Bienvenue à La Petite Bouchée, our multi-Award winning Restaurant and Private Events business. We are delighted to be taking part in the Exmoor Food Fest for the 4th year and will open our doors on 3rd February so that guests can enjoy a taste of France with an Exmoor provenance.
Originally opening in Sydnenham/Crystal Palace borders in South East London in our converted vintage Citroen HY Camper we were delighted to appear on Channel 4 Hidden Restaurants with Freddy Bird and Michel Roux Jnr and shortly after scooped the prestigious TIME OUT love London award.
La Petite Bouchée landed in Devon in 2017 and hit the ground running scooping 6 Taste of the West Gold awards in its time here as well as several other high profile awards. Our ethos is simple, flavour packed, no fuss meals where the key ingredient sings. We also have a zero waste policy which means that we’ll ask you for your food order in advance so we only ever order what we need each service.
This year we’re offering you a quintessential French Brasserie menu including all the restaurant favourites. There is lemon sole, Steak Frites and of course Crème Brûlée amongst other restaurant favourites. You can be assured as ever that our food is sourced locally and cooked from scratch.
We look forward to welcoming you all. The food fest sold out by the end of December last year and so we’d advise an early booking.
We’re excited to welcome Croydon Hall in Somerset to the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest!
Surrounded by beautiful Somerset countryside, the views from the restaurant at Croydon Hall are spectacular, the setting tranquil, the pace relaxed.
Stay over and make a night of it. Each of the 15 bedrooms has been individually designed and appointed and with a combination of double rooms, family rooms and apartments, there’s accommodation to suit everyone.
Use promo code FOODFEST for discounted accommodation.
For restaurant and room bookings please visit www.croydonhall.co.uk or call 01984 642200
The Seacliff Restaurant at Sandy Cove Hotel was opened 2 years ago and is a small intimate restaurant with a stunning sea view.
Sandy Cove Hotel is a family run business which has been in the family for 44 years. Food has always been at the forefront of everything we have done as we believe it to be one of the main elements in a guest’s experience. We gained our first AA Rosette approximately 12 years ago and continued to develop the menu, gaining our second AA rosette 4 years later. Over the years we have tried to refine the dining but because the nature of the hotel & catering for all tastes and large numbers we were always held back which is why we decided to open a separate restaurant. Since opening The Seacliff we have been able to refine the menu using the amazing produce that our location offers – the food along with the great wine, ambiance of the restaurant and the more relaxed fine dining experience has gained us great feedback and comments from both residents and non-residents. We have recently been awarded our 3rd AA rosette and have also been listed in The Michelin Guide
The hotel offers great accommodation with 3 standards of Seaview bedrooms offering breath taking sea views across the Bristol Channel. We are offering a 50% discount off the standard bed and breakfast rates plus a complementary upgrade where available for any Exmoor Food Fest diners.
: a small complimentary appetiser offered at some restaurants
In French, “amuse bouche” means literally “it amuses the mouth.” The French were using “amuse-bouche” as a word for appetisers when English speakers embraced the culinary term almost a quarter of a century ago.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The amuse bouche served by Werner Hartholt from the Butlins Chef Academy and his students Ginny Zdanevičiūtė and Jessica Simmons most definitely amused the mouths of all our guests at the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest Media Launch last week at Knowle Manor. Here are some pictures of the preparation and presentation of the scallops with pancetta & beetroot with goats cheese and walnut.
Two days ago we marked the start of the countdown to the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest with a celebratory dinner at Knowle Manor, Timberscombe.
The stunning setting of Knowle Manor provided a beautiful backdrop to the event where 10 chefs from across the region wowed our guests with a stunning six-course-dinner. Nicola Smith from the Exmoor Distillery welcomed our guests with glasses of complimentary Northmoor Gin and Blackmoor Rum.
The Amuse Bouche, scallops with pancetta &beetroot with goats cheese and walnut, were prepared by Werner Hartholt from the Butlins Chef Academy and his students Ginny Zdanevičiūtė and Jessica Simmons.
This was followed by an autumnal confit duck tortellini in butternut squash velouté, prepared by Anita-Clare Field from La Petite Bouchée, supported by Nathan Reardon, runner-up of this year’s Exmoor Young Chef competition.
Miguel Tenreiro, who was born in Portugal and grew up in South Africa, is now head chef and general manager of Hotel Porlock Weir. He chose to serve torched mackerel fillet, peri peri dressing, marinated tomatoes and pickled cucumber as nod to his Mediterranean roots.
The main course was served by Martin Baylis, the Executive Chef for the MB Restaurant group which includes New Coast Kitchen (Croyde) and New Coast Canteen (Braunton). His dish was Middle White Pork Belly, Spiced Carrot and Ras el Hanout.
Next up came the pre-dessert, lemon mousse with lemon sherbet and white chocolate, prepared by Exmoor Young Chef Perran Clark and his mentor Carla Jones from the Michelin-Guide listed Seacliff Restaurant at the Sandy Cove Hotel on the North Devon coast.
Last but not least, guests enjoyed the dessert by Jade Shorney, head chef at the Rising Sun in West Bagborough, who served treacle tart and blackcurrant sorbet.
As always, these events would not be able with out an army of supporters and helpers. Our thanks go to Ruth Lamacraft at Knowle Manor, Julian Boys of Julian’s Commercial Laundry Minehead, and especially to Tim Young and Jane Bishop of the Farmers Arms in Combe Florey who came to our rescue in more ways than one.
We are grateful to all the chefs and their teams for their efforts, our guests who supported the dinner, and also to our young FOH & kitchen team who walked miles over the course of the evening and never stopped smiling.
The 2023 Exmoor Food Fest will kick off in style at the end of January at the Farmers Arms in Combe Florey. Throughout February we’ll have the usual great offers by participating restaurants. There will, of course, also be guest chef dinners and other special events, so keep your eyes out for updates on this website and in our newsletter.
The next foodie event on the calendar is the Exmoor Supper Club in Allerford near Porlock with Anita-Clare Field. You can book tickets here.
Below are some of the photos taken by our photographer Jessica Davies on the night. We’ll be posting more to our gallery over the next few days.
Knowle Manor near TimberscombeFrom left to right: Miguel Tenreiro, Perran Clark, Carla Jones, Jessica Simpson, Werner Hartholt, Nathan Reardon, Ginny Zdanevičiūtė, Jade Shorney, Linzi Walker, Anita-Clare Field, Martin BaylisNicholas Winzer, Izzy Bruce, Miya Ntshalintshali, Lily Tanner,Scallops with pancetta & beetroot with goats cheese and walnutConfit duck tortellini in butternut squash veloutéTorched mackerel fillet, peri peri dressing, marinated tomatoes and pickled cucumberMiddle White Pork Belly, Spiced Carrot and Ras el HanoutLemon mousse with lemon sherbet and white chocolateTreacle tart and blackcurrant sorbet
Join us on Saturday, 5 November, 7pm at the Allerford Community Hall for an evening of lovely food and great company. Your chef is award-winning Anita-Clare Field (La Petite Bouchée, Witheridge).
Entrées
Baked Camembert with crudités and charcuterie French Onion Soup Roasted Smoked Shallot Tarte Tatin
Plats
Ox Cheek Cottage Pie Tartiflette with Pickles Breton Fish Pie Wild Mushroom Bourguignon
Desserts
Cinder Toffee Creme Brûlée Caramelised Apple Tart Tatin Cheese Board
Tickets: £49.95 per person
Allerford & Selworthy Community Hall, Allerford, Minehead, TA24 8HL
Our guests at the Media Launch on 12 October at Knowle Manor are in for a special treat: Exmoor Young Chef Perran Clark – with the support of his mentor Carla Jones – will be preparing a pre-dessert!
Perran won the Exmoor Young Chef competition earlier this year, and this is what judge Miguel Tenreiro, head chef at the Porlock Weir Hotel, had to say:
“Perran’s dish of chicken supreme, fondant potato and tarragon sauce showcasing Beech Ridge chicken particularly impressed me.”
Perran is now an apprentice at Seacliff Restaurant (Sandy Cove Hotel) where he works with head chef Carla Jones. By the way, we are delighted that the Seacliff Restaurant have signed up for the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest for the first time!
Carla Jones has been a chef for many years. She started in kitchens at the age of 14 working her way from potwash, moving to London at the age of 20 to complete a scholarship under Piere Koffman.
Carla loves a challenge and competed in Masterchef in 2018.
After settling in Devon 2 years ago and taking over Seacliff, Carla and her team have achieved 3 Rosettes and have gotten into the Michelin guide.
Perran Clark is 16 years old and has been passionate about food for a long time.
He has competed in future chef competition and came second. And he won Exmoor Young Chef of the year. This September Perran competed in the Young Chef of the South West: “I enjoy working under Carla in Seacliff and have just started my apprenticeship with Petroc collage. I have a huge passion for food and am very lucky as a chef to work with amazing produce surrounding us.”
Our guests at next week’s Media Launch of the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest at Knowle Manor will be welcomed by a glass of gin or rum by Exmoor Distillery :
Founded in 2017 Exmoor Distillery is a lifelong ambition of the founders John & Nicola. Sharing a taste for high-end spirits and with combined expertise in engineering and business. John and Nicola have established a distillery that has won some of the highest accolades in the industry.
John say’s “After sampling many of the world’s gins and rums on our travels, there was nothing that quite hit the spot, so we decided to produce our own. Our clients love our sprits and never fail to be impressed with the bursting natural flavour and unexpectedly smooth textures”.
The historic location of Dulverton, mentioned in the doomsday book, is the perfect setting to distil some of the world’s finest spirits. Due in part to the unique water source drawn by bore hole from the Exmoor Aquifer which is used in the fermentation, distillation and proofing of our spirits thus making our spirits truly unique.
The dinner on 12 October at Knowle Manor starts at 7 for 7.30pm. Here is the line-up of the award-winning chefs who will look after our guests:
Welcome Drinks
Exmoor Distillery
Amuse Bouche
Butlins Chef Academy (Werner Hartholt with two of his students, Ginny Zdanevičiūtė and Jessica Simmons)
Starter
Anita-Clare Field (La Petite Bouchée, Witheridge) supported by Nathan, Exmoor Young Chef runner-up
Fish
Miguel Tenreiro (Porlock Weir Hotel)
Meat
Martin Bayliss (New Coast Kitchen)
Pre-Dessert
Exmoor Young Chef competition winner Perran Clark with his mentor Carla Jones (Sandy Cove Hotel)
We are very excited that Werner Hartholt and two of his students from the Butlin’s Chefs Academy will be in charge of the Amuse Bouche at the Media Launch of the 2023 Exmoor Food Fest on 12 October 2022 at Knowle Manor.
Werner Hartholt, group development chef at Butlin’s in Minehead, has been instrumental in bringing the academy to fruition. “I had the plans in my head for about five years, so it’s really fantastic to see it come to life now,” Werner said. “The aim is not just to make them a chef for Butlin’s, but give them skills for life so they can take them anywhere they want. There is a real shortage of chefs at the moment, and the industry is taking a look at itself in how it operates.”
Werner will bring two of his students to Knowle Manor, Ginny Zdanevičiūtė and Jessica Simmons.
Ginny joined Butlin’s many years ago and has worked front and back of house in various roles. She has mainly been in charge of salad bars and desserts in the large buffet restaurants. She joined the academy to work on her skills and is thriving having worked in 3 other restaurants now to gain more experience.
Jessica had a variety of careers before she joined Butlin’s where she settle on working in the kitchen. It didn’t take long for her to pick up the pace and become an important part of the Fish restaurant. Jess has worked on her skills and joined 3 very different restaurants to gain more experience and will return to the fish restaurant when the academy finishes.
Butlin’s in Minehead only recently opened the brand new internal chef academy. The course runs for 52 weeks, and takes on 12 chefs four times a year from around the country.
The cohorts undertake an intensive training program that is grounded in French cuisine, but covers all manner of classic cooking techniques. The end result is a 52-week programme which is designed as an apprenticeship, giving people a chance to build a career.
It’s offered in all three Butlin’s resorts: Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness and isn’t limited to young chefs either, in the current Minehead cohort the ages range between 19 to 39.
Exmoor Food Fest 