Bath's Walcot House opens third site in Frome

An all-day neighbourhood restaurant in Frome, Somerset, is now open, bringing simple, seasonal cooking to the cobbles of Stony Street. 

The 110-cover Little Walcot is the sister site of Walcot House in Bath. James Still heads up the family-owned Walcot Group, having opened the 150-cover Walcot House in 2019 with his restaurateur parents Martin and Debbie, formerly of The Pear Tree Inn and Methuen Arms Hotel in Wiltshire. 

The group now owns and operates three restaurants in the southwest, alongside a butcher's shop. It will launch two further sites in Somerset this year. 

"Little Walcot is about proper neighbourhood dining – smiles, good vibes and memorable meals with simple ingredients cooked well," says Still. "We're excited to bring the Walcot brand of flavour-led hospitality to one of the most vibrant towns in the southwest."

The food

For Little Walcot, Martin Still has worked with Walot Group culinary directors and long-time collaborators Stephen Terry and Piero Boi to create a daily menu of dishes that celebrate seasonal cooking, bold flavours and locally sourced ingredients. 

Terry is a Great British Menu winner who won his first Michelin star at 25, and has run acclaimed restaurants including The Walnut Tree and The Hardwick, both in Abergavenny. Boi brings decades of experience from some of the UK’s top restaurants. Group executive chef Jack Stallard, formerly of THE PIG near Bath, heads up day-to-day kitchen operations.

For lunch or dinner, guests can start with Bath Blue and Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts, Honey and Crème Fraîche Dressing, before moving on to Pan Fried Pigeon Breast with Braised Lentils, Black Pudding and Toasted Sourdough. For mains, Wild Garlic Chowder with Pan-Roasted Cod and Mussels sourced from Brixham’s world-famous fish market; Hand-Cut Pappardelle with Jerusalem Artichoke and Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce; or a Chateaubriand are on offer. And to finish, options include a Marmalade Sponge Pudding with Vanilla Custard.

A set menu will also be served at lunchtime and dinner, where guests can enjoy dishes including Celeriac Soup, Westcombe Cheddar and Focaccia, followed by Braised Free-Range Pork Cheeks from Blythburgh Farm in Suffolk; and a Brown Bread Treacle Tart with Clotted Cream to finish.

To drink

The wine list, curated by head sommelier Yoann Camail, will feature 'Flavour Zone', an easy-drinking Shiraz blend that the Walcot team developed in South Africa with celebrated winemaker Pieter Walser of Blank Bottle Distillery. The list will also feature Old and New World wines selected from the Walcot Group’s extensive cellar. For those after something a bit stronger, the bar team will offer a cocktail menu of well-recognised classics.

Set across two floors, Little Walcot is a space designed to see guests through the day, with a downstairs bar where the team will provide a morning flat white or an after-work pint of Guinness. Upstairs, guests can settle in for a meal and enjoy panoramic views of Frome’s bustling town centre.

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