Truly Scrumptious - Hackwood Farm, Shop and Tearooms, Derbyshire

We love good farm shops and this one in Radbourne, Derbyshire, is another great find.

Hackwood Farm Shop & Cafe opened in 2011 and sources produce from traditional local suppliers.  Their butchery is run in partnership with award winning Owen Taylor Sons.

    

And their cafe serves freshly prepared daily specials including breakfast snacks, light lunches and afternoon teas, again using locally sourced ingredients from the farm shop and other trusted suppliers. 

This Spring they are opening a small children's farm giving children the opportunity to see, hear and smell farm animals and understand where their food comes from. 

All images (c) Hackwood Farm

There will be a big welcome from Bobby the goat and all his friends when you go to visit.  Check their website for further details. www.hackwoodfarm.com

Truly Scrumptious - the Beckford Arms, Tisbury. Wiltshire.

It's easy to see why the Beckford Arms has been voted UK Dining Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide.

  

The inn is covered in ivy and lit with welcoming lamps. It manages to be a country pub, restaurant and hotel all the same time. There is a choice of places to eat: a bustling bar, elegant dining room, pretty conservatory and garden or a quiet sitting.

It's no surprise to learn that Charlie Luxton trained at Babington House. Together with co-owner Dan Brod they have stamped their own style on the place. 

The menu has its roots in pub food but is so much more which I can't possibly do credit to here, but goes from traditional pub fare (ham, egg & homemade chunky chips) to more eclectic choices such as suckling pig, locally caught trout, game pie, followed by dark chocolate truffle with sea salt ice-cream.

Truly Scrumptious - Verdi's, Mumbles, Gower

Working today, so I'm not venturing out for coffee.  But that doesn't stop me daydreaming about where I'd like to be sitting.

With panoramic views over Swansea Bay and over 30 flavours of ice-cream, Verdi's is a must for coffee lovers too.  

This family run café/restaurant has prime position on the seafront in the quaint Victorian fishing village of Mumbles.   It's the perfect spot for sitting down with the newspapers at the weekend and indulging in a fancy cake with coffee or treating yourself to one of their amazing ice-creams which regularly feature in top 10 lists.  

In the winter you can shelter from the wind but still enjoy the dramatic weather from behind the glass and when the weather finally warms up there is plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the scenery and watch everyone else jog or cycle past.  

Day Trips - Compton Abbas Airfield, Dorset

With young children eager to get out and do stuff Compton Abbas airfield, nearby, is just perfect. 

As long as the weather's good, there's always something taking off or landing and with a great viewing platform from the cafe's terrace, they can see all the action in safety.  They often have classic cars and motorbikes parked up in gleaming rows too.

My son loves seeing the pilots when they're all dressed up and I know he'll be begging for a trial flight or lesson when he's old enough.

Lunches are great and it's an ideal spot for coffee and cake too.

And you don't need to take off to enjoy the view.  Just across the road there's a parking spot where you can leave the car, burn off those excess calories and breathe in the stunning scenery from Spread Eagle Hill across the Dorset countryside.

Truly Scrumptious - Byfords, Holt, Norfolk

A few years ago we were invited to our friends' wedding near Holt and took advantage of it by having a week's holiday there.  We were even luckier to have happened upon a fantastic cottage in the centre of the village (you can see it at the far right of the picture above) because it was literally a stone's throw from Byfords, an amazing deli, coffee shop, restaurant and boutique B&B.  The owners sum it up perfectly when they describe it as a higgedly-piggedly world of pleasure.  It really is.

We felt almost duty bound to make the arduous trip across the road every morning for fresh coffee and croissants, followed by a quick return to stock up on supplies for a hearty picnic.  We had brought our bikes with us (it being pretty flat terrain) but would still be in need of sustenance on our adventures.  They stocked everything and more that you could wish for in a deli, so accurately described as a culinary Aladdin's cave.  Speciality breads, locally sourced; jams, chutneys, olives and cheeses.

After a full day in the saddle, we felt justified in quenching our thirst with a glass of chilled wine, choosing to sit outside and watch the world go by.

We did venture to other places - usually at the recommendation of information provided by Byfords and were never disappointed.  So if you're in the area or fancy a weekend away, do check this place out.

Truly Scrumptious - the Tickled Pig, Wimborne, Dorset

Another weekend and another chance to try somewhere different for coffee.  
Today - the Tickled Pig in Wimborne.  It's a restaurant and cookery school but they're also open in the morning, serving tempting pastries and great tasting coffee. 

It's no more expensive that the Costa around the corner, but you don't have to queue for your coffee and their food is made on the premises. 

There's plenty of seating and a welcoming fire which has probably been lit frequently this year.  We'll be booking a table for dinner soon.