To my mind Saturdays don’t get much better than a gentle nose round the antique stalls of Bridport’s street market — often against the holidayish backdrop of bunting and the rum-pum-pum of the town brass band — followed by a truffle through the stalls of the farmers’ market (Bridport is a bit of a foodie mecca and if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall filling his basket). And then, when there’s no vase left unturned, no tin of buttons left to inspect, no chutney left to taste, it’s on for a good lunch, preferably accompanied by a glass of something white and crisp. Having stowed our bargains in the car — a cane armchair, trays full of vine tomato plants and assorted plates — it was time to eat.
At 1pm the Bull Hotel was buzzing with happy shoppers. As it was a little chilly to eat in the courtyard, a friendly, helpful waitress guided us to a cosy corner booth in the main dining area — all bare floorboards, white walls and simple wooden furniture — and provided us with a menu and wine list. It took minutes to decide: char-grilled rib-eye steak and chunky hand-cut chips for the hungry carnivore among us (£16); three haddock fishcakes and parsley sauce with a poached egg on top for the ladies, including one seven-year-old (£11.50); and a crab and avocado salad with tomato jus which began life as a starter but on request doubled its size to become a main (£10). Oh, and a pint of Otters, and a bottle of the white — a delicious rhubarb-scented Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at £23. Despite the throng of diners, our food arrived promptly and we were tucking in.
The steak was declared “fantastic — one of the best I’ve eaten” and the crab salad also got the thumbs-up. My niece declared her sizeable fishcake “very nice, thank you” although struggled to finish it (her grandfather obliged). She then somehow managed to make a worthy assault on a bowl of pistachio ice cream. Again, when it started to defeat her, a host of spoons darted in to help. Teamwork at its best.
The Bull Hotel, 34 East Street, Bridport, Dorset (01308 422878; www.thebullhotel.co.uk)