Ludlow is a renowned gastro hotspot, but one where eating well usually carries a Michelin-star price tag. But away from its famous restaurants you can enjoy the town's unique local, seasonal flavour at a fraction of the cost.
1. Vaughan's Sandwich Bar
There is a small seating area upstairs and a full range of sandwich fillings are available, but Vaughan's stands out for three very specific reasons: its takeaway sausage, bacon and near-legendary hot pork roast baps, the last served with apple sauce, crackling and stuffing. All Vaughan's meats are supplied by Andrew Francis (1 Market Street), one of Ludlow's three outstanding independent butchers, and are generously loaded into said sandwiches. If you want an immediate insight into what makes Ludlow so special, stop, eat, marvel at the meat. That, reader, is what a proper pork sausage should taste like.
• Hot sandwiches from £2.40 - £3.90. 14 King Street, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 875453
2. The Unicorn
The Unicorn is not the definitive Ludlow pub. That the title must go to the Church Inn (pint from £2.70, the Buttercross, +44 01584 872174; thechurchinnludlow.com), a buzzy, hub-of-the-community boozer just off the main square, which carries a good range of well-kept real ales with an emphasis on local and regional breweries (Wye Valley, Hobson's, Ludlow Brewing Company). The Unicorn suffered in the floods of 2007 and in its subsequent refurbishment, it has undoubtedly lost something of its 17th-century charm. However, all these things are relative and, while Ludlow connoisseurs might grumble about certain details, the Unicorn's main bar - with its mahogany panelling, sloping floors and crooked beamed ceiling - remains a rural pub gem. If you are newly arrived in Ludlow and looking to acclimatise to the slower pace of life, head first to the Unicorn. Take the newspapers, nurse a pint or three (pint from £2.90, four pint pitcher of Ludlow Best, £11.50) in front of that crackling fire, and enjoy the pub's superior grub. The sausage 'n' mash - the sausages made exclusively for the Unicorn, the onion gravy always good - are a Ludlow rite of passage and other dishes, such as the Unicorn's rare breed steak burger and a "cottage" pie made using local Mortimer Forest game, aren't far behind. In summer, the small beer garden, which overlooks that troublesome River Corve, is a pleasant spot.
• Sandwiches from £4.75, mains £8.75 - £9.50. 66 Corve Street, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 873555; unicorn-ludlow.co.uk
Note: since this article was published The Unicorn has changed hands
3. Green Cafe
Clive Davis's quietly fastidious cafe has quickly established itself in the affections of local foodies. Not only is the location a peach - the cafe is part of the Mill on the Green watermill centre, overlooking the River Teme and Dinham Weir - but Davis's sharp, seasonal cooking, short menu and sensible pricing have, as the cafe's entry in the 2011 Good Food Guide attests, brought something fresh and dynamic to Ludlow's table. The cafe serves drinks and ice-creams from a takeaway hatch in summer, and there are small-plate dishes such as soups and patés available, but it is well worth spending a couple of quid more on one of the main course dishes. The menu changes daily and might include venison pie with red cabbage and gravy, one of Clive's celebrated homemade pasta dishes (pretty much everything is made from scratch on site) or freshly grilled anchovies served with sourdough bread and a borlotti bean and rocket salad. NB: closed 5 Jan to 11 Feb.
• Dishes £4.50 - £9. Mill on the Green, Dinham Bridge, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 879872; ludlowmillonthegreen.co.uk
4. Castle Tea Room
Ludlow Castle's best days may be behind it (the Norman fortress was abandoned to ruin in the late 1600s), but, as a visitor attraction, it has never looked better. Part of the entrance has been redeveloped as a small shopping gallery, with a couple of smart art and craft shops and the Castle Tea Room (CTR). A cluster of individual spaces, the CTR prides itself on food made from scratch using local and regional ingredients (Herefordshire beef, Welsh cheeses, herbs and flowers from its own kitchen garden). Cakes are a highlight and while a sample apple and cinnamon scone didn't quite live up to the website billing - "our scones have been said to be better than Harrods" - it was certainly crisp without, light and fragrant within, if a little crumbly. However, a seriously underpowered and far-too-hot latte was terrible, like drinking sweet, milky water. The CTR is a Tea Guild member and it is probably wise to stick to the leaves.
• Cakes and scones from £1.50, sandwiches and meals £4.50 - £7. Ludlow Castle, Castle Square, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 878796; ludlowcastle-restaurant.com
5. Aragon's
Aragon's was once a rather scruffy greasy spoon. Albeit one that, this being Ludlow, served specials like venison casserole and used local bacon and sausages in its breakfasts. Latterly, it has morphed into a cosy, slightly cluttered cafe of modest culinary ambition. The menu covers a lot of bases, from panini and pizzas (stone-baked and made from organic flour) through all-day breakfasts (full breakfast, £4.95) and hearty, homemade mains such as steak and ale pie, to various puddings and cakes - including Aragon's Ludlow Food Festival-winning honey cake. It is a good all-rounder, Aragon's, but the execution can be a bit gauche at times. A local sirloin steak sandwich (£6.95) was fine - the steak delivering on taste - but the meat was a touch overcooked for medium-rare, it came on a flat-tasting baguette, albeit with good and plentiful fried onions, and was accompanied by a side of dull chips. Wash your lunch down with a bottle of Wood's dark, treacly Shropshire Lad (£2.85), brewed to commemorate the centenary of the publication of AE Housman's poem of the same name. Housman, incidentally, is buried in Ludlow, just behind Aragon's, at St Laurence's church.
• Snacks from £1.50, panini/pizza from £3.95, full meals £5 - £8. 5 Church Street, +44 (0)1584 873282
6. Chang Thai
When Shaun Hill had the one-Michelin-star Merchant House in Ludlow, it was renowned for its precise, elegantly simple Anglo-French cooking. Like a lot of chefs, however, when he wasn't cooking himself, Hill loved a curry. For years, Ludlow's best Indian, Golden Moments (mains £6 - £8, 50 Broad Street, +44 (0)1584 878488), proudly displayed a letter from Hill praising its use of fresh herbs and whole ground spices. Of Chang Thai, meanwhile, Hill has said it is "one of the places I still miss on the Ludlow food scene". Housed in a former back-street pub, it is split across a narrow alleyway between a lounge bar, the Globe, that serves Thai tapas (from £1.95), and the restaurant proper. The restaurant serves clearly authentic Thai food, which, in some cases, may take a little getting used to. A plate of nua nahm tok is, essentially, a zingy marinated Herefordshire beef salad, full of fresh mint, coriander and chilli in a sweet, vinegary dressing, served with good glutinous rice. The addition of ground roasted rice, however - yes, raw rice, oven-roasted - lends a grittiness that is a bit of an acquired texture. Chang Thai also own the new spic 'n' span Ludlow takeaway Thai Box (4 Upper Galderford, +44 (0)1584 879474; thaiboxtakeaway.co.uk)
• Mains from £7.95, two-course set lunch £10.95. 3 Market Street, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 874212; thailudlow.co.uk
7. The Clive
This swish restaurant-with-rooms just outside Ludlow is also a popular casual dining spot, which you can reach by walking across open fields, via Ludlow racecourse. The main building includes a plainly modernised cafe-bar and a more traditional exposed-stone lounge, with log fire and sofas, as well as a courtyard for summer. There, you can chow on a short bar menu of fresh soups, sandwiches and fish 'n' chips (£10.95). The emphasis, naturally, is on regional ingredients (beef from nearby Woofferton, proper cheddar from Weobley in Herefordshire) and you'll find Hobson's and Ludlow Brewing Co. beers at the bar. Personally, I would rather you shopped in Ludlow town centre itself, where good food is a living, breathing and at times dirty and bloody everyday experience, but next door to the Clive, you will find Ludlow Food Centre (ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk), a visitor attraction and posh food hall.
• Cakes £1.75, sandwiches £5.50 - £7. A49, Bromfield, Ludlow, +44 (0)1584 856565; theclive.co.uk
8. Van Doesburg's
A short hop from Ludlow (25 minutes by car, 15 by train), in what, due to its verdant peaks and valleys, was once called Little Switzerland, you will find quaint, sleepy Church Stretton. It is home to one of the best delicatessens in Britain. A "gourmet food store" that, for once, justifies such billing, Ed and Jane van Doesburg's deli is the sort of place that, every time you visit, quietly knocks you sideways. The prices too, while not ridiculous exactly, are certainly a fraction of what you would pay for food of this provenance, freshness, generosity and skill, in any major city. Van Doesburg's is a hive of making 'n' baking activity and the cakes and traybakes (85p-£1.95) are incredible. A recent sample slice of cranberry and blueberry frangipane was of a perfect density and sweetness and encased in remarkably thin, crisp pastry. Many supposedly good restaurants would struggle to produce a dessert of that quality. Likewise, the sandwiches, interesting salads (95p for 100g), tartlets, vegetarian pizza slices and fresh soups all sing. An exceptional place.
• Sandwiches from £2.50, pizza slices £2.30. 3 High Street, Church Stretton, +44 (0)1694 722867; vandoesburgs.co.uk
9. Berry's Coffee House
Almost next door to Van Doesburg's - stock-up there, eat lunch here, maybe - you'll find Berry's, a tiny, narrow house that, aesthetically, retains much of its Victorian charm. Luckily, the food is more up to date. Indeed, you will rarely find a place that pays such heed to contemporary "local, seasonal" mores. A separate sheet on the menu lists regional suppliers, from Alternative Meats in Wem to the Roman Vineyard in Wroxeter. Such diligent sourcing shines through in the top-notch food, which ranges from breakfasts and reliable favourites such as Welsh rarebit (made with Wood's Shropshire Lad ale) to daily specials such as half a local pheasant, pot roasted in that Wroxeter white wine with mash and vegetables (£9.25). The only downside, on this visit, was the coffee, ironically. For a coffee house it was only so-so - satisfyingly strong but a little one-note in its flavour. Walk off your lunch by heading up the steep slope to the top of the nearby Long Mynd hill.
• Breakfast £1.50 - £7.80, sandwiches/ snacks from £3.40, meals £5 - £9. 17 High Street, Church Stretton, +44 (0)1694 724452; berryscoffeehouse.co.uk
10. Takeaway snacks & food shopping
Despite what you may have heard, Ludlow does have supermarkets. You will find Aldi and Tesco just off Corve Street. Very useful they are too, for stocking up on basics like bleach and bog roll. For food, however, head to the town centre and its unusually vibrant cluster of independent shops. Whether you're staying in self-catering accommodation locally, or just looking to pick up a few bits for a picnic lunch, one of the great joys of visiting Ludlow is the ability to whiz around the main square and, in 10 minutes, put together a fantastic spread, relatively cheaply.
Start by buying some freshly squeezed orange (£1.65/ £2.95-a-bottle) or Teme Valley juices at Farmer's veg market (Farmers, 1 Mill Street, +44 (0)1584 873532), then head to Price's family bakery for excellent artisan breads, as well as cakes, sandwiches and Reg May's sausage rolls (7 Castle Street, +44 (0)1584 872815; pricesthebakers.co.uk). The sensational Mousetrap Cheese Shop (6 Church Street, +44 (0)1584 879556; mousetrapcheese.streamlinenettrial.co.uk) will happily cut you a small slice for your lunch. Try their own Little Hereford, a creamy, slightly nutty hard cheese, similar to a traditional cheddar, made at their dairy near Leominster. Just opposite, Deli on the Square, (4 Church Street, +44 (0)1584 877353; delionthesquare.co.uk) sells good locally made quiches and pies, including that regional speciality "fidget pie" – cooked gammon and layered potato flavoured with apple, sage and cider (£3.10). DW Wall's (14 High Street, +44 (0)1584 872060, wallsbutchers.co.uk), for me, Ludlow's best butcher, also carries a small range of pork and other pies (from £1.08) and, a minute's walk away, Pure Spirit Drinks (2 Old Street, +44 (0)1584 878999; purespiritdrinks.co.uk) sells an exemplarily selection of real ales and regional ciders. Alternatively, if you head down Corve Street you can buy a bottle of Ludlow Gold (£2, six-for-£10) ) direct from the brewery itself (the Ludlow Brewing Company, Kingsley Garage, 105 Corve Street, +44 (0)1584 873291; theludlowbrewingcompany.co.uk). On the way, you will pass the self-explanatory Myriad Organics (22 Corve Street, +44 (0)1584 872665), which, as well as selling everything from Green & Blacks ice-cream to alfalfa sprouts, also rustles up a daily hot soup (£2).
• Tony Naylor travelled from Manchester to Ludlow with Arriva Trains Wales (arrivatrainswales.co.uk)
