While being a farm-to-table restaurant was regarded as something quite novel and exciting a few years ago, the phrase has become a bit of a buzzword more recently, losing its true meaning. At Osip in Somerset, however, they take the ethos to heart, bolstering it with such a high level of refinement and quality of cooking that the food is as memorable as it is sustainable.

Opened in the latter half of 2019 by former Clipstone and Portland chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, whose aim was to celebrate the stunning countryside surrounding the village of Bruton and everything it’s home to, Osip has quickly become a destination restaurant. With space for just thirty covers inside the former ironmonger it’s undeniably an intimate affair – but its simple white and pastel-focused colour scheme ensures meals here are never dark and dingy. A sense of the surrounding countryside is brought in by flashes of exposed stone and dried flowers, which hang from the wall.

The ingredient-led nature of Osip’s food doesn’t lend itself well to a rigid a la carte offering, which is why there isn’t, in fact, even a menu presented at the table when dining here. Depending on what has been grown each week by local suppliers, as well seasonal availability, a largely vegetarian tasting menu is crafted each day to showcase the area’s stunning local produce. The ingredients are very much ‘best of British’, but some dishes take influence from further afield with the chef’s French training shining through. Freshly baked treacle and ale bread with smoked hay butter begins most meals, while savoury nibbles – such as black truffle macarons – might follow, alongside pumpkin ravioli with chestnut and verjus.

A short but carefully thought-out list of wines from small-scale, sustainable growers accompanies the food, with a bespoke pairing also an option. Elsewhere, local ciders and homemade soft drinks provide further choice in the drinks department.

Osip is continuing to make a name for itself both in Somerset and further afield, and is a charming reminder that fine dining is sometimes at its very best when stripped back and unpretentious.