5 of the best foodie UK summer breaks

A Cornish coastal haven

Hotel Meudon, Mawnan Smith, Cornwall 

Why it’s great for summer
Away from the holiday crowds and surfer dudes, Hotel Meudon hugs the top of a valley, folded into the softer side of Cornwall’s south coast. The gardens are lush with rare sub-tropical plants, and as you walk down the narrow cleft to the sea it’s like weaving through a mini rainforest. Step out at the bottom above Bream Cove – rocky, sandy and secluded – for a sense of privacy so rare in Cornwall at this time of year.

The food and drink
Start with cocktails in Freddie’s Bar. Even if you’re a committed negroni drinker, you might be tempted to stray off-piste: perhaps by a gin-based seasonal berry shrub or (our favourite) a ‘golden sour’ – a twist on the whisky-based classic made with local Rosemullion Gold rum.

The restaurant has a Victorian conservatory vibe – monochrome floor tiles and huge windows looking towards the garden and valley. Chef Dave Waters is proudly Cornish and works closely with nearby Soul Farm’s no-dig market garden for his “produce-led” cooking. He learned about fish from his grandfather – and from ex boss Nathan Outlaw.

Menu highlights were focaccia (pillowy), and pan-fried scallops with apple and cucumber – fresh, light, elegant. The star main course was line-caught bass with a buttery, intensely flavoured crab sauce. And for pudding? Fluffy, perfectly sweet-sharp raspberry soufflé.

Breakfast includes made-to-order bubble and squeak with bacon and fried egg, or waffles and maple syrup. On summer Saturdays there are lunchtime barbecues with live music to ramp up the holiday mood even further.

The rooms
Mid-century styling pervades, in muted-retro shades; rooms have the feel of an upmarket motel (bang on trend) with boutique hotel attitude. Many look towards the gardens and sea, some with balconies, and there’s a self-catering cottage in the grounds if you prefer to have more flexibility food-wise. Beds are just the right side of firm; bathrooms are smart, white and bright.

What’s not so great
The cooking has much to commend it, with several stand-out dishes, but we noted a general hesitancy with the seasoning. If that were addressed, the food would reach another level.

The cost
Doubles from £129 B&B based on two sharing (look out for offers for non-weekend stays including credits towards dinner). Dinner from around £45 a head. Wine: from £30 (the list is varied but not extensive).
Review: Karen Barnes (with Alan Rosenthal)

A field-to-fork vineyard a Kent

Tillingham, East Sussex 

Why it’s great for summer
Tucked away on a farm that dates back to the 13th century, you’re in the wilds of Sussex here, with nothing much around other than rolling vine-clad fields – though if you take a sunset stroll to the vineyard’s viewpoint, you can gaze across to the Cinque Port of Rye (you’re only 20 minutes from the coast).

The food and drink
It’s bang up to date, with an east-London-goes-to-the-country vibe, on-trend cooking and a low-intervention winery. Brendan Eades is one of those beardy modern chefs who’s as comfortable fermenting obscure veg as eking out the last bits of a wild deer. His vibrant six-course ‘garden menu’ can change over the course of an evening, depending on what’s freshest and best from Tillingham’s kitchen garden, surrounding farms and local fishermen’s nets. Our standout dishes were big leafy radishes with wild garlic oil and a sea bass roe dip; and a haunch and saddle of Tillingham mutton with garden chard and a drink-it-down mutton gravy.

Choose the wine flight for a journey through the world’s best-regarded low intervention wines. You can try the ones they make here too, of course, and if you’d like to learn more, book one of the daily tour-and-tastings. Great pizzas are served in the barn May to September. Kick things off with a martini made with fat-washed gin.

The rooms
TV-free, with 20th-century furniture, dark wood floors, mushroom-coloured walls with modern artwork, plus smellies from B-Corp company Fill. Complimentary almonds and moscatel sherry are a nice touch. There are also two bell tents sleeping two (available May to Sep).

What’s not so great?
Natural/low-intervention wine is a bit Marmite. The music in the restaurant is LOUD, which might also not be your bag. The continental breakfast buffet is a welcome change from the usual fare, but the no-waste ethos means some items might run out if you’re not up with the larks.

The cost
Doubles from £175 B&B. Bell tent from £170 B&B. Garden menu, £50. Wine flight, £45. Tour-and-tasting from £35pp.
Review: Les Dunn

Welsh camping with pizza on the side

Bert’s, Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Why it’s great for summer
The wildly rugged Llyn Peninsula, with miles of coastline owned by the National Trust, is for lovers of unspoiled landscapes, and Bert’s campsite (eco friendly and car-free) offers a proper back-to-nature experience. Skip through wildflower meadows to the beach for a swim or take a paddleboard/kayak (you can hire them from Bert’s) around nearby caves and the celebrated Trefor Sea Stacks.

The food and drink
The campsite’s restaurant is built around a small kitchen garden – you’ll find bonus homegrown botanicals in your Bert’s G&T (made with local Halen Môn gin), and garden veg and herbs on the excellent pizzas (try the Jones, with chilli honey, garlic, pepperoni, ’nduja and pea shoots). Pair it with unfiltered craft beer from Wild Horse Brewing Co in Llandudno. There are also hearty burgers, steak for two with chimichurri, and puds including an old-school ice cream sandwich.

Stars of the local dining scene include Sheeps & Leeks in Caenarfon and The Jackdaw in Conwy, run by former Fat Duck alumnus Nick Rudge. Some of them visit Bert’s for guest dinners in summer. For a drink by the beach, the Ty Coch Inn, along the coast at Porthdinllaen, is a must. Stock up on barbie goodies at Abersoch Farm Shop.

The rooms
You can bring your own – a camping pitch in the meadow, by the river or down by the beach costs from just £22 a night. There are also glamping tents and three shepherd’s huts with kitchenette, firepits and barbecues to hire – two sleep a couple with en suite shower room, the other sleeps four. The Piggery is an en suite cottage room for two with a private garden.

What’s not so great?
There’s barely any wi-fi, and some campers might baulk at not being able to use their own shower gel (rather lovely eco-friendly ones are supplied, though).

The cost
Camping pitches, £22 per person per night and £10 per child (under 5s free). Glamping Dutch tents (sleeping four), £85 per night. Shepherd’s huts from £120 a night. The Piggery (sleeping two), £175 per night. A blowout dinner won’t cost you more than £25.
Review: Les Dunn

Fine dining in the Yorkshire Dales

The Angel at Hetton, Yorkshire

Why it’s great for summer
In the National Park five miles from Skipton, Hetton is a rambler’s Eden with fine routes across farmland and rushing brooks (sturdy footwear required). The Dales’ quiet beauty is guaranteed to wow, and a warm reception awaits you on your return to the Michelin- starred Angel, which echoes its surroundings – think stripped beams and bar tables carved out of oak trees.

The food and drink
Chef-owner Michael Wignall puts flavour front and centre, with every coiffed morsel packing a punch. Expect contemporary combinations such as squab pigeon, pak choi, momoya (a seaweed condiment), spring onion and shiitake – each edible flower and oscietra caviar egg placed with tweezer precision.

Well-rehearsed waiters explain each dish as they add a final flourish in front of you – a drizzle of buttermilk dressing over Cornish crab; a cup of tomato seed and basil water poured to drink alongside Isle of Wight tomatoes with locally made goat’s curd – adding to the theatre of the experience.

Wignall champions his own gin in a moreish ginger and basil G&T, and the ample wine list is well considered. Breakfast is served in taster-menu fashion. Get ready for marmalade choux buns, home-cured salmon and sausages from nearby Nidderdale.

The rooms
Six bedrooms range from compact to CEO-approved, but all offer sleek Scandi-ish styling, plush bedding, fresh milk for teas and coffees, mood lighting options and views over Rylstone Fell. The neighbouring cottage conversion houses two studios and two suites, while across the road renovations are under way to add another 10 rooms.

What’s not so great?
The wi-fi is hit and miss, so replying to work emails might have to wait. Shame…

The cost
A Gourmet Getaway package starts from £590 for an eight-course tasting menu experience, overnight stay and breakfast for two.
Review: Rebecca Ranson

Scenic Scottish seclusion

Monachyle Mhor, Perthshire

Why it’s great for summer
Overlooking Loch Voil and within striking distance of five munros, you can try foraging, take up watersports, hire bikes, go fishing (permits are free to residents) or visit Rob Roy’s grave. After your adventures, head back to the hotel and sit on the sun-trap terrace with a cocktail.

The food and drink
Monachyle is a bucket-list pitstop for food lovers passing through the Trossachs. Executive chef Marysia Paszkowska’s seasonal menu is sophisticated but lacks pretence, with three filling courses. A starter of pork belly with artichokes, celery and sorrel was followed by pan-fried pollock with an aubergine tapenade, red peppers and ’nduja for a stunning explosion of flavours. Dessert, a dark cherry frangipane, signed things off merrily. The wine list is adventurous, with the house rosé (Gusbourne from Kent) a summer favourite.

At breakfast, warm scones await you (a nod to how the family business started – selling Tom’s mum’s scones at the side of the road). There’s yogurt with freshly made rhubarb compote, and you’d be remiss to turn down the full Scottish breakfast (complete with local haggis).

In summer the hotel runs Wine & Whisky Safaris, (£85 for a full day). It’s a day of walking, tasting and sipping the area’s specialities, taking in the stunning scenery as you go, with your chef cooking out in the open air.

The rooms
For a traditional stay, choose from Feature, Courtyard or Farmhouse rooms, which have plenty of living space, luxurious comforts, rolltop baths and postcard views. Grand Designs fans might fancy the restored 1950s Pilot Panther showman’s wagon or the eco-friendly Tiny House.

What’s not so great?
Fine food and luxury amid such stunning natural beauty doesn’t come cheap – but this is a treat worth saving up for.

The cost
Rooms start from £280 per night B&B, and the three-course set menu will set you back £85.
Review: Fiona Logan

Looking for more UK travel ideas? Celebrate in style with our pick of the best UK breaks for a special occasion or discover Britain’s best pubs for food lovers.