SHEPTON MALLET Business Focus

Ridgeway Garage

IF YOU ARE looking for a reliable second-hand car then pop along to Ridgeway Garage, situated on the Ridgeway Estate to the south of the town, near Mendip District Council in Kingsland Road. A family run business, established for over 50 years, you can be sure of helpful and professional service.

All cars come with a new MOT, a service, cam belt replacement (if required), and a warranty. Part exchange is welcome, and credit cards are also taken. Should you be looking for a particular make / model of car they will be happy to try to source it for you. Visit www.ridgewaygarage.com or give them a call. Stock changes regularly.

help you make the right choice at a budget you are happy with, they will not be beaten on price! So why don't you give them a call or TEXT today for a free no obligation quote on 07931 918947.

Dredge & Male

Dredge & Male is a local familyrun home hardware store that stocks just about everything! They moved into the countryside back in 1977 and have been providing a friendly local service with everything you need ever since. Pop into their shop at 10 High Street, Shepton Mallet, and see what you can find for your home and garden - they even stock plenty of gift ideas. Open Monday - Friday 9am-4pm (early closing on Wednesday 9-1pm).

BMG Accountancy

Always accessible - If you have a question that you need answering quickly, they are available at short notice to offer the help you or your business needs.

Expert knowledge - With years of accounting experience comes real business and tax expertise. BMG’s knowledge is unrivalled within the community.

Focalflames Fireplaces

At Focalflames Fireplaces they’ve always stuck to the belief that staying small and personal and specialising in their field means a much more professional and responsive service to their customers! With over 15 years’ experience in the industry they pride themselves on providing high quality, great value services, with FREE home consultations, and even their very own showroom. With expert advice to

Based deep in the Mendip Hills in the market town of Shepton Mallet, BMG Accountancy provides accessible advice, mainly but not exclusively to small businesses, high street retailers and tradespeople in Somerset. Buried beneath their relaxed exterior are four core values which permeate through the practice and influence the way in which BMG deliver their services.

Human touch - It’s a point of pride that they’re there for clients whenever needed, and really do treat them how they want to be treated themselves.

Complete trust - The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Clients who use them usually hang around because of the levels of trust they have in them and their services.

The But Tercross Tearooms

Beautiful Cards from Wild Cardz, Wincanton WILD CARDZ have an excellent choice of cards for every occasion. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, why not drop into the shop in Wincanton and pick up something special in time for Mothering Sunday?

There are plenty of gift ideas too including a lovely selection of cuddly toys.

Wild Cardz are now pleased to offer a quality card range from just 99p. For those who like to make their own cards there is a wide choice of craft card, ‘pick n mix’ your own selection. Fill a small box for £3.49 or large box for £6.99.

Mother’s Day Sunday 19th March

Wild Cardz Wild Cardz

Wild Cardz have balloons for all occasions – including wedding day arrangements and are a UPS collection/delivery point for parcels. Visit their website at www.cardswithlove.net.

Beatles iconic Minis reunited THE LONDON Classic Car Show celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper S in charttopping style when all three surviving Minis originally owned by the Beatles reunited for the first time in 55 years over the weekend 24-26 February.

Instant Cash For Your

Wild Cardz of Wincanton.

The Muddled Man, West Chinnock - a pub that's not a restaurant

The Muddled Man at West Chinnock is a traditional family pub that's been run by the same family for 24 years and is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Serving 'real pub food' every day from soups to steaks. Sunday night-Thursday special of 2 x 8oz

Rump Steaks for £24, Friday night special is traditional Real Ale battered fish & chips. For Sunday Lunch they offer traditional roast beef or pork with real gravy.

Open Monday-Thursday 11am2.30pm/7pm- 11pm, Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 12noon-10pm. Food served 122pm/7pm-9pm.

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Give me Moorspoilt for choice

ALTHOUGH MAINLY travelling for pleasure these days, old habits die hard. As a professional hotel and restaurant inspector, I have sampled the full spectrum; eating and drinking, and staying in hotels, pubs and, on occasion, some rather dubious establishments, for as long as I can remember.

As an occasional viewer of TV programme Four in a Bed, I do get cross with the nit-picking attitude of the combatants, where a stray hair takes on a level of importance far out of proportion.

I am not easy to please and my list of must-haves is endless. In exchange for spending our hardearned cash on a few days away from our normal daily routine, we all want different things, often at different times.

Often when deciding where to stay we focus, wrongly to my mind, on an establishment’s star rating, or reviews on social media sites. Some of my most enjoyable experiences have been in the humblest of places. Having stayed and eaten in thousands of places over the best part of 30 years, those that stick in my memory are regrettably few and far between.

I have never been a sun, sea and sand kind of person, and in recent months I have been overjoyed to have the opportunity to spend a good deal of time on Dartmoor. I find the setting of the often desolate, wild and woolly landscape of Dartmoor truly stunning in all weathers; it never fails to make me gasp in and catch my breath.

On a good day, just an hour and a half from home, it makes for a splendid day trip, but having made the trek, I prefer to spend a little longer there; naturally I need somewhere to rest my weary head, and to nourish my greedy stomach, in addition to my soul.

The ancient stannary and market town of Tavistock, with a population of just 11,000, makes the perfect base for getting out and about, although do be aware that parking in town can be a nightmare.

Here are some of my favourite discoveries, all of which I have enjoyed in person over the last few months, most of which, thankfully, are open on Sunday evenings and in the early part of the week; a rare find these days.

Queen’s Head,79-80 West St, Tavistock PL19 8AQ.

Tel: 01822 612455

This is a popular Wetherspoon’s pub situated on the main street. To be honest I am not usually a fan of this type of place, BUT the rooms are very well equipped (feather pillows and duvets, bottled water, biscuits, walk in shower) and excellent value for money.

Cornish Arms, 15 West St, Tavistock PL19 8AN

Tel: 01822 612145

Just a hop and a skip from the Queen’s Head (with pricy accommodation) this pub is so named as it was the last coaching inn before Cornwall. Recommended by Michelin, I have really enjoyed all of the food I have sampled, using seasonal ingredients prepared with innovation.

For this quality I felt that the prices were reasonable. A great British pub, serving good honest food and drink in warm welcoming surroundings.

Bedford Hotel, 1 Plymouth Rd, Tavistock PL19 8BB

Tel: 01822 613221

This classic traditional hotel right in the centre of town, is the place to be seen in Tavistock (and has parking!), and along with its sister hotel, Two Bridges (see below), has become my go-to place for a comfortable night’s stay.

Overseen by Sarah Howard, who is very hands on, this is a real family enterprise, and very well run. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the food is pretty good too, especially when I can have eggs Benedict or smoked haddock for breakfast!

Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor PL20 6SW Tel: 01822 892300

This sister hotel to The Bedford is right in the heart of Dartmoor, on the banks of the West Dart River. With geese and ducks on the lawn, and a landscape of roaming sheep and ponies within touching distance, with a roaring log fire, award winning food, and Jail Ale from their own Dartmoor Brewery, what’s not to love?

Hotel Endsleigh, Milton

Abbot, Tavistock PL19 0PQ

Tel: 01822 870000

Set in 100 acres of fairy tale gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton, and part of the Polizzi Collection, I could not resist a little detour to have Sunday lunch. Food is beautifully prepared and pleasingly, there is no multi-course set menu; sandwiches and salads are on offer for those with smaller appetites.

Horn of Plenty, B3362, Tavistock PL19 8JD

Tel: 01822 832528

Here is where I took a trip down memory lane. In the early 1980s, at a time when, owned by Sonia Stevenson and her eccentric husband Patrick, this was consistently gaining awards. I attended one of her residential ‘Courses for Sauces’, a wonderful experience I have never forgotten. Since then, I have been back several times, but not recently. It was like stepping back in time, as virtually nothing had changed. Although it has had several new owners over the years, the food served here continues to win awards, and their Charity Lunches at £24 for two courses are good value for money.

Taylor’s, 22 Market St, Tavistock PL19 0DD

Tel: 01822 613045

This lovely little restaurant, along with its sister establishment, Church Lane, serves imaginative food, sourcing ingredients from small, local suppliers and produce wonderful seasonal menus. Prices are moderate and the quality is consistent.

Church Lane, 1 Church Lane

Tavistock PL19 8AA Tel: 01822 610413

This has become one of my favourite go-to places. In addition to food served all day long, in this stunning Georgian property adjacent to the church, they have an extensive rum list, and authentic Italian style pizzas, all named after famous cyclists (30% off on Tuesdays). There are also salads, sharing boards and French crepes.

Peter Tavy Inn, Tavistock PL19 9NN Tel: 01822 810348

I can recall inspecting this country pub when covering the area as an AA inspector several decades ago. Clearly popular, their senior citizen lunches are available for just £8, and proved to be too much for my modest appetite.

Robertson’s, 4-8 Pepper St, Tavistock PL19 0BD

Tel: 01822 612117

A local institution since 2006, this is the place to visit for a lazy lunch, an evening meal with family, drinks with friends or for a takeaway pizza. The restaurant is family-run and offers ‘food people can feel good about’, with an emphasis on fresh, organic and locally sourced ingredients.