Seasonal wild food

Having garnered national attention for her micro-seasonal and hyper-local exploration of Dorset’s coast and countryside via her Lyme Regis restaurant Robin Wylde, chef Harriet Mansell is now focusing her attention on her restaurant and wine bar Lilac. Nestled in a 400-year-old cellar on Broad Street in Lyme Regis, the small-plates restaurant and wine bar offers a taste of the season, lovingly crafted using only ethical and sustainable practices.

An edible expedition of the South West’s fields, hedgerows, moors, forests and coast, the crafted menus at Lilac Restaurant Lyme Regis are laden with vegetables, fruits, plants, flowers, nuts and seeds, as well as wild fish and meat. Skilfully fermented and preserved foods extend both the season’s bounty and the flavour spectrum. The team scour the diverse landscape surrounding the Lyme Regis restaurant for wild herbs, fruit and vegetables, which often results in unfamiliar (yet delicious) ingredients making it onto the adventurous menus.

Oenophiles will delight in the beautifully paired wines – usually biodynamic or organic – and there are also excellent non-alcoholic drinks with homemade concoctions such as pineapple-weed and mint kombucha.

2024 sees the launch of a new woodland-style outdoor dining space, Lilac Garden Table, where Harriet’s passion for wild food is showcased in full. Diners will be treated to a chef’s table dining experience that pairs tales and local insights with wild and foraged food, cooked on a nearby fire.

With mentions in the Michelin Guide, the Good Food Guide and Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants, Harriet’s restaurants have garnered national attention for their exploration of Dorset’s coast and countryside. She has previously worked with Mark Hix, interned at Noma in Denmark and competed on Great British Menu.

Trencherman’s tip: Fancy incorporating more wild food into your home cooking? The Lilac team also host foraging walks.