Exmoor Food Fest

Yarn Market Hotel in Dunster joins the Exmoor Food Fest

The Yarn Market Hotel in Dunster has once again signed up for the Exmoor Food Fest:

We like to offer the Exmoor Food Fest deal of £10 for 2 courses and £15 for 3 courses during lunchtime throughout February (daily from 12noon till 2:30pm except 4^th and 5^th February) and in these rates also a glass of house wine will already be included.

From 11^th till 19^th February we will also offer specials for dinner which will be 2 courses for £15 and 3 courses for £20.

Contact the Yarn Market Hotel on 01643 821425 to book your table!

The Yarn Market Hotel is situated right in the heart of Dunster and you could easily combine a lunch at the restaurant with a pleasant winter stroll through the medieval village of Dunster or with a visit to the nearby Snowdrop Valley which is only a few miles away.

The main restaurant “The Gables” can host up to 65 people, the smaller “Deer Leap” room can accommodate parties of up to 20 guests. The Yarn Market Hotel is open all year round. The restaurant is open for dinner in the evenings from 5.30 pm. A selection of popular wines, local beers and ciders are available to accompany the meal, special diets catered for with prior notice. Groups are very welcome and meal times can be arranged to suit their itinerary – pre-booking for groups essential.

Award winning Gastro Pub The Swan in Bampton signs up again for the Exmoor Food Fest

The multi-award-winning gastro-pub will be joined by other top pubs and restaurants offering specially priced menus on selected days during February to encourage diners to eat out as part of the Exmoor Food Festival.

Patron chef Paul Berry, who co-owns The Swan with his wife Donna, who is a chef too, said: “We’re very excited once again this year to be part of the Exmoor Food Festival, which runs from February 1 until 28.

“It’s an event to showcase the very best the region has to offer diners and it is a celebration of all local produce and the culinary expertise we have here on our doorstep.”

The Swan will be running special menus as part of Exmoor Food Festival on Tuesday to Friday lunchtimes and Tuesday to Thursday evenings, excluding Valentine’s Day, during February with two courses priced £10 and three courses £15.

Paul and Donna will also be cooking at a special launch dinner for the 2017 festival at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster on January 26. They will be one of sevenaward-winning chefs including Olivier Certain from the Taste of the West top award-winning restaurant, Clavelshay Barn, joining the Luttrell’s Head Chef, Barrie Tucker to cook seven courses.

Paul added: “It’s a privilege to have been asked again to cook at this special event and we’re delighted to be working alongside some of the areas most talented chefs like Olivier. It promises to be a fantastic evening out for everyone who comes along.”

The Exmoor Food Festival runs throughout February and is organised by Elke Winzer who is also behind Exmoor4all, an online platform for all things Exmoor related, including an online shop, and the Exmoor Markets.

Elke said: “The Exmoor Food Festival helps local businesses in the hospitality sector to show off their skills. The festival deal of two courses for £10 tempts many people into restaurants at a time of year when business tends to be slow.

“For the first time this year all participating pubs and restaurants will also take part in the Taste of Exmoor Awards. Customers will be able to vote online for their best dining experience – the winners will be crowned at an awards ceremony at Butlins in Minehead at the end of March.

“Tearooms and village shops are also encouraged to sign up for the Exmoor Food Festival.”

The Swan, which is an AA Four Star Inn and the oldest pub in Bampton, has scooped a plethora of awards for its food including being voted Best Trencherman’s Pub 2016. It has two AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence as well.

Last year the pub was named (March, 2016) as a Highly Commended winner in the national tourist board VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence 2016. This Award places The Swan in the top five businesses for excellence in the pub category in England.

The team has a passion for food and embraces the use of produce from the area to create some real pub classics, as well as some more modern English dishes.

Donna said: “We try to keep our dishes simple, yet bursting with flavours and imagination. Our kitchen produces everything we serve here at the pub.”

The Swan’s menu is created from fresh, seasonal ingredients, sourced from nearby, on a daily basis by Paul and Donna and their team.

Paul, who is a leading chef with more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, explained: “We are dedicated to using all the local or regional produce available to us, needless to say we are so lucky living here in the West Country, we have local farmers supplying us with their beef, pork and lamb and the fishing communities providing us with the freshest cod for our classic cod and chips.”

To find out more about The Swan, please call 01398 332248 or visit www.theswan.co.

Tiverton Community Radio supports the Exmoor Food Fest

We are delighted to have teamed up with Tiverton Community Radio! Watch out for regular updates on Exmoor Food Fest events as well as interviews with chefs who take part in the event.

Here is a link to the first interview with Olivier Certain of Clavelshay Barn:

http://www.tiverton-community-radio.co.uk/cook-local

Tiverton Community Radio broadcasts from a sponsored studio at PETROC college serving the Tiverton and surrounding areas. We support and promote local events, charities, local business, education, hobbies and interests, support services, musicians and Devon artists including theatre, writers and poets, heritage and history.

We are proud to bring local food/drink producers and eateries the attention they deserve and cover live events such as Electric Nights Street Food Festival, Exeter Food and Drink Festival, Uffculme show, Tiverton Literary Festival and further afield to the Hay on Wye and How the Light gets in Festivals in Wales. We are passionate about Devon and all that there is to discover.

Local Tea & Coffee merchant Miles is independently ranked 2nd in UK tea brands

To be ranked among the top tea brands for four years in a row is quite an achievement for the West Country based family business. ‘Best Brands’ magazine have just issued the 16/17 edition showing Miles now ranked as the 2^nd most popular brand for independent retailers to stock in the UK. Miles has moved up two places since first being voted in the top 5 brands.

John Halls Operations Director tasting another batch of teas with a copy of ‘Best Brands 16/17.

John Halls, Operations Director said ‘this is a brilliant recognition for Food and Drink producers in Somerset and the West Country. This is just the kind of positive news we need to kick start another season. We have also had a good year with stores such as Tesco seeing an increase of 20% in the sales of Miles Tea and Hot Chocolate. We hope next time we might make the top spot in Best Brands.’

So how has Miles outranked the giant brands in the tea market? John says ‘it’s down to our heritage and quality. We’ve got a genuine story to tell of family tradition along with great tasting blends. A recent survey shows customers try our products and then stay brand loyal, that’s a good indication of our consistent quality. The Somerset coastal location is very important with our secret ingredient being ‘West Country warmth!’

Miles Tea and Coffee is a family run business established in 1888. The West Somerset based business creates quality tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Following a recent rebrand Miles are promoting the West Country by partnering with local communities, West Country businesses, and sponsorship. Miles products are available in Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, the Co-op and many other stores.

Join a Farm & Food Tour and get to cuddle piglets

Join Shaun and Daphne for a scenic drive across the moors in a LandRover to a remote hill farm for a tour of the farm with the farmers who will show you their free range pork, Dexter cattle, dairy goats and alpacas. You are then invited into the traditional farmhouse for refreshments and tastings of the delicious food they produce, followed by a demonstration of alpaca wool spinning.

10 February 2017
Depart Luccombe 1.30 pm, transport provided.

Return to Luccombe approx. 5.00 pm

BOOK NOW

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West Country Farm & Food Tours

When we talk to people about our business, we often receive comments relating to our enthusiasm and passion. We thought you might like to know why we do what we do.

1) We get a kick out of the facial expressions of our tour guests when they learn something new or taste something delicious. We enjoy receiving feedback from our host farmers and food producers – especially when they’ve opened someone’s eyes to something they didn’t know existed. Seeing our group purchase produce direct from its source knowing they will enjoy eating it later really makes us smile.

2) We get to spend the day travelling around the stunning countryside of the West Country, pootling along country lanes and visiting locations that are often not open to the general public – heaven! For our guests who dont know the area or who dont like narrow lanes with high hedges, we take away the stress of reversing or getting lost and replace it with comfort, companionship and commentary.

3) Food. We like food – especially locally produced food. One of the most important elements of a day out with us is our lunch stop. Sometimes we will head to a café, tea room or pub, other times one of our host food producers will provide a light lunch at their location. We can also make use of suppliers to create yummy picnics that we can enjoy wherever we choose.

4) We see ourselves as a link bringing together suppliers (farmers and food producers) and consumers (our tour guests). We might visit a farm to learn about their beef production, but our guests will leave knowing there are idyllic holiday cottages and a camp site there too. Our group will learn where products can be purchased in the future too, such as local farmers markets or on line.

5) Our transport is provided by local community transport groups for which we pay a commercial rate. This enables them to use the money to support the vital community based work they often struggle to fund. We make sure we treat the drivers properly too – they come on the visits and enjoy lunch with us.

6) Children are indeed the future, and we want to give them a taste of our tours too. Already some of our tour guests have given us a contribution to our education fund, and some of our host farmers have insisted on giving their fee to the cause. Our aim is to be able to provide local schools with a taste of West Country Farm and Food Tours.

Clavelshay Barn joins the Exmoor Food Fest

Clavelshay Barn Restaurant near Taunton/Bridgwater is one of the establishments taking part. Co-owner, Sue Milverton, said: “We’re delighted once again this year to be participating in the 2017 Exmoor Food Fest from February 1 until 28.

“It’s all about showcasing the very best our region has to offer. It is a celebration of all local produce and local talent, the very things we’re devoted to here at Clavelshay.”

Clavelshay Barn will be running special menus as part of Exmoor Food Fest on Wednesday and Thursday evenings during February with two courses priced £10 and three courses £15.

The award-winning business, which at the end of last year was crowned as the Westcountry’s top restaurant in the Taste of the West Awards and named the region’s ‘No. 1 Place to Go’, also has accolades from the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Awards, run by Services for Tourism, for being the Restaurant of the Year and having the very highest standards in customer service.

Sue, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband Bill, said: “We won seven awards in 2016 including the Taste of the West South West Restaurant of the Year and being named their No 1 Place to Go.

“We also won Silver in the Bristol Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards – Restaurant of the Year category and won Gold in the Unsung Hero for Customer Service. These were a direct result of all the effort everyone on the team puts in on a daily basis here. We also owe a great deal to our wonderful diners who give us lots of support and encouragement.

“We pride ourselves on serving up the very best in customer service, use only the highest quality local, seasonal ingredients and have developed a stunning menu thanks to our incredible French head chef, Olivier Certain, who has a flair for creating some of the most fabulous food I have ever tasted.

“Olivier creates stunning dishes with French flair. His style of cooking is classical French but after living in England for more than 18 years, he has learnt English dishes to an extremely high standard and knows exactly what our diners like to eat.”

The restaurant is in a lovingly restored and converted 18th century stone barn at the foot of the picturesque Quantock Hills at Lower Clavelshay Farm near North Petherton.

The restaurant is set on a family-run farm that produces its own milk, beef, pork, lamb and eggs, which all feature in its top quality and tasty dishes.

Sue added: “At Clavelshay, we also strive to use as much produce as possible from the farm and the surrounding countryside. We use our own pork, rose veal, wild rabbit, pigeon, pheasant and our own farm-reared beef on the menu.

“We have a walled garden where we grow salad leaves, herbs, soft fruit and vegetables. If it is not possible to use our own produce, we only use local suppliers who can provide us with quality local produce, which is fully traceable.”

Also in 2016, Sue and the team won a top accolade for the best micro business in the Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards.

Olivier will also be cooking at a special launch dinner for the 2017 festival at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster on January 26 He will be one of five award-winning chefs joining the Luttrell’s Head Chef, Barrie Tucker to cook seven courses.

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Guest Chef Dinner to launch this year’s Exmoor Food Fest at the Luttrell Arms

Not long now until the launch of this year’s Exmoor Food Fest. 7 renowned chefs* will prepare 7 exquisite courses on Thursday, 26 January 2017.

There are only a few tickets left, so if you want to go, better book soon.

*Names to be published later today!

Michelin starred Mason Arms, Knowstone release Exmoor Food Fest dates

Here are the details of the Mason Arms Lunchtime offer during the Exmoor Food Fest!

“We have 4 lunchtimes available as follows:

Wednesday 1st February
Tuesday 7th February
Thursday 23rd February
Tuesday 28th February

As before we will be offering a 3 course lunch with a choice from 3 starters, 3 mains, cheese or choice of 2 desserts at the price of £15 for the three courses

Covers will be strictly limited to 40 per lunchtime over 2 sittings 12:00 and 1:45, the largest available tables will be for 6 guests.”

Mark & Sarah Dodson extend you a very warm welcome to their picturesque, thatched 13th Century Inn and Michelin Restaurant situated in the village of Knowstone on the edge of Exmoor, Devon and close to the main Atlantic Highway link from the M5 to North Devon and North Cornwall.

Award winning one star Michelin Restaurant with exceptional local cuisine using only the finest ingredients, presented with taste and style. Wonderful friendly service completes your experience in this first class restaurant or our traditional bar area. Real Ale and Champagne by the glass with a wine list to suit all tastes. Truly two experiences in one!

To book, call 01398 341231!

Oriental Banquet at Knowle Manor

Join us for a delicious banquet in the splendid setting of Knowle Manor near Dunster – £25.00 per person.

Complimentary glass of Prosecco or Elderflower Spritzer

Canapés on arrival
Mini Thai Blue Swimmer crab cakes with Claires Kitchen Chilli Jam and micro Basil

Starter
Vietnamese Tiger Prawns on a fragrant Asian salad

(V)Vietnamese Wild Mushrooms on a fragrant Asian salad

Main
Little Oak Farm Free range double cooked Char Siu pork on a spring onion and Szechuan soba noodle stack

(V)Thai sweet potato curry with coconut pilau rice and a pineapple,cucumber and coriander salad

Dessert
Cinnamon,ginger and star anise poached pineapple upside down cake,pineapple syrup with a vanilla creme fraiche

There will be a licensed bar.