Buy Local
Local logic at work in Looe
04-03-2010
THERE is no doubt that Messrs Stein, Oliver and Outlaw reign supreme in their respective domains of Padstow, Newquay and Fowey.
But while the culinary celebrities are busily working in their kitchens there is something of a quiet foodie revolution going on in Looe, South East Cornwall.
The picture-postcard fishing town of just 5,100 is carving itself a reputation for fine cuisine to suit every pocket while fiercely proclaiming its allegiance to buying good, fresh local produce.
The plethora of decent dining venues means the town is not solely dependent on the summer trade and therefore retains it vibrancy during the more financially strained winter months. With the town’s fish market just metres away from many of the restaurants dotted along Fore Street, the produce could not be fresher.
Barclay House Hotel and restaurant is just one of Looe’s culinary gems. Listed in the 2010 Michelin Guide, the restaurant has been awarded two AA Rosettes for excellence. The accolade is nothing to be sniffed at as the AA only awards two rosettes to the top 2 per cent of around 40,000 restaurants.
Head chef Benjamin Palmer offers a menu of so-called British Coastal Cuisine, which includes the best fish landed by the fishermen of Looe each day. Local meats and cheeses can also be found on the menu.
Ben, said: “I honestly don’t think you can get better ingredients than what we already have on our doorsteps in Cornwall.
“Every day the man who supplies our fish arrives with a huge box of mixed fish. What’s been caught that day will dictate what goes on to the menu. It certainly keeps my brain ticking over.
“We get people coming from all over the place to get married and they are keen to have authentic Cornish produce on their menu.”
Although the recession has bitten deep into the retail market, businesses in the town are making a defiant stand. And it comes as no surprise to learn that many also extol the buy local ethos.
The Purely Cornish Farm Shop and Deli has been going since Ally Martin and Andy Parritt first opened on April 1, 2006, in Buller Street, East Looe. Almost four years later to the day, on April 3 this year, they will formally open their new shop in what was the Threshers Wine Store on Fore Street, East Looe.
Andy said: “The opportunity to move to a high-profile location that can serve both locals and visitors is a great opportunity for us to continue our commitment to keeping business local. It is a tough commercial world out there at the moment, but we have proved that ‘local’ does sell if done well.
“We will be closing the Farm Shop and Deli and consolidating into this fabulous new premises on the main high street, enabling a very solid business base to continue our expansion of the Purely Cornish business.”
The company established itself as a dedicated champion of the small Cornish producer, especially those not supported by supermarkets, and stocks over 400 lines from suppliers in the county.
Within nine months of the Buller Street deli opening, it was awarded a bronze award by Taste of the West for best retail outlet in Cornwall, which gave Ally and Andy the confidence to open a farm shop at St Martin-by- Looe in 2007. In 2008 that was awarded a silver and the following year brought a bronze for the online shop, purelycornish.co.uk, which sends hand-prepared Cornish produce hampers all over the country.
Purely Cornish is now set to run workshops for local producers to help them understand what it takes to sell their product. These will cover topics such as how to create a marketing promotion for retail, factors to consider with labelling, packaging and point of sale, and the legal requirements for trade descriptions.
Ally said: “It is no good having the best, most delicious product in the world if a retailer can’t put it on their shelves or it is not going to get noticed by shoppers.”
Cornwall councillor for West Looe and Lansallos, Edwina Hannaford, who will open the new shop, said: “It is well documented that supporting local producers keeps money circulating in the immediate economy and saves food miles. Buying local is good for Cornwall, good for producers, good for the environment and of course safeguards local jobs.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Local logic at work in Looe
04-03-2010
THERE is no doubt that Messrs Stein, Oliver and Outlaw reign supreme in their respective domains of Padstow, Newquay and Fowey.
But while the culinary celebrities are busily working in their kitchens there is something of a quiet foodie revolution going on in Looe, South East Cornwall.
The picture-postcard fishing town of just 5,100 is carving itself a reputation for fine cuisine to suit every pocket while fiercely proclaiming its allegiance to buying good, fresh local produce.
The plethora of decent dining venues means the town is not solely dependent on the summer trade and therefore retains it vibrancy during the more financially strained winter months. With the town’s fish market just metres away from many of the restaurants dotted along Fore Street, the produce could not be fresher.
Barclay House Hotel and restaurant is just one of Looe’s culinary gems. Listed in the 2010 Michelin Guide, the restaurant has been awarded two AA Rosettes for excellence. The accolade is nothing to be sniffed at as the AA only awards two rosettes to the top 2 per cent of around 40,000 restaurants.
Head chef Benjamin Palmer offers a menu of so-called British Coastal Cuisine, which includes the best fish landed by the fishermen of Looe each day. Local meats and cheeses can also be found on the menu.
Ben, said: “I honestly don’t think you can get better ingredients than what we already have on our doorsteps in Cornwall.
“Every day the man who supplies our fish arrives with a huge box of mixed fish. What’s been caught that day will dictate what goes on to the menu. It certainly keeps my brain ticking over.
“We get people coming from all over the place to get married and they are keen to have authentic Cornish produce on their menu.”
Although the recession has bitten deep into the retail market, businesses in the town are making a defiant stand. And it comes as no surprise to learn that many also extol the buy local ethos.
The Purely Cornish Farm Shop and Deli has been going since Ally Martin and Andy Parritt first opened on April 1, 2006, in Buller Street, East Looe. Almost four years later to the day, on April 3 this year, they will formally open their new shop in what was the Threshers Wine Store on Fore Street, East Looe.
Andy said: “The opportunity to move to a high-profile location that can serve both locals and visitors is a great opportunity for us to continue our commitment to keeping business local. It is a tough commercial world out there at the moment, but we have proved that ‘local’ does sell if done well.
“We will be closing the Farm Shop and Deli and consolidating into this fabulous new premises on the main high street, enabling a very solid business base to continue our expansion of the Purely Cornish business.”
The company established itself as a dedicated champion of the small Cornish producer, especially those not supported by supermarkets, and stocks over 400 lines from suppliers in the county.
Within nine months of the Buller Street deli opening, it was awarded a bronze award by Taste of the West for best retail outlet in Cornwall, which gave Ally and Andy the confidence to open a farm shop at St Martin-by- Looe in 2007. In 2008 that was awarded a silver and the following year brought a bronze for the online shop, purelycornish.co.uk, which sends hand-prepared Cornish produce hampers all over the country.
Purely Cornish is now set to run workshops for local producers to help them understand what it takes to sell their product. These will cover topics such as how to create a marketing promotion for retail, factors to consider with labelling, packaging and point of sale, and the legal requirements for trade descriptions.
Ally said: “It is no good having the best, most delicious product in the world if a retailer can’t put it on their shelves or it is not going to get noticed by shoppers.”
Cornwall councillor for West Looe and Lansallos, Edwina Hannaford, who will open the new shop, said: “It is well documented that supporting local producers keeps money circulating in the immediate economy and saves food miles. Buying local is good for Cornwall, good for producers, good for the environment and of course safeguards local jobs.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Population to swell as food festival returns
03-03-2010
MORETONHAMPSTEAD will host its second food and drink festival this weekend.
The event aims to showcase local produce, with activities including a beer trail, art workshops and cookery demonstrations.
Organiser Peter Middleton said they had worked hard to make it a “local” event: “We gave local producers first option to attend and then gradually expanded the catchment area.
“It has worked – we have a lot of producers from within 10 miles.”
Last year, around 3,500 people visited the festival in Moretonhampstead – where the population numbers less than 2,000. Mr Middleton said they were expecting a similar number this year. The event will also showcase local artists.
“The festival this year has not had any grant funding and is financed entirely through the fees for stalls and space,” said Mr Middleton. “This has meant that many artists have organised their participation independently. At last count, more than a dozen local artists will be opening their studios and demonstrating or exhibiting in the town.”
The festival is due to take place on Saturday between 9.30am and 4pm.
Details can be found at more tonhampstead.com or on moretonfestival@btinternet.com
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Setting their stall out – virtually
03-02-2010
FARMERS’ markets are becoming an ever more popular way for local producers to sell their wares, locally. But now the growing phenomenon is being opened up to a global market.
A number of food producers from the South West are hosting “virtual” stalls online at the first ever 3D Virtual Farmers’ Market (VFM).
The VFM uses the latest games technology to recreate a farmers’ market in 3D. Like a computer game for gastronomes, it allows users to visit a colourful farmers’ market, stroll around the stalls, select products and get advice from a farmer.
But the big difference between the new site and other speciality food sites is that customers can actually “meet” the producers they are buying from, via video streams.
The brains behind the website is Marcus Carter, a former farmer and pate maker. He has invested personally in the interactive platform, which he hopes will appeal to consumers who prefer the online shopping experience to that of visiting a real shop or market – but still want to interact with producers and hear the stories behind the products they are buying.
Mr Carter said: “Seeing the face behind the food is more important today than it has ever been. Artisan food is all about the story behind it – people go to markets to hear stories and if the product’s out there on its own, it doesn’t stand a chance. It’s the story that sells it.”
There are 43 stalls occupied so far on the site, offering more than 270 products including organic apple juice from Devon and Cornish blue cheese.
Mr Carter aims to give smaller food producers a platform to offer their goods nationally – without having to contend with big supermarkets.
“The great thing about being online is that, for example, Colin from the garlic farm can be in 500 living rooms telling his story every night – but he can’t be at more than one farmers’ market a day,” he said.
Mr Carter believes supermarkets can even give smaller brands a bad name.
He said: “If you have a really nice artisan jam to market, if you’re suddenly in Tesco, local shops say ‘hang on, why are you in the supermarket’?
“I’m trying to allow producers to access a section of the market which historically they would have to go through the supermarkets to get.
“Currently the online shopper is not going to trawl through looking at 15 different companies to see what’s out there. You’ll only find the food you’re looking for.
“I’m trying to bring small producers together, so the consumer can find them, make an educated decision and put them all together in one box.”
Companies including Rod & Ben’s Soup from Exeter, Sharpham Park from Somerset, Cornish Cheese from Cornwall and South Devon Chilli Farm are all hosting stalls. Luscombe Organic Drinks from Devon and The Seed Company and Olives Et Al from Dorset may also take part, joining more than 40 producers from around the UK.
All produce bought at the online market will be delivered to customers in temperature-controlled boxes, Mr Carter said – and delivery is free throughout February.
The virtual farmers’ market is designed as an “added extra” to the average grocery basket, he said, adding: “I’m only looking for people to shop about six times a year – this is just a top up to your normal groceries so I’m not expecting them to buy from the site every week or fortnight.
“I’m just saying – don’t stop going to your local farmers’ market, but if for whatever reason you can’t make it, come and buy the products online and stop the supermarkets running riot with their online offering.”
To visit the virtual market, go online at www.vfmuk.com. For more Think Local news, features and recipes visit our community website www.wmnthinklocal.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
West’s taste academy aims to boost local producers
19-01-2010
TASTE of the West, the group which champions the region’s produce, is to launch a Food and Drink Academy.
The venture is designed to be a meeting place dedicated to all involved in the production, processing and marketing of quality Westcountry food and drink.
There will be workshops, seminars and masterclasses to share knowledge and instigate routes to market for all producers.
The seminar programme starts in spring and is open to all members and non-members of Taste of the West.
On offer will be a session on how to grow a food or drink business, with advice from former Tesco executive Mike Seymour and Peter Greensmith, who has worked with Cow & Gate, Three Barrels Brandy and Baxter’s Soups.
John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West said it was an exciting move, adding: “These days, producers need to gear up and become very ‘market savvy’.
“There are a lot of superb producers in the Westcountry, keen to penetrate markets such as retail, foodservice, hospitals and schools. The academy will help them to rise to this challenge.”
To book, call Belinda Berwick on 01392 440745 or e-mail bb@tasteofthewest.co.uk.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Plea to hospitals and schools to ‘buy local’
19-01-2010
By Matt Chorley London Editor
SCHOOLS, hospitals and councils should be forced to “buy local” to limit the impact of looming spending cuts in rural areas, Number 10’s rural advocate has suggested.
The Commission for Rural Communities urges civil servants and ministers against “retrenchment” from providing services in the countryside, even though they could be seen as “less popular, less fashionable, and less noticed” than those in urban areas.
In a policy document on the potential impact of cuts, the CRC said any civil servants who does not believe they will have substantially less money in just two years is “living in cloud-cuckoo-land”.
The CRC calls on policymakers to “commit to demonstrably fair resource allocations between different local authority and other areas, and also within them”.
It comes after years of allegations that rural areas receive less money than urban areas.
Last year, CRC chairman Stuart Burgess told the Western Morning News that government belt-tightening could see public funds redirected to urban areas while the countryside bears the brunt of cuts. “There are going to be pressures about funding,” he said. “And if we’re not careful – if there is any money around, it’s going to be very tight – on the whole it goes to more populated areas where there’s a critical mass rather than to those sparsely populated.”
In the new report, the CRC said those representing and serving rural communities should “look for opportunities to help local economies prosper and fill the slack created by less public spending, particularly through increased local purchasing”.
A number of public bodies in the Westcountry, most notably Cornwall’s hospitals, have made a commitment to buying local food to support the region’s economy and offer better quality meals.
Controversially, the CRC also backs more unitary councils in rural areas to make savings. It proposed looking for “further efficiencies to be gained in the rural public sector, including unitary authorities and virtual unitary authorities and improving boundary coterminosities – this will demand strong leadership and collaboration”.
In Devon, a long-running row rumbles on over proposals to replace the traditional two-tier council system with a single super-council providing all services.
And it warns that a move towards offering more public services online can deliver “large efficiency savings” for but those without high-speed broadband in rural areas can “bring further hardships”.
Councils should do more to increase the economic well-being of the people they serve, the CRC added yesterday.
CRC chief executive Sarah McAdam said: “By focusing on economic well-being, local authorities can take a broad view of the contributions that people, businesses and communities make to a healthy economy and society and can take account of the social and environmental impacts of economic activities. We believe this approach is particularly valuable in rural areas.”
It singled out the “Pension Extra” Benefit Take Up Campaign lead by the Citizens Advice Bureau in Caradon in Cornwall to help pensioners access the benefits for which they are eligible.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Community scheme is apple of entrepreneur’s eye
15-12-2009
A RURAL community hopes to be transformed into an industrious workforce producing pies, cakes and chutneys from its own orchard as residents are teamed up with a high-flying entrepreneur for a new TV series.
Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton, Somerset, will benefit from the expertise of Adam Butler, former Cheshire Young Business Person of the Year, as residents aim to maximise on the potential of its fruit trees as part of a lottery-funded Village SOS programme.
In November, 28 villages were selected for a £10,000 business development grant. The experts they have been paired with will help develop their ideas into viable plans. Six of the best will receive £400,000 from the Big Lottery Fund in May, and their progress will be filmed by the BBC for a programme to be aired in 2011.
Elsewhere in the Westcountry, Kingsbury Episcopi, near Martock in Somerset, will work with Stephen Ansell, the managing director of four successful village stores. He will help with plans to create a thriving centre, incorporating a shop, cafe, Internet access and book exchange.
In Cornwall, St Hilary, near Penzance, is bidding to open a new indoor all-weather riding arena. As part of the project, which has not yet been teamed up with an expert, people with mental health problems could work with an equine-assisted psychotherapist.
The Norton Fitzwarren proposal is to open a shop and cafe selling produce based on locally grown produce, with a long-term aim of building a centre of excellence for the study of orchard fruits. Mr Butler, who set up a UK-wide recruitment agency three years ago, said he was “very excited” about the prospect of helping to create an opportunity for employment and skills in the village.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Mr Haddock’s booming farm shop even sells fish
13-12-2009
ON paper, Churston Traditional Farm Shop should not be such a runaway success, launching as it did in 2007, just as the world teetered on the brink of recession.
Many other businesses have failed while the store has thrived, even though this one focuses on the best quality produce at a time when many are reverting back to basics.
But farmer Richard Haddock’s formula has proved to be a winner. He combines a low-price point for food grown in surrounding fields with good, old-fashioned service.
Now accolades are starting to roll in, as his customers’ rave reviews spread.
He has just scooped the Food and Farming Award at the Devon Environmental Business Initiative ceremony and was also named as Devon Life’s Butcher/Meat Producer of the Year.
More importantly, he expects to match the incredible turnover of more than £500,000 in the first year – and plans to expand the business by creating facilities which will elevate the visitors’ experience beyond shopping, and into a relaxing and enjoyable half-day out.
Next year, he hopes to open a cafe, a garden centre and a facility which will allow people to see the vegetables grown in polytunnels, and pave the way for children from local schools to engage even more than they do on their current visits.
This is a business with a conscience. A heat exchange system uses hot air from the coolers to control the temperature in the shop, and customers are encouraged to recycle wherever possible.
Most of the food has “never travelled further than 35 miles in its entire existence”, with meat butchered at an on-site facility before it is sold as cuts, or turned into top-of-the-range products by resident chefs.
They produce ready meals, ranging from curries and casseroles, to a range of pasties, pies, sauces and soups. The business also works with the Royal Dart at Kingswear. Together, they devise menus using cuts which would otherwise be left over, to ensure the whole animal carcass is used.
The ethos chimes in with the Western Morning News Think Local campaign, sponsored by Worldwide Financial Planning, which encourages readers to source goods and services from the surrounding area.
Mr Haddock farms his own Aberdeen Angus beef and Poll Dorset lamb, and pork and vegetables come from trusted local suppliers. He also sells cheese produced in the area – and everything is available to sample in store. A mail order business now means that the products are available across the UK.
Unusually for a farm shop, he also takes advantage of the close proximity to Brixham and sells fish and seafood, making the shop one of the few independent fishmongers in the area.
Mr Haddock admits the timing of opening could have been better, but he has no regrets, and says the tough economic climate he had faced had made him a shrewder businessman, as he and his wife collaborate on their first retail venture.
He said: “We wanted to take out the middle-man and supply the customer direct, with food as fresh and local as possible. Before, we had been supplying to faceless large companies, and we only ever heard from there if there was a complaint.
“We wanted to get more personal – to get better returns, but also to give better quality and value.”
Mr Haddock, who was a prominent figure in the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said: “I wanted to show that you can practise everything that I used to preach with the NFU, and make it a real success. There’s a huge demand for local produce, but you have to be able to compete with the major retailers on price.
“We keep our costs down, and we’re proud that everyone can shop here.”
Mr Haddock has recently put on ice his hopes to stand as a parliamentary hopeful as he concentrates on the business.
But he has not compromised on his ethos of linking food and tourism, and shouting about the produce the Westcountry has to offer. His expansion is dependent on the regional development agency deciding on whether it will offer financial support.
But, one way or another, it is clear that Churston Traditional Farm Shop will go from strength to strength.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Cash help to boost local food in village shops
08-12-2009
By Ryan Hooper
COMMUNITY groups across the Westcountry are being encouraged to apply for funding and expertise in a bid to increase the amount of locally produced food in rural shops.
The Look for Local scheme aims to support community-owned and rural shops to develop and expand their local food ranges, raise the profile of local food within the community and develop links between local producers and rural shops.
The scheme is part of Making Local Food Work, which is managed by social enterprise charity the Plunkett Foundation, and receives funding from the Big Lottery Fund.
David Geeves, community retail adviser for the Plunkett Foundation in Cornwall, said: “A lot of village shops stock some local produce, but this scheme is about trying to create something similar to a farm shop within the village.
“I think this can really make a big difference to local producers, as well as to those who regularly do a lot of their shopping in these small rural shops.
“This is about helping out the community, and its producers, by buying products which do not have high food miles and are made with local ingredients.
“This in turn helps support the local shops which sell them.”
There are three community shops in Devon and Cornwall currently piloting the Making Local Food Work Scheme.
One of them, in Lanreath, South East Cornwall, recently chose to launch its local food offering by giving villagers free tasters of pasties, cheese, drinks and preserves. All samples were available to buy in the shop.
Another is in Berrynarbor, near Ilfracombe, North Devon, which opened as a volunteer-run community shop five years ago.
Volunteer Pam Parke said about a quarter of produce sold from the shop was grown locally. “This has caused quite a bit of interest because tourists in particular are very keen to see what we are doing here,” she said.
“The whole scheme is very successful and, of course, helps our local suppliers. Very often, those local producers with a surplus crop give it to us to sell in the shop. It really demonstrates the community spirit we have.”
The Look for Local scheme supports shopkeepers with one-on-one adviser support, a practical guide and point of sale material.
It has also been able to support those shops taking part with marketing material and funding towards running a local food event to raise the profile of shop and their local food range.
The Plunkett Foundation’s Look for Local support package is worth in excess of £1,000 and free to a limited number of shops. To find out more, visit www.making localfoodwork.co.uk.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Butcher racks up total of 18 national quality awards
30-11-2009
A SIDMOUTH butcher has scooped 18 awards for his products in the Q Guild’s 2009 Smithfield Awards.
Stewart Hayman, 58, is the fourth generation of his family to run Hayman’s Butchers in the East Devon seaside town.
He said he was thrilled to receive the accolades – which numbered nine gold, five silver and four bronze awards.
The highest gold awards were given to the company’s steak and pickled walnut pie, steak, red wine and shallot pie, carrot cake and mince pies.
“It’s an evaluation process, where you’re able to enter your products and they have a panel of judges in Scotland who evaluate them and award marks for taste, texture and so on,” said Mr Hayman.
“We make a wide range of our own product and it’s a very useful way to get independent, objective feedback on what you’re doing. We might think our products are OK, but it’s great to get an evaluation from elsewhere.
“We’ve been members of the guild for 23 years and we use the competition as a way to evaluate and improve what we do, because you can always improve.”
Hayman’s Butchers originally offered just meat, but over the years has expanded to a wider range of bacon, sausages, pies, pasties, cooked meats, quiches, ready meals and cakes.
Mr Hayman has two shops in Sidmouth. He runs the business with his wife Shirley, 51.
“It’s a challenging time for lots of businesses at the moment, but we’ve ridden out a lot of storms in our 102 years of trading,” he said.
“We had BSE in 1986 and foot-and-mouth more recently, all of which inevitably impact on the business, but we ride it out.
“It’s all about attracting customers into the shop. For example, for our centenary year in 2007, we had a street party here outside the shop and there were thousands of people in Church Street that day.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Is a local slicetwice as nice?
30-11-2009
IF YOU ask me, Christmas is the one time of the year when it’s almost essential to have a proper cheeseboard at home. It’s so lovely to linger over a table with friends and family, and try just another sliver of something delicious.
But when it comes to buying Christmas cheeses, how many of us are tempted just to load up on the usuals – Stilton, Brie, Edam – on a whizz round our nearest supermarket?
“It’s a great shame if you live in the South West and go for an unadventurous, mass- produced cheeseboard,” says cheese expert Elise Jungheim, who runs the wonderful Country Cheeses shops in Tavistock, Topsham and Totnes.
“There are something like 150 artisan cheeses made here in the Westcountry. And many of them knock spots off the more well- known varieties.”
And Elise, of all people, should know. She and her husband Gary have been selling top- quality cheese since 1991, with accolades such as UK Cheesemonger of the Year among their many awards over the years.
“We carry all sorts of cheeses, of course, but specialise in those from the South West,” she explains.
“They’re not as cheap as supermarket cheese but they’re so much tastier and more interesting.
“The supermarket Brie, for example, was just completely tasteless and more or less sterile – I suppose they have to make it that way so it has a long shelf life without maturing. But money spent on that is going straight down the drain if you ask me.
“And of course, if you choose a local cheese, you’re supporting the local industry of farmers and producers when you buy.”
So in the spirit of fun, but with serious questions in mind, welcome to the great Western Morning News Christmas Cheeseboard Contest.
After all, do the supermarkets know best about what we Brits really like when it comes to cheese? Or should we all be giving our smaller local producers a try?
We’ve challenged two busy Westcountry women, about to do their Christmas food shopping, to a cheese taste test. With Elise’s expert help, we’ve taken classic big-brand favourites straight from the supermarket and set them up in a direct contest with similar Westcountry cheeses. Our results may surprise you...
Note on prices: Big-brand cheeses were bought in Tesco’s, Honiton, prices correct as of November 24, 2009. Westcountry cheeses are all available at these prices from Country Cheeses in Tavistock, Topsham and Totnes and by mail order (visit www.countrycheeses.co.uk or call 01822 615035).
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Fishy catch is as fresh as it gets
14-11-2009
IF YOU fancy a giggle tomorrow, make your way to the harbour at Clovelly, where you can see TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall riding on a donkey. It may sound a bit bonkers but, as a foodie myself, I know where Hugh’s coming from.
This Sunday is the annual Clovelly Herring Festival. It was first launched three years ago to promote this traditional, but much- neglected, Westcountry delicacy.
And so Hugh will be celebrating the herring catch by riding one of the village donkeys, normally used for delivering goods up and down Clovelly’s precipitous main street. He’ll also be catching – and cooking – herring, of course.
This week, with much the same aim in mind, I made my way on foot (it seemed kinder) to meet fisherman Stephen Perham, 45. Clovelly born and bred, he’s been fishing for herring off the North Devon coast for 25 years, as did his father Gordon before him.
“This year’s catch has been very good indeed, much better than last year,” Stephen says.
“Traditionally, they’re in season from Michaelmas (September 29) to Christmas, as that’s when they come into Bideford Bay to breed. We use the old-fashioned way of catching them with small boats and drift nets, which doesn’t over-fish the stocks.
“It’s just too bad that more people here don’t eat them, as they’re so delicious.”
Indeed, freshly caught herring is, these days, a sadly overlooked speciality. Most of the South West’s catch goes straight overseas to more fish-friendly nations or gets converted into kippers.
That’s a shame as herring is an oily fish, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that help prevent heart disease. We should all be eating at least a portion of oily fish a week. And at just 50p a fresh herring from Stephen himself, they’re wonderfully cheap and tasty.
“I think people get put off by the fact they’ve got lots of tiny bones,” Stephen says.
“But they’re worth trying and taste fantastic. I souse them in vinegar and cook them for a day and a half in the Rayburn. They melt in the mouth.”
So to learn more about the Clovelly herring I decided to get ahead of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and grab some culinary advice from chef Iain Bartlett.
He runs the kitchen at Clovelly’s Red Lion restaurant, right on the quay where the herring catch is landed.
To help matters along, I turned up with a bag of beautiful silver herrings that Stephen had kindly given me, caught that very day.
“Herring are best cooked very simply and very fresh,” Iain tells me.
“They don’t need much fuss and bother, as they taste great just as they are. It’s so easy to grill them whole. Or a very traditional way of serving them is with a crust of oatmeal and some bacon; those three flavours work really well together.
“Another good way of preparing herring if you don’t want to eat them straight away is to serve them cold as an escabeche. This is a Spanish method of pickling that’s our most popular herring dish at the Red Lion. It means you can eat the fish a couple of days down the line after they’re landed.”
During my visit, I was lucky enough to try herring cooked in all three of these ways by Iain himself. I must admit, I found it hard to pick a favourite – though escabeche perhaps just pipped the others at the post, as its lightly vinegary, spicy taste was so unusual and delicious.
As herring is in season, you could pop to Clovelly tomorrow, buy yourself half a dozen and try these very straightforward recipes.
And if fish shopping alone isn’t enough of a draw, there will also be sea shanties, art and craft stalls and Stephen’s boat trips round the bay. And there’s the opportunity to see celebrity chef Hugh on a donkey. Not to be missed, if you ask me.
Clovelly Herring Festival is from 10am to 4pm on the quay on Sunday, November 15. Entry is included in the normal admission to the village – adult £5.75, child (7-16) £3.65, family, £15.50 (two adults, two children).
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Vegetable box firm wins gold award
14-11-2009
THE Nearly Naked Veg Company has won a Taste of the West Gold Award.
Founded by Newton Ferrers-based Ben Brunning, 26, the box-scheme business won the award in the online retail category just six months after it began trading.
Mr Brunning supplies the South Hams area of South Devon with a range of veg boxes and has recently added fruit boxes, Modbury Bakehouse artisan breads, chutneys and jams from Tavistock, turkeys and geese from Gerald Hill at Chudleigh, wine from Red and White at Kingsbridge and Devon-made granola.
Mr Brunning said: “The response we have had to our veg boxes has been fantastic and this award, together with recently being shortlisted for the 2009 Devon Life New Producer of the Year award, means we are filling a niche in the market by being able to deliver seasonal veg, which is freshly dug from the ground and affordable to every pocket.”
For more details about the Nearly Naked Veg Company, visit www.nearlynakedveg.co.uk or call 01364 646106.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Shopping list saves on food miles
14-11-2009
I’M just about to draw up the most important shopping list of the year, with all the goodies for our annual Christmas extravaganza. It’s no easy task as I want to serve up delicious food for my family – between us, my husband and I have six children – plus having enough for all the unexpected (but very welcome) guests who drop by. And of course, I don’t want to break the bank while I’m at it.
To this end, I’m aiming to buy all our Christmas food and drink from Westcountry producers. It’s a challenge, but this way, I’ll reduce my food miles, hopefully save a little money and, most importantly, support local businesses this Christmas. So here’s my festive shopping list – what will be on yours?
A great Westcountry equivalent to Scottish smoked salmon is Oak Roasted Cornish Trout from Tregida Smokehouse in Trelash, near Launceston, (£5.30, www.tregidasmokehouse.co.uk). We eat it on Christmas morning on brown bread, with a squeeze of lemons and a glass of champagne.
The lemons, I confess, are unlikely to be local – well, you can’t win ’em all. But for a great champagne alternative, there’s the perennial superstar Camel Valley Brut (£19.95, www.camelvalley.com) near Wadebridge, which has beaten real French champagnes in blind tastings. I also love the methode champenoise ciders from Polgoon Vineyard near Penzance – there’s the gorgeous Aval (around £10 a bottle, www.polgoon.co.uk) and the even yummier raspberry-flavoured Aval Róse.
Then there’s the roast itself. For turkeys, you really should buy from your nearest farmer who’s been raising them all autumn. As an East Devon girl, I’ll get mine from K&M Butchers in Ottery St Mary. I can be sure all their meat comes from local farms. Do try to get a turkey that has lived happily outdoors in the Westcountry, rather than an intensively-farmed shed in Norfolk. Let’s make this the season of goodwill to all men – and poultry.
If you’re in or around Dartmoor, you can’t do better than a visit to Tucker’s Local Produce Market in Ashburton, which sells fresh turkey, Christmas meat and poultry, Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies. They have a great barbecue too for weekend lunches and are having a late-night shopping event on Thursday, December 10 until 8pm, which should be a lot of fun.
As a digression, turkey shopping puts me in mind of the first year my farmer husband raised turkeys for the Christmas market. Unbeknown to him, the day-old chicks come in three sizes – small, medium and catering. He mistakenly bought all hotel-sized birds and, come Christmas, every single one weighed more than 30lb. Many of his customers had to cut their Christmas turkey in half before cooking it – just to get it in the oven.
I like to wrap my bird cosily in strips of bacon and you won’t find a better – or happier – rasher than Spoilt Pig bacon from Denhay of Honiton (from £2.69, www.spoiltpig.co.uk). It’s RSPCA Freedom Food assured and, just as importantly, completely delicious.
I always stretch my turkey with a good array of sausages. I’m a big fan of those made by Westaway’s of Kingsteignton, now available in many supermarkets, and Kenniford Farm’s fabulous honey-roast pork sausages (www.kenniford farm.com).
You could also solve all your meat shopping in one go and buy a selection box from Swannacott Manor Meats, near Holsworthy in North Devon, at either £50 or £100, which I thoroughly recommend. They’re either delivered to your door or you can visit their excellent farm shop. See www.callthe farmer.co.uk for details.
Now, why have nutrient-depleted vegetables flown in from around the world when you can get fresh seasonal ones by the boxful from a farm near you? Try Rod and Ben’s near Exeter (www.rodandbens.com) or Riverford Organic of Buckfastleigh (www.riverford.co.uk). Christmas is a really important time to support your local vegetable growers and producers. So make sure your spuds are local and your greens haven’t travelled too far.
To drink, try the Sharpham red from Totnes (£13.95, www.sharpham.com). It really does hold its own against wines from overseas. For beer shopping, I recommend a trip to the fabulous Moor & More beer shop (www.moorandmorebeer.co.uk) in Plymouth, which has more than 100 bottled beers from the Westcountry in stock.
Why not tie your visit in with some shopping at Plymouth City Market for a great Think Local experience? Ray’s Butchers there are celebrating their 50th year of stocking Christmas turkeys and Martin’s are taking orders for Christmas goose or duck by way of alternative. There’s also vegetables picked straight from the field by farmer-greengrocers The Market Garden and Vincent’s Farm Shop.
Now it’s on to the puds and if you haven’t made your own, you can’t do better than a lovely muslin-wrapped one from Georgie Porgie’s of Ottery St Mary (from £7.70, depending on size, www.georgieporgiespuddings.co.uk). Just like you would have made – if only you’d got round to it!
I may live in Devon but I was raised in West Cornwall and, for me, Rodda’s clotted cream from Scorrier near Redruth (£7.41/453g, www.roddas. co.uk) is the essence of luxury at Christmas. Cheese is something we do wonderfully well in the Westcountry so I’m going for an all-local cheeseboard. It won’t be a hardship at all, as I love Cornish Cheese’s blue, which is softer and less aggressive than traditional Stilton (www.cornishcheese.co.uk).
I’m also keen on the pretty Wild Garlic Yarg, wrapped in garlic leaves, from Lynher Dairies in Ponsanooth, near Falmouth (www.lynher dairies.co.uk). Denhay does a terrific farmhouse cheddar (www.denhay.co.uk) and as well as great wine, Sharpham also make a delicious mould-ripened soft cheese with Jersey milk. In my opinion, it knocks French brie into a cocked hat (www.sharpham.com).
We’ll finish with a glass or two of Chocolate Orange Cream Liqueur (£10.95) from Lyme Bay Winery or some of their gorgeous sloe gin (www.lymebaywinery.co.uk). And although you can’t grow olives that well in the South West (except in the Eden Project biomes), they’re sourced and marketed in delicious style by Olives Et Al of Sturminster Newton in Dorset (www.olivesetal. co.uk).
Then there’s Boxing Day, when we’ll have a wonderful marbled roast beef joint from the pedigree Dexter herd at Wotton Farm, Buckfastleigh, (01364 643030, wottonfarm@tiscali.co.uk) and tuck into Tom’s Pies from Clyst St Mary in Devon (www.toms-pies.co.uk). It’s my favourite meal of the whole holiday, as the pressure’s off and the cook can really relax. For last-minute guests, I stock up on Cornish pasties at Lifton Farm Shop (www.liftonstrawberryfields.co.uk) on the A30. I am also lucky enough to live near Joshua’s Harvest Store in Ottery St Mary which sells a great range of fruit and vegetables and Christmas goodies.
And finally, the fabulous Mole Valley Farmers (www.molevalleyfarmers.com) has almost all my Westcountry Christmas favourites in stock, with outlets at Cullompton, Holsworthy, Liskeard, Newton Abbot, St Columb, South Molton and Yeovil.
I wish you all very happy eating this Christmas.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Village hall market and cafe ‘a hub of activity’
14-11-2009
FIVE volunteers who helped set up a weekly produce sale in their village have been “bowled over” by the response from loyal customers.
Every Friday, Mount Village Hall in Warleggan, near Bodmin, Mid-Cornwall, converts into a market for local producers to sell their meats, baked goods, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
The hall, which has been converted to a makeshift shop every week since May, has now attracted a loyal bank of regular customers and producers, with profits being ploughed back into the scheme.
The idea has proved a hit with local residents, who are keen to get hold of organic and free-range fare grown in the area, without having to travel to larger towns. Customers also have the opportunity to eat and drink in the makeshift cafe, which runs alongside the market.
One of the organisers, Andrew Lane, said the idea had really taken off.
“The Warleggan parish used to have shops and a pub and post office – and then they were all closed. But now the village hall is a hub of activity.
“We wanted to resurrect a shop for local produce and we have been supported all the way by customers.
“We knew there would be quite a number of people keen on the idea, but we also have around 20 regular suppliers.”
Mr Lane said the volunteers – who also include Liz Cox, Jenny Dyke and Derik and Diane Wells – are also working with business advice charity The Plunkett Society to secure funding to develop the project further. In the meantime, on Friday, November 27, they will be having a Christmas fair with stall holders selling seasonal produce from 6-8pm.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Fine fair for foodies
13-11-2009
BUCKLAND Abbey hosts its popular fair from 10.30am to 5pm tomorrow and Sunday. Entry is free, entry to abbey grounds is £4.20 per adult (free for National Trust members). Lots of crafts as well as food and drink stalls, with live music throughout both days.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
A first for Caerhays
13-11-2009
CAERHAYS Estate is holding its first fair at Vean, near St Austell, on Wednesday, November 18 from 10am-9pm. Wide variety of goods for sale, hog roast and crepes all day. £3 entry fee goes to Gorran Primary School.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Farmer Graham enjoys a walk on the wild side
12-11-2009
By Martin Hesp
AS HE stood by the seven foot tensile fence under a sign warning visitors of the potentially dangerous wild animals beyond, the Blackdown farmer muttered something about being more wary than ever of his huge, hairy, charges. Seconds later he was flying through the air with the sleeve of his waxed jacket ripped to the lining.
Graham Wallace was lucky. Half an inch deeper and the horn of the big ton-and-a-half male bison would have been into his flesh and he would have been tossed over the animal’s shoulder to meet with goodness knows what gruesome fate.
Instead, yelping with pain, Graham was able to leap – with WMN photographer Richard Austin – for the safety that lay just feet away beyond the gate.
It was the most terrifying 10 seconds I’ve witnessed since Richard and I watched close-hand that infamous moment when an Exmoor huntsman was butted from his horse by a wild red stag – and in some ways the two incidents are related.
Bison and deer both used to roam the Westcountry landscape and consequently were a source of food for mankind for thousands of years. Red deer, of course, still roam – and still provide us with a fine source of wild meat.
The “wisent” – or European bison – is now extinct in this country, but it died away a good deal later than you might think. I had visions of the last herds of these giant beasts munching their way through Westcountry forests way back when the first humans were establishing themselves more than 8,000 years ago – in fact, a handful of these giant bovines were still at large in the wild until just 800 years ago.
Now they’re back again, albeit behind tall strong fences, which is just as well – as a walker I’d fight tooth and nail any idea of ever reintroducing these creatures into the Westcountry wilds. But I very much welcome the farmed version. Why? Because bison meat is delicious and added to that it has the lowest cholesterol of any red meat.
It really is the right food in the right landscape – even if it is in a time warp several centuries removed. Graham seems to be a farmer who welcomes this concept. No fancy imported cattle or sheep breeds for him.
Way up there on the very top of the Blackdown Hill escarpment he farms animals that have roamed the 900ft ridge far, far longer than we humans.
His 35 bison are joined by a large herd of red deer that live in neighbouring fields and beyond them are the ancient breed of hairy long-horned Highland cattle – the likes of which probably once grazed our moors.
Now Wallace’s Farm is introducing wild boar to the toothsome mix – so that Graham could rename the place Ancient English Meats.
A bit eccentric? Agriculturally off the wall? Not a bit of it – not if Wallace Farm’s excellent farm shop and restaurant is anything to go by. The day we visited – when the ridge was enveloped by rain and swirling mists – the place was packed to the gunnels.
In fact, the one big moan Graham has when it comes to his bison (apart from his aching arm) is he simply cannot produce enough of the meat to cope with demand.
“They are built for taste and flavour,” he shrugs. “My only problem is that we regularly run out of the meat, which makes me unhappy.
“All these semi-wild animals produce naturally good quality meats. OK, you can have really good quality Aberdeen Angus beef, but there are an awful lot of cattle breeds that aren’t naturally good. We can cut a steak off a bison carcass and the day after it’s tender.”
You might think the region’s answer to Buffalo Bill would be some swashbuckling ex-American rancher, but the man who has to cull these giant animals with a rifle in the field rather than take them to a slaughter house is the son of a City of London broker.
“I had a nice upbringing in the Kent countryside watching Dad commute to London everyday – and thought: ‘I don’t want that’. He was expecting me to follow in the family business – and I did the complete opposite – but he forgave me in the end,” smiled Graham.
“I went to college, did a diploma in agriculture, and then went round the world backpacking – came home in 1984 and stupidly went to a sheep sale and bought a load of sheep. I’ve been at it ever since.”
In 1986 Graham moved his family to the 100-acre hill farm on the Blackdowns, close to Wellington Monument, and at some point found himself at a deer farming conference.
“I thought it was interesting, and got into it first in a small way,” he said. “Then we put up a lot more fencing and bought a lot more deer. The next step was that I learned to become a butcher, a slaughterman, van delivery driver, salesman. What you have to be with this kind of meat is a one-man band business.
“We had 400 deer at one point, selling them all into the catering trade – but that changed when farmers’ markets came along. We suddenly realised the benefit of selling straight to the end user.”
The experience of selling at farmers’ markets (he still attends the Taunton market) gave Graham a huge understanding of what customers wanted and inspired him to set up the Wallace Farm shop.
“People wanted to know more about where the animals came from and how well they were treated – and there was more and more demand,” he said.
“So we started off with a really small farm shop but it very quickly outgrew itself. It was so small, at Christmas in bad weather people had to queue sitting in their cars.
“So we decided to put all our efforts into farm retailing and built the shop and restaurant. Now we’ve got lots of local regulars as well as people from the wider area.”
So how did Graham become one of only three bison farmers in the UK?
“After 15 years we felt we needed another animal on the farm,” he said.
“I just wanted a bit of diversity and one day went to a deer farm in Dorset where this guy had bison – I took one look and said ‘I’ve got to have one’. He gave me a rump steak and I brought it home and thought it was better than venison.”
Initially Graham bought some bison cows from the Dorset farmer, then bought in Blackfoot, the aforementioned bull, from Belgium – where the bloodline had been imported direct from the US.
“The economics aren’t easy – they are very expensive partly because they live up to 30 years,” says Graham.
“The initial cost is high – each cow was £1,500 and the bull was £2,500 – so it’s quite a big investment. Now, after 10 years, we are up to just over 30 animals – the cows have one calf a year and occasionally they flip a year.”
The male calves are kept for two and a half years before slaughter, and Graham keeps all the females for future breeding. And the animals have taken to the Blackdown grassland.
“They are very tough – they stay out all year in any weather – all we do is feed them a bit of hay in the winter time,” he says. “They like being up on this ridge – there is a cooling wind in the summer and a warming wind in winter – and they thrive on slightly poorer quality land.
“We’re as good as organic – I haven’t spread fertiliser for years. I use grassland management to bring the best out of the grass.
“You need seven foot high-tensile fencing for the bison – but we already had it here for the deer. Bison farming is not a light undertaking – they have got a different character to normal cattle and there are issues that are being debated within bison farming at the moment.
“The bureaucrats have tried to call it just another cow – but it is not a cow. They are so different to handle – they have no fear of mankind, or gates, or handling systems. They are so intelligent that if they go into a handling system once and they have a bad experience, they will never get into it again. You have to have a dangerous wild animal licence to keep them.
“But in truth you don’t need too much – they have their calves in summer, we can spilt the group, we can manage their acreage, what they eat – and when it comes to the end we walk out into the field and shoot them. They are what’s called farmed game, so we can do that at the moment.
“But if the bureaucrats had their way and we were obliged to take them to slaughter, the industry would die overnight. You just couldn’t do it.
“I just wish I had more ground,” concluded Graham. “I probably will have to allow more acreage to the bison to let numbers grow in order to satisfy increasing demand. It’s the quality of the meat – time and time again people come back – they are on a list of people demanding it forever.”
I almost ended up envying our early British ancestors their supply of free bison meat, but seeing Graham’s swollen arm reminded me it’s probably better to buy it from the Wallace Farm shop than come face to face with it.
To find out more about Westcountry bison visit www.welcometowallaces.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Crowds flock to sample oysters at 13th festival
19-10-2009
THOUSANDS of people flocked to Falmouth to enjoy the 13th oyster festival.
The annual four-day event, which finished yesterday is held to mark the beginning of the oyster-dredging season and celebrates the diversity and quality of Cornish seafood.
Visitors enjoyed sampling oysters and other shellfish with glasses of chilled champagne.
Live music kept feet tapping while dozens of stalls selling Cornish produce and crafts attracted shoppers. Musicians included The Tinners, Bragatanga, Just Ken, Dalla, Black Rock Jazz, The Cornish Wurzells and Falmouth Shout.
Cooking demonstrations were held in the main marquee at Events Square in the busy town.
A spokesman for the event, said: “The Falmouth Oyster Festival has seen an increasing number of Cornish food and drink producers promoting their quality produce alongside the long-standing craft fair stalls in the festival marquee.
“Visitors enjoyed savouring the expanding range of mouth-watering Cornish food and drink, both on site while they soaked up the festival atmosphere or took them home to enjoy.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Yams, jams – and one helluva paella
19-10-2009
THE best Westcountry produce was on display when an historic pannier market was transformed into a foodie paradise.
North Devon FoodFest in Barnstaple yesterday attracted thousands of visitors and has almost doubled in size since its inaugural event last year.
The town’s pannier market was the backdrop as top local chefs demonstrated their culinary skills and more than 60 stands sold award-winning food and drink from across North Devon. Local restaurants also hosted taster sessions from their popular menus, while a demo stage rounded the day off with a Ready Steady Cook-style competition.
The event, sponsored by Mole Valley Farmers, organised by regeneration and tourism body North Devon+, and is was part of the Devon Celebration of Food month. More than 85 events are taking place across the county during the month, with similar celebrations in Cornwall and Somerset. For details, visit www.celebrationoffood.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Donkeys give Ginsters staff helping hand with allotment
08-10-2009
STAFF at food producer Ginsters have teamed up with the Tamar Valley Donkey Park to help grow produce on their own allotments.
Fresh manure from the Tamar Valley’s donkeys at St Ann’s Chapel, near Gunnislake in South East Cornwall, is regularly being taken to the allotment gardens where Ginsters staff are able to grow their own vegetables.
Staff at the factory in Callington were provided with 37 allotments in the town to nurture and maintain as part of the former Caradon District Council’s Active workplace scheme, in a bid to get healthier and fitter – and the Tamar Valley donkeys were called in to help.
Owner David Gibbons said: “We have 30 donkeys at the park, and between them they produce tens of tonnes of manure a year.
“Ginsters have always been very kind to the park and we decided to repay the favour.
“This year, we have made concerted efforts to ‘go green’ and recycling muck was just one of the things we thought we could do.”
The donkey park has done so well this year in adopting practices that help protect the local environment that it has received a Green Acorn Award from the South East Cornwall Tourism Association, in recognition of its efforts to reduce its impact on the environment.
Larry File, from Ginsters, said: “We believe in encouraging a healthier lifestyle and so the allotment project has been an ideal addition to the wide programme of activities that we have for our staff here at Callington.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Crowds make meal of food and drink festival
02-10-2009
By Ryan Hooper
CULINARY creations from some of Cornwall’s finest producers were showcased to capacity crowds at a three-day festival celebrating a cornucopia of food and drink.
The sixth Cornwall Food and Drink Festival at Truro’s Lemon Quay, which ended on Thursday, saw top chefs put their talents to the test in a giant marquee.
Dozens of producers, from ice-cream makers to brewers, bakers to butchers, showed off their wares to the hundreds of visitors.
Chef Nathan Outlaw said that the county had world-class produce to inspire generations of cooks.
He added: “I love this festival because it puts the people who create Cornwall’s great food and drink in touch with those who buy and eat it.”
For Andrew Endean, who runs biscuit company Furniss of Cornwall, the event helped to remind shoppers that the traditional Cornish manufacturer was still in business.
He said: “The company started in Truro more than100 years ago and over the years, our biscuits became part and parcel of Cornish life.
“Three years ago, we went into receivership and were taken over by Proper Cornish.
“An event like this is brilliant for letting customers know that we have survived and are still very much around.
“Business has been very brisk over the past few days with lots of customers stopping by.
“It’s the third year in a row we’ve had a stand here and it gets better every time.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Nicholas was busy serving a long queue of customers waiting to try the mouthwatering seafood delicacies at the Crabby Jacks stall.
The company, based at Sennen, near Land’s End, has its own fishing boat – The Girl Pamela – which sails out of Newlyn.
Among other delights, the stall offered customers whole cooked crab and lobster and crab pate.
Mrs Nicolas said: “The festival has been great for attracting new retail and trade customers.
“We’ve had lots of inquiries from other businesses such as restaurants about our seafood. We sell good Cornish seafood, which is always popular with shoppers.
“The atmosphere over the past few days has been really excellent and we’ve had a good time.”
Amanda Lashbrook, from Kenewek Herb Kitchen at Goonwallow, said that all three days had been “very busy”.
She added: “The feedback has all been positive. People are really interested in where their food comes from and this is a chance to talk to local producers who really care about what they are selling.
“With the credit crunch, people are eating at home more and I think they appreciate traditionally made products.”
There was a steady queue for food at the Little Cornish Curry Company’s stand at the festival.
“This is our third year,” said Louis Lewis, who runs the business with wife Nicky at Lanivet, near Bodmin. “People want to try good food and there’s been a really good atmosphere in here.”
Visitor Rachel Edwards, from Helston, said she had sampled food and drink from across the county.
“There is something for everyone. I’ve tried Cornish mead and apple juice and some fudge.”
She added: “It’s been really nice talking to all these producers who really know their stuff and seem so enthusiastic.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Exe marks the spot with 25-year ale
02-10-2009
By Martin Hesp
A NEW Westcountry ale created to mark the 25th anniversary of a Devon brewery is about to gush from pub pumps across the nation.
XXV is the special beer created to mark the quarter century notched up by the Exe Valley Brewery and it will be sold throughout the Wetherspoon chain during the autumn, and in selected Westcountry pubs.
Brewery owner Guy Sheppard said: “Back in the early 1980s, a resurgence of interest in traditional beers was just gaining a foothold in Devon.
“A few new breweries had come into the marketplace to help satisfy the demand for traditional, quality beers that had been created by the formation of Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) a few years earlier.
“Among them was Exe Valley Brewery, which was started by ex-publican Richard Barron in a barn on his farm in Silverton.
“He commenced brewing in 1984 and started with a 4 per cent abv beer called Barron’s Draught.”
For the first seven years, Mr Barron did all the work himself – from brewing the beer to delivering to pubs –but in 1991 he was joined by Mr Sheppard, who had experience in marketing and distribution as a brewer’s wholesaler.
Mr Barron eventually retired in 2003 and the business is now wholly owned by Mr Sheppard who, along with two employees, continues to produce beers that are respected throughout the trade and sold across Devon and beyond.
To celebrate the quarter century, the team developed the XXV which is a Golden Ale (4.3 per cent abv) brewed with Cascade and Bobek hops along with locally grown Devon malt and the brewery’s own spring water.
“These give XXV a lovely hop aroma, a good depth of body from the malt and a zesty aftertaste on the tongue,” says Mr Sheppard.
As for the next quarter-century, he remarked: “There will continue to be interest in locally made beers. I think the local-made ethos will take over from organic. There is a bigger emphasis on buying local – we can’t go on moving things around the world.
“And, despite the pub trade being hit in recent times, the traditional local beer trade is still growing.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Consumers can win prizes for best eateries
02-10-2009
By Louise Vennells
CUSTOMERS are being asked to share their views on the cream of the crop of food producers in North Devon and on Exmoor, to put them in the running for culinary recognition.
Consumers are being asked to vote on their favourite foodie experience, and the winners will be announced at the North Devon Food Fest on October 18.
Some of last year’s winners gained so much they will enter again this year. Victoria Johnson of Wild Thyme Juice Cafe, was thrilled to win last year’s best cafe award. She said: “Winning the award has had an amazing impact on our business and has been instrumental in bringing us new customers. When you put a lot of effort into building a quality business, it is great to get recognition for the efforts you put in.”
The public is being asked to vote for their favourites across the categories of pubs, restaurants, cafes and tea rooms, local producers, specialist retailers, and traditional fish and chip shops.
Mark Dodson of the Mason Arms, at Knowstone near South Molton, who scooped the 2008 award for best restaurant, said the accolade was a “great boost”. He said: “To win such a prestigious award was a great accolade for our team at the Mason Arms, our little village and for the people who support us all year round.”
The competition echoes the ethos of the Western Morning News’ Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
It encourages readers to take advantage of the products and services available in their surrounding area to boost the economy in the region.
Helen Symons, business engagement manager for North Devon+, which organises the awards, said: “The Think Local campaign highlights opportunities to reinforce the message that people really need to think about food security for the future – and that equates to making sure they buy locally.”
Those who register their vote by October 2 will have a chance to win a £500 holiday in the Westcountry, courtesy of Farm & Cottage Holidays.
Votes can be registered at www.northdevonfood.com with the winner announced at the North Devon Food Fest on Sunday, October 18 at Barnstaple Pannier Market.
Sweet Surprise for the Salcombe Chocolate Academy
01-10-2009
THE Salcombe Chocolate Academy is celebrating after being named as a finalist in the coveted Devon Life Food and Drink Awards.
The Academy has been shortlisted to the final three in the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ category.
This accolade is open to any business which is less than two years old – as Salcombe Chocolate Academy only opened its doors two months ago, this is a real coup.
The company’s success is being attributed to more than just its fine tasting chocolate – the ethos behind the brand is what makes it so special. It uses only the highest quality ingredients, all of which are sourced locally wherever possible, and the chocolate flavor is developed using 70 per cent cacao; supplied by Fair Trade accredited providers.
The Academy offers a range of fun courses from chocolate shoe moulding, to truffle making and artisan techniques. All of these are great fun and have become popular with local businesses as team building activities, and also with the female population for an entertaining hen party.
Children’s parties have also become increasingly popular with the kids making chocolate pizzas, lion lollipops and much more. All parties and courses also have an educational side – learn how chocolate is made, why the right chocolate is actually good for you, and the history of the delicious treat.
As well as the course, the Academy encompasses the Chocaholics Café. This serves everything from alcoholic beverages to hot chocolate and locally made pastries and baguettes.
Andrew Cunningham, director of Salcombe Chocolate Academy, commented: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted in these prestigious awards. We have worked solidly for the last three months to get the Academy up and running and it is fantastic to see that we have been so well received. Many people said we were brave to open a new business during a recession but we have seen a huge amount of support so far. We have been run off our feet this summer! Fingers crossed that we make the final cut at the awards ceremony next month.”
The Devon Life Food and Drink Awards ceremony is taking place in Exeter on October 22. All three finalists have been invited to the event to see the winner announced. The finalists were selected due to the number of votes they received in their particular category.
For further information about the Salcombe chocolate Academy, or to book a course online, please visit www.salcombechocolateacademy.com.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Helston promote Garden Share scheme
29-09-2009
TRANSITION Helston are promoting a Garden Share scheme in the hope that people will become more self sufficient.
The environmental group, which predominantly researches peak oil and its possible effects on the world, has now launched a Garden Share Scheme in Helston.
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.
Gary Matthews, an active member of the group, said: “The aim of the scheme is to bring together two types of people – those who have a garden they can no longer manage, and those who want to share some space to grow vegetables.
“The house owner is helped and the gardener gets a free allotment.”
The rise in popularity of allotments has overcome some local councils, with many appealing for land owners to donate land for growing-your-own to appease demand.
Transition’s Garden Share Scheme is hoped to alleviate some of that pressure.
The rise of the celebrity chef – especially Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver – has had a significant impacted on the grow-your-own revolution, with both children and adults wishing to learn more.
Mr Matthews said: “There is an increased interest in gardening among younger people, but many of them only have a small garden, or none at all. Equally, there are many people who cannot look after their own garden because of ill-health or old age.
“The Garden Share Scheme could help this.”
Transition Helston believes that where possible people should buy food which is produced locally, in order to reduce the transport of it, and thus reduce its carbon footprint.
They also believe that people should learn how to grow their own so that in the event of an oil crisis, the would be more capable of being self-sufficient.
If you have a garden which you may be able to share, or if you wish to have space to grow your own fruit and vegetables, ring Mr Matthews on 01326 562869.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Tavistock branch celebrates local food
29-09-2009
WESTCOUNTRY home meals service Oakhouse Foods is celebrating British Food Fortnight by offering a special seven day menu of British meals and desserts.
The Best of British Pack features a week’s selection of great British recipes, and is available with or without desserts.
Simon Boulter from the local branch said: “British Food Fortnight is a fantastic idea and we wanted to do something to celebrate our country’s food. It gets a bad press some of the time but there are some really wonderful traditional British recipes that we wanted to remind people about. Our Best of British Pack features some of our absolute favourites, including Lancashire Hotpot and Shepherd’s Pie. There’s also one of our delicious Cornish Dairy Ice Creams which we source directly from Callestick Farm in Cornwall.”
For more information about the Best of British Pack contact Oakhouse Foods on 0845 257 1132.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Consumers can win prizes for best eateries
18-09-2009
By Louise Vennells
CUSTOMERS are being asked to share their views on the cream of the crop of food producers in North Devon and on Exmoor, to put them in the running for culinary recognition.
Consumers are being asked to vote on their favourite foodie experience, and the winners will be announced at the North Devon Food Fest on October 18.
Some of last year’s winners gained so much they will enter again this year. Victoria Johnson of Wild Thyme Juice Cafe, was thrilled to win last year’s best cafe award. She said: “Winning the award has had an amazing impact on our business and has been instrumental in bringing us new customers. When you put a lot of effort into building a quality business, it is great to get recognition for the efforts you put in.”
The public is being asked to vote for their favourites across the categories of pubs, restaurants, cafes and tea rooms, local producers, specialist retailers, and traditional fish and chip shops.
Mark Dodson of the Mason Arms, at Knowstone near South Molton, who scooped the 2008 award for best restaurant, said the accolade was a “great boost”. He said: “To win such a prestigious award was a great accolade for our team at the Mason Arms, our little village and for the people who support us all year round.”
The competition echoes the ethos of the Western Morning News’ Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning. It encourages readers to take advantage of the products and services available in their surrounding area to boost the economy in the region.
Helen Symons, business engagement manager for North Devon+, which organises the awards, said: “The Think Local campaign highlights opportunities to reinforce the message that people really need to think about food security for the future – and that equates to making sure they buy locally.”
Those who register their vote by October 2 will have a chance to win a £500 holiday in the Westcountry, courtesy of Farm & Cottage Holidays.
Votes can be registered at www.northdevonfood.com with the winner announced at the North Devon Food Fest on Sunday, October 18 at Barnstaple Pannier Market.
Let us know what your business is doing to Think Local by emailing us on thinklocal@westernmorningnews.co.uk
Woodland hosts first organic food festival
18-09-2009
By Louise Vennells
A PICTURESQUE woodland will be transformed into a culinary haven this weekend, when it hosts Devon’s first organic food festival.
More than 20 producers from across the county will descend on Haldon Forest, near Exeter, for a free day of tasting, family fun and foodie activities between 10am and 4pm on Sunday.
Organisers say it is the ideal opportunity for residents and tourists to discover the wealth of quality food produced in the county, and to learn more about where their food comes from.
It will also provide a platform for producers to unite in the challenging economic climate. The ethos echoes the Western Morning News’ Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning, which encourages readers to take advantage of the goods and services on their doorstep.
Stalls will sell a delicious array of goods, including vegetables, fudge, ice-cream, drinks and meat, as well as goods such as organic skin care products.
Helen Lynch, from Teas Me, co-organiser of the Devon Organic Festival, said she was “thrilled” most of the producers were coming from within a 20-mile radius of the venue.
She said: “It’s all about cutting down on food miles and highlighting where our food comes from, but also supporting local producers.
“If you buy food from your surrounding area, not only is it better for everybody’s pocket, but it’s even more sustainable.”
Nationally, media reports have indicated consumers have turned away from organic goods, as they try to make savings. Mrs Lynch said all the Westcountry producers she had spoken to were having a “bumper year”, with shoppers putting increasing emphasis on quality and value for money.
Sunday’s event will celebrate the sector, but will also offer entertainment including story telling, mushroom foraging, art and craft workshops and growing seedlings to take home.
Co-organiser Rod Hall, from Rod and Ben’s, said: “This event is for everyone – not just those that already buy organic. It’s a great opportunity for people to learn more about the benefits of organic produce and the wide range of products that are out there.”
Taunton showcase local produce
18-09-2009
Alice Wright
A POPULAR farmers’ market is holding a five-week festival to showcase its exciting range of local produce.
The Vale of Taunton Farmers’ Market takes place in Taunton High Street every Thursday and its Celebration of Food begins next month.
The market is run as a co-operative and has 33 members, most of whom will take part in the festival.
The event launches on October 1 with a celebration of cheese.
The following week, October 8, the spotlight will shine on bread and baking while on October 15 chocolate will be the centre of attention.
The market on October 22 will showcase apples and for the final market of the festival, on October 29, the focus will be on vegetables..
A town crier will be touring Taunton to advertise the special markets, reciting ditties written about the producers and their specialities.
Robin Small, market chairman Robin Small, said he hoped the special events would pull even more shoppers into Taunton and provide a welcome boost for the local economy in the autumn.
“The Market is already drawing in people from quite far afield – Swindon, Stroud and Gloucester, for example. They are keen to try good locally grown food and drink,” he said.
“The Market has been bubbling recently and that’s good news for Taunton. We try to work with local businesses so that we can all benefit.”
Councillor Fran Smith, who holds the council’s Economic Development portfolio, said: “The Farmers’ Market has become an institution in Taunton and I hope that people take the time to visit the special markets in October and sample some of the excellent produce.”
The Market is supported by Taunton Deane Borough Council and celebrated its 10th birthday earlier this year.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Furniture firm recognised for sourcing locally
14-09-2009
By Jane Labous
THERE is something special about local, artisan-crafted furniture. It usually has an elegance that cheap superstore flatpacks can never match.
By buying local, you are also helping sustain businesses in the area.
This is why the Made In Cornwall scheme, set up in 1991 by the Trading Standards Association, has proved a popular and prestigious trademark of quality for local Cornish businesses.
The Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning, helps identify genuine Cornish produce. A Made In Cornwall membership recognises both quality and locality.
The latest company to prove successful in its bid to join the Made in Cornwall scheme is Oakleaf Joinery and Design.
Owner Damean Richardson lives and works in the Tamar Valley with his girlfriend and business partner Emily, and their toddler Amelie. Mr Richardson has a workshop in the valley but works across the whole of South East Cornwall. He specialises in bespoke joinery, handcrafted furniture and property renovations using English hardwoods.
His projects range from crafting kitchens and oak staircases to smaller projects making and restoring doors and windows.
“I love being a Cornish business owner and it’s an honour to be affiliated with the Made in Cornwall scheme,” said Mr Richardson.
“I think it’s really important that we support local craftsmen and buy Cornish products. The scheme’s a great way of reassuring people that they’re employing real Cornish companies, and in turn helping to sustain local businesses and the Cornish economy.”
Made In Cornwall spokesman Andrew Burnside said the award recognised Oakleaf’s use of locally-sourced materials.
“They have been awarded membership because of the fact that they source local materials – in this case hardwoods – to do the work, which is fairly unique in Cornwall. It also recognises sustainability and high standards of workmanship,” he said.
“Sourcing and producing locally reduces your carbon footprint and cuts transport costs.”
To find out more about becoming a member of the Made In Cornwall scheme, visit www.cornwall.gov.uk
E-mail us and let us know what you are doing to Think Local at thinklocal@westernmorningnews.co.uk
Food for thought on origin of what we eat
14-09-2009
By Graeme Demianyk
ONE OF the region’s oldest environmental events celebrated the benefits of local food at a successful fair over the weekend.
Around 50 stalls run by local green groups, children’s entertainers and local producers set up on the city’s Cathedral Green as part of Exeter Green Fair on Saturday.
The theme of this year’s event was local food and how it helps the environment.
The aim was to let people find out where their food comes from while saving on transportation miles and supporting local businesses – much as the Western Morning News Think Local campaign is encouraging people to shop locally where possible.
Visitors had the chance to buy fresh organic vegetables picked the same day from fields only three miles away, fresh grass-fed beef, again from only three miles away and homemade bread baked with flour from Otterton Mill.
The fair’s Andy Bragg said the intention was to raise awareness of local food and encourage people to make a change to their shopping habits.
He added: “One of the things that makes Exeter so beautiful is that from the city centre, you can nearly always see green fields on the skyline in every direction. But what’s growing in those green fields?
“If our farming and food systems were truly sustainable and efficient, those fields would be mainly producing food for the people of Exeter to eat.
“Local food for local people – this would minimise transport, making the carbon footprint of our food as low as possible.
“Of course, we can’t provide for all our food needs here – rice, lemons, cocoa and a lot of our other favourites need warmer climates to grow, and if we continue to want these, then we will have to continue to import them.
“But many of our staples such as bread, milk, cheese, eggs, meat and many vegetables can be produced locally.”
Mr Bragg said the “sad truth” was that the fields around Exeter were not producing food for local people.
He added: “Many of the green fields you can see are pony paddocks, and even those that do produce food are tied into long-distance supermarket supply chains.
“The beef and other food is just as likely to end up on a dinner plate in Yorkshire as one in Devon.
“Even if it does feed somebody in Devon, it will have needlessly travelled to a distribution depot and back first.
“Meanwhile, the supermarket shoppers of Exeter are filling their trolleys with beef from Argentina and butter from New Zealand.
“If this seems shockingly wasteful, there is something we can do – we can find out more about local food and how to access it.”
Think Local: Food and drink ahoy in Princetown
14-09-2009
MORE than 40 local food producers will be showcasing their goods at a Free Food and Drink Festival being held in conjunction with Devon's Celebration of Food at the Two Bridges Hotel near Princetown on October 29 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
The producers will be available to talk about their products while you savour, taste or buy. The events offer a great opportunity for you to get to know where your food comes from and save on food miles by supporting local businesses. There will be a wide variety of produce available to taste and buy including goats cheeses, tangy chutneys, preserves and delicious jams.
The event is in line with the Western Morning News Think Local campaign which is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Also on offer to tempt the palate will be home made breads, cakes and pastries, succulent sides of beef, pork, lamb and venison, superb homemade sausages, organic burgers, pates, pies and a hog roast. And what better way to round off a taste buds treat than by trying fruit cordials, apple juices, ciders, wine and beer.
The free events are open to both the public and commercial buyers, and will be especially useful for hotels, B&B's and restaurants to source new products for their menus - 'Local Food' is definitely what visitors to the region want to see on their menu.
Coun Clish-Green said: "This is a chance to celebrate the wonderful range of products available locally and to recognise the importance of this sector to our local economy."
Twinks Read of Willow Tree Farm (Jams and Chutneys) said: "These events are a great opportunity for local producers like myself to get our products tasted by so many new customers. Last year the event was great. Lots of local people and holiday-makers visited and took the opportunity to try new tastes and all the products were local which gave an added experience to their holiday.
Jane Barber of Lovaton Farm Traditional Breeds exhibited last year and will be coming back again. She said: "This event is firmly in my calendar as last year I had a great time making new leads and meeting new customers which have continued throughout the year. I hope to make even more sales leads this year.
Robin Deitch, Food and Drink Devon network co-ordinator said: "The recent Food and Drink Festival at Hatherleigh was a great success with more visitors than ever and all the producers benefited from many new sales leads. These events are a great opportunity to network with like minded businesses and show how important local food is to the region."
The events are organised by Food and Drink Devon who offer business support and training opportunities to small scale local food and drink producers throughout Devon. The Food and Drink Devon Network Development Project is funded by Greater Dartmoor LEAF, incorporating funding from the EU, Defra, SWRDA and LEADER and West Devon Borough Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council and Food and Drink Devon.
Garden project gets vital funding boost
14-09-2009
AN INNOVATIVE grow-your-own project Otter Valley Harvest Hub is to receive over £2,500 to promote its objectives to younger people.
The project, based in the walled garden at Escot Park, near Ottery St Mary will involve youngsters in a range of outdoor activities centered on growing their own fruit and vegetables.
It echoes the ethos of the Western Morning News Think Local campaign which is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
The award, gained by Phil Foggitt is made by UnLtd, a charity promoting social entrepreneurship.
Mr Foggitt said “We want to show local youngsters how easy growing vegetables can be, and how enjoyable it is. A whole generation has become remote from the basics of life but this has to change, and this is one step in that process.”
Otter Valley Harvest Hub provides a facility for local people to grow vegetables and fruit in a supportive environment. Members can provide as much or as little of their time as they can spare, in return for produce from the garden. They benefit from the support of other grower-members, with the cost of equipment, seeds, and other materials shared between project members.
Harvest Hub chairman, Rashid Khaliq said: “There is tremendous interest now in home-growing. But many people don’t know where to start, can’t handle a whole allotment or haven’t the time to manage one. Other people just enjoy gardening with others as a social activity. The interest now being shown in the Hub shows that we have tapped into a real local need.”
Fabulous food, fine chefs at BosFest 2009
02-09-2009
NOW firmly etched on the calendar of Cornwall’s top culinary events, the fourth festival of food and crafts set in Boscastle’s picture postcard harbour looks all set for a record breaking year.
With a new look, new logo and support from Cornwall’s top chefs and food producers, BosFest 2009 will be drawing in the crowds from all over the country.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on attracting the best chefs and producers you could find anywhere,” says Adrian Prescott, chairman of the organisers, Boscastle Chamber of Trade and Commerce, “but this year is even better than ever and we’re delighted with the support we’ve received.”
From small beginnings in the wake of the disastrous flood of 2004, what’s now billed as Cornwall’s Real Food and Craft Festival has gone from strength to strength. Shunning major sponsors and concentrating solely on fine food and quality crafts, it can justly claim to be among the most popular events in North Cornwall.
Chefs from the county’s best-known restaurants, Fifteen and Rick Stein’s Seafood empire will be taking to the demonstration stage and, for the first time this year, they’ll be joined by the man hotly tipped to become Cornwall’s first double Michelin Star winner, Nathan Outlaw; his restaurants at Fowey and Rock are fast becoming Cornwall’s not-to-be-missed eating experiences.
The creative cooking continues with appearances on the chefs’ stage by Paul Ainsworth, whose takeover at Number 6 in Padstow has proved a phenomenal success. He’s joined by fellow Padstow restaurateur Adrian Oliver, owner of the almost legendary Margot’s and, proving that Boscastle can compete on equal terms when it comes to imaginative cookery, Scott Roberts from the Wellington Hotel will be giving demonstrations on both festival days.
Last year’s festival hit television and the national headlines with a cookery demonstration for local schoolchildren featuring grey squirrel casserole and this year the quirky cookery theme continues with Scott Roberts producing a mouth-watering pork dish from a pig’s head.
“It may not be for the squeamish,” says Scottie, “but it’s a fascinating dish and one that certainly creates interest.”
This year, the festival covers the weekend of October 3 and 4 and once again there will be a charity opening in the main marquee to support Boscastle County Primary School and other local charities. To help with parking, a free shuttle bus service to and from the festival marquees in the harbour car park will be operating.
The arts and crafts are again well represented both locally and from across the region. Local gardens and exhibitions will be open to the public and village churches and other organisations are planning their own events to coincide with the festival.
A big success in 2008 has prompted a major change to the festival this year and the popular Walking Week has been moved to a new slot, complete with its own festival programme and promotion in April 2010.
“The festival itself just gets bigger and bigger,” added Adrian, “so we felt that to do justice to the many visitors it attracts and to make sure we’ve got the help and resources for Walking Week we needed to separate the two. The first new look Walking Week will go ahead on April 19 next year.”
Festival Facts:
Where - Harbour car park, Boscastle
Tickets - £3 per day from Boscastle Visitor Centre, 01840 250010
Charity night: October 1. More info: Nikki Reed 01872 475243.
Walking Week: April 19-23 2010. Info: Denise Tillinghast 01840 250397
Festival information: Adrian Prescott. Lower Meadows, Boscastle, Tel. 01840 250570
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Exmoor Food Festival a Think Local delight
02-09-2009
VISITORS to Exmoor between October 2-11 will be able to experience a taste of the very best in local produce from this beautiful part of the West Country at the eighth Exmoor Food Festival.
The tasty programme of around 40 events will include food fairs, farmers’ markets, tasting platters, themed evenings, farm visits and indulgent cream teas. Some events will take place every day throughout the festival, while others will be on specific days.
The festival kicks off on Friday morning at Minehead Farmers’ Market, while in the evening there’s a Caribbean themed supper at The Avenue Creamery, Minehead (£22.50 per person) or a four-course home-cooked dinner at the Yarn Market Hotel, Dunster celebrating local produce (£30pp).
Some highlights over the 10 days include a pony trek through the beautiful Doone Valley returning to Cloud Farm for a cream tea overlooking Badgworthy stream on October 3 priced at £20pp; a hearty breakfast at Moorland Hall and self-guided walk to Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor’s highest point on October 4 and 11 (£6 adults and £4 children) and a nostalgic journey on the West Somerset steam railway with high tea at the new Turntable Café at Minehead station on October 6, 7 and 8.
There will also be a chance to meet producers and sample and buy a wealth of fine local food and drink under one roof at both the free entry Lyn Food Fest on Saturday 10th in Lynton Town Hall, and the Exmoor Food Fair on October 11 in Porlock Village Hall.
Several hotels, B&Bs and restaurants will be offering seasonal menus throughout the festival including Streamcombe Gourmet B&B in Dulverton; Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross; the Crown Hotel, Exford and Hindon Organic Farm, near Selworthy, which will be serving a homemade Exmoor Beast Brunch featuring their award-winning sausages. And the Hunters Inn, near Parracombe will be running an exhibition telling the story of the renowned Exmoor Horn sheep, as well as offering a daily lunchtime special Horn lamb dish for around £10.
For further details and booking information visit www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk or call the Minehead Visitor Information Centre on 01643 702 624; details about other things to see and do around Exmoor and places to stay can be found on www.exmoor.com.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Local market success means double business for all
02-09-2009
A LOCAL produce market in Cornwall is proving such a hit that the number of times it is staged is being doubled.
The market at Camborne one week then neighbouring Redruth the next, was launched in July with the aim of taking the best ingredients to people’s doorstep.
But its success has outstripped all expectations and the market will now be held in each town once a week – on a Thursday in Redruth and a Friday in Camborne.
Market manager, Ivor Sirett said it had been a winner for traders and for shoppers.
“It didn’t really take long to come to this decision. From day one, the traders saw the potential of visiting each town every week, and more importantly saw that there were enough customers to make this a profitable venture for them.”
Mr Sirett said he believed it would continue to go from strength to strength.
“The market is still growing and there are still gaps we are looking to fill.
“With the support of the town councils, the traders and, most importantly, customers shopping locally, we hope to see the market going from strength to strength.”
Nick Stanning, a fisherman who sells most of the catch he lands through his Something Fishy stall, was a trader who was part of the first market. He said it had been a revelation.
“From the very first day I had loyal customers who kept coming back. Sometimes I have people four and five deep at the stall.
“Every week people come back and bring their friends,” said Mr Stanning, who has helped boost business by handing out recipe leaflets.
The market was set up as a joint initiative between Camborne and Redruth town councils and supported by CPR Regeneration, the organisation which is working to breathe new life into the local economy.
Matt Powell, business growth manager for CPR Regeneration said it had been a great success. “I’m delighted that the market is showing such potential so quickly, working with businesses in the towns and the chambers of commerce, we have been saying for a long time now that shopping in town – in Camborne and Redruth – has a lot to offer. This decision bears that out.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Luxurious lobster despite the crunch
02-09-2009
By Louise Vennells
A LUXURIOUS feast of crab and lobster will give visitors to a pretty North Devon village a chance to escape the credit crunch gloom.
Clovelly is defying the economic crisis to host the celebration of some of the most highly prized food stuffs, in support of its fishing industry.
It also ties in with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The event, on September 6, will offer many a chance to sample freshly caught seafood, as well as music and entertainment for all ages.
It will feature food and craft stalls, live bands, comedians – and even a lobster hypnotist.
Clovelly’s Harbour restaurant will be offering platters of seafood, crab and lobster, each with a complimentary glass of champagne.
There also will be a promotion of Wolf Blass wines in the Harbour Bar at just £2 a glass.
Organiser Sue Haworth said: “Of course lobster is a luxury, but everyone deserves a luxury now and then, even during the credit crunch.”
She said Clovelly’s lobster and crab fishermen were faring well, with much of their catch exported to Europe. “There are still plenty of restaurants wanting lobster and crab,” she said, adding that catches had been significantly increased by a no-take zone that was set up around Lundy Island.
Ms Haworth said: “We also have a herring festival in November – it’s all to support our fishermen, who use sustainable fishing methods.”
The ethos is in line with the Western Morning News Think Local campaign, which urges readers to utilise the goods and services on their doorstep wherever possible - a campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
The National Lobster Hatchery, at Padstow, will be at the event, exhibiting baby lobsters prior to their release into Clovelly Bay at the end of the day.
At the heart of the NLH’s work is their lobster restocking project whereby local fishermen bring pregnant female lobsters to the hatchery so that their delicate offspring are given a better chance in life by being raised in captivity without predators.
Young lobsters are then raised to a size where they can be released back into the sea and look after themselves.
Admission is: adults £5.75; children £3.65 (7-16 years); family (two adults and two children) £15.50 and under 7s free. For further information call 01237 431781 or visit www.clovelly.co.uk.
Stunning locations to enjoy a cuppa
02-09-2009
By Martin Hesp
TO SIT down, relax and take refreshment in a place that is very beautiful indeed – to people in other regions it may sound a tall order, but it is something many thousands of people do each and every day across this scenic peninsula.
Whether it’s morning coffee on some attractive terrace, lunch in a pub garden or a cream tea in a gorgeous old tearoom – dining out in the daylight hours is a favourite leisure occupation with both locals and visitors alike.
And you could argue that there’s one organisation which looks after its countless visitors better than any other when it comes to the concept of taking refreshment in beautiful and interesting places. You could even say it’s one of the cornerstones of what the National Trust does best.
Many of its tearooms and restaurants across the South West have won awards – rightly in my opinion – and the trust even has a strict ethos which says locally sourced food and drink must come first.
Let’s take the newly revamped dining facilities at Castle Drogo, which opened just a month ago, as an example.
A spokesman for the trust said: “Environmentally-friendly methods have been used in the construction of the new building with all the wood used from sustainable sources, rainwater harvested to flush toilets, the new flooring made from recycled glass and all catering equipment and lighting being energy efficient.
“In the cafe food is seasonal and locally sourced where possible – it’s very much a stop-off place to get a meal, breakfast or have a snack in a fantastic location. It also has great outdoor seating – perfect for our recent lovely weather.”
If I had to pick just one English tea garden out of the many hundreds I know, it would have to be the dramatic trust-owned establishment at Watersmeet deep (very deep) in the Exmoor hills.
It has held hundreds of thousands of visitors captive in breath-taken wonder since the trust took over the running of the magnificent gorge.
But the savage beauty of the gorgeous gulch was enchanting folk long before that.
The poets Coleridge and Southey were spellbound by the deep ravines cut by Exmoor’s fast-flowing waters. Robert Southey famously described the “serpentining perpendicularity” of the roads bounding the East Lyn River, and he claimed that nearby Lynmouth – just downstream from Watersmeet – was, “the finest spot I ever saw”. Apart from a place called Cintra, wherever that may be.
But of course, the very savageness of the beauty in such a place is very much a two-edged sword. If you’d been sipping tea anywhere near dreamily beautiful Watersmeet on the night of August 15, 1952, you’d undoubtedly have lost your life.
More than 90 million tons of water cascaded down the steep narrow valleys towards the small harbour village of Lynmouth causing death and devastation every mile of the way. In all, 34 people died that night.
From a purely foodie standpoint I’d probably go to Knightshayes Court, which I wrote about in the WMN last Wednesday. Its magnificent four and half acre walled garden supplies many of the raw ingredients used in the cafe-restaurant kitchen.
The cafe at magnificent Arlington Court also uses produce grown in its walled garden to make jams and chutneys.
“We also have a new tearoom at Boscastle,” the trust spokesman said.
“Not only does it have a fantastic view – but it also uses compostable, recyclable and biodegradable dinner ware (i.e. plates, cutlery, cups) – they serve traditional tearoom fare such as sandwiches and cream teas. Killerton’s restaurant and tearoom uses chutney and cider produced from the apples grown in the traditional orchards.
“At Trelissick there’s a well-loved restaurant tearoom and art gallery – while Lanhydrock goes in for more traditional fayre.
“At Lydford Gorge there are two tearooms – one at both ends of the famous walk. You can visit the Waterfall Tearoom without having to pay to get in or taking up membership – that’s been created as a stop-off point not just for people visiting the trust property but for those who are just passing by.”
I suppose I were to put my feelings about these places in a nutshell it would relate to my own experience when entertaining friends who occasionally visit from the US. They want something typically English – they require good food served in generous quantities – but most of all they want to go home with the kind of memories you could never experience in California.
The answer is simple – I take them to a National Trust property and treat them to tea.
Think Local: Skinners celebrate bitter silver
01-09-2009
Ryan Hooper
TRURO-based brewery Skinner’s is celebrating after its Cornish Knocker beer won silver in the best bitter category of the 2009 CAMRA Peterborough Beer Festival.
Cornish Knocker was launched 12 years ago, and is named after the stories of the Cornish tin mine fairies who, by knocking, used to lead miners to the best seams in return for the crusts of their Cornish pasties.
Chief executive Steve Skinner said: “It was our first product and at that time it was a true trailblazer.
“Golden ales were then in their infancy, but now they are one of the most popular ale styles and virtually every brewery is making them.
“Cornish Knocker’s continuing success at this level speaks volumes for its quality, and for Cornish barley.”
Get the taste at Exmoor Food Festival
01-09-2009
VISITORS to Exmoor between October 2-11 will be able to experience a taste of the very best in local produce from this beautiful part of the West Country at the eighth Exmoor Food Festival.
The event runs in line with the WMN Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
The tasty programme of around 40 events will include food fairs, farmers’ markets, tasting platters, themed evenings, farm visits and indulgent cream teas. Some events will take place every day throughout the festival, while others will be on specific days.
The festival kicks off on Friday morning at Minehead Farmers’ Market, while in the evening there’s a Caribbean themed supper at The Avenue Creamery, Minehead (£22.50 per person) or a four-course home-cooked dinner at the Yarn Market Hotel, Dunster celebrating local produce (£30pp).
Some highlights over the 10 days include a pony trek through the beautiful Doone Valley returning to Cloud Farm for a cream tea overlooking Badgworthy stream on October 3 priced at £20pp; a hearty breakfast at Moorland Hall and self-guided walk to Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor’s highest point on October 4 and 11 (£6 adults and £4 children) and a nostalgic journey on the West Somerset steam railway with high tea at the new Turntable Café at Minehead station on October 6, 7 and 8.
There will also be a chance to meet producers and sample and buy a wealth of fine local food and drink under one roof at both the free entry Lyn Food Fest on Saturday 10th in Lynton Town Hall, and the Exmoor Food Fair on October 11 in Porlock Village Hall.
Several hotels, B&Bs and restaurants will be offering seasonal menus throughout the festival including Streamcombe Gourmet B&B in Dulverton; Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross; the Crown Hotel, Exford and Hindon Organic Farm, near Selworthy, which will be serving a homemade Exmoor Beast Brunch featuring their award-winning sausages. And the Hunters Inn, near Parracombe will be running an exhibition telling the story of the renowned Exmoor Horn sheep, as well as offering a daily lunchtime special Horn lamb dish for around £10.
For further details and booking information visit www.exmoorfoodfestival.co.uk or call the Minehead Visitor Information Centre on 01643 702 624; details about other things to see and do around Exmoor and places to stay can be found on www.exmoor.com.
Love the Hatherleigh flavour
26-08-2009
MORE than 40 local food producers will be showcasing their goods at a 'Meet the Buyer’ event being held at the Hatherleigh Community Centre.
The event is being held as part of West Devon's Food Fortnight and leading up to the Tavistock Food Festival and West Devon Borough Council Mayor Cllr Alison Clish-Green will be opening the show.
The event will be free to attend and, while you savour, taste or buy you will be able to talk with producers about their products.
The events offer a great opportunity for you to get to know where your food comes from and save on food miles by supporting local businesses. There will be a wide variety of produce available to taste and buy including goats cheeses, tangy chutneys, preserves and delicious jams.
Also on offer to tempt the palate will be home made breads, cakes and pastries, succulent sides of beef, pork, lamb and venison, superb homemade sausages, organic burgers, pates, pies and a hog roast. And what better way to round off a taste buds treat than by trying fruit cordials, apple juices, ciders, wine and beer.
Twinks Read of Willow Tree Farm (Jams & Chutneys) said: "This event is excellent for local producers like myself to get our products tasted by so many new customers. Last year the event was great. Lots of local people and holiday-makers visited and took the opportunity to try new tastes and all the products were local which gave an added experience to their holiday."
The event runs in line with the Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Jane Barber of Lovaton Farm Traditional Breeds exhibited last year and will be coming back again. She said: "This event is firmly in my calendar as last year I had a great time making new leads and meeting new customers which have continued throughout the year. I hope to make even more sales leads this year."
Coun Clish-Green said: "This is a chance to celebrate the wonderful range of products available in West Devon and to recognise the importance of this sector to our local economy."
Robin Deitch, Food & Drink Devon network co-ordinator, said: "These events were a great success last year with producers benefiting from many new sales leads. Both events are a great opportunity to network with like minded businesses and show how important local food is to the region."
The events are organised by Food & Drink Devon who offer business support and training opportunities to small scale local food and drink producers throughout Devon. The Food & Drink Devon Network Development Project is funded by Greater Dartmoor LEAF, incorporating funding from the EU, Defra, SWRDA and LEADER and West Devon Borough Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council and Food & Drink Devon.
he event runs on September 4 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
For further information, please contact Robin Deitch, Food & Drink Devon Network Coordinator on 07817 043588 or email on robin@lovetheflavour.co.uk
To find out more about Food & Drink Devon visit www.lovetheflavour.co.uk
Brewers lose none of their bottle
23-08-2009
By Nick Pryke
FORTUNATELY for all those local heroes of beer, the Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) has announced the release of a new edition of its best-selling pocket “beer bible”, the Good Bottled Beer Guide.
Now in its seventh edition, the guide is an exhaustively researched compilation on everything to do with the thriving world of the bottled beer market, completely revised and updated by internationally acclaimed beer author Jeff Evans.
With more than 1,300 different “bottle-conditioned beers” (a term used to describe beers which continue to ferment and mature in the bottle) listed in this new edition, Camra has reported that UK and international brewers have lost none of their bottle, and are in fact producing more beers than ever for drinkers to appreciate and pass judgment on in the comfort of their pub or home.
Mr Evans said: “The growth in premium bottled ales shows no sign of ending. In fact, it seems to be picking up speed. Three years ago when we published the last edition of the Good Bottled Beer Guide, there were around 800 “real ales in a bottle” on the market. For this new edition, I was staggered to discover more than 1,300.
“Many of them come from Britain’s small craft breweries, but big companies such as Fuller’s, Greene King, Marston’s, Shepherd Neame and Wells & Young’s all have real ales in a bottle too.
“The choice for the drinker in the off-trade has never been better, especially as you can find real ale in a bottle in a wide variety of outlets from giant supermarkets to farm shops.”
Indeed, when Camra was founded in 1971, there were only five bottle-conditioned beers in regular production. Since then, the total number of beers has risen steadily year by year to a point at which there are now more than 30 recognised in the South West alone.
In the latest edition of the guide, Mr Evans provides a definitive list of UK brewers currently producing bottle- conditioned beers, as well as an exclusive compilation of individual recommendations, taste-tested to ensure quality and categorised by beer style for greater usability.
Outstanding brews and recommended brewers are also highlighted in the reference book by a star and rosette system to give the reader further advice on quality bottled beer. With the aid of tasting notes, ingredients, brewery details and a beer glossary, the guide is the most comprehensive bottled beer guide to date, and a perfect point of reference for curious beer drinkers – not only does it produce all the necessary information specific to each beer, but its layout also allows for an efficient comparison between beers.
As well as an additional list of some recommended international beers available in retailers nationwide, the guide offers the reader the chance to locate their nearest beer outlet, whether it be a small retailer, specialist beer shop, or online mail order company.
Alongside the better known beers, such as Proper Job from St Austell and Sharp’s Massive Ale, the guide also lists some of the South West’s hidden gems, including Teignworthy’s Martha’s Mild – a small range of beers created to celebrate the birth of the brewers’ four children.
Mr Evans said: “Brewers seem to be as imaginative as ever. We’ve seen some truly novel creations, with unusual ingredients including brandy, rum, port, vanilla pods, chocolate, coffee, fruit, fennel, ginger, coriander, lemongrass, and black pepper. All these and more are featured in the book.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
THINK LOCAL: ‘Everyone knows each other now’
23-08-2009
By Louise Vennells
A GROUP of villagers have turned around the fortunes of losing their post office to create a thriving community shop which helps bring people together.
The store at Plymtree, near Cullompton in Mid-Devon, is now run by volunteers, and offers a wide range of quality local foods at affordable prices.
As well as pasties, fresh bread, local fruit and veg, wines and organic goods, residents can also take advantage of the postal service, which is run on an outreach basis and by volunteers.
Shop manager James Carpenter said the shop was thriving, and had well exceeded expectations for the first quarter.
But he said: “To me, the most successful thing about the shop is in bringing the community together. Everyone pitched in to make it happen, and they continue to offer their time and services to make it work.
“It’s a real mix – young and old, people who have lived in the village for generations and those who moved in more recently. Everyone knows each other now.”
The scheme echoes the ethos of the Western Morning News’ Think Local campaign, which encourages communities to unite to weather the economic storm, and urges readers to take advantage of the goods and services on their doorstep.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
In Plymtree, residents were mobilised when the post office was included on a list of those to be axed under swingeing cuts last year.
The managers told the community they could no longer run the village shop without the business.
But residents were determined to retain a facility, and within just seven months they were up and running.
A key aspect was getting a premises, and landlord John Hussey agreed to rent out a unit at a rate below market value. Mr Hussey, who now helps run the post office, also pitched in with converting it to suitable use.
The united effort meant the shop opened in May – just six months after villagers first met to discuss the idea. They formed a committee and raised funds privately. They collected thousands, and their contribution was match-funded by both the Cooperative Bank and the Government’s Versa fund.
In the meantime, everyone pitched in, with the local plumber and electrician among those to contribute their skills, and accountants, bankers and lawyers all helping to form how to run the business – as well as putting paintbrushes to good use.
“Our counter was built by an engineer and a brain surgeon,” said Mr Carpenter, himself a jewellery designer and the shop’s only paid member, who regularly exceeds his 20 hours per week. “The community is proud of what we’ve created.”
Food grown naturally and locally goes down well
23-08-2009
By Martin Hesp
MUSING over the concept of this series the other day, an archaeologist commented: “If you really took the theme of natural food in a natural landscape to the ultimate degree, you’d be left with nothing but weeds and wildebeest.”
We were examining a kind of wild cabbage – a scruffy-looking plant that most gardeners would indeed regard as an unwanted weed – but actually an original brassica of the kind that probably helped spawn hundreds of types of the edible greenery we enjoy today.
The archaeologist had a point, but only in as far as she was referring to an ultra-natural pre-human landscape when there would have been herds of big animals wandering about munching on the plain rough fodder of the Westcountry hills.
No sweet kind of cabbage for them – no lettuce, no broccoli, no trendy cavolo nero – and certainly no amazingly sweet cherry tomatoes like the “Tate and Lyle jobs” I was scrumping in a South Devon market garden the other day.
We are at the height of the English vegetable season and we should be celebrating every juicy morsel of it. Even my own paltry horticultural efforts are springing merrily from the soil – but there are people who really know how to make the most of the peninsula’s natural conditions, growing the very best they can offer.
You only have to take a tour around the byways to see all manner of hand-painted signs and hedgerow adverts modestly hailing some fresh-grown wonder or other.
In fact, WMN reader Rosie Oxenham, of North Devon, has written to the Saturday Hesp Session column to state eloquently about how we should do more to celebrate the region’s micro-producers.
“I absolutely adore being out in the wilds, turning a corner, and there – a table or cupboard outside a cottage, selling their own produce,” enthused Rosie.
But she added: “It is a rare sight these days – so all the more thrilling to find. Sweet peas tied up with wool in little bunches – giving off a perfume that no shop flowers ever have – freshly laid brown eggs, cakes, lettuce, bundles of runner beans, the most delicious jams and chutneys, pots of herbs and plants.
“It is endless,” said the passionate Rosie. “The ‘honesty box’ for payment, often holding small change… Ah, that feeling of being watched – so that you make all your actions in an exaggerated way to prove you are honest!”
A man who shares Rosie’s enthusiasm from a truly professional standpoint is Matthew Mason, head chef at the hugely successful Jack in the Green at Rockbeare, just outside Exeter. We are into the fertile red soil country of South East Devon here, and Matthew is only too keen to celebrate the fact.
“I’m exceptionally proud to be of the region – and of this landscape,” he said as we set out on a short journey to meet one of his favourite suppliers. “I run to work most days, so I spend an awful lot of time in country lanes. If there’s a breed of cow, I’m interested. If I run past the fresh eggs on sale out in front of the cottages, I’m interested. You get boxes of cooking apples on sale – then I know it’s time to get apple sauce with pork on Sunday.”
Matthew has been at Jack in the Green for 16 of its 17 years and is a long-term adherent to the concept that food should come from a local landscape – the “terroire” as the French call it. There’s even a special section of The Jack’s daily menu called Totally Devon.
“It’s not a new thing and it is really popular,” said Matthew of the £25 for three courses deal which consists almost entirely of ingredients gleaned from within the county.
As for dealing with his local suppliers, Matthew says: “It’s about understanding – about what we can do to improve upon our relationship by working together. We do in excess of 1000 meals a week at the moment – we’ve just had the busiest July ever – and our accounts with some of these suppliers will amount to thousands. So it’s important we get things right.”
We’re on our way to see vegetable grower Carolyn Bellinger, who has adopted what she calls a “fine country lifestyle” with her husband Paul. I’d go further and describe it as the TV’s Good Life on growth hormones – there are fabulous quality vegetables everywhere on their patch of fertile land just east of Ottery St Mary, except where there are pigs, chickens and flowers.
What perhaps makes Oak Lodge, just off Holcombe Lane, even more impressive is that Carolyn and Paul were involved with professional careers that kept them very much off the land until just a couple of years ago.
“My grandfather moved here over a century ago, then my father ran it mainly as dairy farm,” says Carolyn, who eventually inherited some of the farm. “We’d always been interested in growing things and were aware of the big move in food – farmers’ markets and so on – people being concerned about what they were buying... And we thought, ‘OK, we’ll have a go’.”
The experiment proved better than planned and Carolyn had so much produce she went down to the Jack in the Green a few miles distant to see if they’d be interested in buying some veg.
“Matt placed an order there and then,” Carolyn told me as we toured around the 10 or so acres the couple now have under cultivation. “To start with I had no ideas about what we were going to charge. It’s taken us a year or more to hone that bit.
“Matt’s always been honest with us and in our second year I went down to him with seed catalogues and said: ‘What do you want this year?
“The Jack has been very supportive, but we do supply various other places and I do Exeter farmers’ market. Then we have people who want to buy stuff direct from us, so we run a farm-gate operation.
“We grow as naturally as possible. We are not certificated as being organic – but we grow traditionally and seasonally. And we don’t force stuff – when it’s ready, it’s ready.
“After two years I love it – I can’t believe my luck,” she grinned. “I walk past the fruit cages and herbs to let the chickens out and I think how lucky am I? And I love eating all our own produce.”
I asked Carolyn if she had a favourite among all her delicious looking vegetables. “It would have to be the tomatoes,” she shrugs. “We’ve got about eight varieties. Then there’s the potatoes – we do one called Anya, which is a cross between a Charlotte and a main crop. I like the globe artichokes and the Jerusalem – all the salad leaves, cucumbers, chillies, peppers and different basils.
“In winter we do oriental [salad] leaves. Now we’ve got marrows, pumpkins, courgettes, beans – runners and French black beans – different varieties of carrot, edible flowers, fennel and beetroot…”
She tails off to muse upon the idea of food from a particular landscape. “It is so important,” said Carolyn. “This is about what we can grow here and what flavours we get from the clay soil and the drainage. Someone elsewhere would grow different-tasting tomatoes on different ground.
“I can’t believe that for so long we’ve ignored the produce here in the South West,” she concluded. “It’s fantastic. OK, so sometimes it does take stuff longer to grow – but the favour will be amazing.”
Having tasted those ultra-sweet tomatoes, I can vouch that this is true. So can chef Matt. But he adds a rider…
“It is all about the quality – you mentioned terroire and that is what should be happening here in the Westcountry. But it’s as much about the people as well – you have to forge these relationships and that’s just as important.
“I’m all for healthy relationships – it fits with sustainability and trust. Someone like Carolyn is going to want to do the best job for us – and in turn she knows she can trust us and that we are good payers. It works both ways.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Chocaholic craves the sweet smell of success
23-08-2009
IF CHOCOLATE is the world’s greatest pick-me-up, then the launch of a Salcombe business venture could not have been timed better.
Andrew Cunningham’s Chocolate Academy and Chocaholics Café opened this week with Michelin-starred chocolatier Miguel Blanchet conducting truffle making workshops for chocolate-lovers.
With the Met Office now predicting prolonged showers, Mr Cunningham’s seafront academy is hoping that it will dispel wash-out summertime and economic blues.
The academy and café is a joint enterprise between Mr Cunningham and business partner Simon Garrett, whose production company, Pandemonium, stages major events – and co-ordinated the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations on the Mall in 2002.
Mr Cunningham said that in Salcombe he had found the perfect location for his enterprise.
In a 90-minute workshop session, clients learn how to make wickedly rich truffles that are unlikely to be found at the bottom of the average selection box, containing 70 per cent cocoa.
The workshop is the ultimate corporate team-builder, according to Mr Cunningham, who intends to invite a string of professional chocolatiers to lead the courses.
He is recruiting staff ahead of the academy and cafe’s official launch on August 22. The eatery, next to the chocolate workshop, boasts a licensed bar and will stock local and Fairtrade-sourced produce where possible.
Mr Cunningham said: “Many people think we are brave to be opening a new business during a recession, but in fact the confectionery market is doing incredibly well.
“Cadbury recently reported a 30 per cent rise in annual profits and its product doesn’t even compare to the quality chocolate we will be crafting.”
Mr Cunningham relocated from Dorset to establish the enterprise, having worked for a number of years in the industry.
“I never expected to be doing what I am achieving now,” he said. “The interest has been phenomenal.
“I used to do a lot of workshops at the Queen’s Club in London. One chap, who was dragged along by his girlfriend, told me: ‘I don’t do chocolate.’
“By the time he had finished, he was describing it as the best thing ever. He said to me: ‘Can I shake your hand?’ But I couldn’t, because I had chocolate all over them.
“It’s a real team-builder. And you can make superb chocolate gifts for friends and clients that are far, far better than buying them a brand new tie.”
Towns team up to host joint farmers’ market
21-08-2009
By Lindsey Kennedy
TWO Cornish towns have launched a joint farmers’ market to showcase the array of home-produced fare on offer in the area. The well-attended local produce market started in Camborne in Commercial Square last Friday and will move to neighbouring Redruth, in Tatie Court.
It will then alternate between the two towns every week promoting the importance of thinking local in terms of produce.
The initiative echoes the Western Morning News Think Local campaign, sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
The market will feature local produce including home-made cakes, hen and duck eggs, jams and preserves, aromatherapy essential oils, locally-reared meat, cheese, vegetables, hand-made jewellery and arts and crafts.
CPR Regeneration has been working with Camborne and Redruth town councils, chambers of commerce and businesses to help set up the market.
The group said the idea had been road-tested at Camborne Show last month and received a warm reception from visitors.
Mark Smith, business development director at CPR Regeneration said the two towns would be perfect hosts for the new markets.
He said: “Camborne and Redruth are ideal locations for markets. People enjoy the shopping experience that both towns can offer, and are interested in finding out who produces the food they purchase.
“It’s great to see so many local producers getting a chance to sell directly to local people and to new shoppers who come into the towns for the markets.
“We had a stand at the Camborne Show and people who we spoke to about the produce markets were certainly enthusiastic about the opportunity to shop there.”
George Le Hunte, chairman of Camborne Chamber of Commerce, said the market presented a golden opportunity to demonstrate the range of goods on offer in the town.
He said many of the town’s traders had been keen to get involved with the scheme. There are hopes that it will increase footfall in the towns, providing additional benefits to existing shops.
He said: “We are pleased local traders want to get involved, including chamber members who want to have an extra ‘shop window’ in the centre of town.
“It’s an opportunity for the whole town to show people all the different products they can buy locally. More people coming into town for the market will also mean more people coming into our Camborne shops and discovering the range of quality goods and services they can buy.
“When they go home they can look at www.shopcamborne.co.uk and see what other shops to go to when they come to the next market in Camborne.”
Enjoy fine dining in the great outdoors
21-08-2009
CURLING up on a sun-dappled lawn with nothing but birdsong for a soundtrack and a hamper full of fine food is truly the stuff of summer dreams.
And, weather notwithstanding, this idyllic traditional pleasure is making a major comeback in the Westcountry.
Dining alfresco – known as having a picnic to most people – has become even easier thanks to a range of canny organisations combining renowned locally sourced produce with famously picturesque settings.
The region’s magnificent National Trust properties have long provided some of the best possible locations for a picnic.
At Buckland Abbey at Yelverton, West Devon, bosses have decided to take it a step further and provide tailor-made picnics for visitors.
The pioneering move, which could be rolled out at other National Trust properties, means visitors will be able to park, pop into the cafe and order their picnic to pick-up after they have drunk in some of the delights of the former home of Sir Francis Drake.
Visitor services manager Jon Cummins said the idea of the “takeaway picnic” was dreamed up when they realised that many visitors – particularly families – wanted to stay for lunch but did not want to be confined to the restaurant.
“We realised people really wanted to go out and enjoy the gardens and eat outdoors at a time which suited them,” he said.
“The idea is that people can come into the restaurant and order what they want for lunch and it will be ready at a certain time. They can then come back and pick up their freshly packed picnic rucksack when they’re ready.”
Central to the concept is using fine locally sourced ingredients, like cheese and meats, along with home-made cakes and pastries.
“We offer a great way to try some local foods along with the usual National Trust’s excellent fayre, which is all home made,” said Mr Cummins.
Staff are also pleased to show people the best spots for a picnic that suits them, whether it is somewhere with wide open spaces for children to run around or a more secluded and romantic hideaway.
Mr Cummins has his own favourite: “There are some lovely views from our property where you can see right down to the Tamar Bridge.
“We hope that people will come and enjoy the good local food in some of the most beautiful local scenery.”
Shona Owen, communications and marketing manager for the National Trust in the South West, said having a picnic was an ideal way to enjoy the charity’s many properties in the region.
“Many of our properties do have designated picnic areas, but staff will always be pleased to recommend somewhere nice for people to go,” she said.
“There are so many different National Trust properties in the South West and there is a huge variety of locations for picnics, from under the trees at Saltram House in Plymouth, to the quayside at Cotehele in East Cornwall to the wonderful gardens at Trengwainton in Penzance.”
At Pretty Perfect Picnics, Michael and Francesca Bennett offer something a little different.
The couple, who run the cafe and catering business from the Old Boatstore at Kingsand in South East Cornwall, this year set up their new company to cover what they saw as a gap in the market.
Pretty Perfect Picnics offers a range of menus, all featuring locally sourced ingredients and home-made cakes and breads, which can be delivered to a venue for the perfect posh picnic. “We are on the beach and lots of people like to take food away, and this just seems like the natural progression,” said Mr Bennett.
The couple take pride in the very green credentials of their picnics, which are delivered in biodegradable boxes and come with cutlery made from potato starch.
Mrs Bennett makes the cakes herself, including the Hevva Cake, which is her grandmother’s recipe.
Despite the weather this summer, Pretty Perfect Picnics has gone down well.
“Everybody loves a picnic. All the food is freshly made and prepared to order,” said Mr Bennett.
“To be honest, the weather is almost secondary.”
Meet your local food-maker at produce events
21-08-2009
By Alice Wright
MORE than 40 local food producers will show off their wares at “meet the buyer” events over the next few months.
The first is part of West Devon’s Food Fortnight, leading up to the Tavistock Food Festival weekend on September 12 and 13. It will take place at the Hatherleigh Community Centre on September 4, from 10.30am to 3.30pm and West Devon Mayor Alison Clish-Green will open the show.
The second event is being organised in conjunction with Devon’s Celebration of Food and Drink will be held at the Two Bridges Hotel near Princetown on Dartmoor on October 29.
The aim is to let customers find out where their food comes from while saving on transportation miles and supporting local businesses, much as the WMN Think Local campaign is encouraging people to shop locally where possible.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Both events are free to attend and producers will talk about their products while visitors sample or buy.
There will be a wide variety of produce available to taste and buy, including goat’s cheeses, chutneys, preserves and jams, alongside home-made breads and pastries and a variety of locally reared meat. There will also be a selection of fruit cordials, juices, cider, wine and beer on offer.
The events are open to both the public and commercial buyers, and organisers anticipate that local hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants will find them a useful place to source new products for their menus.
Coun Clish-Green said: “This is a chance to celebrate the wonderful range of products available in West Devon and to recognise the importance of this sector to our local economy.”
The events are organised by the Food and Drink Devon network, which offers business support and training to small-scale food and drink producers throughout Devon.
Network coordinator Robin Deitch said: “These events were a great success last year, with producers benefiting from many new sales leads.
“Both events are a great opportunity to network with like-minded businesses and show how important local food is to the region.”
For further information, call Mr Deitch on 07817 043588 or e-mail robin@lovetheflavour.co.uk To find out more about Food and Drink Devon, visit the website at www.lovetheflavour.co.uk
Think Local: Hatchery is rewarded for social motivation
20-08-2009
THE National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) at Padstow has met strict criteria to achieve a prestigious label of trust – the Social Enterprise Mark.
It is the first fisheries and conservation organisation to be accredited with the Mark, presented to it by the MP for North Cornwall, Dan Rogerson, at the hatchery.
The NLH works to conserve lobsters and promote sustainability in fishing and aquaculture in Cornwall, and is strongly committed to supporting and sustaining the traditional way of life of coastal fisheries and their communities.
It operates a stock enhancement program for the European lobster in Cornish waters, growing juvenile lobsters through the vulnerable early stages and releasing them when their natural mortality rates are far lower.
It also operates programmes of research and education, with several local graduates working on research projects; examining various aspects of lobster science and the threats and sustainability issues facing the Cornish stock.
NLH manager Dom Boothroyd said: “We’re very proud to have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark. Here at the hatchery we strive for excellence, and this is another measure of achievement for us.
“We think the Social Enterprise model is the natural choice for organisations like us, and more conservation organisations could operate in the same way so that people and the planet are the ultimate beneficiaries of trade and business.
“Social Enterprise is a better way of doing business and the Social Enterprise Mark allows us to show people we are truly socially motivated.”
Mr Rogerson said: “The hatchery is doing brilliant work maintaining an important part of our marine life. It is recognised internationally for its work to seek a bright future for our lobster fishery.
“I was particularly pleased that rural advocate Stuart Burgess, and marine minister Jonathan Shaw were able to visit last year to see what an excellent example Dom and his team are setting right here in Cornwall.
“They richly deserve the Social Enterprise Mark, as their trading has always been about protecting the seas, not just profiting from them.
“I hope the Mark can be rolled out all over the country to reward and encourage similar work elsewhere.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Stokeinteignhead celebrates with food festival
19-08-2009
A DEVON village will hold its first festival of food and drink over the Bank Holiday weekend. Stokeinteignhead, in South Devon, will show case the best produce the area has to offer, alongside music and children’s entertainments on Sunday, August 30. The event, which will take place between 11am and 4pm, is in aid of St Andrew’s Church and the village hall.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Fresh produce stall is a hit in Cornish village
11-08-2009
By Craig Smith
THE Cornish village of St Germans was described as “absolutely dead” after the village shop and post office closed in December last year.
Residents were forced to travel to supermarkets in Saltash or Liskeard for their groceries.
But now an enterprising couple have brought life back to the village.
With the recession hitting hard and large supermarkets having a financial impact on local businesses, it has been left to farmer Jen Cooper, owner of Trewall Veg, to Think Local and revitalise the Cornish village after she set up a fruit and veg stall.
The 46-year-old has lived on family run Trewall Farm in St Germans her whole life and now runs a fruit and veg stall which, having been open for only three months, is already set to expand.
The stall is not just limited to fruit and veg with milk, chocolate, pasties, pastries and fruit juices also being sold.
Of late there has been an emphasis on local and organic produce and Trewall Veg adopted this trend by providing fresh produce, mostly from Cornish suppliers such as Chapel Bakery in Liskeard.
Mrs Cooper said she wanted to provide a lifeline to Cornish farmers by providing Cornish produce from Cornish farmers, including her family-run Trewall farm.
“Everyone likes to buy local so that’s why we opened. It is convenient for the community,” she said.
“It has been very worthwhile. It’s very encouraging to hear from villagers that I’ve given St Germans back some life.
“It’s nice to see the village come back to life again.”
The family-run farm has been in the family for generations with Mrs Cooper’s parents and children currently working on the farm where they sell vegetable baskets to residents. Her brother, his wife and their children also work on the farm.
Mrs Cooper says that villagers asked her to move her stall into the village after the local shop and post office closed, meaning villagers had to shop at Waitrose in Saltash or Morrisons in Liskeard.
The new trailer means that Mrs Cooper will be able to triple the amount of stock for sale while also being able to offer new products such as teas and coffees.
It will also contain a freezer meaning that frozen goods, including meat and sausages, can be sold.
Mrs Cooper formerly ran a catering business at Torpoint in 2005 but was forced to shut up shop after her husband suffered a severe injury.
The fruit and veg stall is located near the gatehouse of the Port Eliot Estate in St Germans, by the church, and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 5pm.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Villagers set a shining example with gold awards
11-08-2009
MONDAY August 16, 2004. The village of Boscastle lies devastated by flash-flooding which saw a month’s rainfall condensed into two hours. Tonnes of water tore through the village, causing damage to buildings, vehicles and whatever else stood in its way. There were no serious casualties, though the financial cost of the floods eased into seven figures.
Fast forward to today, and approaching the flooding’s fifth anniversary, Boscastle stands a village rejuvenated by its community spirit.
At the heart of that community is a clutch of fine bed and breakfasts, increasingly recognised by industry experts as one of the centres of accommodation excellence in the UK.
Boscastle B&Bs the Old Rectory and the Orchard Lodge are in a select group of holiday-related businesses across the country to have been awarded five-star gold statuses by Visit Britain, and a similar gold accolade from the Green Business Tourism Scheme. In the whole of the UK only four other holiday-related businesses have achieved the five-star double-gold statuses, and the two in Boscastle are the only ones in the South West.
Chris and Sally Searle were among those to witness the floods first hand, though their business, the Old Rectory, received only minimal damage. Chris said despite the devastation, some good came of the flooding.
He said: “The Chamber of Commerce was set up, which has really helped the village business community to get together.”
Geoff and Shelley Barratt, owners of Orchard Lodge, arrived in Boscastle from Hampshire three years ago, but have also noticed changes.
Shelley said: “Five years ago, the village was inundated with flood water. I think that changed people’s perceptions, addressing climate change and sustainable businesses as the way to go.
“The atmosphere is very positive in Boscastle at the moment. People say that the village is looking very ‘together’ and beautiful.”
Orchard Lodge prides itself on using local produce, which Shelley believes helps enhance the visitor’s Westcountry experience.
She said: “Our food all comes from within five to 10 miles of Boscastle and we use local service providers. For example, we use the only ‘green’ laundry company in Cornwall. It is very important to us.”
The four-bedroom Old Rectory also relies on local produce, as well as fresh fruit grown on the premises. It is something which owner Chris feels is vital in earning a reputation as a quality bed and breakfast.
He said: “Although we are in a recession, I believe that if you offer quality, your product will sell and your return rates will be really high.The community is also working better together.
“We have also been helped by the strength of the euro and the US dollar. For example, three of the four rooms occupied this week have been taken by guests using those stronger currencies.”
Boscastle’s success is no surprise to Rebecca David, visitor centre manager for Boscastle and Tintagel.
She said: “We have a number of five-star and four-star premises, which is excellent news for the village.
“The owners of bed and breakfasts and self-catering accommodation have turned things around, particularly those who were damaged by the flooding.
“The traders and villagers are very buoyant at the moment, which enhances the tourists’ positive experiences.”
Bookings are already being taken for accommodation during the Boscastle Food, Art and Crafts festival on October 3 and 4, in which all 40 trade pitches have been rented out.
The Thomas Hardy Society has also made plans to organise events in village next year, commemorating the 140th anniversary since the novelist first visited Boscastle and met his first wife. The village community has earned strong praise from Teresa Timms of Visit Cornwall, who said she was impressed by Boscastle’s achievements.
She said: “It is really encouraging to see how Boscastle has risen to the challenge.”
Both Shelley and colleague Sally Searle from the Old Rectory have gained B-Tech diplomas in sustainable tourism and stress that there is no conflict between caring for the customer and the environment.
Sally said: “It means were able to offer luxurious accommodation to guests without compromising our green credentials.
“Boscastle’s star is rising. There is a very positive feeling among all the traders, and long may it continue.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Big response to butcher’s loyalty cards
11-08-2009
Alice Wright
A DISCOUNT loyalty scheme run by Lloyd Maunder has saved customers more than £1,000 since the beginning of the year, says the leading Westcountry butchers’ shop chain.
It launched its loyalty card in January this year in all 14 of its stores in Devon and Cornwall.
The chain has been trading in the Westcountry for more than 100 years, but this is the first time it has run a scheme of this kind.
Andrew Maunder, who owns the Exeter-based business, said: “We wanted to show our customers how much we value their trade and to actively encourage people to keep shopping on the high street and supporting local independent businesses through these tough economic times.”
The idea behind the loyalty card echoes the principles of the WMN Think Local campaign, which encourages people to support local businesses and offers a forum to discuss ways to do this.
Mr Maunder said: “As far as we know we’re the only butchers in the area offering this kind of loyalty scheme, and customer response has been fantastic.
“Our prices for locally reared meats have always been competitive and customers can choose cuts and quantity according to their budgets, but the loyalty scheme is a timely and welcome icing on the cake – or should I say crackling on the pork.”
The loyalty cards are available to anyone who visits the shops. A stamp is given for each transaction of £10 or more and once 10 stamps are collected the card holder receives a 20 per cent discount on the next purchase.
By the end of May, 534 cards had been redeemed in the 14 shops, collectively saving customers at least £1,068.
The shops will continue to offer the scheme indefinitely except for a one-month break in December when customers can redeem their Christmas Club stamps –another Lloyd Maunder initiative that is proving popular.
Mr Maunder said 10 times more people were collecting Christmas stamps than in previous years. Each stamp costs £1 and customers receive two free stamps to help them on their way to saving up £50 towards their Christmas meat.
“It’s all about making shopping with us the smart choice,” Mr Maunder said. “The loyalty scheme and Christmas Club together give a little something back, which means our customers are happy and so are we.”
Lloyd Maunder shops source their meat from Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, and are managed by a master butcher. Customers are welcome to ask where meat comes from, and see it cut.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Firm adds recipes to range of sausages
11-08-2009
A FAMILY firm has introduced two new recipes including Cornish ingredients to its gourmet sausage range.
Tamblyn’s, of Blunts near Saltash, has added Cornish Blue cheese and apple juice from local orchards to create new varieties of the sausages it makes from its own farm-reared pork.
The business was established two years ago by twin brothers Jonathon and Martin Tamblyn, the third generation family members to have run the farm since their grandfather bought it in 1943.
Last month, Tamblyn’s Finest Meats was named best new exhibitor by the Royal Cornwall Show Food and Farming panel.
Jonathon Tamblyn said: “We’ve had a great start to the year with increased sales and being named best new exhibitor.
“We are also proud to supply one of the top four supermarkets, Morrisons, with our products which have been well received. The country has been hit hard since the start of the recession last year, so we are lucky to have avoided any major adverse affects from the economic downturn.
“I think that is down to the fact that premium quality sausages have always been, and will continue to be, in demand.”
Under its recently secured deal with Morrisons, Tamblyn’s supplies the Bodmin, Newquay and Penzance branches with its beef burgers, pork and apple burgers and bacon, as well as its gourmet sausages.
Sales have already increased two fold since last month and the company now plans to extend its customer base of bistros, hotels, pubs and restaurants across Devon and Cornwall.
Mr Tamblyn said: “Our new Cornish range celebrates the best that the region has to offer and we hope to source a local honey producer for our pork with Cornish honey sausage.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Drink in pure goodness of cider brandy
11-08-2009
THE Somerset Cider Brandy Company at Puss Vale Farm, Kingsbury Episcopi, near Martock, has gained a nationwide reputation for its award-winning cider and cider brandies, with products being sold in Fortnum and Mason and Waitrose.
However, the farm is most proud of its status as a Somerset business. Despite the fame and approval from nationally respected names the farm, which employs 12 local people, has remained fiercely loyal to the area where the various tipples are also hugely popular.
Local famous foodies such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Michael Caine have given the thumbs up to the distillery’s wares with Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall regularly using the cider in recipes for his television programmes and stocking varieties of cider at his farm shop in Axminster, East Devon.
Julian Temperley, who has run the farm and distillery with his wife Diana for more than 30 years, firmly believes in the importance of staying faithful to the company’s Westcountry roots.
“Our location and custom from local people is at the core of what we do,” he said.
He also believes buying locally is the future, as people consider what they buy more carefully during the recession.
“There’s been a huge increase in the interest that local produce receives in recent years,” he said. “People visit the Westcounty and they want to try what we have on offer.
“Consumers are starting to reject mass produced items in favour of supporting smaller, higher quality businesses. And the message is starting to get through to the bigger companies and supermarkets as well-people want local produce simply because it is the best, and great value for money.”
The key to the success of what they produce is all down to the distillery’s Somerset location according to Tim Edwards, master distiller at the site. “We are in the best area to grow vintage cider apples in the UK because it’s on the west side of the country, and the soil and weather conditions are perfect for growing the best-tasting apples,” he explained.
The distillery’s produce, which also includes cider vinegar and cox, bramley and russet apple juices, is clearly a firm favourite in Somerset where shops in the surrounding area keep up a constant supply for thirsty locals.
The cider brandy is stocked by various establishments in the county such as the County Stores in Taunton, Martins of Castle Cary, Loders of Crewkerne, the Wellington Wine and Cheese Shop and Frome farmers’ market. It can also be found at other Westcountry cider farms including Green Valley Cider at Dart’s Farm and Lyme Bay Cider near Seaton, both in East Devon.
“Quality is very important to people in the Westcountry and many local shops want to stock our products as part of the area’s on-going commitment to excellent produce and supporting local ventures,” said Mr Edwards.
This commitment to high quality and to Somerset means the distillery only uses vintage cider apples grown in the farm’s orchards, which is contributing towards keeping local apple varieties such as Dabinetts, Porter Perfection, Yarlington Mill, Chisel Jersey, Somerset Red Streak and Harry Masters alive.
The distillery is also dismissive of chemical concoctions or using anything unnatural to make their drinks, arguing that such intervention is unnecessary.
“Cider apples ferment naturally in the right conditions, and we don’t use anything other than what the apple gives us already,” continued Mr Edwards. “Everything that we use is 100 per cent natural.”
The distillery’s enthusiasm for thinking local and staying natural has been roundly approved by the cider championships of Devon, Somerset and Herefordshire over the years, and its Burrow Hill cider was awarded the top prize by all three competitions, known as “the triple crown”, in 1984.
The distillery is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday and offers the chance to sample the cider brandies, such as the Somerset Ten Year Old – described as having “a sweet, Christmas pudding richness” by Mr Edwards – or the 15-year-old Somerset Alchemy – “mellow, smooth and golden” – with the opportunity to make a purchase in the farm shop.
Visitors can also take a wander round the orchards, and admire the oak vats, barrels and presses that have been used during 150 years of cider-making.
The Western Morning News, in association with Worldwide Financial Planning, continues to encourage readers to Think Local to boost the Westcountry’s economy during the recession.
The message is simple – if we all make an effort to buy locally and support local businesses, the region stands a much better chance of riding out the economic downturn.
Local retailers and businesses such as The Somerset Distillery offer great produce, better product knowledge and are often better value for money – plus they are far more interesting than your nearest supermarket.
For information about the Somerset Distillery, visit www.ciderbrandy.co.uk or call 01460 240782. To get involved in our campaign e-mail us at thinklocal@westernmorningnews.co.uk and visit our website on www.wmnthinklocal.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Our sweet treats are cream of the crop
11-08-2009
TO a cow, munching on the luscious grass which carpets the Westcountry’s green landscapes is the best culinary delight. Which is lucky for us humans, as it is the nutritious and plentiful pasture which provides them with the raw material to make some of our most beloved sweet treats – clotted cream and ice cream.
From the traditional cream tea topping to weird and wonderfully flavoured frozen snacks, luxurious dairy products are now synonymous with Devon and Cornwall. Some would argue the two counties produce the best in the world, thanks to the rich quality of the milk and generations of experience.
It is one of the purest examples of the ethos of sourcing locally, with many farms using cows grazing their own land, and selling widely to the local community.
It is therefore a perfect subject to highlight as part of the Western Morning News’ Think Local campaign, run in association with independent financial advisers Worldwide Financial Planning.
The drive encourages readers to support the vast range of goods and services available on their doorstep.
But now, the whole nation is discovering the joys of tucking into native Westcountry brands such as Kelly’s ice cream, which is now stocked in supermarkets across the country.
And as far away as Hong Kong, consumers are tucking into frozen desserts produced on Exmoor, after international suppliers snapped up the sheep and cows milk products made by Styles.
Founder David Baker, who began making ice cream 21 years ago, said sales of his Skinny Ewe range, produced from sheep milk, had soared. “Business is absolutely roaring,” he said. “I think the key is producing a really good quality product, and really caring about what you do and how you do it.”
At Cornwall cream company Rodda’s, the family has had five generations to perfect the secret technique of making the perfectly textured cream with the satisfyingly golden crust.
The business, started by Fanny Rodda in 1890, now employs 100 people. With Nicholas Rodda at the helm, the company can get through milk from 7,000 cows in the surrounding area in a single day.
Company spokesman Belinda Shipp said quality control was crucial to maintain the standards expected of a product with a Protected Designation of Origin status.
Like champagne, it means clotted cream can only be made in Cornwall.
She said: “We have the perfect recipe here, with the climate, the pastures and the rich, creamy milk, from Cornish cows.”
At Langage Farm, at Smithaleigh near Plymouth, staff are celebrating after being named best dairy producer at the Devon County Show for the third year in a row.
The farm was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and commercial manager Richard Scutt believes it is years of farming tradition which helps get the best out of the Jersey and Guernsey cows.
He highlighted the links between food and drink and tourism, which is perhaps most evident when it comes to ice cream.
“I’m not from Devon originally, but we used to come here on holiday every year, partly because of the quality of the climate and environment, but also the food and drink,” he said.
Despite the success of long-standing makers, the appetite for Westcountry ice cream is such that new businesses can still blossom.
Piers Langdon started Clovelly ice cream using milk from his North Devon farm in 2006, and now supplies nearly 75 outlets in North Devon.
The business is expanding, and daughter Hannah has recently bought a traditional ice cream bike to launch a pitch at Exeter Cathedral.
She said: “The Think Local campaign is brilliant, because it supports local and regional producers, and gives them the power to speak about what they do.
“There’s such a lot of amazing produce that comes from the Westcountry, and we should be shouting about it at every opportunity.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
July and August markets cancelled
16-07-2009
THE Slow Food Devon Topsham Markets scheduled for July 19 and August 16 have been cancelled. This is due to the disruption of ongoing works at its Matthews Hall venue as part of the modernisation project, and because many of the producers who support the market are not able to attend over the summer months.
Marc Millon, Slow Food Devon Market co-organiser, said: “It was a difficult and disappointing decision, but with producer numbers down and with the ongoing works on Matthews Hall likely to have a considerable adverse effect on the numbers attending the market, we have decided to cancel both the July and the August markets. The monthly Market has established itself as part of the Topsham community life, and I’m really sorry to disappoint those who were looking forward to attending. However, the work on the Matthews Hall will be fantastic once completed, and we look forward to relaunching the market on Sunday September 20.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Sheppy cider wins award
09-07-2009
A WESTCOUNTRY cider maker has collected a top industry award on his first attempt.
David Sheppy, of Sheppy’s Cider, won over judges, with his oak matured vintage cider, in the ciders and perries section of the Quality Drinks Awards.
The Oak Matured Vintage Reserve he produces in Bradford-on-Tone, near Wellington, was one of two of his ciders to be shortlisted: the other was Dabinett, one of the single variety ciders made from old, traditional apples Sheppys has been producing for the last 10 years
Sheppy was the only maker to have two ciders shortlisted for the six awards, where they were up against some tough competition with other entries coming from Thatchers Vintage, the Co-Op’s Tillington Hill cider and last year’s winner, Suffolk based, Aspall’s.
Sheppy’s Cider is run by David and his wife Louisa, on Three Bridges Farm, where he also raises pedigree longhorn cattle.
The family have been making cider there since 1917, however Sheppy’s involvement in the cider industry can be traced back for six generations.
Sheppy, said: “We’re really thrilled to have won. We entered these two ciders because they are the most popular we sell and we certainly seem to have struck a chord with the judges. I thought we had done pretty well to get on the shortlist – but when I learned the title was ours I was pretty amazed.”
The Quality Drinks Awards recognise and reward the most outstanding alcoholic drinks products on sale in the UK, based on both quality and value for money.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Community enjoys locally grown produce
08-07-2009
MEMBERS of Cornwall’s first community supported agriculture project have begun to harvest their own freshly-picked seasonal vegetables.
Camel Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a local food project based at St Kew Highway. Volunteers are growing their own vegetables for members to share.
The first vegetable boxes went out to members at the end of last week. The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
“It’s much, much more than an allotment society. The emphasis is on shared effort and shared reward,” said Camel CSA secretary Mike Sadler. “There are also the benefits of healthy eating, reduced food miles, exercise, and making new friends.
“Some people said we would never make it, but we have proved that we can. We’re grateful to our expert growing team and all the other volunteers who have been turning up on Friday and Sunday mornings – rain or shine.”
Many hours of manual labour have gone into preparing the 40-metre long growing beds, spreading compost, digging up dock leaves, sowing seeds, planting out seedlings, hoeing and an enormous amount of hand weeding.
The first standard £8 boxes contained a wide variety of vegetables - newly-harvested potatoes, broad beans, beetroot, Swiss chard, onions, turnip, courgettes, salad leaves and cucumber.
The glut of broad beans meant that each box received a bonus of an extra £4-worth at shop prices!
Have a look at the Camel CSA website for more details.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Summer season at farmer's market
08-07-2009
TORRIDGE District Council’s Chefs’ Corner project is cooking off the summer season with an exciting event at Bideford Quay’s popular Farmers’ Market on Saturday July 11.
In what is expected to be the first of a regular fortnightly kitchen cook off at the Market, local chefs Brian Steele of the Yeoldan House Hotel, Dan The Fish Man Garnett and Vanessa Ebdon of the Marshford Organic Shop and Farm will be teaming up under the Chefs' Corner banner from around midday.
Chefs’ Corner events like this one provide cookery demonstrations using fresh ingredients to give you new ideas on what to eat and how to cook it, promoting healthy eating using locally sourced food.
The Chefs’ Corner initiative works with local food establishments and their chefs on nutrition and healthy eating, again using locally sourced ingredients where possible. The project is already drawing out some of the talented chefs working in our District and is giving some of those celebrity status as they give public cooking demonstrations at various local events.
Spokesman for Bideford Quay Farmers’ Market, Dan The Fish Man said: “It’s so important for the market and it gives local chefs who are the hidden jewels in the culinary crown here in North Devon the opportunity to show what they can do to locals and visitors alike. We are all working together to make our area stronger by bringing our countryside and coastal produce to the public. Having Torridge District Council’s Chefs Corner here actually using that produce in their cookery demonstrations is a great boost for us.”
Lead Member for Tourism Councillor Roger Johnson (Northam) said, "What could be better than this? Local chefs demonstrating how to use our wonderful local produce in a local Farmers’ Market. It’s a great opportunity for people to come down to the Market and get new recipes and ideas on healthy eating. I look forward to seeing lots of you there!"
For more information on Chefs’ Corner please contact Torridge’s Food and Safety Team on 01237 428809, email foodandsafety@torridge.gov.uk or have a look on our website www.torridge.gov.uk/chefs
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Local producer hand picked for quality meat
22-06-2009
PIPERS Farm is celebrating after being hand-picked to supply its award-winning red ruby beef to Lords cricket ground to feed both spectators and players.
Prior to the appointment head chef at the ground, Steve Smith, sent members of his brigade to Pipers Farm near Cullompton to see for themselves how the animals are reared. Pipers Farm prides itself on “slow growing” all its animals, including its red ruby cattle, to natural maturity.
Peter Greig, owner of Pipers Farm, says the trip helped the chefs understand the quality of the herd.
He said: “Our cattle are native to Exmoor and almost cricket ball red, matching the Devon soil. We only slaughter the animals after three years and hang the meat for a month to deliver the ultimate flavour. You could see how excited the chefs were about the provenance of the meat and preparing different dishes from different cuts.”
The arrangement between Lords and Pipers Farm is part of an extensive upgrading of the sporting venue’s catering facilities. Pipers Farm has been chosen to supply Lords during the Test next month and throughout the year at summer and winter functions in the Long Room and in the players’ dining room.
“The Long Room Bar is a world famous venue with so much history and it is wonderful to be a part of that,” says Peter. “The meat won’t be too heavy for the players’ lunches because they will not need a lot of it. It is so different from industrial meat and will provide the kind of nutritional value to enable them to keep performing at their best as the afternoon’s game goes on.”
Head chef, Steve Smith, has said that he plans to serve dishes such as oxtail ravioli to the players.
“We will be sending a consignment of beef to Lords each week,” explains Peter. “We made it clear from the outset that we could only come on board if the chefs were prepared to make full use of the animal, not just the premium cuts. Luckily Steve felt the same way and wants to provide a range of dishes which will get people visiting Lords for the food as well as the cricket.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Think Local: Promotion push by organic firms
21-06-2009
By Lyn Barton
LIKE-minded Cornish organic businesses have put their heads together on a marketing promotion to highlight the wonderful array of sustainable products available from this region.
Trevarno Skincare, Frugi and Rocket Gardens got together through a mutual appreciation of each others products and ethics.
They soon realised that although each were working in completely different industries that there was a clear cross-over on the type of customers they were appealing to.
With Trevarno’s skincare range created for all the family, Frugi’s beautiful collection of children’s clothes and Rocket Garden’s grow your own kitchen gardens, the family lifestyle connection within all the companies was clear.
“We’re really lucky in Cornwall to have so many other ethically-minded and organic companies, so it makes sense for us to all work together and help each other out wherever we can,” said Lucy Jewson, of Frugi.
A joint promotional leaflet was decided upon to kick-start the collaboration.
To celebrate the joining of forces to their customers, Trevarno, Frugi and Rocket Gardens have decided to all offer a 15 per cent discount plus free UK delivery when quoting the code “Cornwall” online at each of their online stores. A further treat of a prize draw entry for a hamper worth over £300 filled with the companies’ organic goodies is also being offered to anyone providing their contact details.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to work with and learn from two local like-minded companies who we really admire for their innovative products and business growth,” said Lucy Clark, of Trevarno Organic Skincare.
Each of the three companies has thrived with their strong Think Local ethos, championing the cause of local suppliers and produce. Organic clothing company Frugi, which is based near Helston, launched originally as Cut4Cloth and has just celebrated its fifth birthday.
Originally refused funding from the Cornwall Objective One programme and South West Investment Group loan fund, husband and wife team Lucy and Kurt Jewson ploughed all their savings into the venture, which is today an award-winning enterprise that increased its staff from four to 13 during 2008.
Trevarno Organic Skin care celebrates its 10th birthday this year as one of the pioneers in the modern natural and organic skin care market.
Rocket Gardens is a mail order online company based in West Cornwall which organically grows and distributes vegetable and herb seedlings throughout the UK direct to customer’s doors.
The company’s successful organic natural growing system enables the creation of an instant vegetable, fruit or herb garden.
For more information see www. trevarnoskincareco.uk, www.welovefrugicom, and www.rocketgardens.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Raising a glass and changing opinions
19-06-2009
THEIR very first vintage was a show-stopping award winner and a hit among connoisseurs. But when Kim Coulson, of Polgoon vineyard in Penzance, tried to tempt the palates of people attending a food fair with a free sample, she found many turned their noses up.
“It was really surprising,” she said. “I found people were sniffing at it. I was offering samples but they were walking past and saying ‘no thanks’.
“When people did stop and try it, their reaction was very positive and they loved it.”
The incident sums up the confusion around UK wine which to an extent still exists today.
For many years, the nearest to home grown wine on supermarket shelves was British Wine, a cheap concoction made with imported concentrates.
This glorified type of home-brew is a world away from English wine – a high quality offering made with home grown grapes and local expertise.
But the image lives on, said Mrs Coulson, adding: “In some ways, there is still a stigma surrounding English wine when there really shouldn’t be.”
The Westcountry is blessed with a fantastic range of people making wines, from the small operation on the Scillonian Isle of St Martins to the huge Sharpham Vineyard, overlooking the River Dart near Totnes.
At Polgoon, Kim and John Coulson came into winemaking in a roundabout way.
The couple, who worked as fish merchants in nearby Newlyn, fell in love with a derelict farmhouse and came up with the idea of planting vines to put the surrounding 23 acres of land to good use.
In 2006, with the help of Sam Lindo from Camel Valley, they produced 1,000 bottles of rose.
It was an instant hit and the following year won the prestigious Waitrose Trophy for Best Still Rose in the UK.
“It was unbelievable,” said Mrs Coulson.
Perhaps the best known product produced at Polgoon is Aval, which is made from apples but uses the same method as Champagne with the drink fermented twice.
“You shouldn’t really think of it as a cider, more of sparkling apple wine,” said Mrs Coulson. “It is very successful. We use our own apples and other apples we buy from the region.”
Aval, which is Cornish for apples, is now sold in some of Britain’s moast upmarket shops, including Fortnum and Mason.
And, to add to the awards, Aval Rose, has just been shortlisted as a finalist in the Quality Drinks Awards.
In terms of wine award winners, Cornwall’s Camel Valley is basking in the glow of scooping gold medals from the Decanter World Wine awards and the International Wine Challenge.
The two accolades are the latest in a long line to be heaped upon the products from the vineyard at Nanstallon, near Bodmin.
Bob Lindo, who with his wife Annie planted 8,000 vines back in 1989, originally came up with the idea of English Wine Week to celebrate the industry.
“It’s funny because a lot of people think you need to apply to the Government Week Department, or have permission of the Minister of Weeks. But I just did it unilaterally,” he said.
“I tell people that if I’d have known it was going to be such a success, I’d have made it a fortnight.”
Mr Lindo said there was no one key to the success of Westcountry wines as the region was home to many different vineyards who each did things in their own way.
However, he added, the small scale nature of production does set the product apart from the industrial scale of winemaking in country’s like Spain or Australia.
“Perhaps it is the diversity which makes it a success,” he said.
“But I think what makes it special for us is that we are not a big scale producer.
“Every grape is picked by hand and we do it ourselves. It is something we deeply care about.”
For more information visit: www.camelvalley.com, www. polgoon.co.uk or www.english wineweek.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Sharp's Think Local cider
12-06-2009
THE Award-winning Cornish brewery, Sharp’s, has launched its first cider.
‘Orchard Cider’ was unveiled at this year’s successful Royal Cornwall Show.
The cider is collaboration between Sharp’s and Cornish Orchards. It was born out of a meeting at the Eden Project between Sharp’s Director Joe Keohane and Andy Atkinson from Cornish Orchards.
Both believed an opportunity existed to create a quality Cornish cider. The two also share a common philosophy on ingredient quality which is why Orchard Cider is made from 100 per cent local cider apples.
Joe Keohane, of Sharp’s, said: “Our introduction to Cornish Orchards was the Eden Project. When we spoke to Andy we realised we shared a passion for producing quality drinks in a sustainable way from local ingredients.
“We are incredibly proud of the cider produced as a result of this partnership.”
Cornish Orchards’ Andy Atkinson added: “Orchard Cider reflects the harvest of our beautiful West Country orchards while fulfilling Cornwall’s need for a present day cider by delivering quality and flavour.”
The cider is lightly sparkling with a distinctly fresh apple aroma and a bitter sweet body that leaves the pallet clean and refreshed.
Orchard Cider is available in almost 30 quality outlets throughout Cornwall and Devon and is the only draft cider available at the Eden Project.
Based on very positive feedback from trade and consumers, there are plans to extend the distribution next year.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Think Local: Ale barks up right tree
20-05-2009
THREE new Westcountry real ales have been recently launched. Cornish brewery Sharp’s has a new beer, a companion to the popular Chalky’s Bite. Chalky’s Bark resulted from a request by Cornish chef and restaurateur Rick Stein to Stuart Howe, Sharp’s head brewer, for a beer that would drink well with a range of spicy, South East Asian dishes he has been working on. He describes it as a beer “with a lot of bark but not much bite”.
“Chalky’s Bark is a beer fragrant with the flavour of hops but at 4.5 per cent it's something you can enjoy a couple of bottles of,” he adds.
According to Stuart Howe, this beer can be enjoyed on its own, but with an abv of 4.5 per cent he believes it has a great potential to match food.
“It is a spiced ale, bottle conditioned and we have used fresh ginger to bring spice and warmth to the beer,” he says.
Otter Amber, made by the Otter Brewery, is a light, amber coloured ale, perfect for summer drinking, winning a silver award in the recent Tuckers’ Maltings Beer Festival. According to Patrick McCaig of Otter Brewery, Otter Amber was devised in response to local landlords’ request for a 4 per cent abv beer.
“In strength it falls between Otter Bitter (3.6% abv) and Otter Ale (4.5 per cent abv). It is made using traditionally malted barley and hops, including Northern Brewer, Styrian Goldings and Willamette,” he says.
Another new brew with a great story attached is Out, Back and Home from Summerskills Brewery, dedicated to HM Naval Base’s Devonport Field Gun Crew. This pale beer has an abv of 4.7 per cent, and is named after the three sections of a field gun competition run – out, back and home.
Brewery owner Carl Beeson knows his stuff, having served in the Navy before revitalising Plymouth’s only brewery in 1990.
“The Field Gun competition has been run for over 100 years and celebrates one of the Royal Navy’s magnificent feats when they unshipped guns from HMS Powerful in Durban, South Africa, put them on to running gear and transported them to Ladysmith which at the time was under attack from the Boers in 1899,” he explains.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Sisters Think Local to boost attraction numbers
30-04-2009
By Alice Wright
JUST on the outskirts of Exeter, Haldon Forest Park offers more than 20 miles of idyllic off-road tracks for walking, cycling, horse riding and adventure play.
The Forestry Commission-owned site, which encompasses 3,500 acres off the A38, is an oasis of countryside pursuits for city dwellers and people from further afield.
It opened in 2006 as part of a strategy to encourage people to use and enjoy their local woods, and to improve access to woodlands in the Westcountry.
The original project involved building a network of trails, a car park and toilets.
The Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Natural World has also been based at the park since 2006. The educational charity puts on a programme of exhibitions, artist-led projects and educational activities.
Since its launch, the park has been developed to include Forest Cycle Hire, a Go Ape! tree-top adventure course and a “self-guided” trail.
At the end of last year, the Forestry Commission announced it was building another off-road cycle trail, which should be open by September.
This month, local sisters Nicola and Lisa Jameson opened the Ridge Cafe, from which they serve a range of local, organic and Fairtrade food and drink every day.
Surveys at the park show Haldon receives more than 200,000 visits per year and, with added amenities, the Commission hopes this summer even more people will come to the park and spend longer enjoying everything it has to offer.
Park manager Louise Bell said: “More and more now, with the cafe and Go Ape!, people are able to spend a whole day here, which is what we want.
“The cafe is quite key to sustaining visitors throughout the duration of the day. Pretty much since the park opened that’s what we’ve been aspiring to. That’s always been the comment from visitors – that we need a cafe.”
She said people came from as far afield as Bristol to fly through the trees in the Go Ape! attraction, which is run as a franchise and is one of the most successful in the country. And she said the Commission is always looking for ways to improve visitors’ experiences further.
She said: “Obviously we’ve got this new cycle trail coming up and we’re looking into funding streams for an additional cycle trail. We’re always looking to improve on what we’ve got.
“I don’t think it was ever foreseen how successful it would be, especially in terms of the cycling, and now it’s about raising the profile of the park.”
Bridget Hall, recreation manager for the Forestry Commission in the South West, was at the launch event for the Ridge Cafe.
She has been involved with Haldon since the very beginning and said she was “amazed and thrilled by the level of its success and the number of people who now come to enjoy it”.
She said: “Come rain or shine, people come to cycle, ‘swim’ through the trees, or walk.”
From the outset, she said everyone involved with developing the park knew it needed a cafe. However, it was not something the Commission could manage through its own budget, so she said it was very grateful to Devon County Council and Devon Renaissance, which have both helped with funding for the cafe, as well as the new cycle trail.
Despite having to contend with some of the worst snow the Westcountry has seen earlier this year, she said she was delighted the cafe had opened on time and within budget.
Ms Hall also paid tribute to the Jameson sisters for successfully tendering to take on the cafe and for their enthusiasm in opening a new business when others are being particularly cautious.
She said: “I think hats off to them because in a very difficult economic time they’ve taken a very big risk in investing in us and have created jobs for themselves and others.”
Lisa Jameson said what attracted them to Haldon was the ethos of supporting local producers and suppliers. The sisters are trying to source as many ingredients as possible from within 30 miles of the park.
With such great produce on their doorstep, she said “it seemed crazy not to”.
Although she said they appreciated that it was an uncertain time to take on a new business, they are confident they can make it succeed.
“This particular development has been crying out for a cafe so in that respect it seems low-risk,” she said. “But we will still have to work very hard to get people in to the park.”
She said they also hope to use the cafe as a venue to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, which works in aid of people with leukaemia.
She said: “I had a leukaemia a few years ago and needed a bone marrow transplant. We have a wonderful forum here to have charity events.”
Although nothing official has been planned, Ms Jameson said she would like to organise a “cycle for life” event at the park.
For more information about Haldon Park Forest, visit www.forestry.gov.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Chagford: We 'Think Local' here - it's how we survive
10-04-2009
CHAGFORD, on the east side of Dartmoor, is a prime example of how businesses can survive if they Think Local.
Despite the town’s small population of around 1,500, it has a plethora of small businesses, which in turn work with other local businesses to create a symbiotic local relationship. Though there is a certain amount of trade from tourists visiting Dartmoor, they also rely on local people for a lot of their income.
Chris Mount and his wife Catherine took over Black’s Delicatessen in August last year.
Its home-produced food is made using meat from the town butcher and vegetables grown locally as much as possible.
The furthest local item it sells are its pies, which come from nearby Exeter.
Mr Mount said that the shop fitted into the town way of working because what it offered was slightly different from all the other foodie businesses – a tea room and the bakers – so they did not steal each other’s trade.
“We have always set out to source as much produce as we can locally,” he said.
“We get business from the holiday trade, but what keeps us going is local trade.”
The Western Morning News spoke to a number of traders in the town and one of the most overwhelming feelings was that the public always assume local shops are going to be more expensive than their national chain rivals.
But many pointed out that while items may be cheaper in some stores, once you put the price of petrol and car parking into the equation, you often end up more out of pocket with bigger rivals.
Louise Levy has run Divine, a clothing and jewellery shop, for the past two years. She gets good support from local people and also from visitors.
She said: “We are a fair way from Exeter here, it is a good half an hour’s drive and you won’t find a lot of this collection in the towns.” Across the town square, Peter Montanez and Linda Lemieux have been running Wood and Rush for 15 years, selling craft baskets and woodworked items including furniture, made by themselves.
And like Blacks Deli, it is part of a local network, selling items by local craftsmen.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Think Local: Shops urged to get back to basics
10-04-2009
SMALL shops must connect with their customers “as never before” in their battle for survival in the recession, industry leaders have warned.
The Rural Shops Alliance – which backs the WMN’s Think Local campaign – said local stores were struggling in competition with the big-name supermarkets but they must ensure they are doing everything they can to hang on to customers.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Chief executive Kenneth Parsons said shopkeepers had to “get back to basics” as the downturn bites.
“They must make sure they are stocking the right ranges, that their shops are clean and tidy – obviously when times are good it is easy to let things slide a bit.
“They need, as never before, to really engage in the local communities, to ensure that people very much value their local shop as a crucial commodity.
“They really need to make sure customer service is first-class.”
Previously, the alliance warned the Government that the number of village shops and post offices which could close this year was an estimated 600.
Mr Parsons said the more remote businesses were doing better than those not far from towns where chain stores can offer big discounts.
“What's happening at the moment is that the very remote shops where you are not that close to competition, probably aren’t doing that badly. Older people who are retired who in the past would have driven once a week to the supermarket are not and are shopping locally as a result.
“What tends to happen where you have got people commuting into towns from the villages is people are spending more in a big shop in the supermarkets and perhaps cutting back a bit on what they are spending in local shops.”
While times are tight for everyone, shops need to consider some discounts to compete, Mr Parsons said. “At the end of the day people are understandably more price-conscious than they were this time last year.
“Although village shops don’t have a lot of room to drop prices, they must make sure prices are right and fair both for them and their customers. That’s not easy, but a deal on, say, three bottles of wine could be appreciated by customers.”
The RSA has recently launched a poster campaign encouraging the public to shop locally, and Mr Parsons backed the WMN’s Think Local message.
“It is very much something that we would wholeheartedly support,” he said.
Think Local: Wildlife trust backs farmer initiative
07-04-2009
BUYING local food can help wildlife as well as supporting farmers and putting fresh food on the table.
Somerset Wildlife Trust is backing Westcountry farmers and urging people to think local in their grocery shop.
The charity points to EU subsidies now being linked to environmental and animal welfare standards and ensuring farmers keep their land in good condition.
Simon Nash, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Local food which comes from Westcountry farms is a sustainable way of life not only for farmers and local people, but for wildlife too.
“Wildlife benefits from some land management and we are keen to work with even more farmers to show how farming with wildlife in mind can bring an abundance of benefits.”
The charity has just teamed up with Somerset Local Food Direct – a web-based “local supermarket” which sources produce from local farmers’ markets and suppliers. Boxes of local goods are then delivered door to door.
Each order worth more than £30 will generate a donation of £10 to Somerset Wildlife Trust.
Company boss Roger White said: “Our aim is simple. We want to help people source local food.
“Somerset has a rich and diverse agriculture and can actually supply the majority of your food.
“We get our produce straight from the food producer, farmers’ markets and other local suppliers and by working from centrally based Glastonbury, we will deliver all your groceries to your home on a Thursday or Friday, just in time for the weekend.”
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Occombe Farm
05-02-2009
Occombe Farm is a 150 acre organic farm, home to an award-winning Farm Shop, Café and Nature Reserve. Inside the Farm Shop customers will find a wide selection of local, organic and fair-trade produce, available to purchase in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
The traditional butchery provides a wide range of local and organic cuts, including beef, pork and lamb from cattle reared at the farm itself and home-cured bacon. Bread and pastries are freshly baked daily in Occombe’s organic bakery and the delicatessen is brimming with Westcountry cheeses, home-cooked meats and cured hams.
The Farm Shop provides food and drink for all occasions, at reasonable prices, and produce is clearly labelled so that customers know exactly where the food comes from. Occombe’s Bakehouse Café prepares home-cooked dishes selecting fresh ingredients from the Farm Shop below.
The farm also hosts a number of food and wildlife events throughout the year for the whole family to enjoy. The Farm Shop and Café are open daily, 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, 9.30am to 4.30pm Sunday. Parking and entry are free of charge.
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
West Dorset markets
05-01-2009
Bridport Farmers’ Market
Second Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, Arts Centre
Sherborne Farmers’ Market
Third Friday of the month, 9am-1pm, Cheap Street
West Dorset (Bridport) Country Market
Saturdays (closed January 3) 9am-noon, WI Hall, North Street, Bridport
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Somerset markets
05-01-2009
Bridgwater Farmers’ Market
Second Friday of the month, 9am-2pm, High Street
Churchinford Village Market
First Saturday of the month, 10am-noon
Crewkerne Country Market
Fridays, 9-11am, Speedwell Hall
Crewkerne Farmers’ Market,
Third Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, Falkland Square
www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk
Dulverton Farmers’ Market
Fourth Friday of the month, 10am-1pm, Town Hall
Frome Country Market
Thursdays (closed January 8) 8am-noon, Cheese and Grain Hall
Frome Farmers’ Market
Second and fourth Saturdays of the month, 9am-1pm, Cheese and Grain Hall
www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk
Glastonbury Country Market
Tuesdays, 9.30am-12.30pm, Glastonbury Town Hall
Glastonbury Farmers’ Market
Fourth Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, St John’s car park
www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk
Hemyock Village Market
Third Saturday of the month, 10am-noon
Langport and District Country Market
Fridays, 8.30-11.30am, Ridgway Hall, Bow Street
Minehead Country Market
Fridays (closed January 9) 9-11.30am, Friends Meeting House
Stockland Village Market
Last Saturday of the month, 10am-noon
Taunton Country Market
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 8am-2pm, Saturdays, 8.30am-1pm, Bath Place
Taunton Farmers’ Market
Thursdays, 9am-3pm, High Street
Wellington Farmers’ Market
Third Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, The Square
Wells Country Market
Fridays, 10-11am, Seager Hall
Wells Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays, 9am-2.30pm, The Market Place
www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk
Wessex (Somerton) Country Market
Saturdays (closed January 3) 9.30-11.30am, Wessex Rooms, Broad Street
West Somerset Farmers’ Market
Fridays, 8.30-2.30pm, Minehead Parade
Williton Country Market
Fridays (closed January 9) 9.30-11am, The Methodist Church
Wincanton Country Market
Fridays, 8.30am-noon, Ash House
Wincanton Farmers’ Market
First Friday of every month, 9am-1pm, Memorial Hall
www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Think Local Devon markets
05-01-2009
Awliscombe and Weston Village Market
Third Saturday of the month, 10am-noon, Awliscombe Village Hall
Ashburton Local Produce Market
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9am-3pm, Tucker's Yard
Axminster Country Market
Thursdays, 9am-noon, Masonic Hall
Barnstaple Country Market
Fridays, 7am-1pm, Pannier Market
Barnstaple Pannier Market
Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Pannier Market
www.barnstaplepanniermarket.co.uk
Bideford Country Market
Tuesdays and Saturdays (closed January 6 and 10), 8am-2pm, Pannier Market
Bovey Tracey Farmers� Market
Saturdays fortnightly, January 3, 17, 31, 8.30am-1.30pm, Town Square
Bratton Fleming Farmers� Market
Fourth Saturday of the month, 9.30am-noon, Village Hall
Buckfastleigh Farmers� Market
Thursdays, 9am-1pm, Town Hall
Budleigh Salterton
Last Friday of the month, 9am-1pm. Brook Road car park
Chagford Local Produce Market
Fridays, 10am-1pm, Jubilee Hall
Combe Martin Farmers� Market
Third Saturday of the month, 9.30am-noon
Crediton Farmers Market
First Saturday of the month, 10am-1pm, Town Square
Cullompton Farmers� Market
Second Saturday of the month, 9.30am-12.30pm, Station Road car park
www.cullompton.org/farmers-market.html
Dartmouth Farmers� Market
Second Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, Market Square
Eggesford Farmers� Market
Second Sunday of the month, Fox and Hounds Hotel
Exeter Farmers� Market
Thursdays, 9am-2pm, South Street-Fore Street
Exmouth Country Market
Fridays, 8.30-11.15am, Methodist Church Hall, Tower Street
Exmouth Farmers� Market
Second Wednesday of the month, 9am-1pm, Strand Gardens
Heanton Farmers� Market
Second Saturday of the month, 9.30am-12.30pm, Heanton Parish Hall, Wrafton
Holsworthy Farmers� Market
Wednesdays, 8am-3pm, Holsworthy Square
Honiton Country Market
Fridays (closed January 9) 9.30-11.30am, Mackarness Hall, High Street
Honiton Farmers� Market
Third Thursday of the month, 9am-1pm, St Paul�s Church forecourt, High Street
Ilfracombe Farmers� Market
Second and fourth Sunday of the month, 10am-12.30pm, The Lantern Centre
Ivybridge Country Market
Fridays, 8.30-11.30am, The Scout Hut, St Leonard�s Road
Kingsbridge Country Market
Wednesdays, 8am-noon, Town Hall, Fore Street
Closed in early January
Kingsbridge Farmers� Market
First and third Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, Town Square
Luppitt Village Market
Fridays, 11am-1pm
Lynton Farmers� Market
First Saturday of the month, 10am-12.30pm, Town Hall
Newton Abbot Farmers� Market
Tuesdays, 9am-4pm, Courtenay Street
Okehampton Farmers� Market
Third Saturday of the month, 9am-1.30pm, St James� Chapel Square
www.okehamptonfarmersmarket.co.uk
Ottery St Mary Farmers� Market
First Friday of the month, 9am-1pm, Hind Street car park
Plymouth Farmers� Market
Second and fourth Saturdays of the month, 9am-5pm, Armada Way
www.plymouth.gov.uk/pmevents
Seaton Farmers� Market
Third Friday of the month 10am-1pm, Town Hall
www.eastdevonaonb.org.uk
Slow Food Market
Third Sunday of the month, 10.30am-1.30pm, Matthews Hall, Topsham
South Molton Country Market
Thursdays, 7.30am-1pm, Pannier Market
South Molton Farmers� Market
Fourth Saturday of the month, 7am-1pm, Pannier Market
Tavistock Country Market
Fridays, 7am-4pm, Pannier Market
Tavistock Farmers� Market
Second and fourth Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, Bedford Square
www.tavistockfarmersmarket.com
Tedburn St Mary
Third Saturday of the month, 10am-noon, Tedburn St. Mary Village Hall
Tiverton Farmers� Market
Third Wednesday of the month, 9.30am-3.30pm, Pannier Market
www.tiverton-market.co.uk
Torquay Farmers� Market
Fridays, 9am-2pm, Market Hall
Widecombe Village Market
Fourth Saturday of the month, 9.30am-3pm, Church House
Yarcombe Village Market
Second Saturday of the month, 10am-noon
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.
Cornwall markets
05-01-2009
Callington Country Market
Wednesdays, 8.45-11.30am, Scout Headquarters
Callington Community Market
Second and fourth Fridays of the month, 9am-noon, Town Hall
Carnon Downs Village Market
Last Saturday of the month, 9am-noon, Village Hall
Grampound Road Village School
3rd Saturday of each month, 9.30 - 12.30
Falmouth Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays, 9am-2pm, The Moor
www.trurofarmersmarket.co.uk
Helston Country Market
Fridays, 7.45am-noon, The Guildhall
Closed first two weeks in January
Illogan Country Market
Tuesdays, 9.15-10.45am, Methodist Hall
Ladock Country Market
First Saturday of the month, 9am-noon, Ladock Community Hall
Launceston
Fridays, 9.30am-2pm, St Mary’s Hall
Liskeard Country Market
Fridays, 8.30-11.30am, The Long Room, Public Hall
Liskeard Farmers’ Market
Second and fourth Fridays of the month, 10am-noon, Mole Valley Farmers, Moorswater Industrial Estate
Lostwithiel Local Produce Market
Fridays, January 9, 23, February 6, 10am-2pm, Lostwithiel Community Centre
www.cgos.co.uk
Pendeen Farmers’ Market
First and third Saturday of the month, 10am-1pm, centre of Pendeen
Pensilva Farmers’ Market
Second Saturday of the month, 9.30am-12.30pm Sports Hall, Millennium House
Penzance Country Market
Tuesdays, 8.30-11.45am, St John’s Hall
Perranporth Country Market
Fridays, 10-11.30am, Memorial Hall
Redruth Farmers’ Market
Fridays, 9am-5pm. Market Place
Rilla Mill Farmers’ Market
Third Saturday of the month, 9am-noon, Rilla Mill Hall
St Ives Farmers’ Market
Thursdays, 9.30am-2pm, The Backpackers, near Royal Square
St Neot Local Produce Market
First Saturday of the month, 8am-1pm, Village Hall
Stoke Climsland Farmers’ Market
First Saturday of the month, 9am-12.30pm, Stoke Climsland Community Centre
Torpoint Country Market
Tuesdays, 9.30-11.30am, Silver Band Hut
Truro (Hall for Cornwall)
Tuesdays, 9.15am-3pm
Truro Farmers’ Market
Saturdays, 9am-4pm, Lemon Quay piazza
www.trurofarmersmarket.co.uk
Wadebridge Country Market
Thursdays (closed January 8) 8.45am-noon, Town Hall
The Western Morning News Think Local campaign is sponsored by
independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning.