Beckford Bottle Shop
If one of life’s little pleasures is sharing in places that you ought to seek out, places new, or established and under the radar, places you can just be yourself, where you feel a part of something not just a credit card number, then, Bath has had a problem.
Because my local city, that heartbreaker, a limestone sea trickling down to the Avon, has been pretty as a perfect spring day, but lacking substance. A place of chains. Come feel the ‘Bath Experience’, just like every other city centre galore.
That place you pop into for a walk round, looking up and then heading out and eating elsewhere.
Of course there are gems, but like the excellent Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay, they were outside rather than in the tourist tent.
So instead, I would point car in other direction, sometimes towards Tisbury, well next to the blue lake of Fonthill, down the A303, off either towards Messums or through the gates of Fonthill Bishop, up the drive and park next to The Beckford Arms.
The Beckford Arms, a modern country pub done right. Full of locals and those (hello) down from London. Good food, good booze, just a good pub.
A few round here, usually run by people who love pubs and hospitality rather than simply a quick buck.
They’ve helped inadvertently make this the spot to be. It’s that game “so, where do you live?” for fashion people near Bruton, trendy types near Frome, or Tisbury for most, list topping for quality of life in all the Sunday supplements.
But never Bath.
Until, Landrace and Beckford Bottle Shop. Landrace spoken about previously is great, and doing heroic things right now.
Beckford Bottle Shop which is sister of the Tisbury Beckford Bottle Shop and The Beckford Arms (plus The Talbot & excitingly the soon to be transformed Bath Arms in Horningsham) has been a Bath saviour.
Saville Row, so top end of town, just off The Circus, portrait pretty, simple premise, a very good wine shop, run by knowledgeable but unpretentious people, with an atmospheric bistro attached. A bistro, I’ve taken everyone since it opened. Small, to be shared, plates of seasonal British food, tastily prepared and beautifully presented. There’s no froth or dry ice, just good solid cooking with a sexy wine list.
For lunch – perhaps a Cubano and some vegetable fritti & sharp holiday tasting aioli– or blossom pink onglet. Then Bath Chaps with apple sauce, cured trout with fruit or more likely, bit of everything.
Everyone happy with that crisp glass of something good smile on face.
Although as designated driver I usually chat with Travis who runs the wine in Bath and buy a bottle to take home, having taken great pleasure converting people who thought Bath a fairly lost cause.
It’s lunch I’ve missed so much during lockdown. Long lunch is me - explains a lot – whether in town or out.
I miss civilised warm summer’s afternoons. Sat outside, table groaning with food and glistening bottles of house rose, or in the window during winter, company close, discussing life.
It’ll have to wait, instead, the next best thing a case or two of their very decent, perfectly them, drinkable, life enhancing house wine. Delivered straight from Nick in Tisbury to me and drunk very cold, sat in garden watching the birds.
Right now, life is funny, watching what is going on and thinking of people you care directly affected, wondering what is going to happen, doing that crossing of fingers and praying to something you don’t believe in thing, backup insurance policies you hope never to have to call in.
So, these occasional moments of normality, reminders of the greater world and warmth and conviviality of human life are vital. Moments away from the news, away from the worry, where you can lose yourself, stare up at the sky and feel the sun on your face.
