The Best Food Shops in Somerset
- Gabriel Purdey
- Apr 9
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 10
The best food shop in Somerset
Whilst there are a huge amount of amazing food shops in Somerset we have narrowed down the list to six amazing shops that we have visited.
Earthfare is a beautiful shop at the top of Glastonbury High Street. It’s a mecca for anyone into wholefoods. While Greenlife in Totnes might be the best-known wholefood shop in the southwest, we at Ruxstons feel Earthfare has the edge.
The range of products is genuinely impressive—from obscure organic spreads to a vast selection of local beers and wines. It can be organic eggs from a small farmer down the road to a Japanese tea from a similar sized farm, only on the other side of the world! They’ve taken a space the size of a supermarket and turned it into something far better than a supermarket could ever manage. Glastonbury is naturally a great town for the kind of products they sell, but there’s no doubt Earthfare plays a big part in keeping the high street as strong as it is. Everyone is welcome here and no one is judged—you’re always met with a smile, and it’s a smile with real warmth behind it.
Toucan Wholefoods is one of Somerset’s best shops. It’s won countless awards, but even if you don’t pay much attention to those, you can tell as soon as you walk in that this is the place to be in Minehead.
While the days of it being run by co-founder Sally Eveleigh—who I remember from when I was learning to walk—are behind us, it’s now in the capable hands of the Natural Life group. They’ve wisely left most of it as it was. From the well-stocked shop to the fantastic takeaway counter (which really is brilliant especially if you are vegetarian), you think that’s it—then you discover possibly the best café in Minehead upstairs, using Brazier Coffee and many ingredients from downstairs they create a range of wonderful, and often very colourful dishes.
The vibrancy of the shop and their bold colour scheme breathe life into Minehead’s high street, and the flags on the side can be seen from practically the seafront. If you’re in Minehead, make sure to pop into this amazing wholefood shop and café.
Ceres Natural Foods is the place to go in South Somerset and certainly in our view the best food shop in South Somerset. It serves Yeovil and the surrounding towns and villages, giving a real boost to Yeovil High Street. It’s particularly good for anyone on a gluten-free and/or vegan diet.
From the outside, Ceres looks small—but step inside and you'll find it packed with well-chosen, useful products. They are very much a perfectly completed wholefood shop, you won't find a better range of herbal teas around. Supplements? They have it covered. Raw chocolate? You'll have multiple brands to choose from! As with many shops though it is not the range alone that counts, if this is all that mattered you would likely just buy online, the quality of service and the product knowledge is second to none. They are a very down to earth bunch and will give advise without judgement.
So many "farm shops" start with good intentions—selling their own meat and veg—before sliding into being either a café, nothing wrong with this of course, or just another shop buying everything in from the same fine food wholesaler, then doubling the price, making many farm shops look very similar. Rumwell has avoided that trap brilliantly. They’ve grown the business steadily, and now it’s the spectacular food hall you see today. In all honesty, it’s the best farm shop in Somerset. You won’t find a range like theirs until you reach Greendale Farm Shop in Devon.
Running a food retailer at this scale means going head-to-head with major chains who can undercut on price. But Rumwell focused on what they’re good at: making as much as possible in-house rather than buying it in—including a now-legendary doughnut range. I truly love a custard doughnut and they are the best in Somerset, that I have no doubt! They’ve become a destination for anyone after a high-quality shopping experience—with, of course, a restaurant attached.
At Ruxstons, we’re lucky to be in a town with such brilliant food shops. One gem tucked away on North Street is Olive and Rosy. Run by the lovely Stefano and Rachael, they’re both passionate about food (and clothing).
Stefano’s love for his Italian food is clear, and his knowledge is as impressive and his obvious passion. Whether you’re after cheeses, cured meats or a sweet cannoli, this is the place. A particular favourite I picked up here was some lemon infused olive oil, it was like nothing I had ever tasted and from the small producers that they like to champion. Opening hours are currently limited to Fridays and Saturdays—but those are the best days to visit Wellington anyway!
The clue’s in the name—if you want cheese, this is the place. Late on Christmas Eve, after closing our own shop for the day, I popped in hoping to find something for the family that was not clearly from Ruxstons—and was greeted by a stunning range of cheeses you’d struggle to find anywhere else in the county, and of course, friendly owners and their team of staff. Regardless of what I write the best compliment I can give it is this: a few people told me in the build up to Christmas that year that “the cheese shop” was so busy they gave up and went to Waitrose instead, just to save time. If people are going to Waitrose at Christmas to avoid the queue, then basically you cannot get a better compliment.
If you're in Wellington and after cheese, chocolate or wine, this is a place that truly deserves a visit and will be worth your time.
And finally, Ruxstons
Of course, having finished the list in Wellington, we now have to say—all of the above should be forgotten, because the only shop really worth visiting in Somerset is our own! ;)
At Ruxstons, you’ll find a wide range of grass fed beef to organic chicken and hard-to-find specialities. If you are after the biggest range of herbal tea in the country I can be fairly sure we are up there. We even work with a manufacturer in Turin called Boella & Sorrisi who produces the legendary Gianduiotto—which arrives every few months on what must be the best-smelling pallet in the world. We stock a huge variety of organic dried fruit and nuts, all in fully compostable packaging. And, of course, we’ve added an on-site coffee shop where you can enjoy a relaxed drink after your shopping.
Joking aside, all the shops above are well worth a visit—and no doubt there are great ones we’ve missed. If you know of a better food shop, do let me know. I’ll definitely be paying it a visit to add them to this list.
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