“Bath and the surrounding area offer a great variety of food and drink, something for every pocket and palate” according to Robin Bischert, Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus. The spectrum of restaurants around Bath ranges from informal bistros and gastropubs to Michelin starred restaurants in grand country house hotels. There is also a big selection of ethnic food with Thai, Indian, Mexican, Lebanese, Spanish and many more.

Twenty years ago Bath became the only English city to be designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. It is quintessentially English and for visitors it is easy to imagine life in the city’s Georgian heyday. After a visit to the Roman Baths, English fare at the Pump Room provides a pleasant interlude. As well as admiring the newly refurbished Pump Room, visitors can enjoy the Pump Room trio and taste the spa water which was reputed to be therapeutic and caused visitors to flock to Bath in the Eighteenth Century. The Pump Room has been at the social heart of Bath since 1795 and is the perfect place to take traditional afternoon tea.

During that period a certain Dr Oliver created a sweet bun for his patients known as the Bath Bun which is still baked in Bath today. His patients were so taken with the Bath Bun that it began to have a detrimental effect on their health so Dr Oliver developed a much less fattening biscuit, the famous Bath Oliver. This is popular as an acompaniment to cheese and can be prchased at most supermarkets.

Thanks the the unique thermal waters and their magical properties, Bath attracted first the Romans and later the Georgians who built the magnificent crescents and terraces which are so much admired. Today, visitors can once again bathe in the waters with the opening of the Thermae Bath Spa in August 2006. At the new spa guests can expect something a little more exciting to eat than the Bath Oliver. Under the guidance of Martin Blunos, a renowned chef with Michelin star credentials, Springs Restaurant menu includes healthy salads, snacks, juices and wholesome dishes with adaily changing menu of specials. He has drawn on Roman influences as well as spa cuisine as he appreciates that visiting a spa is all about being pamperered and feeling healthy.

For those looking for a new excuse for a short break in Bath, learning a new skill such as cookery is a tempting option. The “Bertinet Kitchen” celebrates its first birthday this September with an exciting autumn programme. Guest chef Giogio Locatelli, considered to be among the best Italian chefs in the UK will be cooking dishes from his brand new book “Everything I know about Italian Cooking” on 29th September 2006.

Jane Austen fans flock to Bath for the annual Jane Austen Festival which takes place this year from 16th to 24th September. Bath was her home for a five year period at the end of the Eighteenth Century and two of her novels are largely set in Bath. This year’s programme features a “Very Private Public Breakfast” and “From Turkey to Trifle, the Customs of an Eighteenth Century Dinner “ both hosted by Jane Tapley who gives a talk and hosts authentic Georgian fare in a typical Regency terraced house. Her talks cover the recipes and customs of the day as well as tableware used at such prestigious gatherings.

Visitors to Bath can enjoy world class attractions and museums such as the Roman Baths, a contemporary retail scene and a year-round programme of festivals. This is a compact and walkable city but progress may be slowed by the temptation to drop into cafes and pubs located on every street corner. For cheese fans this is the place to be, with an outpost of Paxton and Whitfield of Jermyn Street fame with its Royal Warrant of Appointment to H.M.Queen, and the Fine Cheese Company on Walcot Street, which stocks 150 varieties of cheese of which 100 are British. This a great place to buy a picnic or stop for a snack or a sandwich in the adjoining cafe.

For food souvenirs, Sally Lunn’s, the oldest house in Bath, still bakes Sally Lunn Buns which were invented by their namesake, a Huguenot refugee some 300 years ago and became popular with Georgian visitors to the city. The restaurant menu demonstrates that Sally Lunn buns, which have a brioche like consistency, go well with sweet or savoury accompaniment.

Country house hotels surrounded by huge estates like Lucknam Park with its newly acquired Michelin star, are popular for guests looking for top quality food and service. Within Bath itself there is the Bath Priory Hotel which has the atmosphere of a country house combining country and city. Here young chef Chris Horridge has retained the hotel’s Michelin star with his innovative style of cooking using the best local ingredients. A series of gourmet dinners throughout the autumn include a dinner with Pierre Andre. Modern English is the style of cooking at Pimpernels at the Royal Crescent Hotel, without doubt the smartest address in town. Head Chef of seventeen years standing, Stephen Blake knows exactly where to get the best local produce and his dishes bring out the freshness of the ingredients.

Beer and brewing have been at the heart of Bath since the early days when the great coaching inns were the first port of call to visitors to Georgian Bath. Today local brewers include Bath Ales and Abbey Ales and “The Great Bath Pub Crawl” is a great way to become more familiar with their award-winning brews. “Gastropub” is an unecessary label according to Charlie Dingley, the successful new owner of the King William which has been broadly praised for his food. Out of town pubs like the new look Wheelrights Arms at Monkton Coombe or the Pear Tree at Attworth are worth a little excursion.

Bath Tourism Plus, the official tourism marketing organisation for Bath and the surrounding area, will be working with Bath Restauratuers Association, who are co-ordianting a programme of special events and promotions to mark British Food Fortnight, under the name of Bath Food and Drink Fortnight. “Tasty Bath is a celebration of all the good things to eat and drink in Bath and the surrounding area, and the diverse range of food on offer,” according to Robin Bischert.

For more information visit www.visitbath.co.uk or www.cityofbath.co.uk