Where to eat in the Midlands A pint of community spirit

Date Published:

13/06/2008

There can't be many pubs in the UK that can boast rooms, a restaurant, their own on site brewery and a monthly farmers market but The Talbotin Knightwick certainly can

Indeed I think I'd be hard pushed on this trip to find a better example of a pub serving the community. It's a true example of what I call a hub pub. There's a strong lean on all things local. Their three main draught bitters are called 'This', 'That' and 'T'Other'. The T'Other being an exceptionally light and easy drinking ale perfect for summer at only 3.2 per cent.

The Tolly

The Clift family have run the 'Tolly' as it's known for over 24 years now, and the current manager is Annie. Her mother Jean is still active and mans a stall at the monthly Teme Valley Farmers Market selling terrines, breads and meats.

Also at the market are Neil and Penny from the Handmade Scotch Egg company that I visited the week before, with a lot of people fancying one as a quick snack, washed down with a pint.

Snoggable garlic and happy meat

There were some other really good producers I'd heard about but didn't have time to interview. Ian from Happy Meats was there, as was Berrow Honey, who had a honey and garlic product on offer, not for the morning toast but for marinating and glazing. Their honey and ginger was also worthy of note and would be perfect in six months time when the annual winter cold comes.

Also there, were , Snoggable Garlic, Hadley Orgainics and Lightwood cheeses who lay claim to be the oldest cheese makers still active in the country. And casting the enticing whiff of hot sausage over proceedings was The Parson's nose van, which considering they don't do chicken seems an odd name for a sausage company, good bangers mind.

The Talbot's been here since the 14th Century, the Market since 1998. Still, that makes it one of the oldest in the UK. And if the crowds are anything go by it's got plenty of life in it yet.

Know of a good farmers or ordinary market near you? Andrews keen to here about it, get it on the map.

Find out what else Andrew got up to on his tour of the map