Retail Refreshments
Delightful Delis and Retail Refreshments in the City of Bath
No visit to the city of Bath is complete without an element of retail therapy. What sets Bath apart from other cities is the high number of independent shops, over fifty per cent, and the shopping area is compact and walkable. However, shopping can be an exhausting business so it is fortunate there are delightful refuelling points on every street corner. Food souvenirs can be great presents and with specialist retailers of cheese, speciality teas and buns from Sally Lunn's, oils and vinegars, wines, chocolate and even unusual sausages there is much to tempt the foodie shopper.
Bath Tourism Plus (BTP), the official marketing organisation for Bath and the surrounding area has recently launched "Tasty Bath" to draw attention to the " wonderful food and drink on offer in Bath. The standard and variety of produce here in the West Country means that the visitor gets the best of British" according Robin Bischert, Chief Executive of BTP.
In Shires Yard, off Milsom Street, the ladies who lunch gather after designer shopping in the exclusive boutiques to exchange tales of brands fought and lost. Le Parisien and Cafe Rene is an informal Continental style cafe with a pretty courtyard always popular for al fresco dining. Jolly's on Milsom Street is one of the oldest department stores in the country and their Cafe Zest is a good place for a coffee or a light lunch as is the appropriately named Cafe Revive in Marks and Spencer.
Farmers' Markets and Farm Shops are the place to source the freshest of locally grown ingredients. Established in 1997, Bath Farmers' Market was the first of its kind in the country. Now there are more than 350 around the UK reflecting a growing interest in the provenance of food. Located in lofty Green Park Station, the Farmers' Market takes place every Saturday morning and it's worth an early start to talk to people who are selling their own produce. Green Park Brasserie is open for breakfast and coffee and pastries for early bird shoppers. There are also farmers' markets at Midsomer Norton and Keynsham.
With its reputation for independent retailers, Bath is a popular city for Christmas shopping. The Bath Christmas Market scheduled from 30th November to 10th December 2006 has become a favourite fixture with both locals and visitors. Against the backdrop of the Abbey and the Roman Baths wooden chalets profer all kinds of unusual gifts and seasonal fare such as mulled wine and minced pies adds to the festive atmosphere.
Food shopping can be a pleasure when the vendors are passionate about their particular speciality. The Fine Cheese Company sells 150 kinds of cheese (of which 100 are British) alongside their proprietary biscuits and pickles. The adjacent cafe serves cheeses and charcuterie on freshly baked Hobbs House breads followed by homemade cakes and mouth-watering ice creams. Above Bath's other famous cheese shop, Paxton and Whitfield, is Cafe Fromage, a charming cafe which is hidden away up some steep stairs but worth the climb as long as the shopping bags are not too heavy. Around the corner in Quiet Street, is Kitchens. This cooks emporium is packed from floor to ceiling with every cook's tool and gadget. They also sell an extensive collection of cookery books and high quality kitchen equipment.
Specialist shops for the foodie include the Sausage Shop on Green Street which sells in excess of a ton of speciality sausages such as 'the Bath sausage', a mild savoury sausage with smoked ham, spinach and dijon mustard, and the 'Somerset Scrumpy' with lashings of scrumpy, apples and sage plus some 30 other options for the "banger" connoisseur. Their homemade pork pies are legendary and for lunch on the run they make take-away sausages-in-a-bun.
Great Western Wine is another specialist retailer with a distinctively different approach. Ranked among the leading independent wine merchants in the UK they offer a huge range of unusual and rare wines, shipped directly from small independent wineries around the world. The knowledgeable staff are happy to arrange tastings and can help you navigate your way through the list of up to 800 wines, Armagnacs, Champagnes, Ports and Whiskies. Tastings are available and on Friday 6th October 2006 there will be a special "Portfolio tasting" of 100 wines at the Assembly Rooms.
www.greatwesternwines.co.uk
Tel: 01225 322800
Oil and Vinegar, located opposite the Roman Baths, sells gift presentations of every kind of oil and vinegar, offering a tasting first. The focus here is on Mediterranean produce with homemade pasta, oils and basamics from Italy, extra virgin olive oils from Spain and hand crafted pottery from Portugal.
Blackstones Kitchen, hidden away in Queen Street has been a great success with locals and visitors alike. The owners, Rebecca and David Blackstone, offer take-away meals made from fresh seasonal ingredients from a constantly changing menu. They open for breakfast with freshly baked muffins and hot Wiltshire bacons rolls and for lunch they prepare homemade soups, 'grab and go' salads and deli style sandwiches. Whole tarts and cakes such as pear and cinnamon cake or onion tart can be bought to take away.
FishWorks started in Bath in 1995 as a fishmonger under the enthusiastic stewardship of Mitch Tonks. The knowledgeable fishmonger soon attracted a following in Bath and a restaurant business was spawned on the back of it, and later a cookery school. The quality of fish is first rate and the Fine de Claire Premier Cru Oysters will appeal to the connoisseur. Dishes such as spaghetti with Isle of Lewis langoustines with tomato, garlic and parsley are recommended for a light lunch. Mitch Tonks learnt to love fish from his grandmother so he is keen to encourage children to try fish. At lunchtime, there is a children's menu featuring homemade fish cakes or fish fingers for £4.95.
At Cafe Shoon on the second floor of Shoon (not quite unique to Bath as there is also one in London) there are well dressed salads such as 'sweet pear and dolcelatte with a beetroot and apple dressing' and hot melts with melt in the mouth combinations like smoked turkey, cranberry, avocado and mozarella. The Cafe opens at 9.30am with breakfast bagels and serves savoury snacks, homemade cakes, teas and coffees throughout the day.
Bath must have more delis per head of population than most cities. There is smart Mangia Bene off Grade One listed St James' Square, Chandos Deli in George Street, the Bath Deli in Margaret's Buildings and the Epicurean Deli in Northumberland Place to name but a few.
For further information on things to do and see and where to stay in Bath please call Bath Tourist Information Centre on 0906 7112000 (calls charged at 50p per minute) or log on to www.visitbath.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. For further information please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 or by e-mail at nicky@hancockcomm.com or Debbie Ponting at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 477441 or by email on: debbie_ponting@bathtourism.co.uk
2. Bath Tourism Plus
Bath's destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, began trading on 1st October 2003, taking over the management of tourism promotion from Bath & North East Somerset Council and in the process, establishing a ground-breaking partnership between the public and private sector.
Working with the public and private sectors Bath Tourism Plus takes full responsibility for co-coordinating the work of a busy tourist information centre, the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers, PR activity to attract the nation's top travel writers, a conference office, and development of Bath's official tourism internet site www.visitbath.co.uk. Its primary objective is to optimise the value of tourism for members.
Copyright © 2008 Bath Tourism Plus
