WORDS: Orlando Murrin
Bristol is a city that takes its food extremely seriously. A couple of months ago, I was a fly on the wall at the judging of the Bristol Good Food Awards: it was quite something to observe the dozen passionate judges – a starry mix of food writers, restaurateurs and food producers, including the Telegraph’s Xanthe Clay and wine guru Susy Atkins – blind-tasting their way through hundreds of cakes, cheeses, condiments, drinks and preserves.
Chairman was Angela Mount; at the time, she couldn’t give anything away, except “I’m thrilled so many tiny producers are coming through.”
The awards were announced on 30 June (check out the winners at bristolgoodfood.co.uk).
I was particularly glad to see honours going to Pieminister (for its luscious local pies) and Westcombe Dairy (best local cheese).
The accolade for best restaurant went to Casamia in Westbury-on-Trym.
Already Michelin-starred, this ultra-sleek oasis on the outskirts of the city is the quintessence of cool. Created by brothers Peter and Jonray Sanchez-Inglesias on the footprint of their father’s long-successful Italian restaurant, this is one of those places where you just know everything is going to be perfect from the moment you step through the door. My companion and I savoured the six-course lunch menu, including an impeccable goats cheese and beetroot tartlet, a risotto made from Sharpham Park spelt and a rhubarb fool that arrived in a cloud of dry ice. Pure perfection at £38.
