Exmoor Food Fest

Book now: “Barn Food” with Claire’s Kitchen at the Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre

Join us for an evening with a difference, a one-off experience, which involves a stunning, albeit unusual location, an owl display and, of course, fabulous Mediterranean food prepared by Claire’s Kitchen. It will be a night to remember!
Booking is absolutely essential.

Date: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Time: 19:00
Venue: A barn at the Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre, Allerford TA24 8HJ
Dress Code: Please wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes (layers are a good idea!)

The barn will be heated, but we strongly recommend that you bring a blanket, just in case. It is winter, after all!

Ticket*: £ 32.00 plus P&P

Menu:

Canapés

Roasted red peppers and anchovy salad on roasted garlic toasts
Chorizo tortilla with allioli

Sharing Starters

Pea soup with a crispy serrano ham crouton and basil oil
Gambas pil pil (sizzling gambas prawns)
Piquillo rellenos de queso de cabra (goats cheese stuffed piquillo peppers)

Sharing Mains

Suckling pig cooked whole on a spit with a mediterranean herb and garlic marinate
Red pepper and halloni paella on a rich Sofrito base
Chorizo with tomato butter beans, parsley and Claire’s Kitchen Lynch cider
Poor man’s potatoes cooked with the suckling pig with onions, rosemary and garlic

Dessert

Almond cake with Crema Catalina ice cream, custard caramel and a cherry compote

***

Claire Lynch of Claire’s Kitchen will be assisted by hospitality students from West Somerset College’s hospitality department.

All dietary requirements can be catered for if advised prior to the event.
Please contact us if you need any advise about allergens.
Vegetarians catered for.

Cash bar.

* Tickets will be posted at the beginning of December 2015 in time for Christmas

Meet our main sponsor: Arthur David – Food with Service

Somerset based wholesale food company Arthur David is once again sponsoring the Exmoor Food Fest which will take place across Exmoor in February 2016. Without the generous support it would be impossible to run the Food Fest.

Many people will know Arthur David the business, as it has operated in and around the South West for the past 53 years, but many may not know the story of the man behind the name.

Arthur is a born & bred Somerset man who started his working life in the Farming industry. He moved to Bristol to marry Diana and joined her family in the fresh produce business.

He soon realised that Fruit & Veg was the life for him and branched out on his own starting Arthur David & Co.

After several years operating from central Bristol, Arthur was missing the countryside and decided to get back to his rural roots and moved out in to the beautiful Chew Valley.

The business was by then well established and the light Blue A.David vans became famous around the area. It is now quite often said that you cannot go 10 minutes in Bristol without seeing one of our brightly liveried vans.

Arthur is by definition a true entrepreneur and always looked for the next product or service he could offer to his customers. Indeed Arthur was the very first person in the region to offer Prepared Vegetables and put significant investment in to a state of the art preparation plant at Bishop Sutton.

Over the years we have seen many different fresh produce suppliers come and go, but Arthur has always held the strong core value of exceptional customer service dear to his heart and has weaved this mentality throughout the business.

The business is run today by Arthur’s eldest son Phil who has an even greater desire to see the business his father started flourish. Phil has also inherited the natural “Branson like” entrepreneurial mind-set and continues to innovate to ensure the business is offering its customers just what they require. This has been evident in recent years with the introduction of an extensive Fine Foods product range enabling our clients to place their order right up until 11pm for next day delivery. Never wanting to be second best, Phil has ensured that the business operates at the very highest standards, so things like BRC A grade accreditation, finding the very best team and a fleet of impressive chilled vehicles are a pre-requisite.

The business has been known for many years as A. David & Co. Ltd but very recently the directors decided to alter the name to Arthur David, Food with Service Ltd. This is a great mix of the traditional and the new and will serve as a legacy to the great work that Arthur started all those years ago.

Phil knows that great people deliver great service so has built a strong team to ensure Arthur David stays at the forefront of the industry. Jon Evans who is today joint MD with Phil also has an unerring passion for Customer Service and believes in their mantra of “Leave it with us” so much; he has it tattooed on his arm!

So all in all the company has a rich history and still remains one of the most important players in the buoyant and exciting Bristol Food scene.

If you are looking for advice, innovation or just great service give us a call, and……………

“LEAVE IT WITH US”

If you are looking for a local supplier of fresh fruit and veg, then give Arthur David a call on 08444 120 555. You can follow them on Twitter @ADavidandCo and find them on Facebook.

From Field to Fork…. The Minehead Farmers’ Market

Every Friday, from 8.30am till 2pm, the busy Parade in Minehead is transformed: Purple and yellow tents take over the top part of the town, and shoppers with baskets filled to the brim with fresh bread, eggs, cake and vegetables walk where cars usually speed along.

The Minehead Farmers Market moved into the Avenue nearly 10 years ago. Between 16 and 19 traders bring their fares to Minehead for 50 weeks a year. Whether it is gluten free cakes, sourdough products, chocolates, fish, cheese, preserves, beef, pork, venison or even plants, visitors will find a plethora of homemade or homegrown products to fill their larder.

Shelley Kift, who has been attending Minehead Farmers Market since 2006 with her business “Out Over Catering”, took over as market chairman in 2011.

“We run our own farm at Blackmore Gate on Exmoor and only use home bred pork and beef from neighbouring local farms,” explains Shelley who now coordinates all the market traders. The trained chef sources all ingredients as locally as possible, and all products are made from scratch, including the pastry.

“The Minehead Farmers Market has been going from strength to strength,” said Shelley while serving another customer with cheese scones and chocolate cake. “In 2014 we won the Taste of the West Silver Award. We are still waiting for the 2015 results…”

Cheryl Arvidson from Greenmeadow Poultry in the Quantocks regularly brings free-range hen, duck and quail eggs to the market in Minehead. Those interested in having their own chicken, can book courses in poultry keeping for all levels with the Cheryl who has a further education teaching certificate.

Another stall to look out for is Plowright Organic and their home grown, organic vegetables, freshly hewn each week from the sandy Somerset soils at the foothills of the Quantocks. “It isn’t a big money maker for us,” says Richard Plowright who runs the farm, “the customers are the reason we go there as they’re so appreciative of our produce.”

Carrots and Milya potatoes are the biggest sellers which keep the customers coming back for more. Customers also enjoy the experience of looking through the vegetables, connecting with the growing seasons and sharing recipe ideas, as well as having a chat with Joel who runs the stall.

On 20 September 2015, many of the regular Minehead Farmers Market traders will take part in the Minehead Food and Families Day around The Beach Hotel, which launches a range of “Taste of Exmoor” events leading up to the 2016 Exmoor Food Fest. Participating restaurants across Exmoor will again be offering 2 courses for £10.00 during February. For more information, please go to www.tasteofexmoor.com .

Credit: All photos by James A Fenwick

(Note: This text was first published in the September issue of Somerset Life)

Ellises Farm Field Kitchen has joined the Street Food Traders at Minehead

We have just had confirmation that Ellises Farm Field Kitchen will be at Minehead Harbour on Saturday, 28 February 2015, to help us celebrate the end of the very successful first Exmoor Food Fest.

Ellises Farm Field Kitchen have 12 hour smoked pulled, homemade frankfurter hotdogs, traditional breed beef ribs and slow roast harrissa lamb on their menu.

We produce mouth watering Gloucester old spot pork, sausages, dry cured bacon and gammon, artisan salamis, chorizo and air dried hams and cured meats from our Gloucester old spot pigs on the Blackdown hills area of outstanding natural beauty here in Devon. Produced and cured in a original old fashioned method.

What makes our pork taste so good is that our traditional rare breed Gloucester old spot pigs spend all of thier lives outdoors rooting around under the oak trees developing a truly unforgetable flavour and delicous crackling. All our pigs are fed G.M. free feeds, which do not contain growth promoters or unnatural additives and are raised to the highest welfare standards.

The meat is hung for a week to ensure the best flavour and then is butchered here on the farm. Our Gloucester old spot sausages and cured meats are produced without preservatives, nitrates or additives.

To find out more about Ellises Farm, go to www.ellisesfarm.co.uk

Calaca Loca brings the taste of Southern California to Minehead

Harry Harvey got his love of Mexican cuisine after working for 11 years in California as a chef, After returning to Devon Harry decided to reproduce the dishes that he had grown to love. Using local produce Harry travels the west country serving his Mexican street food with a English Twist.

Street Food Market at Minehead Harbour, 28 February 2015, from 10 am

The French Kitchen at the Street Food Market in Minehead

Jean-Christophe Le Grand and Rich Carr have been running the street food
stall for about a year. We take our influence from the streets and markets of Northern France with our speciality dish being our confit duck burger. We love to bring the best of France and its flavours to a market or event near you.

The French Kitchen was created in 2010 following our success with No 7 Dunster and our work with Land & Sky at the Glastonbury Festival. The French kitchen is a catering organization based in the South West. We are made up of a team of highly skilled, passionate individuals that take great pride in what we do. This means that the highest standards of both food quality and service are met each and every time. Chef and owner Jean-Christophe Le Grand comes from the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy and has worked in the catering industry for the last 10 years. He has brought together his lifelong passion for food and extensive knowledge of the hospitality industry to create a refreshing and vibrant approach to catering. –

28 February 2015 – 10am – 8pm at Minehead Harbour

Ivan’s Coffee at the Street Food Market in Minehead

i-van is our beloved 1962 VW split screen bus. We’ve enjoyed many a surf
trip and adventure with I-van since we bought him 12 years ago….

After years of touring the world as a drummer and roadie with bands, Ivan
took inspiration from his travels and we decided to finally realise our
dream .. A love of coffee, music, great ingredients and embracing street
food culture from around the world helped to transform I-van from a surf bus
to a super stylish mobile coffee bar ready to serve your event…..

We are passionate about coffee and and every part of the process is important from bean to cup… ivan’s coffee is proud to support local produce and suppliers. Our organic coffee beans are Devon roasted by our good friends at the Crediton Coffee Company We buy our milk direct from the
dairy at Ashclyst Farm near Exeter and our yummy tray bakes and brownies are baked by Mrs Gills Cakes right next to Ivan’s Coffee HQ in Mid Devon.

Ceylon Curry House at the Street Food Market in Minehead

Ceylon Curry House is an established caterer of authentic Sri Lankan curry
renowned for its uniqueness and excellent reputation at various events
including weddings, company functions, birthday celebrations and trade
shows. Several prestigious venues have approved and highly recommend Ceylon
Curry House for banquets.

The dishes are prepared by professional chefs from Sri Lanka who take great pride in their cuisine and always ensure the the highest levels are maintained.

“Anyone who enjoys curry should really try the lovely Ceylon Curry House experience.” Sue Jackson, Tiverton

Check out their website for further details: www.ceyloncurry.co.uk

Cracking Nuts to join the Street Food Market in Minehead

Hello, we’re Cracking Nuts and we’re absolutely passionate about nuts, natural ingredients and North Devon.

We started Cracking Nuts early in Spring 2014, after it struck us just how moorish and tasty the humble nut can be. We got hold of a 200 year old German recipe; played around with it a little; and came up with a traditional range of sweet cinnamon, salty and chilli roasted, peanuts, cashews and almonds, all with our own, unique, modern twist.

As a family business, we are not ones to sit still. From devising new recipes at our base in Ilfracombe; to visiting festivals and sampling unusual flavours with the surfers at Woolacombe; we are always inventing, improving and finding new ways to bring nuts to the North Devon masses.

We can cook and serve nuts from our trailer, or table top, day or night; we can also provide our nuts in interesting cones, jars, bags and packaging, to suit. Nuts, of course, naturally make great high protein snacks, most of our nuts are fairtrade and organic. In addition, the syrup we use to coat the nuts is entirely homemade and from all-natural ingredients.

Cracking Nuts will have their stall at the Street Food Market at Minehead Harbour on 28 February 2015, the grand final of the very first Exmoor Food Fest.

Introducing Chef Andrew Dixon, The Cafe at Porlock Weir

In November 1999, Andrew and his wife Sarah started Andrew’s on the Weir in Porlock Weir. In August 2000 they were awarded 4 star rating by the AA and RAC for the accommodation and 3 AA Rosettes for the food. This award catapulted Andrew’s on the Weir into the top ten pecent of restaurants in the entire British Isles. Later that year they were entered into the Good Food Guide with a rating of 6 stars out of 10, along with entries into the Michelin guide book.
Andrew and his team held the ratings until they decided to rebrand as The Cafe at Porlock Weir in July 2011.

“We decided to change direction due to the state of the economic climate and we also felt it was time for a change, but wanted to continue our business at Porlock Weir at the same time.”

Andrew has worked at some of the finest country house hotels, such as:

Gongham Hall – Kings Lynn, Norfolk (2 Rosette County House Hotel)
The Crown Hotel – Exford, Somerset (3 Star Hotel, 3 AA Rosettes)
Homewood Park Hotel – Hinton Charterhouse, near Bath (3 Star Country House Hotel, 3 AA Rosettes)
Gravetye Manor – East Grinstead, West Sussex (4 Star, Red Star, 3 AA Rosettes, Relais & Chateaux)
The Village Bistro – Gorey, Jersey CI (Michelin Star)
Longueville Manor Hotel – St Saviour, Jersey CI (5 Star Hotel, 3 AA Rosettes, Michelin Star, Relais & Chateaux listed)