When Yeo Valley (best known for their yoghurt) invited me to visit them for lunch and some yoghurt tasting I really didn’t know what to expect. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was totally blown away by my visit. I visited their organic ornamental gardens and tea room , in the grounds of the Yeo Valley Farm, ( in the heart of the beautiful Mendips countryside) and are the work of Sarah Mead.

As an added bonus I got to meet a group of lovely food bloggers. This was one of a handful of events Yeo Valley put on especially for bloggers this year, great to see a company get working with bloggers so right. First thing we were shown around the gardens by James the head gardener (one of the team who help Sarah develop and maintain the gardens). The gardens are breathtakingly beautiful, with a wide variety of stunning planting and lots of colour. I am already planning a trip there with my whole family as the gardens are open to the public on a limited number of days each year, go here for opening hours.

Next a chance to taste a range of Yeo Valley’s yoghurts. Now from a ethical standpoint Yeo Valley are an obvious choice, having been awarded The Soil Association Ethical Trade certification for supporting British organic diary farms, but would their taste match up ? In a word ‘yes’ the yoghurt is delicious, creamy and full of flavour. My favourite in the range is the rhubarb, though it is a close run race with the vanilla which is also delicious.

Next up a cookery demonstration by Yeo valley head chef Jaime. He showed us how to tea smoke trout, make sourdough bread and make a delicious cheesecake using cheese made from yoghurt. It was a great demonstration and I will certainly be using some of the ideas for cooking and presentation.

After this we were treated to a lunch of the dishes cooked by Jaime accompanied by some delicious salads made with veggies from the organic veg garden, yum. With full tummies we spent  more time wandering around the gardens, sighing contentedly (or perhaps that was just me). It really was a fantastic day, inspirational in fact. As a direct result of my trip I have been converted to buying more organic food, and am determined to get out and enjoy the British countryside with my family more often.

Thanks to all involved for a wonderful day, I can confirm that Yeo Valley is not just a name, it is in fact a place and a delightful place at that.