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MasterchefTreat yourself and your family and friends this September, with these exquisite recipes from Chef Adam Fellows from Goodfellows restaurant in Wells:
Starter: Slowly cooked Quantock duck, with bubble and squeak and caper dressing
Main course: Pan-fried sea bass, with Rowswells Farm baby artichokes and olive puréeDessert: Raspberry, brandy snap and spicy nougatine layer READ MORE »  OTHER ARTICLES
It’s a Scoop!On a sunny day in August dairy farmer Rob Lunnon emerges from the freezer room dressed like an alpine skier and cradling pots of ice cream and sorbet. The flavours in his gloved hands each have temptingly indulgent names like chocoholic chunk, stem ginger and caramel with vanilla fudge.
This is the home of multi-award-winning Mendip Moments, whose premium ice cream is made from the milk of pedigree Holsteins grazing on the lush pastures at Lower Haydon Farm near Wells. READ MORE » 
Yes, Pieminister!In the space of four short years a small company, based in Stokes Croft in Bristol, has won a multitude of awards, gained a reputation for excellence, generated a growing wholesale business and opened a series of retail shops around the country, all through selling the humble pie. But these are no ordinary pies. They are hand-made and lovingly produced using only the finest ingredients. Two lads from Bristol are doing wonders for pie-making in Britain. Tuck into a traditional pm pie this June. READ MORE » 
Good Enough for AdultsIt used to be an accepted truism that baby food was pretty bland and rather unpalatable. You might put some on your tongue to check the temperature but you wouldn’t go much further than that. Times have changed. There’s a company based just outside Radstock which produces baby food that has been winning awards in adult categories. Started by a couple of mums who couldn’t find the right food for their children, Truuuly Scrumptious is now an award-winning organic baby food business, which even has a recipe book to its name. READ MORE » 
The Chocolate TartLet me make one thing quite clear before we get started – chocolate and I have never been the best of friends. I have always been more of a roast potato girl, happier with a lard-smeared Maris Piper than a chocolate fondue. Valentine’s Day has never, for me at least, been spelled out in chocolate hearts and fondant flowers. But then, you see, I had never fallen under the tutelage – and spell – of The Chocolate Tart. That epiphany took place on a dark, dank winter’s night in Congresbury, where The Chocolate Tart (aka professional caterer and chocolate aficionado Lisa Clarke) holds her master classes in this rich, velvet concoction. READ MORE » 
West Country Cheesemakers say Sack the StiltonThe British Christmas cheeseboard can be as predictable as stockings, satsumas and socks. So, why not add a little sparkle to your yuletide cheese selection and send a little festive cheer to Somerset’s fantastic cheesemakers? The county is home to a wealth of artisans who still take pride in creating the very finest hand-made cheeses. Unwrap a few of these delightful local specialities this Christmas and you’ll discover a wonderfully diverse array of flavours and textures, with something to excite every palate. READ MORE » 
A Trio of Somerset Food FestivalsSomerset will be celebrating its excellent local food and drink this October with a series of three food festivals around the county. Somerset’s food festival fun starts on 29 September with the South Somerset Food Festival, which runs for nine days until 7 October; next up is the Exmoor Food Festival (6-14 October), which is going from strength to strength, and finally there is the fifth Mendip Food & Drink Festival from 19-28 October. So get roving around the county this month and taste the best that Somerset has to offer. READ MORE » 
| Berry Good for YouIt’s official: scientists have announced that the healthiest fruit is the humble British blackcurrant. Forget blueberries, pomegranates and the exotic goji berries, recent research by the Scottish Crop Research Institute has shown that our own little black beauty is number one. The fruit is growing in Somerset and should be in the shops in the next few weeks, but be alert because they’re in season for only a short while.
Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, the blackcurrant is definitely a superfruit. This July we visit Bradfields Farm, which has been producing blackcurrants for Ribena for three generations. READ MORE » 
Land of Mead and HoneyHoney producer David Bates is frequently asked to provide bottles of mead for wedding-day celebrations. There is a European tradition that if a newly married couple are provided with enough of the honey-based drink for a month – hence the term honeymoon – then they will be blessed with a male first-born. The veracity of the story is questioned by the fact that David himself has two daughters, but it’s a nice bit of folklore. To celebrate the tenth National Honey Week, 5-11 May 2008, ‘Somerset Life’ raises a glass of mead to the honeybee and talks to a local beekeeper. READ MORE » 
The Miller’s TaleMost flour is now made in modern factories by industrial processes. However, at Burcott Mill, two miles from Wells, the traditional process, powered by waterwheel, survives. Burcott is one of only two fully working watermills in the county and the only one to produce organic flour. To demonstrate how he makes his organic flour, Ian Burt takes ‘Somerset Life’ on a tour of his 19th-century working watermill. READ MORE » 
Mutton on the MenuWhen was the last time you ate some mutton? Perhaps it was years ago or maybe never, for while Victorians such as Mrs Beeton may once have sung its praises, mutton has for too long been seen as an inferior alternative to lamb. Its decline in popularity can be traced back to rationing during the war years, when often only poor quality mutton was available. Sheep breeders on Exmoor are aiming to develop a regional brand, and in doing so they may succeed in restoring the reputation of the much-maligned mutton. READ MORE » 
Stocking Up for ChristmasAsk John Sheaves if we should all be buying locally produced food this Christmas and he replies with an emphatic: “Too right!” The Chief Executive of Taste of the West is passionate about produce from our part of the world and he is eager for us to enjoy an extra special Christmas dinner this year. By buying locally produced food which tastes great, we could also be helping the local economy – and the planet too. READ MORE » 
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Somerset Walks
Whether you choose a woodland trail, a stroll through Lorna Doone country, a walk centred around impressive geological features or on spectacular viewpoints, our wonderful selection of Somerset walks, which feature monthly in the magazine, will bring you chance encounters with Exmoor ponies, feral goats, rabbits, kestrels, buzzards, red deer and butterflies.
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Garden Visits
Inspirational visits to gardens across the county feature in Somerset Life every month and here we give you a taste of just six of them, most of which are open to the public and guaranteed to enlighten and enthral.
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Celebrity Interviews
Characters from the county talk to us every month about their lives and loves, and this selection captures the flavour and variety of six of these celebrity interviews. You can catch up with the latest interview in the current issue of Somerset Life.
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10 good reasons to visit...
In this popular series which features every month in Somerset Life, we take a deeper look at what there is to see and do in villages and towns across the county.
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