Bristol and its environs now have county status, although things gastronomic are still driven by the city itself. Once a great trading centre famed for imports of everything from pigs to port and sherry, it still puts on a cosmopolitan face: massive redevelopment along the old waterside warehouses has spawned all manner of restaurants, brasseries and cafés.

Elsewhere, the city's multicultural heritage has ensured an abundance of ethnic eating places, with food-orientated pubs making an impact - especially in the suburbs and nearby countryside.