The Potting Shed at Mad Swans brings colourful interiors, elevated comfort food and relaxed all-day dining to the Mendips. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and Sunday roasts, the restaurant centres around seasonal British ingredients, sociable sharing plates and crowd-pleasing dishes given a more creative twist. The venue is also dog friendly, wheelchair accessible and offers outdoor seating during warmer months.
The kitchen focuses on modern British cooking made using fresh produce sourced from local suppliers wherever possible. Menus take familiar classics and make them feel a little more elevated and unexpected, with dishes designed for sharing across the table. Starters and lighter plates include crispy Cornish squid with chipotle aioli and lime, burrata with honey roast figs and basil, tuna tartare with kumquat and avocado, and Brixham crab served with toasted brioche and samphire.
Homemade pasta dishes feature heavily too, including lobster macaroni cheese and pappardelle with fennel sausage, capers and tomato. Larger mains range from slow-cooked beef short rib and roasted suckling pig to chicken Milanese with fried St Ewes egg and cafe de Paris butter, while more substantial sharing dishes include chicken cooked in hay, grilled lobster and dry-aged rib of beef. Breakfast menus include full English breakfasts, pancakes, porridge with honey, avocado on toast and shakshuka. Sundays focus on traditional roasts served with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and gravy.
The interiors feel eclectic, warm and full of character. A striking vaulted wooden ceiling runs above the dining room, while blue seating, olive green walls and terracotta accents create a colourful Mediterranean-inspired palette throughout the space. Wooden floors, layered textiles, industrial-style lighting and terracotta pots filled with herbs add to the relaxed atmosphere.
Drinks range from botanical-inspired cocktails and tropical spritzes to wines, local ciders, beers and non-alcoholic serves, designed to complement the restaurant’s sociable sharing-style menu.