UK's 'poshest town' Bruton where A-list celebs live - with £3 shortbread and £7k canvases

I'm perusing a boutique nestled in Somerset's quaint Bruton town, fiddling with a £17 recycled plastic tote emblazoned with "Our Dolce Vita bag is as close as you can get to a 6pm aperitivo" – and it's far from being a mere jest.

The petite and fashionable Bruton has been hailed as "Britain's Montecito", teeming with wealthy local celebrities, and epitomising an enviable lifestyle.

On the summit of the hill stands Osip, a Michelin-starred gastronomic haven once a humble pub and now acclaimed as restaurant of the year by the Good Food Guide, ambitiously striving for its second star. The chic white interior of this dining spot, run by youthful chef-owner Merlin Labron-Johnson, exudes more of an igloo vibe than a traditional last call, offering a select dinner seating for 38 with tasting menus starting at a cool £125 each.

Meanwhile, tucked behind hedgerows, reside the elusive homes of A-listers like Benedict Cumberbatch, Mariella Frostrup, Stella McCartney, and not to forget former chancellor George Osborne. Property prices soar with a three-bedroom terraced house costing £525,000; tack on another £125,000 for a bungalow.

Even the employees in the local indie shops here emanate sophistication, such as the graceful Debs Dufton, "grey model" and assistant to Kath and Ahmed at the stylish Smouk Interiors, dominating the picturesque high street, discovered decades ago after turning heads in Harrods.

She directs me on a brief stroll up the narrow high street to The Chapel – "the cultural hub of the town" – an impressive conversion of a former Methodist church that hosts arts events and offers speciality baked goods from its in-house bakery. This is where fashion-forward individuals and "genuine locals" gather to enjoy their daily cruffin (a £4.50 innovation where a croissant is twisted inside a muffin tin and filled with the flavour of the day: Cotswolds Cream Liqueur mixed with mascarpone piped into dark chocolate), reports the Express.

"Bruton is such a cultural hotspot," enthuses Debs as I inspect a £1,895 Beni Ourain rug from the High Atlas mountains, displayed on the warehouse-sized walls of Smouk. "I'm single and there's always something happening every night. There's a fascinating social mix of old hippy types and very sophisticated people, all of whom are creative."

She particularly enjoys the "world-class" Sunday jazz afternoons at the contemporary art gallery Hauser and Wirth, where top featured artists include Ian Bellamy, who resides in nearby Frome, "and is one of the top 25 jazz performers in the world".

Hauser and Wirth also houses a farm shop selling high-end foodie delights – such as Celeriac, Capers and Mustard Seeds Ferment (£12.95 for a 350g jar) and premium Wagyu fillet at £140 per kilo.

At The Chapel, a trendy spot in Bruton, I'm tearing into a hazelnut pain au chocolat (£4.50) while watching the in-demand London artist Johny Midnight manoeuvre a massive £7k canvas down a sleek spiral staircase after his recent abstract oil exhibition in the Art Deco gallery above. This isn't your average small-town café with quaint watercolours and homemade treats; here, even the shortbread is infused with Earl Grey and will set you back £3 a slice.

Johny, who once taught painting to TV star Sarah Beeny's four lads in Balham, speaks highly of Bruton: "Bruton is a market town revived by arty Boho," he says. "It's a mix of local locals – the farming community who've been here for generations; the landed gentry, ditto; and incoming Londoners, plus tourists. I'd say they've nailed it here. The locals are living in a tourist destination without a Somerset cream tea in sight."

He adds, "Yes, The Chapel is a café, but it also stinks of a gallery. I love it." So, does Bruton really match the "Montecito" buzz? It's not your typical haunt for high-end fashion shopping.

Here in Bruton, you're more likely to encounter an A-lister en route to a village gig or in search of the perfect artisan sourdough than hunting for designer labels like Prada or Versace. After all, this is Somerset, where rainy days and muddy strolls are part and parcel of the charming rural setting, complete with farms and tractors.

However, the town's only charity shop, Brainwaves, boasts some delightful designer items – including a pair of Dino Maglini Italian leather brogues for just £14.50. There was quite a stir when popular bakery chain Gregg's opened a branch here 16 months ago.

One unhappy local resident told a newspaper: "I actually can't believe the council allowed it. It's like putting a sex shop in a secondary school."

Yet, it quickly becomes apparent that some locals are somewhat uneasy about the recent post-Covid changes to their town. As I stride down the petite high street in my most vibrant coat, notebook in hand, I stick out like a sore thumb and locals start approaching me.

"Oh, I do hope you are going to write about what it is really like," pleads Dilly Brownlow, a resident of 38 years. "I'm fed up with people writing a whole lot of nonsense about celebrities and Bruton."

She then goes on to confirm all the rumours, particularly the shift in cultural values when newcomers flooded the town; a shift epitomised by the transformation of the village shop, from which she has just emerged to mourn the past.

The shop itself serves as a small-scale representation of all the changes that have shaken Bruton. Once a typical village shop "run by Cyril and selling newspapers", it now sports a bright turquoise paint job and bears the name Organic Good Community Café (in quirky black hand-lettering).

It certainly resembles a Notting Hill boutique more than a place you'd pop into for a tin of beans.

The recent surge of newcomers has caused a myriad of issues for Dilly, a local charity arts events curator. She's struggling to compete with the numerous other cultural activities in Bruton.

A glance at the shop notice board reveals a poster for a typical Bruton concert: Steve Jolliffe from prog rock band Tangerine Dream performing various works, including The Bruton Suite. This has led to a significant scheduling conflict with the Elvis tribute night Dilly is promoting for a local charity.

"It's gone from being a very sleepy village where nothing happened, to this," Dilly laments. "I do wish they would check what else is happening locally on the same night first".

In the past, she had no trouble filling seats any night of the week. "Now I'm hoping there will be two distinct audiences on the night... but I would quite like to go to Tangerine Dream myself. There is almost too much going on for a local community. This might be my last year of trying."

The general consensus is that the Montecito label is somewhat silly – especially since true Brutonites know they possess something far more valuable: culture and class.

Even the alms-house enabling independent living in the middle of the high street – established following a bequest from local benefactor Sir Hugh Sexey 400 years ago – resembles a small Oxford college, complete with original lead drainpipes and a pristine grassy quad.

Who needs to be compared to a Californian enclave when you're nestled amongst charming hamstone cottages that date back to the Domesday Book?

This was something that legendary American author John Steinbeck, known for his work 'The Grapes Of Wrath', discovered during his eight-month retreat in the town in 1959. Back then, the quaint bookshop Ape and Eden was the town's hardware store, and a blue plaque on the building commemorates Steinbeck's affection for the place.

"I felt more at home in Bruton than I ever have anywhere: A fortunate accident drew me to this place," it reads. Steinbeck, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, documented his experiences in the town through lengthy letters to friends.

The shop is now owned by Lisa Pickering, whose son Lyndon serves as the cashier-elect. "For a small town, it's cosmopolitan. It has a small city mentality and always this connection to fine art and music," he says.

According to Lyndon, it was the opening of the out-of-town gallery Hauser and Wirth in 2014 that "that put Bruton on the map". My final stop is the Roth Bar at the gallery.

It's not your average pub. This is Bruton after all.

A massive artwork, the size of a lying double-decker bus, hovers over the entire bar, made from a collection of televisions, tape recorders and other knick-knacks.

Underneath their real leather designer cowgirl hats with edgy fabric trim by Jessy Cowgirl, three chic ladies are seen knocking back tequila. Jessy is joined by her mother, caterer and farmer Janey White, along with her mum's pals, artist Cordelia Plunket—who boasts collaborations with legends like David Bowie and Adele—and gallery owner Mandy d'Abo.

"There was a big exodus from London to Bruton during Covid, including fashion designer Phoebe Philo, the former creative director of Chloe, as well as filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson and Stella McCartney," Mandy reveals. Cordelia chimes in: "There are lots of very cool women in Bruton. Make that your headline."

Despite it being only 4pm, the call for more shots rings out.

"It's always tequila o'clock in Bruton," Janey declares with a laugh. And with that, the fabulous women of Bruton continue their revelry.