For many of us, a holiday is as much about enjoying great food as it is about experiencing all the sights, activities and entertainments your chosen destination has to offer.

Fortunately, Dorset has a well-deserved reputation for fantastic food and drink, thanks in particular to the wonderful seafood which is so plentiful in the nearby area.

This article describes some of Dorset’s most popular culinary treats and where to find them, and will hopefully serve as a useful resource for first time visitors to the region.

Seafood

It has long been said that food is best enjoyed with beautiful scenery, and what better place to dine on fresh seafood than in a restaurant overlooking Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coast, with the sea air in your nostrils and the sound of seagulls cawing above you.

Among the best towns to go to get a taste of the sea are West Bay and Lyme Regis. Here you can enjoy fresh whelks, oysters, scallops, prawns, crawfish, lobster and crab, while watching the local fishing boats that caught them coming in and out of the harbour before you. It certainly puts you in touch with your food, in a very reassuring way.

Dorset Cream Tea

On a fine day, there are few better ways to spend an afternoon in Dorset than to head to one of the many beautiful villages dotting the countryside and sit down and relax with a Dorset Cream Tea. The traditional cream tea consists of freshly baked scones with Dorset clotted cream and strawberry jam, and of course a pot of tea.

Many cafes will also offer a selection of cakes to try with afternoon tea, including the local speciality Dorset Apple Cake. This is a traditional sponge cake made with bramley apples and brown sugar, and is a favourite with visitors and locals alike.

Farmer’s markets

The Dorset farmers’ markets make their way around the county each week – in Christchurch on Mondays, Portland on Tuesdays, Dorchester on Wednesdays, Weymouth on Thursdays and Bridport on Saturdays. They are one of the best ways to sample Dorset’s foodie delights, whether it is local meats, cheeses or seafoods you are after.

The Dorset markets are the territory of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the celebrity chef who made a name for himself on television with his back-to-basics lifestyle, growing his own produce and selling it at the markets to sustain his farmhouse at River Cottage.

Dorset Ciders

Dorset is home to some fabulous award-winning ciders, and has a rich history of cider production across the county. The best Dorset ciders are naturally fermented from West Country apples grown in local orchards, giving them a distinctive taste that is uniquely Dorset.

For visitors with a real interest in cider, Dorset even boasts its own cider museum, with machinery and displays showing you exactly how the drink was made through the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum also holds summer open days, in which you get the opportunity to press apples and ferment your own cider in the traditional time-honoured Dorset way.

Author Bio: If you are interested in Lyme Regis holidays at a fun, friendly Lyme Regis campsite, visit the website for Newlands Holiday Park, one of the very best and most popular Dorset holiday parks

Category: Travel
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