Private Countryside Dairy & Distillery Tasting Day Trip, Bath

Discover the flavors and farms of southwest England with this day trip into the Somerset and Wiltshire countryside. Striking out from Bath with your private driver, you'll stop by some of the region's best artisan producers, starting with a behind-the-scenes visit and a guided tasting at a historic Somerset creamery. Swing by an award-winning country inn for a lunch of local produce and seasonal ingredients, then continue into the chalk grasslands of Wiltshire to see how a family-run estate turned their 17th-century barn into a renowned gin and vodka distillery.

This delicious day trip begins when your private driver picks you up at your Bath hotel and takes you on a scenic hour-long drive south to one of Somerset's best artisan cheesemakers, established in 1890. See the traditional cheesemaking process firsthand, from fresh, unpasteurized milk delivered warm from neighboring grass-fed cows to hand-stacking the curds, salting, pressing, and aging the wheels in a hillside cellar. Afterward, enjoy a guided tasting of signature cheeses—including a clothbound cheddar, aged Caerphilly, and Somerset ricotta—all paired with the farm's own cured meats.

Now that you've whet your appetite, it's time to get back on the road, passing more quintessential English countryside views as you make your way to an award-winning country inn. Here you'll sit down to a leisurely lunch that showcases seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farms and artisan producers. In between courses, you'll learn more about the agricultural traditions that have shaped this part of southwest England, and see why Somerset has become such a hub for independent producers, small farmers, and the Slow Food movement.

The final stop of the day takes you just over the border into southwest Wiltshire, where you'll pull into the 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate for a visit to its craft distillery. See how a restored 17th-century barn now serves as the base of productions, learn about the intricate copper still design, and hear how locally grown grains, botanicals, and naturally filtered chalk spring water help create the spirits' distinctive character. End with a generous sampling of the distilleries' finest gins and vodkas (and maybe purchase a bottle of your favorite to take home), then put your feet up for the hour-long drive back to Bath.