Whortleberry Tearoom history
Tearoom history ...
Whortleberry House was originally built as a fruit and veg shop with living accommodation around the middle of the 19th century, from 1923 to 1999 it was owned by the Westcott family.
Mr Westcott used to pay between 4d(29p) and 6d(44p) a quart (almost a kilo) for whortleberries (also known as bilberries), collected by the local pickers.
They were packed into punnets in the sheds behind the tearoom and sent to either London or the Midlands where they were used in the food industry, and as a dye for military uniforms, notably for the RAF.
In 1999 the shop was converted to the tearoom it is today.
Your hosts Helen and Shaun acquired the business in March 2019 and have made Porlock our home.
What is a whortleberry ?
This is the local Somerset name for the sweet blackish coloured fruit of a low growing heathland bush, Vaccinium myrtillus, also known elsewhere as bilberry, wurt or winberry to name but a few. The plant is very common on Exmoor and the Quantock hills and have been harvested by locals for centuries and were an important food source.
The pink/red flowers can be seen on early new growth from late March/early April each year the local Red and Roe Deer love them too !
The modern blueberry is a hybrid developed about 100 years ago they are bigger and easier to harvest than the wild whorlteberry.
Whortleberry House was originally built as a fruit and veg shop with living accommodation around the middle of the 19th century, from 1923 to 1999 it was owned by the Westcott family.
Mr Westcott used to pay between 4d(29p) and 6d(44p) a quart (almost a kilo) for whortleberries (also known as bilberries), collected by the local pickers.
They were packed into punnets in the sheds behind the tearoom and sent to either London or the Midlands where they were used in the food industry, and as a dye for military uniforms, notably for the RAF.
In 1999 the shop was converted to the tearoom it is today.
Your hosts Helen and Shaun acquired the business in March 2019 and have made Porlock our home.
What is a whortleberry ?
This is the local Somerset name for the sweet blackish coloured fruit of a low growing heathland bush, Vaccinium myrtillus, also known elsewhere as bilberry, wurt or winberry to name but a few. The plant is very common on Exmoor and the Quantock hills and have been harvested by locals for centuries and were an important food source.
The pink/red flowers can be seen on early new growth from late March/early April each year the local Red and Roe Deer love them too !
The modern blueberry is a hybrid developed about 100 years ago they are bigger and easier to harvest than the wild whorlteberry.
