ABOUT ALASDAIR CLIFFORD
Alasdair Clifford is the co-founder & Head Chef of The Barrington Boar, a country restaurant with rooms offering Modern British cooking & refined comfort food in the heart of the South Somerset countryside. Alasdair grew up locally & has over ten years experience working in Michelin starred restaurants, including Chez Bruce, Harwood Arms & The Glasshouse. His menu focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, the majority of which are from Somerset, from the local farmers, foragers, brewers & cheesemongers living within a few miles of the restaurant.
ABOUT THE BARRINGTON BOAR
The Barrington Boar is a country restaurant with rooms, offering Modern British cooking & refined comfort food in the heart of the South Somerset countryside. Situated in the picturesque, thatched village of Barrington, near Ilminster, this critically acclaimed pub is run by husband & wife team Alasdair Clifford & Victoria Collins. A celebration of all things Somerset, The Barrington Boar has been proclaimed one of the best places for a perfect pub lunch by The Times & was recommended in the 2022 edition of the MICHELIN Guide for UK & Ireland.
The kitchen is run by Alasdair who grew up locally & has over ten years experience working in Michelin starred restaurants, including Chez Bruce, Harwood Arms & The Glasshouse. Alasdair’s menu focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, the majority of which are from Somerset, from the local farmers, foragers, brewers & cheesemongers living within a few miles of the restaurant. The bar focuses its drinks menu on South West produce, with a selection of local ales & ciders on tap, craft beers, local gins & English sparkling wines. The Barrington Boar incorporates a number of Somerset-based Ark of Taste products into their menus throughout the seasons including artisan Somerset cheddar, Somerset Cider Brandy & rare breed lop pigs.
The team have recently acquired a large site for development adjacent to The Barrington Boar, including a period farmhouse, large garden & several outbuildings including a former cider barn & hayloft. Work on the buildings is not expected to start until early 2023, but work on the land will begin this summer, with the planting of native Somerset fruit trees. Subject to planning the couple plan to build a bakery, further accommodation & a market garden which will supply Clifford’s kitchen.
During lockdown, the team landscaped their garden to create a comfortable alfresco dining & drinking area, surrounded by bee-friendly, sensory plants & herbs. They have planted thyme, wild fennel, bergamot, liquorice plant, Mexican Orange Blossom & Nepeta around the space, & are growing plants which give the garden scents at different times of the day; lavender during the day, star jasmine in the evening & creeping thyme which releases its fragrance when walked on. The team also took the opportunity to redecorate their four bed & breakfast rooms, one of which is now dog-friendly. The simple & stylish en-suite rooms are situated a few metres walk from the main building, overlooking the new garden & are housed in the pub’s original skittle alley – a feature typical of traditional West Country pubs of this period.
ABOUT THE BARRINGTON BOAR
The Barrington Boar
Main Street, Barrington, Ilminster, TA19 0JB
Telephone: 01460 259 281
Email: info@thebarringtonboar.
Instagram: @the_barrington_boar
