Exmoor Food Fest celebrates the Taste of Exmoor

In February, the third Exmoor Food Fest will tempt foodies to eat their way across Exmoor when participating restaurants offer two courses for £10/ 3 courses for £15.00.  There will also be markets and food related events during this time, celebrating the best our region has to offer.

A special dinner will launch the 2017 festival at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster on 26 January: Six award winning chefs are going to join Head Chef Barrie Tucker to cook seven courses for some very lucky diners.  The menu is still a secret, but will focus on local produce and seasonal fare.

Exmoor is home to many outstanding local products such as Porlock Oysters and Exmoor Caviar.

Diners at the Exmoor Food Fest launch will be able to taste Wicked Wolf Gin which is handcrafted by husband and wife team Pat Patel and Julie Heap on their property on Exmoor on the banks of the river Lyn.  Nettlecombe based award winning Secret Orchard Cider and Madrigal Ales (brewed in Lynmouth) are two more outstanding local products which are available to sample at some of the Exmoor Markets which will take place in February. 

The Exmoor Food Fest runs through the whole month of February.  Originally the idea of local chef Andrew Dixon, the event is now organised by Elke Winzer who is also behind Exmoor4all (an online platform for all things Exmoor, including an online shop) and the Exmoor Markets which take place regularly at Tesco’s Minehead and other locations around Exmoor.  The Dunster Food Festival will be the grand finale on the Exmoor Food Fest on the last weekend in February.

“The Exmoor Food Fest helps local businesses in the hospitality sector to show off their skills. The festival deal of 2 courses for £10 tempts many people into restaurants at a time of year when business tends to be slow,” explains Elke Winzer.

For the first time, all participating restaurants will 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 the Awards Ceremony at Butlins at the end of March.  Tearooms and village shops are also encouraged to sign up for the Exmoor Food Fest.

Information about all the restaurants signed up for the Exmoor Food Fest as well as tearooms and village shops will be available on the website www.exmoorfoodfest.com. 

It’s raining stars on Exmoor!

The team at Exmoor Food Fest would like to congratulate all these amazing chefs:

thomas-carr-and-john-curtis-michlin-starThomas Carr and his team at the Olive Room in Ilfracombe won their first Michelin star: “A local chef who knows how to make the best our of his local ingredients.”

 

Mark Dodson

Mark Dodson and his team at The Mason Arms in Knowstone retained their Michelin star for the 12th year.

 

 

 

 

Barrie Tucker

Barrie Tucker and his team at the Luttrell Arms in Dunster were awarded an AA Rosette.

 

 

And, finally, Olivier Certain at the Clavelshay Barn has just been announced to be a Taste of the West 2016 Champion as “Best Restaurant”!  This comes two weeks after winning an award in the Somerset Life Food & Drink Awards.

Congratulations to all the chefs and their teams!

Book now: Exmoor Food Fest 2017 Media Launch on 21 September 2016

Join us on 21 September 2016 at 7pm for the 

Exmoor Food Fest 2017 Media Launch
at
Knowle Manor

Claire’s Kitchen is serving up an Exmoor Feast!

5 courses for £50.00

Claire’s Kitchen Elderflower Cocktails on arrival

Canapes
including crispy wonton with blue swimmer crab, poached pineapple, spring onion and chilli jam

Vietnamese Poached Duck Leg on an Asian salad
with a fresh coriander and sweet chilli dressing

Local Braised Shin of Beef
with melting onions, Rosemary Boulangere potatoes, leek gratin croquetas 

Blackberry and White chocolate Cheesecake
with a Sloe Gin ice cream and Brandy Snap Crumble

  Local Cheeseboard
served with Claire’s Kitchen homemade cider shots

Vegetarian options will be available.

LIMITED SPACE!
Book now

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Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards

We are very excited to be one of the three finalists in the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards “Best Food Event”.  On 15 September we will find out whether we have won.
Congratulations also go to a number of restaurants who have taken part in the Exmor Food Fest for also making it into the finals:  Clavelshay Barn, Luttrell Arms and The Beach Hotel in Minehead.

Now it’s a question of waiting and having all fingers, spoons and ladels crossed!

Cookery School at Clavelshay Barn: 15 March 2016

Clavelshay Barn are proud to announce a new venture – the Clavelshay Barn Cookery School run by award winning professional chefs Olivier Certain and Andrew Dixon.

This full day course will immerse you into what it takes to expertly select and prepare fish and seafood at home. Knowing the essential cooking methods and flavour profiles for fresh and fish, as well as shellfish, will help you produce appetisers, soups, and entrees.

Start Date : Tuesday 15 March 2016
Course : Fish & Shellfish
Cost : £125 per person (includes lunch and wine)

Olivier first met Andrew when they worked together in a hotel in Ashford, Kent. Andrew moved to Somerset to start Andrews on the Weir and Olivier joined him at Porlock Weir as his sous chef, where they achieved great success together for 5 years. They are delighted to be working together again to run the cookery school.

OLIVIER CERTAIN

Olivier Certain
Olivier Certain

Marseille-born Olivier moved to England in 1998 following his Michelin star training in La Bonne Etape, Chateau Arnoux and Hotel Les Roches in Le Lavandou, France. In 2001 he joined Andrew Dixon at Andrews on the Weir, Porlock Weir and together they achieved 3 AA rosettes with outstanding food.

Olivier was Head Chef at Woods in Dulverton for 6 years where he achieved 2 rosettes and the accolade of Somerset Dining Pub of the Year 2008, 2010 and 2011. In 2009 in reached the finals of the South West Chef of the Year competition.

Olivier is now creating stunning dishes with French flair at Clavelshay Barn in North Petherton. His style of cooking is typical classic French but after living in England for over 18 years, he has learnt English dishes to an extremely high standard.

ANDREW DIXON

Andrew DixonAfter training in some of the UK’s best restaurants and country house hotels, Andrew and his wife Sarah fulfilled a dream of running their own restaurant, and bought a beautiful old Manor House bed and breakfast at Porlock Weir, which opened as Andrews on the Weir.

After only 10 months of opening and at a very early stage of renovating the building, Andrews On The Weir was catapulted into the top ten percent of restaurants in the British Isles by gaining the 3 AA rosettes for food and gaining 4 out of 5 stars for accommodation. Andrew held the prestigious 3 AA rosettes rating for a further 9 years, five of those years he worked closely with Clavelshay Barn’s very own Olivier Certain.

In 2011 Andrew and Sarah changed direction of the restaurant and rebranded to The Cafe Porlock Weir to offer a less informal style of dining but offering the same quality food, and using the same quality of ingredients by sourcing the very best Exmoor and the West Country has to offer.

Andrew’s ethos about food has not waned at all and he still strives to offer some of the best food the region has to offer in the beautiful setting of the tiny waterside village of Porlock Weir.

In November of 2015 Andrew was recognised for his dedication to his craft and was awarded Best Somerset Restaurant Dining Experience at the Somerset Life Food awards.

The Café at the Dunster Tithe Barn (Dunster Food Festival)

Claire’s Kitchen:

Saturday

Southern style pulled pork with a red cabbage and coriander coleslaw and tortilla wrap

Claires kitchen signature tandoori chicken served with an onion, cucumber, tomato and mint salad with a mint/coriander raita and a mini naan bread with garlic butter

For the vegetarians-

Split pea and spinach curry,onion,cucumber, tomato and mint salad and a mini garlic naan bread

For the sweeter tooths-

Mini Buttermilk scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam

Dozy Dough’s carrot and sultana scones

Orange almond cake

Devils food chocolate layer cake with chocolate Ganache and cherry compote

Carrot and walnut Cake

The Winzers Chocolate Brownies

 

On  Sunday foods on offer will be on a local theme-

Local Heal Farm ham and Local cheese Plougmans with a complimentary Secret Orchard Cider shot and devon chutney all served with Dozy Doughs artisan breads

Claires Kitchen home grown squash,pumpkin and pearl barley stew served with crusty artisan bread

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Secret Orchard Cider Bar

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Dunster Food Festival starts tomorrow 

Over 40 producers and street food traders will be at the Dunster Tithe Barn from 10.30am till 4pm on Saturday and Sunday, while a number of restaurants and local traders have also got into the spirit offering Exmoor Food Fest deals in the village.
    
Please note that there are no parking facilities at the Dunster Tithe Barn.

Up-to-date list of restaurants participating in the Exmoor Food Fest

Here is a list of all the restaurants offering the Exmoor Food Fest deal during February:

The Bottom Ship, Porlock Weir
The Cafe at Porlock Weir
Chambers Bistro, Minehead
Clavelshay Barn, North Petherton
The Coach House by Michael Caines, Kentisbury Grange
The Culbone, Porlock Hill
Dunster Castle Hotel, Dunster
The Jubilee Inn, West Anstey
Mason Arms, Knowstone
Pyne Arms, East Down
Psalters Restaurant, Luttrell Arms, Dunster
The Red Lion, Oakford
Royal Oak, Luxborough
The Ship Inn, Porlock
The Stags Head Inn, Dunster
The Swan, Bampton
Tarr Farm Inn
Thomas Carr at the Olive Room, Ilfracombe
The Yarn Market Hotel, Dunster

Participating restaurants across the region will offer
2 courses for £10.00 / 3 courses for £15.00 between 1 and 29 February.
Please check with the restaurants directly for availability and mention the Exmoor Food Fest when booking your table.  Click on the links to find out more about the restaurants.