The History of Bath’s food

These days, visits to Bath will entail looking at Roman and Georgian architecture rather than sampling their menus, but there are still a few places in the city where you can try some historical delicacies that were exclusive to the city.

Here are four of our favourite treats:

• Sally Lunn’s Buns

  We can’t have a list about Bath’s food without mentioning these. Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House and Museum can be found in the city centre where you can try these buns, they are large brioche style treats served sweet or savoury. There are plenty of different stories as to who Sally Lunn was and even whether she actually existed, but what we can be sure of is that these buns are delicious and as there are two different varieties, you have no excuse about trying both of them!
  

• Bath Buns

  More buns! These are made from a sweet dough covered in sugar and currents with a whole sugar cube baked into them. They are said to have been invented by Dr William Oliver in the 18^th century and encouraged his patients to eat these along with 60 cups of thermal water a day. There are still bakeries in the city that offer the Bath bun made in the traditional way and some offering their own take on the recipe.
  

• Bath Soft Cheese

  This cheese recipe dates back to the late eighteenth century and is still made by hand in Kelston. Bath Soft Cheese has a Brie-like texture, but comes in squares and tastes vaguely like mushrooms. There are cafes in Kelston that sell it in toasties and sandwiches and you can also find it in some of the city’s specialist cheese shops.
  

• Oliver Biscuits

  Yes, Dr Oliver makes another appearance on this list because he also contributed these biscuits to the city. They’re plain biscuits that can be eaten with cheese (perhaps grab some to try Bath Soft Cheese with?). They can be bought in supermarkets across the country, you can also get a chocolate variety. If you want to get them in Bath from the sort of business that would have originally sold them, head to the Guildhall Market where you’ll find the oldest cheesemongers in the city, they often stock Bath Oliver Biscuits to accompany their cheeses.
  

Many of the guesthouses and B&Bs in the city offer breakfasts made from produce that is sourced locally and will be happy to tell you more about the foods and drinks available in the city of Bath. There are all sorts of interesting cafes, restaurants and more for you to visit and sample when you’re visiting from specialist vegetarian and vegan menus, to alehouses and gin stores and of course the famous fudge shop. If you get a chance to try one of our personal favourites, make sure to snap a pic and share it with us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.