Blog (Food) - Visit Wiltshire

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at The Old Bell I have been in the industry since the age of 12. Hospitality has been in the family blood for 3 generations now. The contact we have wit..

I joined Marlborough College as the Director of Enterprise in July 2014. I am responsible for revenue generation from events such as Summer School and our new School of English and Culture for unaccompanied overseas teenagers, our retail operations and the hiring out of our sports facilities.

Who doesn’t love a dessert? After watching far too much MasterChef over the past few months, it’s got us inspired to find out more about some of the tantalising desserts that are on offer around the county. Take a look at these beauties…

When the weather’s fine, there’s nothing better than sitting outside with a glass of wine in your hand and enjoying the fresh air over some food.

Here’s a handy guide giving you some of the top spots to enjoy alfresco dining in Wiltshire and reasons why you should book a table now!

It’s claimed to be the most important meal of the day so we asked some of our local bed and breakfast providers here in Wiltshire what they think makes the perfect breakfast. Warning – reading on might make you hungry!

I have enjoyed several courses at Vaughan’s Cookery School in the past and have always come away having had a great time and learnt some new skills, so when I had the opportunity to join the Perfect Pastry course Mr H decided it was time he broadened his culinary skills, and join me. Vaughan’s Cookery School is located in the lovely town of Devizes, and we took the opportunity to stop off in town first, as the range of independent shops there offer some lovely different gifts, and I had a few birthday presents to get. Mr H used the opportunity to call into Wadworth Visitor Centre Shop and pick up a few souvenirs for himself!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Meadowbank House Bed & Breakfast I have been running Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast for four years now and I love it! I particularly enjoy meetin..

With just over a month until St George’s Day (23 April), we’ve put together a handy guide to 8 quintessentially English things you can do here in Wiltshire.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Bowood I joined Bowood House & Gardens in 1986, as a 16 year old boy I remember my first job was to brush the office yard! Today, I am responsible fo..

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Box Steam Brewery I’m Andy Roberts, MD at Box Steam Brewery , Holt. It’s my job to make sure our team are inspired, our beers are great, our fans ar..

If, like me, the start of the year has left you feeling all a bit ‘January-ish’, it helps to have something to look forward to. So here are 17 great ideas for things to see and do around Wiltshire that are sure to brighten up the first few months of 2017.

I love getting the opportunity to don my walking boots and explore the county and I had the opportunity to do just that on a recent visit to Tisbury.

Nestled on the edge of the village of Compton Bassett in north Wiltshire lies Buttle Farm. I met with the owners, Robert and Sara Buttle, who took me on a tour of the farm so I could learn more about what goes on here and the diversification of the farm.

If you’ve ever fancied improving your baking skills or practicing your competitive edge against friends or family then a visit to one of our cookery schools is calling.

Tell us a bit about yourself… I grew up and went to school in Market Lavington, Wiltshire . When I was young I worked part-time at my local butchers, and at the age of 16 I went to train as a..

On a beautiful, sunny summer day in Wiltshire I headed off to Edington, four miles from Westbury, famed for its White Horse, for what turned out to be an extraordinary afternoon.

Every August for the past 60 years this small village has welcomed some of the best choristers from cathedral and collegiate choirs around England for a week long festival of music and liturgy in the priory church. I had been invited to go along to find out more as, like many others not directly involved in the sacred music circle, I was unaware of the quality and importance of this event.

My name’s David Woollatt, I’m one of the volunteers behind the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, near Salisbury.

If you look forward to the weekend and relaxing over something stronger than a lemonade then our handy guide to some of the top places to sample cocktails in Wiltshire is worth a browse…

Deep in the Wiltshire countryside, and just a short distance from Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal, you’ll find the Rowdey Cow Farm Café and Ice Cream Parlour. It was my first visit here, I’m normally driving past on my way to meetings, but this time I made the effort to pop in, after all I was pretty sure they had some ice cream with my name on it!

If I’m honest, although a ‘foodie’, I’m not the greatest of cooks. Keen to learn and appreciate more essential practical cooking skills, I attended an adult essential skills course at the newly-opened Farm Cookery School near Bromham.

It’s not long now until Afternoon Tea Week (the second week of August) and this got us thinking about this foodie treat. We’ve put together a list of top places you can enjoy afternoon tea in Wiltshire so whether you are a jam or cream first person, there are lots of places to indulge in Wiltshire…

Wiltshire hotels, B&Bs and food and drink establishments are renowned for their friendly and accommodating welcome, so the response was good when we recently offered a Gluten Free cookery course, in conjunction with Vaughan’s Cookery School in Devizes.

Having been battered by hail and thunder on my way to Colerne, my mood brightened as I drove up the beautiful tree lined drive to Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa. On this occasion I was headed for the Cookery School, and know I could have gone in the entrance nearer that building, but can never resist the stunning drive!

Chippenham, a market town in north Wiltshire, has recently been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag status for the high standard and safety of the town centre at night. A major contribution to attaining this award was the refurbishment of the Neeld Community and Arts Centre, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to visit the Centre, and experience more of what Chippenham has to offer the evening visitor, on Friday night.

As we launch our latest video it’s got us thinking about just how many things there are to do in Wiltshire that are quintessentially English.

You may have seen that we’ve just launched some new Saints and Sinners trails in conjunction with The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT). The routes give people the opportunity to explore some of our historic Wiltshire churches with a foodie stop nearby.
I made a visit with Linden from The CCT to two of these churches to discover some of the hidden treasures that lay within them…

For visitors and locals alike, Wiltshire offers the opportunity to learn new skills in the relaxing and beautiful surroundings of the county, be that driving a racing car, skydiving, or cooking! I have had the pleasure of doing a number of cookery courses at Vaughan’s Kitchen previously and always found them very enjoyable. However, it was with a little trepidation that I joined the Japanese Cookery course as I have never really eaten Japanese food, and certainly never cooked it, but, always ready to try something new, I signed up!

When it comes to the kitchen, I’m certainly no MasterChef Champion. However, like Gregg Wallace, I do have a sweet tooth and a big passion for puddings. When eating out, I’m always drawn straight to the puddings and dessert menu to whet my appetite. And, if there’s some sort of chocolate or sticky toffee pudding on the menu, then nothing else usually gets a look in.

On a blustery day after paying a visit to Stonehenge, I made a visit to the recently refurbished Solstice Bar and Grill at the Holiday Inn Salisbury – Stonehenge, located on the outskirts of Amesbury and just a couple of miles from the famous stone circle.

If you fancy honing your cookery skills then one of our Wiltshire cookery schools is an ideal place to perfect your techniques. I joined Vaughan’s Kitchen Cookery School in Devizes for an artisan bread making course.

Set in the beautiful Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is Tisbury. The main High Street here is dotted with independent shops with beautifully dressed window displays and a friendly atmosphere. It’s a bustling place too with lots of locals out for their morning strolls, enjoying a drink in the café or just having a chat.

We all love a good picnic don’t we? We’ve had a chat here in the office and come up with our top 10 picnic spots in the county. Share your favourites too!