BELPER

After decades in the doldrums, this Derbyshire town is back to its best, with a vegan restaurant, micropub, cool cocktail bar and more

- SARAH BAXTER

Belper is back. Home to the second-ever water-powered cotton mill and the UK's first gas lighting, this Derwent Valley market town was a star of the Industrial Revolution. And while Belper's fortunes waned as local manufacturing declined, a strong community spirit and a host of independent businesses have helped put it back on the map. It's the only place to have won a Great British High Street title twice (in 2014 and 2019), and its food scene has played a major part in that success.

"Growing up nearby, I saw Belper develop from forgotten and overlooked to busy and thriving," says Leo Hill, chef-owner of Arthur's (arthursbelper.co.uk), the intimate, 24-seater restaurant he opened in 2018. "I love the mix of history, bustle, and natural landscapes; it gives us a plethora of avenues, in terms of local produce, from the high-street greengrocer to neighbours offering produce from their gardens to foraged ingredients." All of the above goes into Arthur's 10-course tasting menus, which change monthly but always centre on nostalgic dishes served in interesting ways: bone marrow s'more tart, for example, or cuttlefish chilli, or 'cheesy chips' (crispy potato terrine with rarebit sauce and black truffle).