Here are three UK short-break itineraries to feast on for a fab foodie weekend away
This is your destination is you are a gallivanting gourmet. We have three foodie weekend away itineraries for you, full of flavour and compiled by our local experts, the Girl About Blog Squad Ambassadors. Focused on three of the most delicious destinations in the country, all you need to do is eat, drink and be merry!
Guildford is a melting pot of cool foodie spots (who knew?!) and attractions to get the juices flowing. Although Natascha in Surrey recommends having a car for any Surrey-based break purely out of ease (and being able to carry all the shoes you probably don’t need), this itinerary is entirely feasible through either taxi and/or cabs which deserves two thumbs up!
Aside from the plethora of places to wine and dine in The Yorkshire Dales – from historic pubs dishing up proper locally produced Yorkshire grub, to intimate dining rooms with award-winning chefs creating delicate dishes of farm-to-fork fare – there is quite simply nowhere more breathtakingly beautiful to walk off all those sins than here.
For this particular itinerary – which is ideal for anyone wanting some luxury foodie weekend away inspiration – you’re probably going to need a set of wheels to explore the area properly. And even then, you’re only touching the sides over a weekend. The Yorkshire Dales is bursting at its dry-stone-wall seams with off-the-the-scale culinary culture. So, pack a pair of heels and a couple of posh frocks. Plus elasticated pants, walking boots and a healthy appetite – Yorkshire folk don’t do small portions.
You’ll start by checking into the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey (fondly known as ‘The Dev’). This is a favourite Yorkshire bolthole located on the southernmost edge of the Yorkshire Dales. It’s quintessential luxury old-English hospitality in the most perfect of country riverside settings.
The New Forest is a food lover’s dream come true! If you know your venison from your velouté or you love to spot a celebrity chef then you’ve come to the right place. I’ll take you on a culinary journey through the forest, sampling the finest local produce. From fine dining to farm shops, here’s your New Forest itinerary for foodies.
My first recommendation is actually to time your visit to align with one of the fantastic foodie festivals. There’s Smoked and Uncut, which takes place at Lime Wood and The Pig at Brockenhurst, where you can listen to live music and also have dinner cooked for you by top chefs. In July there’s the Lymington Seafood festival where you’ll find the top seafood producers in Hampshire.
I would suggest choosing somewhere central such as Lyndhurst or Brockenhurst to set up base for the weekend, that way you’ll be able to get to some places by foot.