What to eat in Ludlow

What to see in a day...

Described as the ‘loveliest town in England’ by poet Sir John Betjeman, Ludlow is certainly a looker; a collection of beautifully preserved black-and-white buildings gather around the dramatic medieval castle, with rural Shropshire forming a pretty green backdrop. It’s small in size, and all the attractions are easily walk-able, though you might need a car if you’re planning on exploring the surrounding villages and areas of beauty. Start your day with a glorious deepfilled sausage and bacon roll from Vaughans Sandwich and Salad Bar, a local institution that attracts sizeable queues at lunchtime for its similarly plentiful hot pork baps – jam packed with stuffing, apple sauce and lots of crackling. There’s a small seating area upstairs if you’d like to enjoy your breakfast with a cup of tea too.

Standing proudly over the town is the dramatic medieval Ludlow Castle (ludlowcastle.com), a must-visit for history lovers. Its rambling remains are great for exploring, and the on-site cafe does a cracking afternoon tea. But it’s more than just an attractive heritage site; come September massive marquees are erected inside the castle for the annual Ludlow Food Festival.

For lunch head to The Green Cafe, a picturesque little eatery set on the banks of the River Teme – on a sunny day, there’s no better spot in Ludlow. Much acclaimed for its produce-led menu, the cafe serves up Italianinspired seasonal food cooked with real flair, including gnocchi with a fennel sausage ragu and a vanilla, honey and blood orange panacotta.

Spend the rest of the day browsing the town’s numerous shops and boutiques. It’s well worth planning your trip to coincide with the Ludlow Local Produce Market (held on the second and fourth Thursday of the month) – a surprisingly large event that showcases the finest food made within 30 miles of the town. (localtoludlow.org.uk)

What to see in a weekend...

DAY ONE

In Ludlow, independent retailers are king. The town centre, despite its fairly small size, is a real hub for locally-made goods, from Price The Bakers (pricesthebakers.co.uk), which has baked its own bread since 1943, to The Mousetrap Cheese Shop (mousetrapcheese.co.uk) which has a dazzling selection of cheeses from all over the UK, but with a real focus on Shropshire and the surrounding area. Spend the morning strolling around town taking in the pretty sights; Ludlow boasts around 500 listed buildings from different eras, all rubbing shoulders in attractive harmony. The majority of them are in commercial use, meaning you can admire them from the inside and outside. One of the finest is the beautiful timber framed Feathers Hotel (feathersatludlow.co.uk) – pop in for a coffee and a snack and check out the décor. For lunch, head to The Queens (thequeensludlow.com), a family run pub with rooms that’s loved by locals and visitors alike. The menu is simple and packed with crowd-pleasers like homemade steak and ale pie and smoked mackerel pate. Located in a converted railway shed a short walk north of the railway station, The Ludlow Brewing Co. (theludlowbrewingcompany.co.uk) is well worth a visit. Gleaming brewing equipment stretches right up into the old ceilings and there’s a friendly and informal bar area where you can sample all of the six beers made on site. Tours kick off at 3pm during the week and 2pm on Saturdays and include tasters of all six beers and a free pint for £6.

DAY TWO

On your second day we’d highly recommend taking a slight detour to the tiny village of Bromfield, home of the famous Ludlow Food Centre (ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk). Starting out as a simple farm shop in 2007, the business has grown exponentially and now makes it’s own cheese, charcuterie, preserves, ice cream...in fact it’s easier to list what the food centre doesn’t make in house! Head over in the morning and kick things off with breakfast or brunch at Ludlow Kitchen, the on-site bistro, where you can feast on sausages, old-spot bacon and black pudding fresh from the butchers, bread and pastries from the artisan bakers, as well as incredible honey produced on the Ludlow estate – all washed down with delicious coffee from the food centre’s own roasting room. The shop is a real sight to behold, and you could easily spend an hour or two browsing the array of produce, as well as the cookshop and garden centre next door. There are some lovely walks through the nearby Oakley Park Estate (the food centre has a guide to a particularly nice one that takes you back into Ludlow) so we’d recommend picking up some delicious snacks from the food centre and eating alfresco if the weather is nice. For dinner, book a table at The French Pantry (thefrenchpantry.co.uk), a cosy, trad bistro that transports you to rural France. The menu is packed with Gallic classics like confit duck, moules frites and apple tart tatin – all cooked to perfection using top quality ingredients. The wine list is fab too.

Where to stay

The Clive is a warm and friendly restaurant with rooms, which is part of the Ludlow Food Centre, and based just a short drive outside of the town. Set on the Earl of Plymouth’s Oakly Park Estate, the surroundings couldn’t me more serene, making it a perfect spot to really switch off and relax. The hotel itself was originally an 18th century farm house and the adjoining barns have been transformed into 15 beautiful modern bedrooms that still retain their original charm. As you’d expect, food is a major draw to the hotel. For dinner, start with drinks in the pretty courtyard outside. Diners can sit in the cosy bar and choose from a hearty selection of pub classics, including steaks, beer battered fish and chips and a sharing platter piled high with deli items from the Ludlow Food Centre, or opt for posher fare in the restaurant. Tempting options include chicken and black pudding Wellington, pan-fried Ragstone goat’s cheese salad, and sticky toffee and date pudding. Breakfast is equally delicious with fresh homemade toast, warm pastries and all top notch bacon, sausages and black pudding sourced from the shop next door. theclive.co.uk