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The Wild Garlic

Mat Follas, the 2009 Masterchef winner, is settling into this engaging and popular restaurant overlooking the square in bustling Beaminster. Décor is simple and rustic, with wooden floors, pale green painted beams, and solid mismatched tables, and the atmosphere is very chilled out.

In keeping, Mat’s cooking is refreshingly straightforward, allowing the flavours of the main ingredient to shine through, and his sensibly short daily-changing chalkboard menu champions top-notch produce from local artisan producers and foragers. Served with minimum fuss, dishes may include gutsy, accurately-cooked pigeon breasts with beetroot and berry compôte, beautifully fresh whole brill with caper and lemon butter, and lemon tart with pink rhubarb sorbet.