After extensive travels to California, Cape Town and Bordeaux in the past few weeks, it’s great to get away with the family for some well earned recuperation on the Isle of Wight. What a special place it is!

Having spent over a decade regularly driving 5+ hours down from London to North Cornwall to visit the In-laws farm over bank holidays and school holidays, it’s such a pleasure to now drive only two and a half hours door to door to our lovely clapboard cottage near Yarmouth, just across the Solent from Lymington.

Cornwall was great… St Teath, Port Isaac, Padstow, Rock, Newquay etc., but a few years ago, I’m certain the Gulf Stream shifted and the weather became cold, wet and depressing all the time, even in summer. So we made the change and embraced a new bolt hole lifestyle on the Isle of Wight. Fast forward a few years and it seems the IOW is now the new ‘on trend’ spot for the who’s who of Kensington & Chelsea. Even Benedict Cumberbatch holidays here now!

There are few more beautiful spots for lunch or dinner on the Island than The Hut at Colwell Bay, 10 minutes drive from the ferry at Yarmouth. Or if you prefer to moor your yacht off the beach in the bay, they’ll come and fetch you in an inflatable motorboat and deliver you to your waterside table. Now that’s service!

I agonised whether to write this post and give away one of our best kept IOW secrets, but in the end I decided it’s just too beautiful a spot not to share with the world!

For lunch yesterday, I enjoyed a fabulous spread of Oysters, Fish Tacos, and Crayfish herbed risotto with a cod steak, all washed down with a chilled bottle of 2016 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Heaven!

Booking is essential for the Hut at Colwell Bay.