks to great quality, individual flavours and friendly customer service. With new places always popping up to join them, maybe it’s time to take a look at what’s happening foodwise closer to home and give them your support. 

Shopping

There’s been a happy resurgence in independent bakers of late, with long-established family stalwarts like Herbert's (Wellington Ave, BS6 5HP), Joes (Gloucester Rd, BS7 8NZ) and The Bath Bakery (Moorland Rd, BA2 3PN) being joined by talented upstarts like The Bread Store (Gloucester Rd BS6 6PF), The Thoughtful Bread Company (Green Park Station, BA1 1JB) and Mark’s Bread (North St, BS3 1JU). Great grocers offering local produce include Tony Eades (Crescent Lane, BA1 2PX), Reg The Veg (Boyces Ave, BS8 4AA), Radford Mill (Picton St, BS6 5PZ) and Ashton Fruit & Veg (North St, BS3 1JN) while a good bottle of franchise-free plonk can be got from The Tasting Rooms (St Saviours Rd, BA1 6RT), Great Western Wine (Wells Rd, BA2 3AP), Corks (Cotham Hill, BS6 6JX) and Grape & Grind (Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AT), daring newcomers to the Bristol wine-selling scene. And don’t forget the unique charms of Bristol Sweet Mart (St Marks Rd, BS5 6JH) – any herb or spice they don’t sell is either a recipe misprint or controlled substance; organic emporium Better Food Company (Sevier St, BS2 9QS & Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2QX) and the perennial late-night quality of London Road Stores (London Rd, BA1 5DJ).

Boozing

Beer miles count! Blessed as we are with splendid independent brewers there’s never a shortage of ‘locals’ that really deserve the name: Bath’s Abbey Ales offer the legendary Star Inn (Paragon, BA1 5NA) as well as Coeur de Lion (Northumberland Pl, BA1 5AR), Assembly Rooms (Alfred St, BA1 2QU) and Ye Old Farmhouse (Lansdown Rd, BA1 5EE), while the Bristol Beer Factory have both the Grain Barge (Hotwell Rd, BS8 4RU) and Barley Mow (Barton Rd, BS2 0LF), Kingswood brewery Arbor ales run The Old Stillage (Church Rd, BS5 9LA) and The Three Tuns (George St, BS1 5UR) and Warmley-based Bath Ales’ 10 boozers include The Merchants Arms (Merchants Rd, BS8 4PZ), Graze Bar (Queen Sq, BS1 4JZ) and The Salamander (John St, BA1 2JL). Add on independent outlets like The Bell (Walcot St, BA1 5BW), Tobacco Factory (North St, BS3 1TF), No 1 Harbourside (BS1 5TX) and Canteen (Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY) and you’ve barely scratched the surface of great beer providers – and then there’s the cider…

Eating

OK, so Jamie, Marco Pierre, Hugh, Raymond and all the Uncle Tom Cobbleys of mass media fame want to take a slice of Venueland’s eating out action. Are we bothered? Not really, because they’ll have their work cut out seeing off our local-bred competition. Leaving aside the Michelin-starred delights of Casa Mia (High St, BS9 3DZ) and Pony & Trap (Knowle Hill BS40 8TQ) and other local gastrostars like Bell’s Diner (York Rd, BS6 5QB) and the Olive Tree (Russell St, BA1 2QF), there’s plenty more accessible grass roots places that merit your attention. Family restaurants like Marmaris (Newmarket Row, BA2 4AN) and The Grecian (Cromwell Rd, BS6 5AA), the uniquely Sardinian Aio (George St, BA1 2EE), vegan champions Café Kino (Stokes Croft, BS1 3RU) and veggie superstars Café Maitreya (St Marks Rd, BS6 6HY) and demuths (North Parade Passage, BA1 1NX) all stand proud, while there’s never a spot of grease on the spoons at the Monte Carlo (Stapleton Rd, BS5 6PA) or the Jazz Café (Kingsmead St, BA1 2AA).

Take it away

Mc-who? Forget them and their ilk – the local tradition of decent takeaway grub means never having to say Mc-anything. If you must have a meat patty, go for the great Bath institution Schwartz Bros (Saw Close, BA1 5BG) or Bristol’s quality upstarts Burger Joint (Cotham Hill, BS6 6LA), but healthier options abound – Eat5Star (Kingsmead Sq, BA1 2AD) make brilliant sandwiches, while Magic Roll (Queens Rd, BS8 1EZ), Biblos (Minah Rd, BS2 9XW) and Falafel King (Harbourside, BS1 5TX) have got the tasty street food thing all wrapped up – and even Radio 4 agrees that Tiffins (St Michael’s Hill, BS2 8DB) and the redoubtable Thali Cafes (everywhere in Bristol!) are nothing short of a national treasure.

FOR MORE INFO ON WHAT’S AVAILABLE NEAR YOU CHECK WWW.BRISTOLLOCALFOOD.CO.UK OR WWW.LOCALFOODADVISOR.COM
 

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