Secret restaurant is open to Ludlow festival fans
Ludlow Food Festival is going up in the world – 900 feet high in the hills, to be precise.
For the first time a "secret restaurant" will appear on a farm eight miles away from the attractions in the town.
The exact location is shrouded in mystery but 70 guests will take a 15-minute ride before a 20- minute walk to the venue.
Guests will build up an appetite by climbing 900 feet while exploring the fruits of the fields and hedgerows.
They will then feast on a five-course banquet in a 100-year-old Shropshire barn.
Simon Smith, chef and founder of the secret restaurant, said: "We've done wild food and foraging events before, but this is the biggest.
"We're expecting it to appeal to locals who want a taste of the Ludlow Food Festival but who don't necessarily want to deal with the crowds."
The menu will celebrate the Shropshire Hills and will include food found across the National Trust land.
While guests spot the ingredients over the hedgerows they will enjoy views of the Long Mynd, Caer Caradoc and look south to the Black Mountains.
The menu will be based upon the wimberry, the damson, the crab apple and the blackberry and the main course will be autumn lamb.
Simon added: "For me using wild food isn't just about taste, or even fashion, it is about spending the time looking for it and of being out in nature.
"Not everyone can grow their own food, but everyone can go and find some wild garlic, or pick some blackberries.
"It puts you back in touch with the seasons, in a way that so many of us have lost."
And the secret restaurant is already proving popular with advance bookings coming in thick and fast from far afield.
Simon said: "Amongst the first bookings were diners from Cyprus, Germany and Sweden.
"They seem very happy, after spending the day in Ludlow, to investigate where all this food is raised or grown. They are looking forward to the more unusual experience of dining in the Shropshire Hills
Carriages set off from Ludlow at 6.30pm on September 13 and 14 and return about 11pm.
Tickets cost £69 per person for a five-course dinner menu with a drink on arrival. Bookings can be made by calling (01588) 680 484 or by e-mail at Lissy@thesecretrestaurant.net
