The best dishes here are the ones the chefs have had little to do with
“Life is a journey, not a destination” may be the type of motivational spaff that imbeciles have on fridge magnets, yet within it there lies some truth. Several times recently, as I’ve traversed Britain sprinkling happiness, the journey to the restaurant has been much more fun than dinner.
The Severn & Wye Smokery in Gloucestershire sits between two of these islands’ most celebrated, salmon-abundant rivers, and details of the fishery here can be found in the Domesday book. As I sat in the upstairs restaurant, picking at fried salmon skin and smoked sprats while surrounded by men in red trousers and blazers dining with their genteel elderly aunts, I thought to myself: “This is a pleasant place to motor towards from Hereford or Chipping Norton. If you, well, need something to do.”
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