Category Archives: Food & Drink

Food & Drink, north devon

NORTH DEVON MARKETING BUREAU LAUNCHES NEW FOOD AND DRINK INITIATIVE

A new initiative set to boost food and drink businesses in North Devon was launched yesterday (Monday 26 March 2018).

The North Devon Marketing Bureau unveiled the brand-new North Devon Food Trail app, which is designed to showcase the best independent food and drink businesses the region has to offer. The businesses included in the app were all recommended by locals, as part of a piece of research undertaken in 2017.

It features over 150 businesses all identified as unmissable by North Devon residents and aims to give visitors insider knowledge on where to eat. The app also lists some of North Devon’s unique food producers.

The app was commissioned by the North Devon Marketing Bureau (NDMB), the not-for-profit business set up to execute destination marketing for North Devon, Torridge and Exmoor. Nick White, Chair of the North Devon Marketing Bureau, said: “A little-known fact is that Devon has more Michelin stars that Cornwall – at the North Devon Marketing Bureau we aim to raise the profile of Northern Devon’s quality food and drink at all levels. This new app is the backbone of our regional campaign.

“We want to put North Devon firmly on the foodie map and our unique app is designed to do this. Based on genuine recommendations from North Devon locals we’ve put together the must-have guide to eateries in the area.

“As North Devon locals, we all know this area has a fantastic array of independent food and drink heroes, from restaurants, to street food, to artisan producers – but we also know that many visitors and locals want reliable information on how to find the real gems.

“Tourism is of huge importance to the area, supporting one in four jobs with a turnover of over £550m. This initiative aims to support local food and drink businesses, boost visitor spend, bringing together and benefitting local communities.

“We’d like to say thank you to all the locals that voted for their favourite food and drink – we’d like to invite locals to download the app too. After all, while we all have our particular favourites, it’s great to get some new ideas.”

The app is being endorsed by local chefs and food and drink businesses.

Dez Turland, Development Chef at Saunton Sands, said: “North Devon is home to some fantastic food and drink and this app is designed to help locals and visitors discover some hidden delights. It’s unique, because locals have nominated their particular favourites – we are very proud to launch the app as it’s been carefully collated by the people who really know what they’re talking about!

Lyndsay Platt, Owner of Glorious Oyster, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of this new initiative, designed to encourage visitors to discover some of the great food and drink in the area. We specialise in serving fresh local shellfish and seafood and want to shout about the great food available on our doorstep – this new app is designed to help people find more companies like us and we are proud to be involved.”

And accommodation providers, local attractions, food and drink producers and locals are all being encouraged to help spread the word to visitors.

Nick White continued: “We’re hoping that accommodation providers and businesses will see this app as a huge benefit and will download our toolkit to help promote it to their customers. This is just the start – we want to evolve the app over time, with greater functionality and more features.”

The North Devon Food Trail app has been funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the North Devon Marketing Bureau. It is available on the App Store and Google Play – more information can be found at www.northdevonfoodtrail.co.uk www.northdevonfoodtrail.co.uk
www.facebook.com/NorthDevonFoodTrailApp/
twitter.com/NDevonFoodTrail

Food & Drink, News from our advertisers, west somerset

MILES CELEBRATES 130 YEARS

It’s always best to leave enough time for the tea to infuse in the hot water as it allows for the depth of flavour and strength to develop. A quick dip just doesn’t give the same taste. At Miles this principle applies to the business and day-to-day life, which reflects in the longevity of the company. 2018 sees 130 years of tea and coffee heritage with the Miles family.

2017 saw continual sales growth, showing that taking time to create only the best products does pay off. One of the main areas of growth was with the award-winning West Country Original loose-leaf tea, with its tea blend recipe being a closely guarded secret for years.

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John Halls, Operations Director, said: “It’s a real achievement to see growth in such uncertain times. We pride ourselves in protecting our West Somerset workforce and continually upgrading our rural production sites. We have invested in new machinery which will see new products being launched this year and look forward to sharing more about this soon. We are pleased to announce that, for the fifth year running, Miles have been independently ranked among the top four UK tea brands. This year our coffee has been ranked as the second most popular UK coffee brand for farm shops and delis to stock in Best Brands 2017/18 edition which is out this month.”

PHOTO: John Halls, Operations Director with Best Brands Magazines, a pack of Miles award winning West Country blend tea in the tea aisle at the Miles factory

 

 

Events, Food & Drink, Tourism

EAT EXMOOR FOOD & DRINK TRADE SHOW

An exciting new, free event, the Eat Exmoor Food & Drink Trade Show, is for everyone involved in producing, preparing, selling and celebrating Exmoor food and drink.

The event is designed for hospitality and experience providers, chefs, retailers and food and drink buyers to meet local producers from the Greater Exmoor area, and is being held at the Beach Hotel in Minehead (TA24 5AP) on Wednesday 7 February.

There will be a range of cooking demonstrations and some short, inspiring and informative talks from chefs and producers as well as experts in the marketing of local food with themed toolkits for producers and food/accommodation businesses. With plenty of trade stands from local producers, this FREE day runs from 10am to 4pm and people are welcome to drop in any time or come for the whole day.

Dan James, Sustainable Economy Manager for Exmoor National Park, said, “This will be the ideal opportunity for the trade to meet up, make new contacts from Exmoor and beyond and really focus on the importance of local food and the Exmoor brand.”

Barrie Tucker, Head Chef at the Luttrell Arms, will be demonstrating how to cook a Porlock Bay oyster to perfection. In addition, award-winning chef Werner Hartholt will be showing how to develop the perfect menu and promote the use of local produce within it and social media consultant to Visit Exmoor will be on hand to share his wealth of experience managing social media channels and providing training courses. More details of talks and demonstrations can be found at: www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/tourism

Also at the Show, Visit Exmoor will also be launching their new Eat Exmoor Food and Drink Guide on the day. The guide will distributed widely and is available free from our National Park Centres from February 2018.

The Trade Show has been organised by Exmoor National Park, supported by Visit Exmoor and West Somerset Council. More details can be obtained by emailing KJMunro@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk or by calling 01398 323665.

Eat Exmoor is a partnership initiative between the National Park Authority and Visit Exmoor with support from West Somerset Council to encourage more visitors to enjoy the area’s delicious local produce and the landscape it comes from.

PHOTO: Barrie Tucker, Head Chef at The Luttrell Arms

Food & Drink

BE A BARISTA WITH MILES TEA & COFFEE

Miles Tea & Coffee are offering a new ‘Barista Experience’ at their factory in Somerset.

The first class will take place on Thursday 22 February as part of the Exmoor Food Festival. Miles’ barista expert has a wealth of experience from working in Italy for many years and he is a member of the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE).

The class will last three hours, during which attendees will learn to distinguish the subtle differences between coffee beans, master the perfect cup of coffee and see some creative latte art.

Previous knowledge of coffee is not a requirement, but a passion for coffee is a must!

Places are limited; to book, email info@djmiles.co.uk. The first course has an introductory price of £33 per person. Location will either be at the Miles Tea & Coffee Minehead or Porlock site, start time to be 9.30am.

Can’t make it? Why not join the company’s monthly roastery tours on the last Thursday of the month, pre-book only, check online for more details or email info@djmiles.co.uk.

PHOTO: Latte Art made with Miles Coffee.

Food & Drink, News from our advertisers, west somerset

BE A BARISTA WITH MILES TEA & COFFEE

Miles Tea & Coffee are offering a new ‘Barista Experience’ at their factory in Somerset.

The first class will take place on Thursday 22 February as part of the Exmoor Food Festival. Miles’ barista expert has a wealth of experience from working in Italy for many years and he is a member of the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE).

The class will last three hours, during which attendees will learn to distinguish the subtle differences between coffee beans, master the perfect cup of coffee and see some creative latte art.

Previous knowledge of coffee is not a requirement, but a passion for coffee is a must!

Places are limited; to book, email info@djmiles.co.uk. The first course has an introductory price of £33 per person. Location will either be at the Miles Tea & Coffee Minehead or Porlock site, start time to be 9.30am.

Can’t make it? Why not join the company’s monthly roastery tours on the last Thursday of the month, pre-book only, check online for more details or email info@djmiles.co.uk.

PHOTO: Latte Art made with Miles Coffee.

Food & Drink

EXMOOR ALES’ SPIRITED COLLABORATION

Beer meets gin. Gin meets beer. Wicked Wolf is the second beer in Exmoor Ales’ Exile series of occasional beers that are a bit different from the brewery’s main brands. A straw-coloured, juniper berry-infusing beer, it is the result of a collaboration between the Wiveliscombe-based brewery and Wicked Wolf, producers of small-batch, handcrafted gin in the famous Exmoor village of Brendon.

Exmoor Ales’ Managing Director Jonathan Price explains: “Wicked Wolf is the second in our new sub-brand series, Exile, and follows on from Urban Fox, which was released earlier in the year. We selected Wicked Wolf because of their reputation for fine, award-winning gin… and, of course, because they are based on Exmoor. As for the idea for the beer this happened after their distiller and co-founder, Pat, visited the brewery and met our head brewer, Adrian. Pat provided some juniper berries for sampling and trial brews, as well as sharing his advice and experience. The result was this delicious beer. We’re all really pleased with it and I’m especially thrilled that Pat has an idea to make an Exmoor Gold inspired gin next year.

“The Exile brand was devised as a sub-brand for Exmoor Ales to represent our new, more modern breed of beers. The pump clip shape and graffiti imagery are quite different to our established traditional brands and we shall will be developing the brand with further new beers throughout next year.

“As for the story behind the name “Exile”, this originated from EXmoor. The first two letters are important and strong and the inspiration is loosely drawn from RD Blackmore’s Lorna Doone. Incidentally, the outlawed Doone family were exiled in the Doone Valley, not far from where Wicked Wolf make their gins.” 

 

 

 

 

Charities, Food & Drink

HOST A FISH SUPPER AND HELP SAVE LIVES AT SEA

This October, the RNLI is calling on the people of the South West to sink their teeth into a delicious fish dish to raise vital funds, as the lifesaving charity launches its annual Fish Supper fundraiser.

People across the UK and Ireland are being encouraged to host a fish-themed meal for friends and family on the weekend of 13–15 October to help the charity continue saving lives at sea.

The RNLI relies on the generosity of the public to fund its lifesaving services, and the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crew members often sacrifice their precious meal times at a moment’s notice, answering the call of their pagers to save lives at sea.

Michael England, the Mechanic and Second Coxswain at Padstow Lifeboat Station, said: “As a crew member, my pager can beep at any time. Whether I’m at work, asleep in bed or about to tuck into my dinner – I’ll stop what I’m doing and get straight to the lifeboat station, ready to save lives.

“Holding a Fish Supper is a great way for people to support the RNLI. It’s easy to sign up for a free fundraising pack and then enjoy hosting a fun evening with your friends and family. If cooking’s not your thing, you could always serve up something simple like a fish finger sandwich or fish and chips.”

Whether it’s a simple fish butty or a more challenging culinary masterpiece, everyone is invited to get involved in this year’s Fish Supper. If in need of a little inspiration, MasterChef champion Jane Devonshire’s Cheesy Fish Pie is a great place to start.

Jane says: “I love cooking for my family, and my cheesy fish pie is always a crowd pleaser – plus, it’s so easy to prepare. I urge anyone who hasn’t tried cooking fish before to give this recipe a try, and impress your friends and family while raising vital funds for the RNLI’s brave lifeboat crews.”

To receive your free Fish Supper fundraising pack, and to see some mouth-watering recipe inspiration, including Jane’s Cheesy Fish Pie, visit RNLI.org/FishSupper.

Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews across the UK and Ireland rescued 8,643 people and saved 431 lives. It costs over £485,000 per day to run the RNLI, and the charity relies on donations from the public to continue its lifesaving service.

PHOTO by Nick Watts

Food & Drink, Tourism

EAT EXMOOR INITIATIVE BEGINS

From mouth-watering ruby red beef to award-winning gin, fresh oysters, high-quality caviar, and whortleberry jam to sparkling cider and flavoursome ales, to mention but a few, Exmoor has an incredible array of delicious produce. Seeking to highlight the bountiful nature of this stunning area, Exmoor National Park and Visit Exmoor are working in partnership, with further support from West Somerset Council, to launch Eat Exmoor.

Eat Exmoor is a comprehensive marketing project aimed at encouraging more visitors to come to the area to enjoy Exmoor’s unique and tasty produce and the landscape it comes from.

“With such an important role in the overall visitor experience, we felt it was time to bring together all the wonderful food and drink related produce, events and experiences that already exist in and around Exmoor and promote them under one umbrella,” said Jennette Baxter, Development Manager for Visit Exmoor.

Included in the initiatives will be a brand-new Eat Exmoor section on www.Visit-Exmoor.co.uk, incorporating listings as well as inspirational content ranging from food trails to local produce stories. It is also planned to produce an Eat Exmoor printed guide as well as run training and networking events to connect local suppliers with hospitality businesses. The project will be supported with additional PR, social media and a number of food-related events planned throughout 2018.

“Cafes, inns, pubs, hotels and restaurants that are truly making the most of the great local offering, as well as retailers and experience providers, will be encouraged to sign up so that we can market ourselves to a much wider audience,“ added Jennette. “We are delighted that we will be working in partnership with Exmoor National Park and with the support of West Somerset Council but we also need to come together as a tourism industry to support and promote our natural assets.”

Dan James, Sustainable Economy Manager at Exmoor National Park, commented: “The project aims to place the emphasis on food and drink that is grown and produced on Exmoor and inextricably linked in its production to the Exmoor landscape. This is part of the Exmoor story: farming sustains the landscape, the landscape sustains tourism and food sustains visitors!

“Already over £40m a year is spent by visitors to Greater Exmoor on food and drink and a Defra report has highlighted that local food and drink on Exmoor is an important element of the local tourism offer. Working collaboratively we aim to grow this market and further position Exmoor as a great food destination whilst supporting producers to continue to care for the iconic landscape of Exmoor.”

Visit Exmoor and the National Park will be joining local chefs and producers in the Exmoor Live marquee at Dunster Show on 18 August, where local businesses can find out more about Eat Exmoor and discuss their ideas.

PHOTO by Julia Amies-Green, who is part of Wild Exmoor with Claire Lynch. The project is a new and exciting series of unique and inventive short films, featuring exquisite al fresco cuisine in stunning locations across Exmoor.

Food & Drink, Tourism

THE NAUGHTIEST CREAM TEA IN THE WEST COUNTRY?

The cream tea tradition flourished in the West Country following the tourism boom in the 1850s, aided by the opening of railways. Fitting therefore that the Victorian Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway should be at the centre of a cream tea controversy.

The Cliff Top Café, perched 500ft above Lynmouth, is already famous for its amazing views and home baked cream tea scones almost as high as the cliffs themselves. But cream tea etiquette has been well and truly tested recently, with the launch of the Cliff Railway ‘Naughty Cream Tea’.

Café Manager, Jasmine Knowles, launched the ‘Naughty Cream Tea’ as a bit of fun to celebrate the provision of an alcohol licence at the Café but said that, “The twist on tradition has become an instant hit, the visitors seem to love it.”

The Naughty Cream Tea replaces the traditional pot of tea with a Prosecco, a locally Brewed FatBelly Ale or even wine or local cider and provides the perfect accompaniment to that long walk and the stunning views. With huge scones, local clotted cream and spoonfuls of jam, this new twist on the traditional is probably the Naughtiest Cream Tea in the West Country!

However, the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway believe that some traditions must remain; tea is still available and, whilst in Devon, you don’t cut your scones, simply break them apart with a gentle twist, dollop, don’t spread the clotted cream and always, always put the jam on top!

Food & Drink

MILES TEA & COFFEE ROASTERY TOURS

Following the success of roastery tours last year, Miles Tea & Coffee has decided to run some more on selected dates through the summer months in the historic Roastery building in Porlock. Miles has over 120 years’ experience in the tea and coffee industry and a preview behind the scenes is a must for any hot beverage lover!

Tours will last about an hour including coffee tasting, a free pack of coffee, a talk with Mitch, the  Head Roaster, and you will learn about the roasting process and the history of Miles.

Just imagine coffee beans flying through pipes above you, the roaster roaring and the aroma of freshly ground coffee.

Sam Burton, Marketing Manger, said, “Each participant will be provided with full production clothing and will be required to fill out paperwork before arrival to meet our SALSA quality requirements. Tours will be pre-book only as tours will be limited to 10 people and there will be a small charge of £7. Last year we had a waiting list of 20 people so be sure to book your place early.”

To book your place please email sam.burton@djmiles.co.uk the tours are pre-book only and limited to small groups. Morning tours take place on 27 July, 31 August and 28 September.

Join the company for a #TastingTuesday this Summer, find out more online at www.djmiles.co.uk in the news section.