The Wild Garlic, Beaminster - a return visit

Last year we went to the Wild Garlic a few times and had some great meals. The word some gives you the impression that all were not great. Well maybe so but that was more a matter of a budding restaurant and inexperience rather than poor food. Each visit got better and so I was really looking forward to see Mat Follas again after a few months and seeing how his restaurant, food and staff had changed. Well, changed it has! Not hugely in some areas but enough to make a big difference. The restaurant looks much as before: relaxed, bright and colourful (alright, just one colour) and the oak tables are ‘breaking’ in well. The staff were excellent. No gold stars for anyone in particular but everyone seems to enjoy working there and it rubs off. Maybe it is Mat’s excellent management skills or just that they are all part of a team that is doing well – I think a combination of the two. Roll on the food! I’m not going to eulogise about each course. I don’t have time and to be quite honest there are others more capable than me. What I will say is that certain aspects stand out. Firstly Mat’s food has improved and has jumped up another level in quality. Secondly, his portions are a little bigger – I’m not complaining here but in some cases they were a little small before.

So why was it so good? Taste and quality, I would say, oh and did I say faultless! It’s not food with foams and dotted sauces (Mat has used these words in the past) but it is still well presented. Just go there and sample the food for yourself.

I have to add that we managed to sneak in a lunch just before we left – Barnsley Chops with Wild Garlic Pesto – what a fitting fish for the Wild Garlic Resto!

Beaminster Revisited......

Well I have been lax, haven’t I. No blog posts for far too long but I shall make amends!

I have spent the last 4 or 5 months of spare time either doing work on the house or finishing off the bodywork on my Alfa Giulia GTV to get it into the paint shop. The former is a never ending job but the latter is now done and the car awaits it paint. Anyway, back to foodie thoughts and what better way to do that than have a week off in Dorset eating enough to ensure that all the notches on my belt get used!

This year we decided to rent a house and base ourselves in one spot, radiating out to those corners of Dorset that lured us with their culinary delights. Where better than Beaminster. It’s has a small village square with an array of essential shops including a really good butcher, a lovely fruit and veg shop and a small co-op that is open most hours. There are some great walks surrounding the area and if you venture far enough you can find those quaint Dorset pubs. Food, however was high on the agenda and whilst I know how to wield a pan on the stove, I prefer to get the professionals to do the job!

In no particular order or any kind, the top venues we visited were:

• The Wild Garlic, Beaminster
• Sienna, Dorchester
• Hix Oyster, Lyme Regis
• The Three Horseshoes, Powerstock
• Riverside, West Bay
• The Acorn Inn, Evershot

I will write up a review on a few of these soon but I must say here that West Dorset is certainly a hotspot for decent food. (Actually the above order is my order of overall enjoyment – a sort of MaisonMattmoo star rating! - but more of that later)