Tapas, ewe's cheese and Kurdish naan: Michelin-star chef Josh Eggleton's Bristol food heroes
Josh Eggleton, 31, is one of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in the country. He began his career in a local chippy at the age of 15.
After winning the prestigious Gordon Ramsay College Scholar competition, he turned down jobs with top chefs in order to take over a 200-year-old pub close to home with his sister Holly Eggleton in 2006. The Pony and Trap in Chew Magna has held a Michelin-star since 2011.
Eggleton hasn't stopped there: his Bristol empire now also includes a fish and chip shop, Salt & Malt, a veg-centric restaurant, Root, and another pub - The Kensington Arms (which he fondly refers to as the "Kenny".)
"The food scene has gone mental over the last couple of years around here," says Eggleton. "There’s so much produce. If you want to get a real experience of Bristol, get down to Wapping Warf. There are microbreweries, independent coffee shops and MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen's pan-Asian restaurant, Woky Ko, which does great bao buns. It's got everything you could wish for."
Here are some of his other Bristol recommendations:
Wallfish Bistro
A post shared by Wallfish Bistro (@wallfish_bistro) on Mar 2, 2018 at 2:31am PST
"I live in Clifton in Bristol, and a favourite haunt of mine is the Wallfish Bistro. It’s a seafood restaurant and wallfish is the Mendip or Somerset name for “snail”. The oysters are amazing: there's scrumpy fried oysters with jalapeño mayonnaise, Vietnamese dressings and classic native oysters on the rocks.
"The whole crab with lemon and the lobster and rabbit pies are great. I’ll often go to there at the weekend for oysters and Bloody Marys and then go on to the Kenny for a roast dinner."
112 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DB; wallfishbistro.co.uk
Emmeline
A post shared by Emmeline (@emmeline_bristol) on Feb 24, 2018 at 8:36am PST
"I always go to a cafe called Emmeline, near Stokes Croft, which serves fantastic takeaway grilled cheese sandwiches, ham and cheese croissants, wraps, really healthy salads, smoothies and iced coffees through a hatch when it’s hot. It’s filled with house plants and flowers for sale too."
116 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol BS6 5RW; 0117 329 3150
Meat Box
A post shared by Meat Box Bristol (@meatboxbristol) on Apr 23, 2018 at 6:39am PDT
"Meat Box is a great organic butcher down in the CARGO shipping container development - it’s part of The Story Butchers, which farms all its own animals in the Chew Valley. They’ve got a dry-ageing fridge so you can get great beef, or you can just pick up a single steak to have at home. The lamb is also really good."
Unit 24, Cargo 2, Museum Street, Bristol BS1 6ZA; wappingwharf.co.uk
The Banana Boat
A post shared by Ellie & Lucy: (@betterbristolandbeyond) on Mar 28, 2018 at 5:30am PDT
"Near where I live, we get loads of great fruit and vegetables to have at home from a greengrocers called The Banana Boat. The guy who runs it is Italian so he also sells amazing olive oil and the odd bit of Italian charcuterie, when you’re lucky. I like to run around there and see what’s in its prime."
117 Oxford St, Bristol BS3 4RL; 0117 972 3302; bristol.org
The Bristol Cheesemonger
A post shared by Tim & Angela (@homewoodcheeses) on Apr 12, 2018 at 3:01am PDT
"The Bristol Cheesemonger is fantastic. It’s all British cheeses. I’m really enjoying the Cornish Gouda and Cornish blue at the moment. They also sell Homewood Cheeses, which are made by Tim and Angela in Ubley. Their cheeses are a staple in all our restaurants. They do ricotta and feta-style pickled cheese - and it’s all made by hand with ewe’s milk."
The Bristol Cheesemonger, Unit 8 CARGO 2, Museum Street, Bristol BS1 6ZA; bristol-cheese.co.uk
Matina
A post shared by Matina Bristol (@matina_middleeastern) on Apr 10, 2018 at 8:25am PDT
"There’s a place in Saint Nicholas Market called Matina that’s Kurdish - they do marinaded lamb, chicken, halloumi, baked breads, naans and wraps to order in a clay oven. But you’ve got to get there at the right time, because the queue is ridiculous: go at 11am or 4pm, either side of the rush."
The Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Street, Bristol BS1 1JQ; 0117 922 4014
Paco Tapas
A post shared by @pacotapas_ on Jun 21, 2017 at 2:33am PDT
"Just over the river from Wapping Wharf, Taco Tapas is the tapas restaurant from Casamia's Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. I go there as much as possible. Sometimes, even if I’m not intending to go and I cycle or walk by, I just go in for a glass of proper dry sherry and a little bit of jamón. I recommend the chef’s suggested menu of seven courses of tapas too - it’s a good exploration of the menu."
3a, The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol BS1 6SY; 0117 925 7021; pacotapas.co.uk
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