Menu Dorset issue 19 *MENU18..dorset pdf issue 19 | Page 22

Provisions
with
Passion
Fossil Fuel
Alison Smith visits Ammonite in Lyme, where they cram
most of Dorset into a deli with utterly delicious results
I
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n 2015 when Ammonite, a long-time
wine shop came onto the market, Janet
Wiscombe was approached by a friend for
some advice regarding the viability of it
as a business. She did such a good job of
extolling the virtues of the place that in
doing so persuaded, not her friend but herself
to buy the business. Janet then set about
transforming the space into a thriving deli,
still stocking a diverse range of beverages
but replacing Australian Merlots and German
Rieslings with award-winning Lyme Bay
wines and Dorset ales and ciders.
The deli stocks an impressive array of
predominantly locally produced goods,
including cheeses, condiments, chocolate
and coffee but is not averse to sourcing from
further afield should an interesting or unusual
product present itself. Take, for example, the
Manfood range, with its bold retro typography
and varieties including Asian spiced ale jelly
and strawberry Negroni jam or the seaweed
mayonnaise and nettle pesto by Wild at
Heart. There’s even Charcoal Cheddar, the
only fully black cheese, made with Yorkshire
charcoal. Customers are invited to tuck into
the selection of samples on offer, which today
include Ammonite sweet garlic pickle – deep
with roasted garlic flavour and spiked with
pungent mustard seeds and nigella – and
Lyme Bay Winery Strawberry Wine, sweet
and fresh; ideal for a balmy summers evening.
Husband Martin Wiscombe, artist and
owner of The Pug and Puffin dog and human
gift shop, also in Lyme Regis, designs
bespoke labels for the deli’s own range of
products. Painted in acrylic they mimic the
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style of old railway posters – Lyme Regis
viewed through a nostalgic lens. The shop is
smattered with these attractively wrapped treats,
which include wax wrapped cheeses; jams,
chutneys and curds and old fashioned sweets.
There remains, in keeping with the shop’s
background, an emphasis on high-quality
drinks, with a well-curated selection of
regional or quirky spirits and liqueurs. The
store has exclusivity in Lyme Regis on the
retail sale of the full Lyme Bay Winery
range, as well as locally produced new kids
on the block – Newton House, Fordington,
Lilliput and Pothecary gins. Unusually, every
liqueur and spirit is available to sample – it’s
something they insist on when they stock a
product – allowing the customer to compare a
variety of sups before purchasing.
Frequent visits and tastings from suppliers
and producers ensure that every one of the
passionate team is familiar with the entire
product range and able to guide the customer
through the shopping experience, whether to
pinpoint the botanicals in the Conker Gin or
to direct them to the hottest chilli sauce in the
South Devon Chilli Farm collection.
Whatever the season, there is always
something new to discover at Ammonite;
today the shop front sings with fragrant fresh
herbs, while a counter bursts with plump fresh
olives from Olives Et Al. Come late autumn,
cream liqueurs will take centre stage and
staff will be busily packing hampers full of
Lyme Bay Christmas Mead, Dorset Tea Bags
and Ammonite stollen flavoured chocolate.
And all the while chirpily dishing out titbits
of deliciousness to tempt and delight.
Ammonite Fine Foods
39 Broad street, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3QF Telephone [phone]
ammonite.bigcartel.com
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
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