You know on those TV talent shows when you have a whole load of contestants who come in all glitz and glamour, and then someone walks on who’s just simple and natural and just blows you away with their natural talent?
That second one – that’s what Briar reminds me of.
With Bruton being dubbed ‘the Notting Hill of the South West’ and ‘one of Britain’s poshest towns’ it could be hard to stand out against the showy celeb hotspots, but Briar’s farm-to-table ethos and quiet brilliance has already earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and a must-visit reputation since opening at the end of last year.
Sam Lomas Photo: Matt Austin The man behind Briar is gifted young chef, Sam Lomas, alumnus of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage, and winner of numerous accolades.
He’s passionate about using proper craft techniques like butchery, bread making and preservation, and in helping the diner feel a connection to the fields, rivers and forests that have provided the ingredients.
The connection to nature runs through everything, from the very name of the place, to the décor which is all soft tones of greens and creams with splashes of sunshine yellow– reminiscent of the countryside which has inspired the menu. On our polished wooden table table sits a small earthenware vase of fresh daisies. Nothing fancy, just a perfect showcase of nature’s natural beauty.
There’s a view of the kitchen, from which comes a kind of contented hum and occasional laughter as the small team busies themselves with the orders. It feels like a happy place to be, and that joy comes across in the food too.
A range of dishes at Briar Photo: Matt Austin Sam has created a small plate, sharing style menu which is tweaked daily depending on what’s available from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden and the local producers that supply many of the ingredients. It means that there’s the chance to try a good selection from the menu, for which I’m very grateful as it all sounds heavenly.
Westcombe Cheddar gougères are pillows of cheesy more-ish-ness. Warm, and soft and utterly addictive. If we hadn’t ordered so much already then I would have been tempted to ask for another plateful.
Fried pressed potatoes, beef tartare and wild garlic is wickedly good. A tranche of crispy potato is laden with soft, rich, well-seasoned tartare, and topped with accents of wonderfully fresh and tangy wild garlic. It’s a new combination for me, but I love it – and clearly so do the other diners as I hear the table next door order a second portion and then debate a third!
The Somerset Sobrasada on toast with pickled shallots and parsley is a riot of flavours and texture. The soft sausage is smoky, with a hint of spice and a whisper of sweetness, with the shallots cutting through with their sharpness.
In an attempt to eat a vaguely balanced meal we feel like we should have at least one vegetable-based dish and choose the white beans with smoked onions, monksbeard parsley and walnuts. White beans might be one of the blandest ingredients out there, but Sam must be master of some kind of kitchen sorcery as this bowl is positively overflowing with flavour. The beans are soft and creamy and comforting, with sweetness and smokiness from the onions, nutty warmth from the nuts and the parsley adding a herbaceous note.
Briar in Bruton Photo: Matt Austin A good piece of fish is a thing of beauty, and our hot smoked trout with dill pickles and herb butter sauce is beautiful alright. Yielding into soft, shiny pink flakes at the merest suggestion of a fork, the trout is heady with smoke – but not so much that it drowns out the natural flavour and the sauce is decadent and heavy with herbs. It could almost be too rich, almost, but the slivers of crunchy dill pickles and balance to both flavour and texture.
The grilled lamb belly skewer with spring onion, yoghurt and green chilli was my stand out dish of the day. I love lamb belly anyway with all the wonderful flavour coming from the fat. The meat is tender and sweet, there’s crunch from the spring onion, the yoghurt is so decadent it’s almost a cream-cheese like flavour and there’s sparkles of spice from the chilli. It’s so delicious I find myself putting all pretence at decorum aside, and I practically lick the plate clean.
We can’t leave without trying pud, obviously.
The Somerset apple cake was so drenched in butterscotch it was unashamedly almost in sticky toffee territory, while a backed cream with rhubarb and oats was less indulgent, but no less divine.
There’s something very honest about everything at Briar. There’s no hiding behind overly complicated techniques or fancy flourishes. It’s food made with real care and love, that’s made to be shared and enjoyed. Sam even makes a point of coming out of the kitchen to serve some dishes himself, and talk to the diners which makes you believe that he really cares about what you think.
Briar really is everything you could want from a restaurant. Simple.
Briar, 1 High Street, Bruton, BA10 0AB
numberonebruton.com/briar
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