A new food business in Somerset has brought a touch of Africa to a road best known for a historic British landmark.
Joining Stonehenge in the list of destinations along the A303 is Teals, a food store, restaurant and takeout in South Cadbury, Somerset. It can trace its origins to a trip undertaken by founders Ash and Nick Sinfield decades ago, when they were in their early 20s. Travelling by bike, the couple retraced the journeys of 19th centrury explorer David Livingstone, starting in Kenya and ending in Cape Town.
“During our expedition, we bought a lot of our food from very simple family farm stalls on the side on the road and in villages,” says Ash. “That’s where the original idea for Teals came from.”
Thoughts of bringing the same level of warmth and localness to the side of the road in the UK stayed in the back of their minds for decades, during which Ash pursued a career in branding and marketing and Nick became an entrepreneur.
“We got to a point in our lives when it resurfaced,” she says. “The sustainability agenda had become more prevalent and we started thinking about the idea more and more.”
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This developed into the concept of a store and restaurant hub that could connect passers-by to the region and the community to producers and makers, offering local and seasonal produce alongside prepared food.
“When you travel the UK, you can sometimes find yourself in a hostage situation when it comes to amenities,” adds Ash. “We wanted to challenge the norm in terms of roadside hospitality and in some ways become a disrupter in the sector.”
“We found this amazing location, which is halfway between London and Cornwall, where there was very little on the side of the road. There is a bridge, so we are accessible from both sides of the A303.”
The metal-framed building was designed so it would fit comfortably in the surrounding rural landscape while including some personal influences drawn from their own travels. This includes a covered stoep (veranda) at the front and around the back that people can sit under, a corrugated iron roof and extensive timber cladding.
“We want people to feel it is a space they want to spend time in rather than a space that just serves a function,” says Ash. “Retail and hospitality enviornments shouldn’t be standardised, they should be emotive.”
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