The best Food and drink in The National Forest

From independent cafes serving home baked delicacies to award winning restaurants there are so many great spots across the National Forest Leicestershire for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus all those snacks in between. The best way to learn about a place is through its food and people and this is no exception. 

The award-winning Courtyard Café in Ashby de la Zouch is the perfect spot to while away an hour or two with fantastic cakes and light bites. Join the queue at the Wellie Deli, one of the areas most popular lunch spots (and pet friendly too). You could also get something to go from Lil Bo’s Deli on Ashby de la Zouch’s picturesque Mill Lane Mews or Castle Donington’s No 11 Deli, both award winners for their quality local goods. 

Lucy Claire Bakes in Ashby not only have beautifully designed bespoke cakes for order, but also a fantastic selection of sweet treats to take away. And if you’re shopping at the Staunton Harold Ferrer’s Centre then pop into The Stables, their on site café with a whole range of lunch and brunch options, plus a doggie menu for your four legged friends. 

While snacking and light lunches are great, sometimes you want to eat a delicious sit down meal and you’ve got loads of choices here. Take a trip round the world in Ashby with authentic Mediterranean dishes at Zamani’s with Italian and Cypriot classics, perfect Spanish flavours with ingredients from Galicia and Madrid, presented by brothers Eduardo and Alfonso at Hispania or a taste of the Caribbean at Calypso with Jerk chicken, Jamaican patties, curries and burgers! 

Pop over to Castle Donington to try out the award-winning Indian restaurant Orissa where the modern surroundings are the perfect spot for a relaxed or romantic dinner. Also in Castle Donington, The Apiary is a delightful café bar offering gourmet burgers, grazing platters and an impressive selection of drinks.  

When you’re here you’re going to want to try some of the local produce and there are some really unique tastes and flavours. National Forest Leicestershire is home to the UK’s only genuine Trappist brewery and you can see how the Monks of Mount St Bernard Abbey produce their award winning Tynt Meadow ale and buy your own before getting some local delicacies from the on-site shop. Abbey Grange Tearoom is right next to the Abbey and is the perfect place to get home-baked goods, sandwiches and cream teas! 

Over at Cattows Farm, you can have a full afternoon tea (plus light bites and Sunday lunch) at their tea room before trying some of the very best locally produced food and drink at their Farm Shop including a lot of produce straight from the farm. Sample some of the most delicious locally made ice-cream in Leicestershire at Dreamy Cow and meet their 100 Friesian cows who supply the milk for your treat. And finally, we go full circle to local beer from the Tollgate Brewery whose flagship Tap 76 micropub in Ashby and Milking Parlour brewery near Calke Abbey are the perfect spot to try a pint of Ashby Pale or Midnight Toll stout while devouring one of their stone-baked pizzas.