The Pearl of Dorset

Moving and dramatic, Lyme Regis is famous for the iconic scene featuring the harbour, or Cobb as it's called, in the film 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' starring Meryl Streep.  The film was released in 1981 but Lyme Regis is ancient, being part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site spanning 185 million years of the earth's history.  Visitors travel from far and wide to experience the area, enjoy the beach and in my case make a pilgrimage to the excellent Town Mill Bakery.  On my way to and from Devon for a short holiday I purposely made a detour each way so I could enjoy the delights of this artisan bakery.  Lyme Regis is known as the 'Pearl of Dorset' and this is truly a pearl of a bakery, the type you wish you had in your own town.  Using local, organic ingredients with everything prepared from scratch on site, the warehouse style premises are an open plan kitchen workshop area with simple long wooden tables and benches for customers to sit and enjoy coffee or a snack, as well as make their purchases.  Even if you can't get to the bakery in person their website includes recipes and inspiration to recreate their ethos at home: http://www.townmillbakery.com/ and would you believe the owner's name is Clive Cobb, a double co-incidence fitting not just for a baker, but based in Lyme Regis too.  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a fan and so am I.