The legendary baker picks a local sushi restaurant, a wonderful country house hotel and his favourite local butchers and greengrocers
EATING OUT
Yen Sushi
11 Bartlett Street, Lower Lansdown, Bath BA1 2QZ; +44 1225 333313, www.yensushi.co.uk
The only Kaiten-style sushi restaurant in Bath. “It is nice quality and has really good food. The children love it here and I think it’s great to get them to learn about raw fish. Plus, the boys are gannets and they need to eat straight away so it’s great for that.” – Richard
The Pig near Bath
Hunstrete House, Pensford, Bath BS39 4NS; +44 1761 490490, www.thepighotel.com/near-bath
One of The Pig country house hotels (others can be found in Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest). “Everything from The Pig is sourced from within a 25-mile radius so it is really local. They also have their own garden with pigs and chickens.”
Babington House
Frome, BA11 3RW; +44 1373 812266, www.babingtonhouse.co.uk
A Somerset outpost of the Soho House hotel group. “This is a little heaven where you can actually get away from everything. We often go for a swim and dinner.”
The Fox
The Street, Broughton Gifford, Melksham SN12 8PW; +44 1225 782949, www.thefox-broughtongifford.co.uk
This is where the Bertinets head for the real-deal English roast experience. “It’s great for beers and for their big slabs of pork with massive crackling. It’s the same as you would do at home but better and you don’t have to do the washing up.”
The Scallop Shell
20 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2AY; +44 1225 420928, www.thescallopshell.co.uk
“My friend Garry Rosser opened up this place in Bath [the first branch is at the White Row Farm Shop in Frome, Somerset] last December. I love seafood and it is amazing.” (pictured above)
BUYING IN
The Fine Cheese Co
29-31 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BN; +44 1225 483407, www.finecheese.co.uk
We have a quick peruse of this mind-bogglingly full cheese shop on the way home. Behind its Georgian-style shop façade, it is groaning with cheeses brought directly to the shop from British farms and others imported from abroad. “You can always get great cheese there,” Richard tells us.
Waitrose
The Podium, Northgate St, Bath BA1 5AL; +44 1225 442550, www.waitrose.com
It might sound prosaic but Richard swears by Waitrose for the basics. “I like that it is a supermarket that has good quality as well as local produce.”
Neston Park Farm Shop
Bath Road, Atworth, Wiltshire SN12 8HP; +44 1225 700881, www.nestonparkfarmshop.com
“This is a big farm shop where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as get your groceries. They have a really good butcher too. If I go shooting I often stop by to stock up on the way back.”
Terry & Son
9-10 London Street, Bath BA1 5BU; +44 1225 464655
This is like the butcher that time forgot and does beautiful-looking meat too. “We are blessed with so many good food shops in Bath but this is where I regularly buy my meat. He will always show you the meat first, which is so important.”
Eades
18 Crescent Lane, Bath BA1 2PX; +44 1225 317319
Eades is a greengrocer tucked just behind Bath’s majestic Royal Crescent. “They can source anything – anything – you ask for. And I’ve discovered it’s always worth asking what’s out back as they don’t put everything at the front. The beetroot, for one, is amazing.”