When you book a break in one of the luxurious five star self-catering cottages at Combermere Abbey, you might be tempted to think that it's a bit too rural to find first class food and drink. How wrong can you be? Both Cheshire and Shropshire (and the Combermere estate straddles the boundary) are rich and fertile farming counties renowned particularly for meat, fruits and cheese.

The area offers a wealth of gourmet pubs, farmers' markets, award-winning farm shops, and some of the country's best local purveyors and producers - such as flour millers, bakers, cheese makers and micro-breweries.

Not very far away - at the old school at Harthill - is Brian Mellor's Cookery School. Brian is the award-winning Master Chef of Great Britain, and former head chef at the BBC. The cookery school is perched high on a hill in the hamlet of Harthill, on the edge of the Bolesworth Castle estate, and three miles south of the delightful village of Tattenhall (where you can also find great pubs and restaurants). Weekend courses at the school include game preparation and cookery, Malaysian Cuisine overseen by Norman Musa, and Chocolate Heaven with Toby Beevers. Toby is an acclaimed pastry chef who has presented dishes to the Royal family. All-day courses on weekdays are priced from £115 per person including lunch, teas, coffees and soft drinks. Click here for more details.

If you like top quality food and drink Combermere Abbey is the ideal place to be based. This year we a new, simplified pricing structure, and nano breaks of just two nights are available (and affordable!). Click here for more details, including availability and booking.