NF01 November/December 2023
Issue one of nearfield celebrates new beginnings across the region. We get excited about the reopening of Bristol Beacon, meet the hardy dippers revelling in the cold waters of the restored Cleveland Pools, find out what the Bristol Old Vic's new artistic director has planned; and explore the vintage shops, upcycling workshops, and reclamation yards breathing fresh life into old. We also keep readers moving through winter with a guide to indoor and outdoor activities, and meet the Icebreakers in our first community takeover. Plus we round up all the best events, experiences, and food and drink in the southwest this winter.
Issue one of nearfield celebrates new beginnings across the region. We get excited about the reopening of Bristol Beacon, meet the hardy dippers revelling in the cold waters of the restored Cleveland Pools, find out what the Bristol Old Vic's new artistic director has planned; and explore the vintage shops, upcycling workshops, and reclamation yards breathing fresh life into old. We also keep readers moving through winter with a guide to indoor and outdoor activities, and meet the Icebreakers in our first community takeover. Plus we round up all the best events, experiences, and food and drink in the southwest this winter.
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Food and Drink 17<br />
TOP-LEVEL DINING<br />
WITH A DIFFERENCE<br />
Want Michelin awards<br />
with none of the faff and<br />
fustiness? We’ve got you<br />
Photo: Ed Schofield<br />
ROOT<br />
12 Sadler Street, Wells<br />
The veg-led menu at Root’s Somerset<br />
outpost is, all by itself, worth the trip to<br />
this bijou city. Combine with a wander<br />
around Wells’ stately cathedral, spotting<br />
blue-robed choristers on cobbled<br />
streets, for a dreamy day out. Rob<br />
Howell has elevated his hometown’s<br />
culinary offering with the likes of<br />
burrata with blood nectarines, and<br />
Basque cheesecake with plum and<br />
orange, although a standout snack<br />
– fried cheddar and Marmite puffs –<br />
steals the show. Expect Tuesday night<br />
openings this season, a French-themed<br />
evening, and takeaway pizza for Wells<br />
Carnival (17 <strong>November</strong>).<br />
Small plates £9-£17<br />
rootwells.co.uk<br />
QUEEN OF CUPS<br />
10-12 Northload Street, Glastonbury<br />
Welsh-Jordanian chef Ayesha Kalaji doesn’t insist her<br />
distinctive dishes of laverbread falafel and lavenderbraised<br />
lamb are authentic. They’re an interpretation.<br />
“Food that feels true to myself, my area, my ideas.”<br />
Having read the semiotics of Middle Eastern food<br />
and spent summers with her grandma in Jordan,<br />
Ayesha set up in this 17th-century coaching inn in<br />
2021, introducing a quirky aesthetic and regular drag<br />
nights. She knows her stuff, and her suppliers, who<br />
grow Aleppo chillies and Syrian za’atar just for her.<br />
Hot dishes £7.25-£21.50<br />
queenofcups.co.uk<br />
OSIP<br />
1 High Street, Bruton<br />
Don’t expect anything so<br />
limiting as a menu at this<br />
Michelin-starred jewel,<br />
which promises an element<br />
of surprise. Merlin Labron-<br />
Johnson asks you to put your<br />
faith in his capacity to curate an<br />
experience that “celebrates a time and<br />
place in Somerset”, using whichever ingredients<br />
arrive from his nearby plots. Evenings involve<br />
preserved vegetables with fresh breads and broth,<br />
plus larger plates and sweets. Osip 2.0 is being built<br />
for spring at the foot of a forest in the Bruton hills.<br />
Full menu £120, shortened menu £69 (lunch only)<br />
osiprestaurant.com<br />
thenearfield.com<br />
<strong>NF01</strong>
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