Food Lovers

You do not need to go to France or Italy for a foodie holiday. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet food experience or a cookery course, there is something to tempt you in the UK without travelling abroad. British cuisine is increasing in popularity, and with influences from all over the world the range of food in the UK is like nowhere else in the world.

Food and Foraging

Foraging, or finding wild food to eat, is becoming more popular as people turn to more natural and cheaper food sources. There are a number of short breaks available which include foraging courses but they include The Foxhunter, in Monmouthshire, Wales, where fantastic food is also available, The Welsh Centre for Alternative Technology where a number of foraging courses are available, and The Summer Lodge country house hotel in Dorset, which also has a wonderful restaurant.

Gourmet food breaks

Too many hotels to mention here do gourmet food breaks. Look for ones which do tasting menus, such as Nigel Haworth’s Northcote Manor in Lancashire. The restaurant is Michelin starred and there are five or eight course menus available. There is also an annual food festival, as well as cookery courses. Ludlow is a popular location for food breaks as there are a number of top class restaurants and hotels there. Try Fishmore Hall or Mr Underhills. There is an annual food festival in the town, which is rightly proud of its local food producers, market and food centres. Cumbria on a Plate offers food safaris which will introduce you to some of the wonderful foods of the area, as well as suggestions and bookings for fine dining restaurants in the area.

Cookery Courses

There are many general and specialist residential cookery courses in the UK. One of special note is Brompton Cookery School which is the only one based in a National Trust property. It is near Shrewsbury in Shropshire and offers a range of courses lasting from half a day to a week. Eckington Manor in Worcestershire offers a wide range of cookery courses either with or without accommodation. Examples of courses are “Exclusively Men” and Vegetarian Cooking. In the north of England, Harmony House cookery school also offers a variety of courses at all levels, including a course covering American and Caribbean cooking.

Taste and Enjoy

Whatever your cooking interests, the UK has such a wide variety of regional cuisine and world influences that you are sure to find something on a food holiday to suit your palate.

Alex is a journalist and writer who writes about eco holidays and all things green. He also maintains a green blog covering the UK and Europe.