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Dorset apple cake

If you are visiting the wonderful county of Dorset and fancy sampling some traditional Dorset food, then look no further for inspiration. Enjoy reading our guide to local dishes and cuisine that are not only local to Dorset but taste delicious too.

7 Traditional Dorset Dishes To Tantalise Your Tastebuds:

1. Dorset Blue Vinney

Dorset Blue Vinney

Dorset Blue Vinney has quite a history and became extinct for a short while before Woodbridge Farm in Dorset started to make it again in the 1980’s. It has been awarded Protected Geographical Status, ensuring only cheese originating from Dorset may use the name. It’s a firm white crumbly cheese you may wish to team up with a Dorset Knob (see below)


2. Dorset Knobs

A crispy, roll-shaped, dry savoury biscuits that you can try with chutneys and cheese alike. It’s also great if you dip it in a soup or simply spread with butter. It is now baked by a single producer, for a limited time of the year. The Dorset knob has become so sacred to the region there is even a “Dorset Knob throwing festival” including knob eating, painting competitions and other races.


3. Dorset Jugged Steak

The Dorset jugged steak is a succulent, slow-cooked meat which retains all the glorious flavours. The lush pastures of Dorset are ideal for rearing beef cattle, providing unriavelled flavour! You can sample the culinary delight in many of Dorset’s pubs and restaurants, or alternatively, pick a cut up from the local farmer’s market and enjoy in the comfort our your home or holiday cottage.


4. Dorset Apple Cake

No visit to Dorset is complete without trying a delicious Dorset apple cake. There are many variations of the recipe, but most of them include cinnamon and you guess it… apples! You will find our delicious apple cakes on the menu in almost every tearoom dotted around the county. Clotted cream is a necessary addition to your slice (or two!)


5. Dorset Horn

If you are a lover of lamb, you most certainly must try Dorset Horn. The meat is so tender and will simply melt in your mouth! Again, this can be found on the menu of most eateries in the region or you can buy cuts of this meat from the local farmer’s market.


6. Portland Pudding and Portland Lamb

King George III loved food and visited our county regularly. He visited the Royal Portland Arms, one of the best houses of entertainment on the island. He enjoyed the pudding there so much that he even deemed it the “Royal Pudding”. Another favourite of the king was Portland lamb. This type of lamb used to be popular across all of the county, but you may now only find it in only a few places.


7. Seafood

seafood linguine

We can’t leave out the seafood! A long stretch of coastline ensures we have a steady supply of fresh locally caught fish. We even have an annual Dorset Seafood Festival in Weymouth, attracting thousands of people from all over the world. Local restaurants prepare haddock casserole or mackerel baked in cider – yum! If you enjoy cooking, why not buy fresh fish and make something of your own?


Many towns across Dorset host food and drink festivals throughout the year. Visit our Dorset Travel Blog to see what’s on during your visit or why not check out these Dorset Holiday Cottages and start your Dorset adventure today!