Food and Drink in Dorset
Dorset Food and Drink
Dorset food and drink is some of the finest in the country, from fabulous places to eat out, wonderful farmers’ markets and Food Festivals, all celebrating the wealth of local produce from lush countryside and sparkling seas. Come and enjoy the true taste of Dorset
Dorset Food & Drink is an organisation founded to celebrate the best producers and purveyors to be found in this beautiful and verdant county.
Listed below are some of the many festivals held each year to celebrate the diverse produce derived from the sea and countryside.
Food and Drink Festivals – Calendar of Events
The following calendar is based on 2019- before COVID restrictions were put into place. It is to be hoped the most, if not all events will take place in 2021.
April
Dorset Knob Throwing and Food Festival, Kingston Maurward,
Apart from having fun with the Dorset Knob, sample, taste and purchase a fine range of foods including breads, cheeses, ciders, meats game & poultry, pies, preserves, and puddings in addition to chocolate, coffee and wine supplied by well respected local businesses.
May
Shaftesbury Food and Drink Festival
Dorset Food Events
Numerous food stalls and cooking demonstrations. Festival entertainment including the annual Cheese Run on Gold Hill,
Springtide, The Jurassic Food Festival
Burton Bradstock
Sherborne Castle County Fair
June
Swanage Fish Festival, Swanage
Swanage Food Festival
Cooking demonstrations by day and stalls offering a mouth-watering array of exotic fish fare and locally sourced fresh catch of the day’, champagne and oysters, or a humble fish finger bap
Bridport Food Festival, Bridport
Bridport Food Festival
‘Everything delicious in the Bridport area’ a celebration of locally sourced food and drink. Stalls and cookery demos.
July
Dorset Seafood Festival
Dorset Seafood Festival
The award winning, free to attend Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival taking place around Weymouth’s famous historic harbour
August
Food Rocks Lyme Regis
Food Rocks Lyme Regis
Food Rocks has just celebrated its fifth year of fun and food, the brain child of chef Mark Hix. The aim of the annual event is to promote his hometown Lyme Regis, by presenting some of the best food, producers and suppliers that Dorset and the South West has to offer. The main stage offers interactive cookery demonstrations, talks and tastings.
September
Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival
Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival
The Blackmore Vale was referred to by Thomas Hardy as ‘The vale of little dairies’. The festival includes stalls from a wide range of cheese and other local food and drink suppliers and cookery demos.
October
The Wimborne Food Festival
Wimborne Food Festival
Nearly 100 food and drink stalls and a wide range of cookery demonstrations
November
Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair, Athelhampton House,
Website to be updated
Over 50 food stalls in this historic house. ‘the fair aims to be a true celebration of Dorset’
Park & Ride in operation from the council offices in Dorchester.
Places to eat along the Jurassic Coast
Discover some of the best Dorset food and drink in one of the restaurants and cafes listed below
Lyme Regis
Hix Oyster and Fish House Wonderful location, good food but relatively expensive. Patchy feedback on service
Tierra Kitchen Vegetarian restaurant with consistently good feedback
The Millside Restaurant Located in one of the oldest parts of the town, provides delicious food using locally sourced ingredients
Food on the go : Lyme Regis has several pasty shops and delis- and a fudge shop!
Seatown
The Anchor Inn Busy beachside inn, voted ‘Gastro-pub of the Year’ in the Dorset Food, Drink and Farming Awards 2017
West Bay
There are several excellent fish restaurants in this harbour town, the best being
The Riverside Not an imposing exterior – but the food is great!
Burton Bradstock
Hive Beach Cafe Great location, great food- fresh fish and home -made cakes
Weymouth
The Crab House Cafe Located on the outskirts of Weymouth overlooking Portland, this is an excellent fish restaurant,
voted ‘Best Seafood Restaurant’ in The Dorset Food, Drink and Farming Awards 2017
Mallams Restaurant Fine dining, harbourside
The Crustacean Restaunt Fish restaurant
Dorset Burger Company Independent restaurant with emphasis on locally sourced produce
Taste Café Chesil Overlooking the Fleet and Chesil Beach a lovely place to stop for refreshments
Lulworth
The Limestone House Excellent dining in in West Lulworth just above the Cove
The Lulworth Cove Inn Just a stones throw from the Cove itself with good pub food, Dog- friendly too
Lulworth Lodge Situated very close to the Cove itself serving ‘bistro’ food with an emphasis on local ingredients
Kingston
The Scott Arms Popular inn, recently listed as one of ‘The Times top 25 Country pubs for food’.
Corfe
The Morton House Hotel The hotel has held a 2 AA rosette for good quality local food since 2002
Swanage
The Salt Pig Too Good Café with excellent locally produced food- the original Salt Pig being in nearby Wareham.
Studland
The Pig on the Beach Excellent fine British dining with wonderful views over Studland Bay
