With a self-charging Lexus LBX and an appetite for discovery, Nick ‘Clarkson’ Harman explores Suffolk’s gastronomic heartland — from Michelin-starred marvels to market-stall scones — and finds a town that’s as kind to drivers as it is to diners…
In 1895, the Honourable Evelyn Ellis drove from Micheldever to Datchet and became the first petrol-driven vehicle to be used on British roads.
It was only 49 miles, but the Honorable Evelyn had to carry all the petrol he needed as there were, of course, no petrol stations. Today, we take for granted that we can fill up almost anywhere we want.
Not yet the case with EV vehicles, though, my excursion last month in the otherwise excellent all-electric Lexus RZ450e found me suffering range anxiety and a bad case of ‘charger seek’.
In response to my experience – and, indeed, the article – Lexus suggested I ‘take one of our hybrids next time’, and so it was that I got behind the (electric) steering wheel of a very snazzy-looking LBX Self-Charging Hybrid, and ventured off to Bury St Edmunds. As one does.
It wasn’t just about the car, though; it was as much about visiting the pretty market town. Known as ‘Suffolk’s Foodie Capital’, it has the county’s only Michelin star restaurant in Pea Porridge and a two-day Food and Drink Festival every August, as well as a great many restaurants.
The Lexus LBX Takumi CVT turned out to be a very pleasant and easy to drive compact three cylinder SUV that quietly spoke of high quality build and attention to detail all the way through. It even had auto parallel parking, but that was too much tech for me. The car moving by itself, with the steering wheel spinning all on its own, gave me serious heebie-jeebies and I didn’t dare try it again.
As for the ride, stitched leather trim, electric seats, head-up display; it was all very luxurious and the journey to our hotel, Ravenwood Hall Hotel & Restaurant, a historic country house just minutes from Bury, proved a breeze. The compact LCD screen claimed we achieved 61 m.p.g., helped no doubt by the battery seamlessly taking over under 30 m.p.h. before being self-recharged when back under petrol power. This, I must say, is electric motoring that makes sense. Ed Miliband must hate it.
Unlike so many towns today, Bury doesn’t hate motorists. Their carpark charges are testament to that, actively encouraging visitors – yes, I’m looking at you Lambeth – and, so, the Lexus safely stowed, we went into the centre. The town is known, of course, for the historic Abbey ruins, the Abbey Gardens, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and its weekly market. Today, the old market square still holds a large market on Wednesdays and Saturdays with locally sourced fruit and vegetables, meat, and fish.
Restaurants, cafes, wine bars and taprooms are absolutely everywhere down the winding lanes. We stumbled across The Nutshell pub, claiming to be the smallest pub in Britain at just 15ft x 7ft, as well as the Grade II listed building that houses the new Nethergate taproom and shop, serving all the local Nethergate beers and ciders, over two erratic and wobbly floors. A very friendly, mature crowd of discerning drinkers made it hard for me to leave and stop sampling the excellent range of local brews.
All the big national names in drinking and dining are in Bury, including, dare I say it, Wetherspoons who, to their credit, saved the historic Bury Corn Exchange – Bury used to be a powerhouse of corn production – from years of neglect, and in 2012 turned it into a great space taking great care to preserve the building’s character and finest features. Tim Martin isn’t all bad.
The streets around the market square, built on a grid by Abbot Baldwin in 1080, are charming, and here the numerous small independent bars and restaurants attract savvy visitors. Bang opposite the Abbey Gate is 5 Angel Hill. The couple that own it have worked in hospitality in the town for years and this is their first place, featuring great brunch dishes such as Bacon Pretzel Buns, their own Runny Yolk Scotch Egg, and a daily board of specials, not to mention loads of lovely home-made cakes, making this a very popular local spot.
Afterwards we headed down back streets wobbly with history – and apparent ignorance of plumb lines – and found Procopio’s Pantry. The eponymous owner makes marvellous scones, and almost everything else on the menu, by hand. His ‘Cheese Scone with a hint of Chilli’ won a Great Taste Gold Award and was absolutely delicious with a cup of tea. Perhaps washing it down with wine wasn’t a great idea, but our next stop, the warm and welcoming The Wine Cellar, a perfect place for oenophiles, made it hard to resist.
Full disclosure, I discovered lovely little places like this, that I might otherwise have missed, by going on the new Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Tour. Starting at 2pm every Thursday it’s led by professional tour guides who, as well as knowing all the best food and drink stops, also know everything about Bury and its history and so the whole tour was fun and fascinating. Lots of nice nibbles, plenty of small sips. By the end I was feeling gainfully replete, and had a new respect for Bury’s ever-increasing variety of food.
Not to be missed for food to take home is The Cheese Hole, an independent, specialist cheesemonger’s where you can find Baron Bigodis, a local cheese, brie in style and, in fact, the only traditional raw milk Brie-de-Meaux style cheese produced in the UK. A really lovely, complex but satisfying cheese. You can also stock up on all kinds of lovely beers at the Adnams shop in the market square.
To finish, though, in the evening I went back to visit Belotta, a new star in town. One of Bury’s more upmarket fine dining places, at first I thought it was closed when I arrived as it seemed deserted and dark, but this was misleading; all the action is out back.
A long table takes up two sides of the large open kitchen where Chef Ruben Aguilar, Bel, his pastry chef wife, and their young team serve you the set tasting menu straight from the stoves. It’s all rather Hoxton-y for Bury, but why not? Added character from chef’s thick Spanish accent and the team’s rather serious faces make you feel like you’re under instruction, but the quality of the food shines and guests soon start to chat amongst each other, which is warming.
Home baked bread using heritage flour, a rich gazpacho and superb Iberian ham croquetas kicked things off, and the dishes kept coming, with a grilled vegetables raviolo with Manchego foam and tomato crumble, then wild Suffolk coast bass with lemon emulsion and their own broad beans, Scottish squid and chervil.
On we went to Creedy Carver duck cooked on a charcoal grill, the way it would be in Spain, served with rainbow chard and confit duckleg; it was a superb piece of duck, cooked pink-perfect. And then to desserts of garden raspberries, strawberry sorbet, cava foam, saffron cream, dark chocolate mousse and elderflower sorbet. Sharp and sweet all at once, and beautiful to look at.
To finish, with coffee, black olive fudge and Marcona almond cookie topped what was truly elevated fine dining – quite literally, as we were perched on stools. Belota is a very worthy addition to the Bury food scene, one for connoisseurs of culinary creativity, standing tall with Zack Deakins’ 1921 restaurant, which recently won three AA rosettes.
The next day, a pitstop for more takeaways from the Nethergate Brewery before we were off back down the motorway to the tune of jolly clinking noises coming from the Lexus’s boot, and the powerful hum of the pungent aroma of Baron Bigodis which, despite the car’s powerfully good air conditioning, was succumbing to the heat wave going on outside.
Back home, boot full of beer and cheese and head full of flavour memories, I realised Bury St Edmunds hadn’t just topped up the Lexus — it had thoroughly recharged me too. It’s a lovely town to visit for any reason, but combine it with a food and drink focus and you’ve got a short break to satisfy any appetite.
Bury St Edmunds’ Food & Drink Festival takes place over the August Bank Holiday, Sunday 27th and Monday 28th. For more information, including details of chefs at the Stoves line-up, and more information of the town’s restaurants, please visit www.burystedmunds.co.uk.
