AN ESTATE kitchen and picturesque café in west Dorset that sources its ingredients from within its own four walls has proven it has great taste.

Symondsbury Kitchen near Bridport, has been awarded a Silver Award for Best Café and Tearoom of the Year at the 2016 Dorset Tourism Awards.

Last year the kitchen was awarded a bronze award and now has its sights set firmly on securing gold next year.

Symondsbury Kitchen is part of a 1500 acre estate, sitting beneath the picturesque landmark of Colmers Hill and owned by the Colfox family for over 100 years. Most of the food is locally sourced and from the estate vegetable garden.

Business development manager Wendy Botwright said: “We are delighted to have been recognised in these prestigious awards.

“We select our menu carefully as our ethos is to provide good, honest, seasonal food using locally sourced ingredients.

“We are very lucky to have a large vegetable garden which provides us with vegetables, salad leaves, herbs and edible flowers during summer months.

“Game such as venison, rabbit, pheasant or pigeon is provided by the estate. We make all our own jam, jellies, marmalade and chutneys and are very proud that we recently won a Taste of the West Gold Award for our spiced orange and beetroot chutney and a Silver Award for our Seville orange marmalade.”

One Dorset Tourism judge said: “The menu and food were stunning – looked too good to eat!”

n The café is open every day for breakfast, lunch and tea. It is open for dinner every Thursday and Friday evening and is now taking bookings for Christmas.