Why Foodies Love Bury St Edmunds

With a wealth of outstanding food and drink producers, Suffolk fully deserves its moniker of ‘the Foodie County’ and Bury St Edmunds 'Suffolk's Foodie Capital'. Agriculture, food production and fishery have always been central to Suffolk’s economy and today’s producers of fine fare are following in the footsteps of centuries of farmers, butchers and brewers before them.

Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area is home to producers large and small, who provide restaurants, retailers and direct customers with an abundant supply of produce that has been harvested, reared or produced on Suffolk soil. Our sunny valleys and fertile fields are great for growers, and the local appetite for high quality products has helped fuel a surge in craft and artisan food and drink production.

Bury St Edmunds is home to over 80 eateries with a great mix of independents and chains and offers foodies everything from award-winning fine dining (Bury St Edmunds has the only Michelin starred restaurant in Suffolk) to great pub food and from family friendly restaurants to pretty cafes to while away an afternoon.

And it's not just food. Bury St Edmunds is the home of Greene King which has been brewing award-winning beers in the town for over 200 years using water from Bury’s chalk wells which date back to 1086, when monks would brew ale on the site of the Great Abbey of St Edmund.

"They have been partying in Bury St Edmunds since Saxon times, and the enjoyment of food and drink is integral to the life of this prosperous market town." - The Telegraph

Gastronomes seeking fine-dining experiences in town are never disappointed with our award-winning restaurants including 1921, Maison Bleue, and the only Michelin starred restaurant in Suffolk Pea Porridge and a Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant Lark.

Indulge your appetite with fine dining to quality Suffolk home-cooked pub grub and from cocktail to gin bars, there are a huge number of places to eat and drink each with their own unique atmosphere.

Out of town, foodies will love the Weeping Willow in Barrow, the restaurant at The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa in Lavenham, Ravenwood Hall Hotel in Rougham, Leaping Hare at Wyken Vineyards, Tuddenham Mill, Theobald's Restaurant in Ixworth, and Scutchers in Long Melford.

Bury St Edmunds is bursting with unique independent restaurants all within walking distance in the town centre and with more joining the line-up every year!

The newest kid on the block is Blue Fig, with its Mediterranean-inspired small plates, situated just a stone's throw from the Abbey Garden gates. A new venture by restaurateur Lamen Reddy (who owns Chi, a pan-Asian restaurant group), and chef restaurateur Regis Crepy, who has owned several fine dining restaurants in East Anglia.

In the heart of Bury St Edmunds, you'll find Damson & Wilde. With a beautiful interior, a stunning walled garden and a fantastic team, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind whether it's for lunch, coffee, dinner or a glass of wine... What is Damson & Wilde? In a few words, ‘Drink, Graze, Dine’. Damson & Wilde is part of the independent Gusto Pronto family who are based in and around Bury St Edmunds with five pubs, craft brewery Brewshed and wine shop Vino Gusto.

With artwork and tables made from aircraft parts, No5 Angel Hill Wine & Coffee House is truly unique. Occupying a prime spot opposite Bury St Edmunds iconic Abbey Gate with a view of Angel Hill it is the perfect place to eat breakfast and brunch, drink and people watch!

Other popular independents to try include Dough & Co Woodfired Pizza in Abbeygate Street and No. 4 Restaurant & Bar. No. 4 is the Abbeygate Cinema’s stunning dining room – with its Georgian style décor and a warm welcome.

As well as unique and award-winning independent restaurants and eateries, Bury St Edmunds has a host of well-loved national restaurants.

These include Byron Burger and Wagamama at the arc shopping centre. Pizza Express, Giggling Squid, Prezzo, and Cote Brasserie in Abbeygate Street.

Edmundo Lounge in Cornhill is one of a small chain of 'Lounge Restaurants' in the country, boasting a wonderful range of food to meet lots of dietary requirements including gluten free, dairy free, vegan and vegetarian in a relaxed formal setting where you can bring the children and the dog! Many of our shops and eateries are Dog Friendly in Bury St Edmunds!

Suffolk loves food and festivals so it’s no surprise that the annual Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival is always popular.

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the town is taken over by stalls serving a feast of hot and cold delights while local chefs provide cookery demonstrations.

Bury St Edmunds Market is a fantastic places to sample the county’s marvellous local produce. Here, you’ll find bread, pastries, pies, cheeses, free-range eggs, fresh fish, meats and fruit and vegetables, all of which have been made, grown or reared locally to the highest of standards.

Held every Wednesday and Saturday in the historic centre of town in the Buttermarket and Cornhill area, Bury St Edmund’s thriving market’s long and colourful history can be traced back almost 1,000 years.

Don’t miss Bury St Edmunds’ Farmers’ Market either, held on the second Sunday of every month. Lavenham’s Farmers’ Market, held on the fourth, and Wyken’s Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday, are also well worth a visit. At all three, you’ll get to meet the producers as well as sample their excellent food.

You’ll find a fantastic meal, as well as a perfect pint, in the many historic pubs in and around Bury St Edmunds. In town, the One Bull and Old Cannon Brewery both serve seasonal food alongside their own brews. The One Bull, The Fox Inn, The Bushel, The King's Arms, and Masons Arms are also great choices for a hearty pub lunch and a proper pint.

If there’s room inside, cap off your meal with another swift one in The Nutshell, Britain’s smallest historic pub, or Oakes Barn, a CAMRA award-winning real ale pub.

In the villages, the Packhorse Inn in Moulton, the Swan Inn in Monks Eleigh, the Greyhound in Lavenham, the Six Bells in Preston St Mary and the Queen’s Head in Hawkedon all offer old-world country charm as well as first-class menus that make the most of local ingredients.

Beer lovers will want to make a tasting tour at the Greene King Beer Cafe a priority for their visit to Bury St Edmunds and take home some souvenirs from their brewery shop. Bury St Edmunds is the home of Greene King which has been brewing award-winning beers in the town for over 200 years and you enjoy tours of their brewery.

Love a pint of Adnams? You won’t have to go far to find a pint from Suffolk’s other major brewer in the town plus Adnams also have their own shop in the town - another stop for souvenirs.

There’s also a great range of beers to try at pubs with micro-breweries: be sure to schedule a stop at both the Old Cannon Brewery and one of the Brewshed Brewery’s exceptional pubs, The Beerhouse, The One Bull, the Cadogan in Ingham or the Crown in Hartest.

Beer and cider aficionados are also in for a treat in April, when St Edmundsbury Cathedral hosts the East Anglian Beer and Cider Festival. Over four days, over 100 real ales and ciders from brewers large and small can be tasted.

Now real ale and craft beer enthusiasts can explore the town’s licensed premises with the Bury Ale Trail, giving visitors the chance to try ales brewed in the town itself or from further afield.

The special ale trail map, produced by Our Bury St Edmunds BID, gives information on all the participating venues. Copies of the Bury Ale Trail can be found at pubs and bars throughout the town centre, the tourist information points in town, and can be downloaded from Our Bury St Edmunds website.

Tea drinkers can enjoy an expertly prepared cup of loose leaf tea or bean-to-cup coffee at a choice of cafés and tea rooms in Bury St Edmunds. Get your hit of café culture Primal 8, Pilgrims Kitchen, Harriet’s Café Tearooms, No5 Angel Hill, The Coffee House at The Apex, Lounge & Garden, Midgar Coffee, Café Kottani, Baileys 2, Wright's, or the Bay Tree Café. You'll be sure to find your national favourites too including Costa, Caffe Nero, Starbucks, Hotel Chocolat and Muffin Break!

You’ll find artisan coffee that has been roasted right here in Bury St Edmunds in many cafés. Butterworth and Son are specialist coffee roasters! Local craft coffee makers Frank and Earnest are also creating waves in the coffee world with their Nitro cold brew, available in cans in the Adnams shop. You can also taste their hot coffee at The One Bull, Oakes Barn and the Greene King Beer Café.

Always wanted the chance to develop your own gin recipe? Here's your chance…

Adnams' Bury St Edmunds shop not only has a great tasting bar but you can also learn how to make your own gin there using their mini-copper pot stills.

Learn about gin from one of their Gin Makers, and choose your own special blend of botanicals provided to create your own bottle!

You can eat your way around the world with the mouth-watering array of restaurants in Bury St Edmunds offering international cuisine.

At Francela you can get your tastebuds round Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish Cuisine in a family-run restaurant near the Abbey Gardens on Angel Hill.

Rustico is home to fresh, hearty and familiar Italian food. The menu includes 10 cocktails alongside excellent wines, largely from Italy, and a range of dishes that include handmade pasta crafted with Suffolk flour and pizza made fresh daily using Italian tomatoes and real mozzerella cheese.

Authentic mexican restaurant Amigos, winners of the Best Mexican Establishment of the Year category at the Food Awards England 2022, serves homemade food with fresh local ingredients and Zen Noodle Bar offers an exciting menu that includes mouth-watering dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. While Valley Connection focuses on Indian continental dishes and Bangladeshi cuisine and Spice Garden offers a range of authentic & imaginative traditional Indian and fusion dishes.

Make the most of the warm days ahead and the many al fresco dining spots in Bury St Edmunds.

The town has a Mediterranean feel in the summer with lots of cafes and eateries offering pavement dining plus pretty tucked away gardens to eat outside.

Check out Damson & Wilde, No 5 Angel Hill, and Lounge & Garden to start!

Our Al Fresco Dining Guide offers more suggestions!

The UK's only museum of food, sharing the story of how food is grown, made and eaten, is just a 20 minute drive from Bury St Edmunds in Stowmarket.

You can explore their 84-acre site and 17 historic buildings, take part in hands-on activities, try delicious food and more. We all eat. Food is culture and is an avenue for everyday creativity.

From cheese-making to brewing, historic breads to seasonal eating, the museum explores themes connected by food – social, historical, technological, industrial, environmental – and to give visitors hands-on experiences which bring processes alive, teach skills and share memories.

Find out more at The Food Museum website.

Did you know that Roman legionaries enjoyed East Anglian postings because of the quality of its wine? East Anglia supplied a third of the tithe of grapes to Rome.

East Anglia is fast becoming a recognisable wine growing region. In addition to areas of very favourable terroir, land prices and the driest climate in the UK, have resulted in Vines being grown commercially in the area from the first modern pioneers of the 40s.

There are a number of wonderful award-winning vineyards near Bury St Edmunds to explore where you can enjoy tours, tastings and of course buy a bottle or case to take home with you

Find out more in our Vineyards Guide.

If you're looking to make your stay in Bury St Edmunds extra special, or perhaps you want to hunker down and escape for a few days without having to cook; Bury St Edibles is a personal chef company that can cater for everything from seven course dinner parties to buffet lunches and kids' parties.

Using the best local, seasonal food and drink, dishes include Brancaster mussels with Bury St Edmunds Brewshed beer and Suffolk bacon, Blythburgh pork ribeye, rapeseed oil mash, appalls cider sauce, Wild mushroom and truffle biryani samosa with Puy lentil and coconut dhal, Dark chocolate “crunchie bar” with passion fruit textures and Sticky toffee pudding with coco-scotch sauce.

Want more inspiration? Check out our Food & Drink Guide!

With so much to see and do in Bury St Edmunds & Beyond, why not book a stay - take a look at our 'Places to Stay' guide!

Visit our Food and Drink Directory for more yummy food and drink businesses in Bury St Edmunds and Beyond!