A COASTAL restaurant in west Dorset has proved it has a golden taste for success with its menu of seasonal, locally sourced dishes.

The Alexandra Hotel and Restaurant in Lyme Regis has been awarded gold in the prestigious Taste of the West Awards for the fourth consecutive year.

The hotel restaurant has been praised for serving seasonal dishes with ingredients from local producers.

Talented Head Chef Tom Holloway oversees a mouth-watering menu – some of which is sourced by fishermen fresh from the bay below.

Depending on the catch, the menu includes Pan Seared Lyme Bay Brill, Lyme Bay diver caught scallops, West Country lemon sole and Lyme lobster.

Tom gained an appreciation of fresh local produce while working at a small restaurant on the west coast of Scotland before joining the Alexandra as head chef last year.

In Scotland, Tom could see the fish being caught and sold from fishmongers in a matter of minutes and got used to sourcing, growing and foraging as much as he could, an ethos that he has brought with him to Dorset.

Owner Kathryn Haskins said: “We are thrilled to have won a Taste of the West Gold Award for the Alexandra Restaurant for the fourth year in a row.

“Congratulations to Tom and his dedicated team for this much-deserved award.”

Head chef Mr Holloway added: “Winning Taste of the West Gold gives the team at the Alexandra a real lift as the main ethos of our dishes is to use great seasonal ingredients from passionate local food producers.”

The Alexandra Restaurant is open daily, 6.30pm to 9.00pm. The restaurant’s Local to Lyme Midweek Menu has just launched, serving up two and three course meals.

Dishes include Polenta and Lyme Regis Town Mill Ale Buttered Catch of the Day, Free Range Chicken Supreme and River Exe Mussels.