Crumbs Devon – issue 9

CRUMBS DEVON

WE DO LOVE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE

A little slice of foodie heaven

No.9 OCToBER 2016

Don’t tell it!

Last time I laughed so hard, I pulled a mussel!

I’ve got an oyster joke for you!

Christopher Piper

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FISHER KINGS

THE SAUCY SHELLFISH HEADLINES OUR SEAFOOD Spectacular

GONE FISHIN’ I AM, I must admit, slightly obsessed with the TV show First Dates, which has led to lots of interesting chats with other fans. Okay, so it takes place in a restaurant, but what’s it really got to do with food, I hear you ask? Well, everything, actually – and it’s specifically relevant to this, our Gone Fishin’ issue.

‘Who would you rather date, a golfer or a fisherman?,” my friend H asked. I’d barely had time to consider my reply when she told me it was a no-brainer: fisherman, of course. You’d be bored to death by a golfer, she figured, but a man who goes fishing is a) out of the house a lot, so you can watch your crap reality TV shows (including First Dates), and b) he will come home all Zen-like, having spent many hours peacefully contemplating nature and the meaning of life. Plus, he’ll have brought with him your tea!

I think H might actually have a point so, in this issue, we’re not only celebrating the arrival of mackerel season (which starts around now, and is celebrated by a loved-up and newly-married Mr Lamb in his column), but also the fact Devon is the only English county to have two fabulous, and very different, coasts. And, thus, fabulous fish on our very doorstep.

Fisherman it is, then!

Not quite so Zen, however, is the vague panic that sets in when I stop to think that it’s now only 15 weeks until we hit the ‘C-word’.

But 15 weeks it is, and so, in the next issue of Crumbs Devon, we’ll be running a nice special on all those lovely places around and about where you can celebrate the Christmas party season.

If you want to be included, please call my new partner-in-crime, our ad manager Simon Hawkins (01225 475800), who’s currently discovering all the joys of eating and drinking in Devon for himself.

His excitement about Christmas is something to be seen; maybe if you have a chat with him, he’ll get you similarly enthused too…

APPLE

Susan Clark, Editor susan.clark@mediaclash.co.uk

ANDROID

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Table of Contents

D E V O N

NO. 09 OCTOBER 2016

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STARTERS

CHEF!

KITCHEN ARMOURY

08 HERO INGREDIENTS Disgusting? Or disgustingly moreish? We celebrate oysters, sexpots of the sea 10 OPENINGS ETC 14 ASK THE EXPERT Getting wine-matching right, with Christopher Piper Wines 22 KITCHEN LIBRARY

Amazing recipes from the region’s top kitchens

39 CRUMBS COOKS WITH We visit some folk who should really know what they're on about: Jim and Lucy Fisher of Exeter Cookery School

26 Classic treacle tart,

by Sam Salway 28 Bouillabaise maison,

by Steve Robinson 30 Pulled pork burgers,

by Orlando Murrin 34 Mackerel with salsa verde,

by Steven Lamb

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AFTERS

46 THE WANT LIST Cool new kitchen kit for those with fat wallets (and those with a leather home for moths, too)

New & notable restaurants, cafés, bars

MAINS

PLUS

50 GIFT OF THE CRAB Favis, the pride of Salcombe, are on the awards hunt. We reckon they’ve got it cracked…

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56 WHITE MEN CAN’T GRUMP Oh yes they can, say top local chefs Chris Sherville and John Burton-Race

62 The Habit 64 Rum & Crab Shack 66 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Woolacombe’s Noel Corston brings fine dining to the North Devon coast, but where does he enjoy on his days off?

Based in rural Devon (near Exeter), Ashgrove Kitchens Ltd has gained a reputation across the UK as one of the very best bespoke kitchen designers, kitchen planners and kitchen furnishers, providing quality handmade and lovingly crafted bespoke kitchens, bedrooms and studies at aordable prices.

ASHGROVE KITCHENS 3 Marsh Lane, Lords Meadow Ind Est., Crediton, Devon EX17 1ES 01363 773533 • enquiries@ashgrovekitchens.co.uk

www.ashgrovekitchens.co.uk

INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

get grazing THE RUSTY PIG of Ottery St. Mary has established itself as one of the county’s go-to destinations for great charcuterie and cooking, and whilst the range has been available locally to customers for some time now, the new Charcuterie Graze Pack takes it further afield to a wholesale market. The brainchild of Rusty Pig’s Robin Rea and Paul Young, the new box is made up of beef from traditional Dexter cattle, and pork sourced from Robin’s own herd (and other smallholdings across East Devon). Even the vanilla used in the vanilla-cured Coppa is from a Devon supplier, LittlePod in Farringdon.

Expect a tasty selection of salumi (the umbrella term for cold cuts made predominantly from pork), including hay-dried Lonza with chilli, a classic Bresola made from beef cured in rosemary and citrus, Pennybun Salami with local goat’s cheese, and the aforementioned Coppa. The Graze Pack is available from the Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary, online, and at various farm shops across the South West. ✱ rustypig.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

Hero Ingredients

OYSterS Few ingredients have gone through the rollercoaster ride of the oyster, sometimes a rich man’s plaything, sometimes a poor man’s staple, but always quivering with an aura of sex

FOR THE ROMANS, oysters were a prized delicacy, a mainstay of the Imperial orgy. (Their most famous oyster merchant, Sergius Orata, is not only credited with inventing underfloor heating, but with farming oysters so successfully “he could grow them on the roof of his house”.) By the 19th century, however, they were cheap and common, the Victorians using them to bulk out other dishes, like beef stews – inadvertently inventing the original surf ’n’ turf. Then, over the last hundred years, they’ve become expensive again – blame pollution for destroying the acres of oyster beds that used to surround even a city as bustling as New York – and are today regarded as something of an exotic challenge. They’re still living as we guzzle down the whole thing, after all – and what else can we say that about?

They also hold another challenge, of course. Can we get through writing about them without mentioning sex? It’s going to be difficult – we’d say ‘hard’, except that would tempt fate – but let’s try, shall we?

So. The oyster’s a saltwater bivalve mollusc, and it tastes of the sea. There are loads of different types, but here in the UK our seasonal native variety (Ostrea edulis) – available autumnthrough-spring – is more expensive and highly prized than the larger, imported Pacific oysters and rock oysters, farmed all year around.

As with all such shellfish, we should only snaffle oysters that are shut tightly in their shells, or which snap closed when tapped. (If they fail to move, they’re dead – so bin them.) They can be grilled, steamed, poached or battered into tempura, but the classic way to go is just to slurp them from their half-shells alive and raw – perhaps accompanied by a spot of lemon juice, black pepper or

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Tabasco, and a pint of Guinness (or, more appropriately, oyster stout).

This is the heroic, aficionadorecommended way to eat them, the oyster just sitting there, moist, tender and exposed, this glistening mystery that can’t help but be fascinating and revolting and… but no. It seems there’s no getting away from it. We’re going to have to tackle this sex thing, after all.

You can’t trust most aphrodisiac rumours, of course. They’re rarely based on anything beyond what the damn thing looks like, and it takes no great intellectual leap to get from figs or asparagus to thoughts of rutting.

But there’s nothing we eat that’s as fullon sexual as the oyster – and not just visually. The Romans prescribed them as a cure for failing libido. Casanova banged on about their qualities at great length. Victorian oyster girls, who sold the things, were often considered borderline prostitutes – and it’s no accident that’s what Nan starts out as in Tipping the Velvet.

Not that their artistic starring roles end there. In Spartacus, Laurence Olivier’s Crassus tempts slave Tony Curtis with talk of eating oysters and snails, the former a common preference amongst gentlemen, the latter a more specialist taste (but Larry likes both, the devil).

In Blue is the Warmest Colour, all that spanking and panting is heralded by the most outrageously on-the-nose oyster eating scene, with scaredy-cat Adèle grossed out until saucy Emma slips one down her throat, alive and quivering. And we’re not even going to approach the content of The Oyster, that best-selling erotic magazine of 1880s London…

The thing is, the oyster itself does little to help its case, sex-obsessed trollop of a mollusc that it is. It lives its entire life

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lonely in its little shell, leaving it plenty of time on its hands for mischief. Mischief in the oyster’s case includes changing sex regularly – sometimes it spurts sperm into the sea around it, sometimes eggs, but never both at the same time – and it will often turn over a full 75% of its body mass to procreation. With an oyster, what you’re eating isn’t just reminiscent of lady bits, it might as well just be one gigantic egg or sperm.

Not that we want to put you off, of course. Oysters are, after all, a delicious and theatrical experience like little else. And they might just be that rare thing, a genuine aphrodisiac too. After all, they’re full of zinc (which helps testosterone), omega-3 fats (good for blood flow), and even rare amino acids that stimulate ovulation. Visually, culturally and chemically, the oyster just can’t help giving it up for us.

PUCKER UP

Oysters, arguably, are best enjoyed naked.

(The oysters, that is, not the intended recipient. Although...) But if you are to marry them up, you can’t go far wrong with these flavour pairings...

TRY MIGNONETTE The most famous, and oft-seen, dressing for oysters has to be this rather delicious combo of red wine vinegar, finely diced shallots, black pepper and a pinch of sugar.

GO ASIAN It’s essential when dressing oysters not to overpower that fresh, salty smack, but aromatic Asian flavours can work well. Try lime juice and a dash of hot sauce; finely sliced pickled ginger and fresh baby coriander leaves; or a few drops of sesame oil and a light soy sauce.

BUTTER ’EM UP There are few things in life that don’t taste better in melted butter, and oysters are no exception – try yours with classic garlic and parsley, or with sweet caramelised shallots.

S T A R T E R S

Openings Etc STAR STORIES

PLAYING WITH FOOD

Congratulations to Gabriel David – founder of Devon’s award-winning Luscombe drinks – and the team at Buckfastleigh for scooping no fewer than 11 stars from the judges at the annual Great Taste awards. This scheme takes place over several months, with some 400 judges blind tasting food and drink again and again, so the two stars awarded to Mostly Devon Apple Juice are suitably hard-earned. Family outfit Luscombe now produces 23 soft drinks, juices et al, all free from nasties including additives. ✱ luscombe.co.uk

STITCHED UP

Now in its 15th year – and so popular, over 20,000 people are expected to attend – this year’s Dartmouth Food Festival will run 21-23 October. It’s a ‘party with food’, they say, so expect top chef demos, market stalls and the return of the ever-popular Eat Your Words series of conversations, exploring themes as diverse as ‘Wood-fired Cooking’ and ‘The Future of Farming & Fishing in Devon’, with experts from across the county and further afield.

One such expert is seafood chef Mitch Tonks, a founder of the fest, and recently named one of The Caterer magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Foodies in the country. Indian chef Romy Gill – cited by food critic Tom Parker Bowles (who’s also coming to the festival) as one of his ‘fabulous female chefs’ in the UK – will be among the celebrity chefs attending, along with Matt Tebbutt, who started his career with a diploma from Leith’s School of Food and Wine, trained with Marco Pierre White, and who will take part in the Eat Your Words: Kitchen Confidential Q&A session, hosted by Radio 4’s Dan Saladino.

Barnstaple’s The Park hotel in North Devon has re-opened, following a lavish £2 million refurbishment which has brought the hotel − and its restaurant and bar − bang up to date. A sister hotel to the beachside Art Deco Saunton Sands further up the coast, The Park benefits from the fact there is (uniquely) a sewing studio on site, where the soft furnishings for all 11 hotels in the award-winning, family-owned Brend Group chain are made.

✱ dartmouthfoodfestival.com

✱ brend-hotels.co.uk

In the diary...

(25 September) LYN FOOD FESTIVAL Combine a trip over to Exmoor with a pit stop at the annual Lyn Food Festival, and make a beeline for fudge from The Wonky Kitchen (looks like a bar of soap, but tastes better!), Wicked Wolf gin and the Unusual Pork Pie Company’s fare; lynfoodfest.co.uk (1-2 Octoberber) POWDERHAM FOOD FESTIVAL In the grounds of Powderham Castle, this fest always has a wide range of events, stalls and demos, including an Exeter Cookery School stage, featuring this-issue-stars Jim and Lucy Fisher; powderhamfoodfestival.com

@tasteofdevon raves about the pan-seared Stone Bass & buttered samphire at the Pier Point in Torquay

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@thedevonfoodie is impressed

by Michelin chef Michael Wignall’s grouse at Gidleigh Park Hotel crumbsmag.com

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S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S

New Kid kid on on the the Block block New

MUM’S THE WORD

Head Chef Bob Faulkener has introduced a new menu that’s got customers – old and new − coming back for more

Who are you then, Bob? I’m the new head chef at the Wrey Arms in Barnstaple – we’re next to a garage where they do a great hand car wash, so we’re perfectly placed for popping in when you’re waiting for your clean car. Plus, we now have a new menu and rooms.

what other places are not doing properly, which is about the best way to get it right and be the best!

When did you start cooking?

As a child − I was maybe six or seven years old when I got going.

What keeps you going every day?

I get a real buzz when people who’ve never eaten here before try us, and then come back for more.

What are the fondest foodie memories from your childhood?

Helping my mum bake, and being shown the proper way to cook − without microwaves!

What first inspired you to cook professionally, though?

My mum, again – she has always encouraged me, and supported my decision to work in this industry. As many do, I started out as a kitchen porter in a hotel.

What’s the toughest job you’ve tackled so far?

That’s any easy one − I once had to produce a buffet for 100 people just five minutes before before everyone was due to arrive! I’ve also had to cater at a wedding for 300 people.

What would you say has been your proudest achievement at work?

There’ve been a few − such as making my mum proud. But I always feel a sense of pride when I know that I’m making people happy when they eat my food, and I also really enjoy helping run down pubs make it back to the top.

How would you describe your style?

Honest and simple. I like to listen to what people want, then give it to them.

How many of you are there in the kitchen team at the Wrey Arms?

There are five of us behind scenes.

How’ve you tackled the new menu?

First, I listened to what the customers wanted, and then I took a good look at

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What local restaurants do you rate?

I don’t really eat out, to be honest, because I am too critical of the way other people are cooking food for me.

Favourite ingredients at the mo?

It’s all about good flavours and seasoning. At the moment I really like using watercress and dill.

Do you grow anything yourself?

Yes: tomatoes, strawberries, rhubarb and all my own herbs.

Who are your favourite suppliers?

I’m currently using Barnstaple-based Philip Dennis Food Service, and Grattons, the meat supplier.

What do you cook at home?

It really depends on what I have in my cupboards. I like to experiment!

What piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?

My knives!

What was the best meal you’ve had?

It was traditional pie, mash and liquor, an East End favourite which I ate at Chapel Street Market in Islington.

What’s your favourite cookery book?

Call me old-fashioned, but it’s the unbeatable Mrs Beeton.

Who are your foodie heroes?

My mum, and the Italian TV chef, Gino D’Acampo.

What are your top flavour combinations at the moment?

Multigrain mustard, horseradish and double cream. ✱ thewreyarms.co.uk

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The Two Grumpy Chefs Two Chefs • Two Michelin Stars Sixty years of experience With decades in fine dining and event catering, John Burton-Race and Chris Sherville can curate your party from the intimate to the outrageous.

From a private dinner to a wedding, from a launch party to a sporting event, John and Chris can provide menus, wines and support staff, tailored to your individual taste.

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BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION & RELAXED DINING IN THE HEART OF ILFRACOMBE 5« Gold boutique accommodation, lounge and dining room set in picturesque Ilfracombe with 11 unique guest rooms.

Serving brasserie food all day from 12pm - 9pm.

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STA RTERS

Ask the Expert

DOUBLE ACT Like all famous duos – Ant & Dec, Sooty & Sweep – the magic is all in the chemistry. So it is with wine and food matching, and also with Christopher Piper and John Earle of Devon-based wine business Christopher Piper Wines…

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Hey, guys! So, in the years since you started, how have you seen wine tastes change across the South West?

We met at school, and started our wine business together some 35 years ago – and yes, things have changed hugely since then.

When we began, it was the classic areas of Europe that generally held sway – Bordeaux, old-fashioned Burgundy and Chianti (in baskets!). Germany was still widely loved, but more for its cheap, medium sweet, generic wines like Liebfraumilch and Piesporter Michelsberg. Lutomer Laski Riesling, from the former Yugoslavia, and Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon were also very popular in the early 1980s.

Australian wines didn’t become visible until the mid ’80s, though, and we actually refused to sell South African wines until they abolished apartheid.

Oh, and the supermarkets didn’t stock much wine at all until the mid-1990s!

Not so much about, then – but bet it was cheaper, though?

Prices for the classic Bordeaux chateaux wines, and the great Burgundies, were certainly much more affordable in our early days. Nowadays, though, along with the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio and Prosecco, there are the Chilean Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs and, of course, more and far better English wines.

On the whole, the trend now has moved away from the subtle classics, which often show better with food, to the more obvious and fruitier wines,

which may or may not be drunk with food. At a guess, I would say 90% of wine was drunk as an accompaniment to food in the early ’80s, whereas now wines are often chosen to be drunk on their own.

So, how has Christopher Piper Wines kept going so strongly, while many others have fallen by the wayside?

Our belief in the power of the artisan wine grower to win out over the creeping power of globalization is probably what underpins our longevity.

We like to think so, anyway.

We hear climate change – amongst other things – means the wines grown here in Devon are way better than they used to be. Agreed?

Without a doubt! Grapes need warmth and sunshine to produce enough sugar to reach a balanced phenolic ripeness.

If you don’t get enough sunshine, you cannot make a good wine.

Last year was a great summer here, and 2016 has not been half bad either. A lot of English vineyards are planted on the same kind of chalky soil you find in the Champagne region of France. As a result, some of the most exciting results have been achieved in sparkling wines.

Recently these English wines have been beating top name Champagnes in blind tastings. This has, naturally, made the big French Champagne companies sit up and take note, and many have actually bought vineyards in England, because they perceive a great future for these wines.

Sorry to raise blood pressure levels but, briefly, how will Brexit affect your business and wine lists?

The immediate effect of Brexit has been its impact on the value of Pound Sterling, which dropped by some 18% in value against most of the currencies in which we buy our wines. So one day your Sauvignon Blanc costs you £3.50, and the next day the same wine costs you £3.70.

The product is still the same, but suddenly it’s costing you £2.40 more per case. All of this has to be passed on to the consumer, otherwise we would lose money and go out of business quickly.

Another effect of Brexit seems – so far – to have been in the more nebulous area of consumer confidence. Despite the fact that a majority of people voted for Brexit, we’ve had reports from our restaurant and hotel customers that people are eating out less, and they believe this is in part due to confidence having taken a knock.

We suspect the only positive thing we might potentially see coming out of it all is that people will chose to spend more of their hard-earned cash in the UK, since they won’t be able to afford to go abroad. That could benefit the UK hospitality sector, to which we supply.

What advice do you have for anyone starting out in the wine business?

That’s a tough one! You need to sell a lot of wine to make enough money to cover your business overheads, and to pay wages. It’s a furiously competitive industry – much more than it used

No, they don't just have quite eccentric dress sense; this is the Christopher Piper team back in the early ’90s

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Harvest time at Pavé: making wine is hard work, you know

The Wine Matching Challenge…

We asked Chris and John to match wines to a deliberately challenging three course fishy menu, based on dishes cooked by Devon chef Noel Corston (see Little Black Book this issue), who specialises in fine dining and using foraged and unusual ingredients. Here's what they picked…

to be – with wines being sold through so many diverse channels: supermarkets, online retailers, etc. All this makes it hard for the newer smaller businesses to compete and get noticed.

It’s better to focus on a few specific wine regions, and get to know those really well. In that way, you can use your expertise to mark you out from the mainstream. Even when we started out, there was a saying going around: “If you want to make a small fortune in the wine trade, start off with a large one.” That’s even more true today than it was then.

Gives us three top tips for reading a wine label, so we buy better wines when we’re taking pot luck.

Labels can be helpful, up to a point – and they can be of no use at all. First thing to do is to turn the bottle around to see if there’s a back label. Many wines put all the information on the back, and there is often a brief tasting note on the back too, which should help you choose.

Don’t be wooed by the coolest, most colorful label – it’s what’s in the bottle that you will be drinking that counts.

And don’t be put off by screwcaps – these are used more and more for the better quality wines, and will keep wines which are destined for drinking young, or over the medium term, better than corks.

Finally, if you’re confused then visit a decent local independent wine retailer for advice. They’ll have tried every single wine they have on their shelves, and will be able to help you make a good choice.

Aside from flights of wine, which we hear your not fans of, what other wine trends do you dislike?

We neither of us like overly-long and elaborate descriptions on restaurant wine lists. They often overstate the complexity in a given wine, and one

person’s strawberry flavour is another person’s wild raspberry. Better to ask the wine waiter for their advice than to pore over a lengthy and confusing wine list.

Not so much a trend, but definitely something to keep an eye on, is the correct serving temperature for various wines. The term ‘room temperature’ was coined during an era that was precentral heating, and therefore refers more to an average temperature of between 14 and 15C. At the other end of the scale, it’s heinous to over-chill white wine. It masks all the subtle aromas of the grapes, and you lose all that wonderful flavor. Different wines require different serving temperatures to show at their best, so try to observe these.

What do you think of all the new wine apps out there, like Vivino?

At the risk of sounding like Luddites, we don’t really use wine apps. Sure, it’s fun for younger, more social mediasavvy wine drinkers, but it can’t deliver specialist advice in the same way as more traditional methods.

Seems to us that these things are created to draw us further away from having to have direct contact with human beings. The underlying motivation is one of convenience over investigation, which is as far away from the essence of good wine as you can get.

Finally, what do you think of wine snobs? (And do you still meet them?)

Got no time for them. Luckily, there are fewer of them about than used to be – and you can always have a wry smile if you do meet one, because, ultimately, all they are doing is pontificating about the merits or otherwise of an agricultural crop, which is all wine is. ✱ christopherpiperwines.co.uk

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STARTER Hand-dived scallops, laver and umami juices John suggests: Estate Chardonnay, 2015 – Paul Cluver, Elgin, South Africa (£13.40) Chris suggests: Sancerre ‘Cuvée de Mages’ 2014 – Domaine Serge Laporte, Loire Valley (£15.75)

MAIN Cured monkfish, fennel, cucumber and dahi John suggests: Gros Manseng 2015 Domaine des Cassagnolles, Gascony, SW France (£7.90) Chris suggests: Jordan barrelfermented Chardonnay 2015 – Jordan Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£14)

DESSERT Gooseberry and elderflower tart John suggests: Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos – Tokaj Classic Winery, Mad, Hungary (£33.30/50cl bottle) Chris suggests: Coteaux du Layon ‘Cuvée Thomas’ 2013 – Domaine des Essarts, Anjou (£13.25)

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S T A R T E R S

Trio

BACK TO SCHOOL There’s always time to learn new skills, and you’ll have fun doing it, too, at these top local cookery schools…

ASHBURTON SCHOOL OF COOKERY

If you’re feeling inspired by the new series of GBBO, then grab your apron and head off to the foodie town of Ashburton where the award-winning cookery school has just launched its new Christmas cookery day courses. They’re now offering a brand new course called Christmas Bakes, a revamped class called Edible Eats, and – especially helpfully – one called Perfect Christmas Dinners, which includes some great cheffie twists such as hassleback ‘sprouts’ (which aren’t sprouts at all, but balls of green Savoy cabbage stuffed with delicious fillings). All are day courses, running from 9.30am to 4.30pm, and include a delicious lunch. ✱ ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk

MANNA FROM DEVON Manna from Devon cookery school owners David and Holly have been teaching wood-fired cooking since 2008, and are Devon’s undisputed king and queen of this technique. Their Wood-Fired Oven Cookbook is now on its fifth reprint,

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and the relaxed courses, which they run from their Kingsbridge home, are hugely popular, with students coming from all over the country, as well as Europe.

Expect more than pizzas from this cookery school – wood-fired meringues, anyone? − which has just been appointed a brand ambassador for Morso stoves. ✱ mannafromdevon.co.uk

THE FUN KITCHEN

It’s now compulsory for school kids to take cookery lessons, and Exeter’s multiaward winning Fun Kitchen is way ahead of that trend, delivering fun, hands-on pop-up cookery workshop experiences at events, shows and schools across the county and further afield. Its mobile kitchens transform halls, classrooms, playgrounds, arenas and festival marquees into fun, flour-filled cookery school kitchens. Fun Kitchen is the brainchild of Joe Mann, who says, “We want to give kids the skills, knowledge and confidence to enjoy making their own, great-tasting, healthier foods.” ✱ funkitchen.co.uk

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S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S

Askthe yourManager waiter Ask Who knows the menu best? Who makes the greatest impact on your experience?

Who knows the menu best?

Who makes the greatest impact on your experience?

Front-of-house is your friend!

Front-of-house is your friend!

Tell us who you are then, Matt.

I’m Matt Spencer, and I’m the owner of the Custom House in Barnstaple. We opened in early March 2012, so I’ve got a good few years under my belt here.

Tell us where you’ve worked before?

I started off in bars and restaurants when I was 15, and worked my way up through the kitchen, bar and front of house until I got my first General Manager’s position when I was 22.

Then I worked for a large pub and restaurant company, running venues all over the south of England, until I decided to open a place of my own.

What’s the best thing about it?

Seeing customers enjoying what we’ve worked hard to create! I like watching someone take a massive bite and seeing that huge smile on their face!

What’s the most challenging thing?

Keeping a work/life balance! I have a pub (the Bull & Bear, which is also in Barnstaple), and I got married at the beginning of the year, so making sure I have enough family time is a challenge.

DEAD ELVIS, ANYONE?

He’s running Custom House − one of the quirkiest eateries in North Devon – where MATT SPENCER has worked out that the build-your-own burger menu there means you have 750,000 different combinations to choose from.

Impressive!

What skills have you learnt here?

Probably staff training. Making sure they know all the dishes, and that they are confident in delivering the level of customer service we want.

What sort of customers do you get?

All sorts: young and old, from families to couples on their first dates. I think our food is so accessible, and the atmosphere so chilled and relaxed, that we really do appeal to everybody.

menu that’s going down really well.

We tried to go a bit retro, and have fun with some colourful classics like the Bahama Mama and Alabama Slammer!

What makes the restaurant a special place to visit?

I think it’s that it’s comfortable, friendly and informal, and then there’s the quirky food choices. We’ve topped burgers with everything from lasagne to pizza, spring rolls to mac ’n’ cheese!

If you were eating here for the first time, what would you order?

We’ve got some Elvis-themed specials this week. and the ‘Dead Elvis Burger’ is awesome! It’s topped with bacon, fried bananas and peanut butter! It sounds really weird, but it’s a taste sensation. We’ve had it on the menu a few times now, and it’s always popular.

What do you think makes for great customer service?

It’s about making each customer feel like they’re your sole priority. It’s not always easy to do, especially when you’re busy, but I think even simple things like eye contact when taking an order makes the customer feel at ease.

A sense of humour is good, too.

Where have you visited locally where the service was excellent?

The Kings Arms in Georgeham, near the coast here, is always fantastic.

Where do you eat on your days off?

Anywhere that does a decent burger!

Pig on The Hill in Westward Ho! is great, and so is Urban Burger in Exeter.

What are the bestselling dishes?

We’re known for our burgers, as you ‘build your own’, which means we offer over 750,000 possible combinations!

But our homemade nachos are popular too, as are our house-smoked pork and our brisket dishes!

✱ customhouseonline.com

What are your bestselling drinks?

We’ve just launched a new cocktail

THIS COULD BE YOU! Contact us at: simon.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk

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What do you cook at home?

I’ve a seven-year-old stepdaughter and we cook together as much as possible.

Her favourite things are cakes, waffles – and Chinese fried rice!

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S T A R T E R S

Kitchen Library The freshest, most inspirational cookbooks of the month

A SHERRY & A LITTLE PLATE OF TAPAS

A YEAR IN MY REAL FOOD KITCHEN

GATHER

As the enticing title suggests, this book tells the story of tapas and sherry, with 80 easy tapas bar recipes to cook at home. Author Kay Plunkett-Hogge, with help from illustrator and photographer Tamin Jones and illustrator Abigail Read, looks at how sherry is made and which food matches each type before diving into chapters covering cold and hot tapas, desserts and sherry-based cocktails.

The main chapters are divided into vegetables, eggs and dairy, seafood, and meat, and recipes include Moorish lamb skewers; salmon ceviche; Galician octopus with potatoes, capers and paprika; and a boozy Beefeater gin granita with pink grapefruit and pink peppercorns. There’s a useful section listing UK suppliers of specialist ingredients, too.

The follow-up to the excellent My Darling Lemon Thyme, the second book from New Zealand chef Emma Galloway focuses on healthy and vegetarian food, as well as the glutenintolerant. Accompanied by her own photographs, these innovative wholefood recipes are nutritious and economical, as well as family-friendly (the author left the professional kitchen eight years ago to become a full-time mother to her two young children, as well as a food blogger).

Divided into the seasons, summer dishes include tomato and chickpea salad with green olive dressing; spicy tofu noodles; and flourless banana, cherry and chocolate muffins.

We particularly like the courgette, feta and mint fritters, and the raspberry and peach crumble cake. A great family cookbook for health-conscious cooks.

Gill Meller has been an integral part of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage empire for the past 11 years, but this is the first book under his own name – and it’s a cracking debut. Meller is a chef and food writer who cooks with the seasons, and this book features 120 recipes inspired by cooking what’s seasonal and also what’s growing wild. Featuring chapters on food from moorland, garden, farm, field, seashore, orchard, harbour and woodland, the dishes are simple, uncomplicated and often feature just three or four main ingredients.

As summer prepares to make way for autumn, recipes to bookmark include cobnut and celeriac soup with kale, parsley and olive oil; venison stew and dumplings; apple rye and cider cake; and crab apple and blackberry jelly.

Kay Plunkett-Hogge Mitchell Beazley, £15.99

Gill Meller Quadrille, £25

Emma Galloway Harper Collins, £20

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STIRRING SLOWLY Georgina Hayden Square Peg, £20

Georgina Hayden grew up above her grandparents’ Greek Cypriot taverna in London, and went on to work as a food stylist for Jamie Oliver, who has already hailed Stirring Slowly ‘a modern classic’. Her debut cookbook features a wide range of eclectic recipes wrapped around stories and anecdotes, all of which display a writer and cook with a genuine passion for good food. This is a book that encourages you to spend as much time as possible in the kitchen, preferably making food there that both comforts and revives.

Highlights include recipes for creamed greens on toast with poached egg and dukkah; roast harissa butter chicken and cracked wheat; and sticky pork belly salad with fennel and chilli.

A wonderful debut from a name to watch.

crumbsmag.com

FROM

Stirring Slowly

by Georgina Hayden (Square Peg, £20)

THE PALOMAR COOKBOOK Mitchell Beazley, £25

The Palomar restaurant in London has been a critics favourite since it opened in 2014, and it won ‘best restaurant’ in the prestigious OFM awards the year after.

Influenced by the rich cultures of Southern Spain, North Africa and the Levant, The Palomar Cookbook features over 100 delicious recipes guaranteed to transport home cooks to the buzzing streets of modern-day Jerusalem.

As well as the restaurant’s signature dishes, the book features family recipes and ideas from places travelled to

by The Palomar chefs. Pork belly with ras el hanout, dried fruits and Israeli couscous; North African fish stew; and cauliflower steak with labneh and grated tomatoes are just three of the delicious recipes, which appear alongside mezze dishes, sweet and savoury pastries and a number of store cupboard dishes.

crumbsmag.com

WHOLE ROASTED MISO AUBERGINE (SERVES 4)

I’VE MET QUITE a few people who don’t love aubergine, and I can honestly say most of the time it’s because of the way it’s cooked.

That rubbery, dry, slightly squeaky texture is pretty off-putting, but that’s purely because it hasn’t been cooked for long enough. Aubergines are a beautiful thing, and when given the right care they are stunning. Take this recipe, for example – I treat the aubergines like a piece of meat, slashing them, marinating them and slowroasting them whole. The result is a deliciously creamy and fragrant dish that takes little effort to make. The other bonus is that you don’t use much oil as you cook the aubergines whole, so it’s light too.

INGREDIENTS

2 aubergines 3cm piece of ginger, peeled 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 small green chillies, finely sliced groundnut oil 200g vine cherry tomatoes 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced ½ bunch of coriander, chopped 1 lime, juice only 1 tbsp tamarind paste ½ tbsp honey 3 tbsp white sweet miso METHOD

– Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/gas mark 4.

– Pierce the aubergines all over with a knife. Grate the ginger into a mortar and pestle, and bash with the garlic, chillies and a good pinch of salt until

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it’s a thick paste. Mix in enough oil to make it spoonable, then spoon it over the aubergines and massage into the incisions.

– Roast the aubergines in a roasting tray with the tomatoes for 40 minutes, turning twice.

– Put the spring onion and coriander in a bowl, squeeze over the lime juice and mix.

– Mix together the tamarind, honey and miso and add enough water to make a thick glaze. Remove the roasting tray after 40 minutes, turn the oven up to 200C/400F/gas mark 6, and drizzle the miso glaze over the aubergines. Cook for a further 15 minutes.

– Remove the stalks from the aubergines, then roughly chop the flesh in the tray into coarse chunks. Stir in the dressed spring onions and coriander.

chapter 1 F I N E D I N I N G I N T H E H E A R T O F N E W Q U AY

TH E PER F EC T LOC AT ION TO REL A X A N D EN JOY THE B ES T OF CO R N WA L L’S CU LINARY D E L IGH TS

chapter1restaurant.co.uk

8 Morfa Hall, Cliff Road, Newquay TR7 1SG | Call 01637 499263 to reserve a table

Savoury, flavoury goodness Eat The Smoke’s BBQ rubs and sauces were unearthed from an appetite for authentic, slow-cooked barbeque pit-food right in the heart of Devonshire.

On a mission to bring a taste of the Deep South to the UK, we introduce an epic BBQ experience.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE I N F O R M AT I O N & T O B U Y O N L I N E

Email: info@eatthesmoke.co.uk

www.eatthesmoke.co.uk

Chef!

WHAT TO COOK, AND HOW TO COOK IT – DIRECT FROM THE KITCHENS OF THE REGION’S BEST CHEFS

These bad boys are going straight into our Bouillabaisse

Highlights TARTLAND

Because sometimes only the most treacly classics will do Page 26

SHELLFISH GIANT

Brilliant Bouillabaisse maison from Le Bistrot Pierre Page 28

GOODBYE, PORK PIE

And hello pulled pork buns, thanks to The Devon Cook himself, Orlando Murrin Page 30

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Plus 34 MACK DADDY Steve Lamb gets clever with mackerel

Chef!

Cooking to put the revamped Jubilee Inn on the foodie map is chef and co-owner SAM SALWAY, a man on a culinary mission

Jubilation 26

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Sam Salway is one of those chefs that people talk about – a lot! When we first heard he was cooking at The Jubilee Inn near South Molton, we shot over there to try his food post haste, only to discover he was nowhere to be seen – in true cheffie style he was (apparently) delayed trying to capture the pigs that had broken free from his smallholding!

This is, of course, quite normal and all in a day’s work for a chef who raises his own pigs for the kitchen and, although a sorry substitute for getting to sample his cooking first hand, we did snaffle a bag of home-made pork scratchings, which the dog happily wolfed down.

Born in the Quantocks (but happily relocated firmly on this side of the Devon/Somerset border these days), Sam has cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, as well as a chateau in the South of France, where he ran a cookery school.

He’s back in the South West now, though, with partner Claire Sellar-Elliott, and the couple have big plans for The Jubilee Inn, which they want to turn into a ‘go to’ foodie destination.

They’ve now refurbished the inside of the pub (which, they won’t mind us saying, reflects their joint taste for the quirky), and they’ve just opened up six guest rooms, so no worries necessary over who’s the designated driver.

Sam says his passion is to offer fine dining quality at reasonable pub prices, and he’s currently offering a two-course Menu du Jour (plus a drink) for £15, and three incredible courses for just £18.

Even better, throughout this month Sunday lunch is just £9.95…

crumbsmag.com

CLASSIC TREACLE TART (SERVES 12)

This is one of those “I shouldn’t, but I think I shall” puddings – and so very much one you won’t want to share with someone who gives it all that ‘not for me’ malarkey, and then spends the whole time eyeing up your dessert.

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet pastry: 250g unsalted butter (room temperature) 500g plain flour 150g icing sugar seeds from ½ vanilla pod (or ½ tsp vanilla extract) ½ tsp salt 4 egg yolks 35ml water For the treacle filling: 4 medium eggs 1 lemon zest (finely grated) and juice 570ml golden syrup 480ml double cream 200g brioche, croissant or bread crumbs 1 apple peeled, cored and grated METHOD

To make the sweet pastry: − Add the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a bowl, and cream together with a wooden spoon until pale in colour. − Sieve the flour into the mix. Rub through your fingers until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency, and leave a well in the centre of the bowl ready to add the wet ingredients.

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− In a separate jug, lightly whisk the egg yolks and water until combined. Pour it all into the well in the centre of your bowl, and knead the dough until the pastry comes together and is smooth. − Cover the dough in cling film and rest for a minimum of 6 hours in the fridge. − Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4. − Remove the dough from the fridge, roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin and line a 28cm flan case, placing a large sheet of baking parchment on top and filling it with baking beans. − Rest in the fridge for 10 more minutes, before putting in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes or until blind baked. − Remove paper and beans and put back into oven for 3-4 minutes, taking it out when the pastry starts to colour.

To make the treacle filling: − Whisk the eggs and all the lemon for 30 seconds. − While whisking, add the syrup and cream slowly, until combined. − Add crumbs and apple, mix well and pour into baked pastry case. − Bake at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 until set (about 40 minutes) in the middle of the oven.

To serve: In the restaurant, I serve this with a choice of clotted cream, pouring cream or ice cream.

✱ THE JUBILEE INN, West Anstey, South Molton, Devon EX36 3PH; 01398 341401; thejubileeinn.co.uk

Chef!

Bring on the

Bouillabaisse

He’s worked in the kitchens of cruise ships and cooked in Spain, and so is more than ready to bring a real taste of the Med to Le Bistrot Pierre in Plymouth. Meet Steve Robinson, their new head chef‌

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Steve’s been cooking at Le Bistrot Pierre for almost a decade, and is now head chef in the family-friendly chain’s Plymouth kitchen, where he has found the perfect fit for skills honed on the continent in a menu that celebrates great French cooking.

Le Bistrot Pierre is all about value for money, and combining French bistrot classics (such as steak-frites, boeuf bourguignon and tarte au citron) with our own take on regional favourites like tarte flambée, Bouillabaisse and paté de campagne. And Steve is lucky enough to be cooking in a great location. Le Bistrot Pierre is located in the New Cooperage building at Royal William Yard, which opens onto a large outdoor terrace, with plenty of seating overlooking magnificent lawns.

This Bouillabaisse – always a winner – makes its welcome return to the new autumn/winter menu, which is available from 4 October this year.

CREAMY BOUILLABAISSE MAISON (SERVES 5) INGREDIENTS

For the Bouillabaisse sauce: 700ml fish stock 150ml extra virgin olive oil 50g celery 100g fennel 500ml cooking wine 3 garlic cloves 1 onion 0.15g saffron 1 bouquet garni 15g fresh tarragon 2 tbsp tomato purée 150g plum tomatoes 100ml vermouth 400g whitebait For the rest of the dish: 5 fillets sea bream 400g mussels 10 king prawns 400g clams 150g smoked haddock 350g coley 1 litre Bouillabaisse sauce 1 lemon wedge 25g flat leaf parsley 25g tarragon

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✱ LE BISTROT PIERRE, New Cooperage Building, Royal William Yard, Plymouth PL1 3RP; 01752 262318; bistrotpierre.co.uk

To serve: 1 baguette grated Gruyère cheese, to finish METHOD

To make the Bouillabaisse sauce: − Roughly chop the garlic, onions, celery and fennel. − Sauté with the saffron and celery in the olive oil with a bouquet garni. − Add the tomato purée, plum tomatoes, vermouth, cooking wine, whitebait and fish stock. − Bring to the boil and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes. − With a whisk or blender, mix everything together, and then pass it through a sieve.

To complete the dish: − Clean the shellfish and dice the fish into 3cm chunks, keeping the sea bream fillets whole. − Place all the seafood into a large pan with 1 litre of the Bouillabaisse sauce and a lemon wedge. − Cover and simmer until the shellfish open and the fish are cooked through. − As always with shellfish, discard any shells that haven’t opened. − Finish with chopped parsley and tarragon. − Serve in a hot bowl with crusty bread and grated Gruyère cheese.

The

( recipe )

Devon cook Chef!

Food styling and photography by ANGELA NILSEN

PIGGY IN TH E MIDDLE Devon cook Orlando Murrin pulls his Xxxxxxx own pork to make the perfect late summer barbie. Here’s how – plus his easy-peasy, all-American sides

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T

he last two or three years have seen a craze for pulled meats. No street food market is complete without fragrant pans of pulled pork, beef, lamb and even goat.

Posters of KFC pulled chicken wink at you as you wait for the bus home.

In fact, there is nothing new about the technique; ‘pulling’ – literally, shredding with two forks – is a brilliant way to transform meat that would otherwise be tough and fatty into something melting, tender and juicy.

French ‘rillettes’ are a classical take on the idea – pork, duck or game is salted, cured, cooked very slowly then raked into small shreds and mixed with the cooking fat and juices to form a rich, distinctively textured pâté.

Our American cousins have, inevitably, taken the idea one step further. Jack’s Bar-B-Que in Nashville, Tennessee, is the capital of the pulled meat world. Barbecue here does not refer to chicken and sausages cooked over charcoal, but that Southern favourite – pulled meat in a bun.

Under its iconic sign of three flying pigs, you can choose between pulled Tennessee Pork Shoulder, Texas Beef Brisket or Smoked Boston Turkey.

The meat is heaped onto a bun (and I mean heaped), piled with coleslaw and pickles, then slathered with Jack’s BarB-Que Sauce (winner of last October’s Best Sauce on the Planet’ award).

Here in Devon, where life is a little more gentle, the big name in pulled meat is Piper’s Farm. On this 50-acre family farm, Saddleback pigs spend happy lives snuffling around ancient fruit trees, resulting in the tastiest pork you’ll ever eat. Although meat raised with such care is inevitably more expensive, Peter Greig’s pork shoulder does not break the bank: about £20 for 1.5kg, which will feed 6-8.

To recreate the US experience, here is the complete works – pork, buns, coleslaw, pickles and barbecue sauce.

If you want to gild the lily, add baked beans and onion rings.

PERFECT PULLED POR K I’ve tried many different methods of cooking pulled pork, involving marinades, prebrowning, slow-barbecuing, smoking…

Believe me – there’s no need to put yourself through it: this is one more occasion when simple is best. If this dish enters your regular repertoire – as I hope it will – one easy way to vary it is by using any barbecue rub, or the classic all-purpose Southern rub, which is a simple mix of 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp smoked paprika rubbed into the meat either in advance or just before cooking.

Pork shoulder comes in various shapes and sizes. I find off-the-bone easier to handle, and if it is tied, so much the better.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 6) 1.5-2kg pork shoulder, boned and tied

✱ Orlando Murrin is a food writer and chef. He wrote a daily recipe for the Express newspaper before becoming editor of BBC Good Food, and founder of olive magazine. He has written five cookbooks, including the No Cook Cookbook and A Table in the Tarn, and lives in Exeter.

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METHOD

− Season the pork well all over. Wrap tightly and completely in a double layer of foil, put in a deep roasting tin or dish and bake for 4-5 hours at 160C/140 fan/gas mark 3, until you can poke the meat with a knife and it offers soft resistance. The meat will exude its juices within the foil parcel – try and keep them there. − If making this ahead, cool the pork in its parcel to keep it moist. If serving immediately, remove the pork to a board (cover with a fresh piece of foil to keep warm, if necessary). Discard any strings and rind or skin, then use a carving fork and a table fork (one in each hand) to shred the meat, placing into a dish as you go along. − Season to taste with salt, pepper and a splash of barbecue sauce. − Let the juices settle and skim off the fat.

Use a few tbsps of the juices and a little more barbecue sauce to moisten the pulled pork before serving.

THE ULTIMATE BURGER BUN Golden-crusted and with a tender, fragrant crumb, you will not find a more toothsome bun than this. The addition of potato is a win-win situation, helping texture, flavour and colour, and, because it’s warm, speeds up the rising. You can make these ahead (they freeze perfectly), in which case toast lightly to serve or warm on a barbecue.

If making them on the day, start about three hours ahead, to give comfortable time for rising.

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INGREDIENTS

(Makes 9 large flattish buns) 350g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 25g unsalted butter 400g white bread flour 1 tbsp sugar 7g sachet of instant yeast 1 tsp salt 2 eggs (one for the dough, one for glazing) sprinkling of sesame seeds METHOD

− Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with water (no salt). Bring to the boil and simmer the potatoes until tender. − Strain off 75ml of the cooking water and set aside to cool to hand-hot. − Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return to the pan to dry off further, then mash well or put through a ricer. − Measure out 250ml of mash. Transfer to a bowl, beat in the butter till melted and set to one side to cool slightly. − Make the dough by putting flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Beat an egg into the potato cooking water. − Add the potato mixture, which should be pleasantly warm, to the flour mixture and mix roughly, then add the egg mixture, turn up the speed and beat for a good five minutes.

The dough should leave the sides of the bowl, but be slightly sticky to the touch (think of a Post-it Note); add more flour by the tbsp, if necessary, to achieve this (or water by the tbsp, if the dough seems stiff). − Turn the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Leave to rise until doubled in size. The fact the mixture is warm gives it a head start, so it should take no more than 30-40 minutes. − Turn out onto a work surface – no need to flour, unless the mixture is very sticky.

You want to divide the mixture into nine equal-sized pieces. If you are a perfectionist, weigh the dough, divide by nine and weigh out slices (about 90g each). Otherwise, pat into a 20cm square shape and use a dough cutter to slice into three rows by three. − Now roll each dough piece into a taut ball and cover again with the oiled cling film. − Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Take each ball, flatten into a 9cm disc and lay on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls and cover the balls once again as they rise – about 30 minutes. − Heat oven to 210C/190 fan/gas mark 6-7. − Beat the remaining egg with a splash of water and pinch of salt (making it easier to brush), and lightly glaze the tops of the buns.

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake for about 15 minutes, turning the baking sheets at half time if your oven (like every oven I have ever owned) cooks unevenly. − Remove when deep golden brown and cool for five minutes on the tray before removing to rack.

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( recipe )

BARBECUE SAUCE

LIGHT COLESLAW

This is sweet and tangy; if you like Liquid Smoke, you can add 1 tsp to the finished sauce. Makes about 350ml – and keeps for a fortnight in the fridge

In Crumbs Devon #7, I gave a recipe for creamy coleslaw, mixed with mayo, soured cream and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. As pulled pork is so rich, you may prefer a lighter version.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp oil 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tsp chilli powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 120ml ketchup 5 tbsp molasses or dark brown sugar 2 tbsp cider vinegar 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 2 tbsp smooth mustard 1 tsp Tabasco or other hot chilli sauce METHOD

− Heat the oil and cook the onion till softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chilli and cayenne and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. After about half an hour, the sauce should be slightly thickened and glossy. Cool and transfer to a jar, then keep in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4) half a white cabbage 1 carrot 1 onion 6 tbsp plain yoghurt 1 tsp mustard 2 tbps mayo METHOD

− Shred the cabbage, carrot and half an onion. Mix in a bowl with 2 tsp of salt, then transfer to a colander and drain over the bowl for an hour. − Rinse the vegetables well under running water, then dry well on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel, before mixing with a few thinly sliced radishes (to add colour). Stir in the plain yogurt, mustard and mayo. − Check seasoning and serve.

BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES Ignore the name – these are lightly picked cucumbers. If possible, use Lebanese or ridge cucumbers (the slightly prickly ones), which are smaller and dryer than salad cucumbers and pickle more crisply.

The nearest equivalent you can buy in this country is Mrs Elswood’s Haimisha Cucumbers – if you use these, slice into discs before serving.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes one 500ml jar) 450g small cucumbers, the slimmer the better (3-7 cucumbers), cut into slices about 50mm thick 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly 2 tbsp sea salt plenty of ice For the pickling solution: 300ml cider vinegar 150g sugar ½ tsp chilli powder ½ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp ground turmeric METHOD

− To crisp the cucumber, mix the cucumbers, onion and salt and put in a colander over a bowl. Top with lots of ice cubes, weigh down with another bowl and put in the fridge for a couple of hours, to squeeze the moisture out of the cucumbers. Rinse and drain well. − Meanwhile, bring the pickling solution to a boil and simmer for five minutes, then leave to cool completely. − Put the cucumber and onion in a jar, pour over the cold pickling solution and put in the fridge. Keep chilled and eat within a month.

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LAMB POSTs STEVEN LAMB

@lambposts for Twitter & Instagram

✱ This recipe features in The River Cottage Fish Book, written by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher, Bloomsbury; to buy it, or for more on chef/tutor Stephen Lamb’s upcoming courses at the River Cottage HQ, visit rivercottage.net

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( column )

A newly-married Mr Lamb is all loved up – and not just with the joys of the new mackerel season

I

was married in early August to Elli, my wonderful partner of 10 years, and we were walked down the aisle by our three young daughters. Not quite done in a fever, or hotter than a pepper sprout, but certainly with love and passion. We are not a very conventional family, and we didn’t really hanker after any of the usual nuptial formalities. However, living in Lyme Regis we wanted to have our few wedding pictures reflect our connection to the coast. So, immediately after the ceremony and before the confetti had time to settle, we wondered down to the beach and had a few snaps taken amongst the sunbathing, lolly-licking holiday-makers. It didn’t feel at all odd to be surrounded by partially clad strangers bombing our post wedding photos – in fact, it felt more natural than the few organised family group shots we had taken later on.

The thing about the coast is that it is very symbolic of marriage. It is the place where two very individual elements merge to become one. The land rolls in from one side and the sea crashes in from the other, and the space where they meet is neither one nor the other, but something else which is in constant flux. The tide recedes and exposes parts of the land that were hidden beneath and, on occasion, the sea breaches the land to encroach further than before, changing the topography.

The temperature of the sea in Lyme Bay of late has been low, and we had not yet witnessed the return to the shallow in-shore of the mighty mackerel. They are here all year around, but migrate to deeper water in winter.

It is a turning point in the year for coastal dwellers when the first shoals of mackerel are caught from the shoreline, because it often signifies summer – not from a calendar or equinox perspective, but something more tangible like temperature and sunshine.

The pinnacle event of the return of the mackerel is the spectacular sea bubbling chase of the sprats, where the pelagic predator is whisked into a feeding frenzy in the water usually set aside just for paddling barefoot. In the desperate attempt to avoid being a mackerel meal, the sprats beach themselves on the sand, where at best they are collected by children with buckets partially filled with seawater and later released, or at worst cooked as whitebait, which is one of the least sustainable fish practises on the planet. Less of an issue is the glut of mackerel to be had during this short part of the season, and you can catch them with feathers on a line.

This year it happened the night before our wedding, and even made it into the impromptu speech of one of my ‘Better Men’ (another unconventional element of our wedding). It reminded him of when we first met, fishing off the north wall in Lyme Regis harbour during another mackerel-versus-sprat sprint, where we were the only two people out of most of the local population not to catch a fish.

“Plenty more fish in the sea,” he said, in his speech.

But, of course, for me there was only ever one.

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MACKEREL STUFFED with SALSA VERDE (SERVES 4)

This is an impressive way to prepare mackerel. Fresh, vibrant salsa verde works beautifully as a stuffing, and really complements the rich flesh of the fish. You can try the same technique with other stuffings, such as pesto or a piquant chilli salsa.

The tail-on filleting technique suggested here gives you a very attractive little parcel. Remove the pin bones to create the all-important channel that holds the salsa verde, then simply sandwich two fillets together before tying with string.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium-sized mackerel, gutted olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salsa verde: a generous bunch of flat-leaf parsley, tough stalks removed 6-8 basil leaves 6-8 mint leaves 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 4 anchovy fillets 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed 1 teaspoon English mustard juice of ½ lemon, or to taste olive oil METHOD

− Make the salsa verde first: put the herbs on a large board and chop well. Combine the garlic with the anchovies and capers and chop/ mash them together into a coarse paste. Now bring the chopped herb and anchovy mixtures together

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and chop again. Pile the whole lot into a small mixing bowl and add the mustard, lemon juice and some black pepper to taste. − Stir in just enough olive oil to make a thick green sauce (it shouldn’t be runny or sloppy). Taste and adjust the seasoning, then set aside. − Now fillet the mackerel bait-cutter style, but leaving the fillets joined at the tail end. Make sure you remove all the pin bones. (You should be left with a boneless, headless pair of fillets, still joined at the tail, and with one V-shaped channel in each fillet where the pin bones have been removed.) − Run a good smear of the salsa verde down the V-shaped groove in each fillet of mackerel, then smear a little more over the flesh. − Close up the fish and secure in a couple of places with kitchen string. − You can do all this preparation several hours in advance, and then chill the fish until needed. In fact, the flavour will be better this way. − To cook, set a large, heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Brush the fish lightly with oil, season them and fry for 5-6 minutes on each side, until the flesh is cooked through. − Alternatively, brush them with a splash of oil, season and roast them in an oven preheated to 200-220C/400-425F/gas mark 6-7 for 12-15 minutes. − Alternatively, they can instead be barbecued.

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Kitchen

Armoury CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

AID TO MEASURE How big’s your kitchen, asks Matt Bielby?

If it’s not quite House Call-size yet, but you want it to look just as groovy, KitchenAid has come to your rescue

Yeah, we’ve had these in the mag before.

Like, loads of times.

We have – and we haven’t. Let me explain. You see, the problem with regular KitchenAids, of course, is they’re just too damn big. (Also, too damn expensive – but I’ll let that slide.) So here’s a little one.

A little one? It looks just the same!

But it’s not. Instead, think 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter, with a 3.3litre bowl, rather than the 4.8 litres of its big brothers. Still big enough to be useful, but suited to the more compact and bijoux kitchen surface.

And to the more compact and bijoux purse, might we assume?

Quite so. This mini version of the iconic KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer comes in at £399, a little less than at least some

THIS MONTH crumbsmag.com

of the big ones. That said, it looks basically the same as the original iconic version, first released in 1936, and is similarly robust, versatile and high performing. (Not to mention sexy-looking too, of course.) It’s just not as big and clunky.

I’m suddenly quite interested, especially as it’s my birthday coming soon…

Then you’re in luck, because it’s out from this month – initially through John Lewis, but soon everywhere – and comes in the usual range of trendy colours, like matte black, matte grey and so-called ‘Hot Sauce’ (a kind of punchy red). There’s something called ‘Honeydew’ too, which will be exclusive to John Lewis through the launch period – a sort of ’50s retro pale green. You know, the type of colour they might paint a Vespa or a baby Fiat.

Hollywood squares

The daily grind

37

What about all those fancy attachments you get – are they included?

Yes, it comes with a good starter set – think dough hook, wire whip and flat beater – though it will fit any of the extra bits and bobs designed for the larger models, so you can use it to spiralize, roll pasta, make juice, or, well, anything really. Just in smaller amounts.

Which is all I need.

I think we might just have found your new best friend.

✱ The KitchenAid Mini Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is out in September, £399, at John Lewis initially and other KitchenAid stockists shortly after; for more, KitchenAid.co.uk; johnlewis.com

Harbour sights

Crumbs Cooks With…

a clasS ACt

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39

The long wait is over – and Exeter’s fantastic new cookery school has opened its Quayside doors. Susan Clark grabs an apron (and her French dictionary) to tackle the basics – fish, bread and chocolate tempering – with the chef/tutor and owner, Jim Fisher

T

hey say all good things come to those who wait, and for the owners of Exeter’s new cookery school, Jim and Lucy Fisher, that’s certainly proved true.

The couple, who first met whilst working at The White Hart pub on South Street in the early ’80s, where Jim was the bar manager and Lucy a member of the bar team, have finally realised their dream of starting a cookery school in their favourite city, with their doors opening for business at the start of the summer.

“We’ve always had a soft spot for Exeter,” says Jim. “I proposed to Lucy at the White Hart Christmas party, so it really has a place deep in our hearts.”

But the couple have an almost equally big soft spot for France, where they lived and worked from 2000 to 2014, renovating an old farmhouse in the Dordogne to create a purpose-built cookery school called Cook In France − so they have form in the business of delivering classes to home cooks.

The new cookery school – the result of a £750,000 refurbishment − is right on the water at Exeter Quay and is all distressed walls, old battered brass lamps from ships, sleek glass and slick Gaggenau white goods, including a state-of-the-art steam oven. There are a couple of domestic-style sous vide water baths tucked onto one shelf, and a soft, lingering Provencal vibe throughout.

Jim, who runs the cookery side of things, while Lucy is business and admin, is so steeped in classical French cookery that it permeates through both the classes and his style of cooking.

Close your eyes, take a moment to breathe in the scent of thyme you are holding in your hands and you will feel you’ve been transported deep into the French countryside. And, since there’s a commercial bakery opening in the building next door, it won’t be long before you’ll catch a waft of baking baguettes to complete the scene.

“We waited a long time for the right premises in Exeter, which has such a vibrant foodie scene,” says Jim, who is a former BBC MasterChef semi-finalist, back in the days when Lloyd Grossman was host. He has also cooked with Rick Stein in Padstow (so knows his fish), and Alistair Little in Notting Hill, London.

“What’s great about this position, and our big open doors on the waterside, is that people really do feel they can drop in to find out more. ”

40

I spent three hours cooking with Jim, and can vouch for the joy of the ‘drop-in’ location. In just half an hour, a hospital doctor in blue scrubs and clogs popped his head in to ask where there wetsuit shop was; a young stylist from the hairdressing salon on the other side of the Quay came in carrying a nine-month old miniature dachshund puppy, who gets so many treats she is on a diet; and a pair of 40-something ladies called by on their way back from the gym to enquire about arranging a hen party.

Jim and Lucy have managed to create such a chilled vibe that anyone passing by is made to feel welcome (it does make for an engaging Crumbs photoshoot when all and sundry pop in to see what’s happening), and the fact that when you take a class you all cook together at one of the two enormous bespoke tables in the middle of this vast former warehouse space tells you everything you need to know about the informal and fun approach. We love it.

But what can you learn here? Let’s take a look, shall we?

THE DAY COURSES From spun sugar to fish prep and cooking, there’s a class for everyone who wants to take their home cooking to a new level – and have fun whilst doing so.

(There’s no messing about here, though – the veggie course, for instance, makes it plain that veggie means veggie, with hardly a mention of meat or fish.)

You can learn more about French Boulangerie favourites – like Croissants aux Amande, or Galettes des Rois – on one course, for instance, and there’s a class that teaches six classic pastry types, resulting in four complete dishes.

A full day course, including a delicious lunch, is £155, and for those who can’t throw sickies, there are evening classes at £70 and lunchtime courses for £35.

LONGER COURSES A weekend course costs £295 or, better still, you can spend a whole week at the cookery school, for £795. And for group bookings – birthdays, hen parties and the like – the school is offering a 10% discount on the standard rates for all courses. For a sample of the quality of the food, we’ve some recipes over the page… ✱ EXETER COOKERY SCHOOL, 60 Haven Road, Quayside, Exeter EX2 8DJ; 07415 783759; exetercookeryschool.co.uk

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Jim, Lucy and their mighty – and mightily impressive – cookery school, right on the Quay

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FIsh JIM’S TOP SIX TIPS FOR FILLETING A FISH 1 Choose top quality, really fresh fish from a fishmonger you trust.

2 Make sure your knife is razor sharp and of the correct type (long, thin and flexible is best).

3 Scale the fish really well, as those tough old plates will get in the way.

4 Take your time and keep checking your knife’s progress through the bones.

5 Practice on a cheap and sustainable fish, like mackerel – then, if you get it wrong, you can still cook it up and eat it.

6 Don’t leave your first filleting session to just before that dinner party – practice first!

PAN-FRIED SEABASS on SPINACH and GRIDDLED FENNEL with a PERNOD BUTTER SAUCE (SERVES 4)

This is a very expensive recipe, writes Jim Fisher. Someone once paid me £5,000 to cook it for them. That someone was Rick Stein. (Well, he didn’t exactly pay me, but you have to admit it sounds good.)

The occasion was a competition to impress Rick Stein with an original fish dish. The final was held at Rick’s Seafood Restaurant in Cornwall. At the time, I was in the rheumy embrace of full-blown pneumonia. So tanked up was I by heaven knows how many drugs, potions, antibiotics and steroids that I wasn’t remotely nervous.

I’d also lost all sense of taste and smell, but, incredibly, I won the £5,000 first prize − though it was more by luck than judgement.

What saved me was all the practice I’d put in prior to the event.

Seabass is my favourite fish – small firm flakes of juicy flesh that taste of the sea. Try to get your fishmonger to fillet the fish, and have it scaled really well, because you can then eat the skin if you want. The fillets must be pin-boned (all the little lateral bones need pulling out with tweezers), and you will need a good quality fish stock for this. Packet stuff won’t do, but a good homemade chicken stock will manage.

INGREDIENTS

400ml reduced fish stock 100ml good quality dry white wine 1 tbsp Noilly Prat 2 tbsp Pastis or Pastis, plus a little extra 200ml crème fraîche 2 ripe plum tomatoes 1 tbsp fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 bulbs fennel fresh spinach leaves, stalks removed 8 seabass fillets, skin-on and pin-boned olive oil sea salt freshly ground black pepper METHOD

The sauce: − Put the fish stock, dry white wine, Noilly Prat and Pastis in a medium saucepan. Heat on a medium flame and reduce by a third.

The alcohol will have been driven off, so whisk in the crème fraîche. Reduce more. − Taste the sauce, which should be intense and aromatic. Add a dash more Pastis (a mere thimble-full) to pump up the aniseed.

Season with sea salt (no pepper), then take off the heat and put on a lid to prevent a skin. − Cut the tomato into quarters, remove the seeds and pulp, then dice. Chop the parsley.

The fennel: − Trim the fennel of its base and fronds. Peel away and discard the tough outer layers, then halve lengthwise. Cut each half into eight segments, making sure each one retains a little bit of the stalk – this will help

42

keep the layers together as the segments cook. Place into a pan of rapidly boiling salted water, then simmer for five minutes or so until tender, but still al dente. Drain, and season lightly with salt and pepper. − Bring a cast iron ridged grill pan to a good smoking heat. Brush with oil, then grill the fennel segments each side till nicely marked.

The spinach: − Dunk the rinsed and trimmed spinach leaves into a large pan of boiling water for 30 seconds to wilt. Strain, then refresh in plenty of cold water. Strain again, this time allowing all the water to drain from the spinach. In a medium pan over a gentle heat, toss the spinach with a little oil, salt and pepper.

The fish: − Preheat two frying pans to hot – you should see a faint haze leaving the surface. − Smear the skin with oil, then season lightly with sea salt and fresh black pepper. − Place the fillets skin-side down into the pans and hold them down for a few seconds, as they will initially tend to curl up. Sear for two minutes, then turn the fillets and remove the pan from the heat. Leave flesh-side down for 30 seconds, then remove to a clean teatowel to rest. This allows the flesh to finish cooking, but still be a little underdone.

To serve: − Reheat the sauce, check the seasoning, then throw in the diced tomato and parsley. − Arrange fennel and spinach on four plates, top each with two fillets of seabass. Spoon the sauce around and serve.

crumbsmag.com

( advertising feature )

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ong gone are the days of finding warm and vinegary cider behind the bar; now, there’s a cider revolution going on.

There are plenty of quality ciders being kept in excellent condition in bars right across Devon.

One way to keep craft ciders to these high standards is by storing them the bag-in-a-box way. This ensures that there’s no deterioration of the cider inside, meaning it stays right on top form.

“Often, this type of cider isn’t filtered or pasteurised, and is as near as you can get to the original thing,” explains Jason Mitchell from Ashridge.

Like lager, cider can also be filtered and carbonated, then kegged and dispensed at the bar as a clear, chilled, fizzy thirstquencher. Smaller cider companies are doing this now, and pose strong competition to the big cider names. Check them out and support these craft cider makers – you’re in for some treats.

As well as bag in a box, bottled ciders are also in their element in bars, as well as farm shops and off-licenses. And Ashridge Vintage, Devon Blush and Artisan Elderflower ciders hold their own in these kinds of outlets all over the West Country.

If you’re a cider fan, you should visit one of The Stable pizza restaurants Plymouth and Exeter soon (every Stable has a different menu, depending on the ingredients and cider available locally), where Ashridge cider can be found kegged, in bag-in-box form and bottled. Want a tip? The beautifully kept Ashridge Devon Gold kegged cider slips down a treat with their top-notch pizzas...

ashridgecider.co.uk; @AshridgeCider; 01364 654749

bread FOCACCIA (SERVES 12)

Essentially a semi-flat bread, writes Jim, Focaccia is often topped prior to baking with olives, cheese, herbs, cured meats and the like. It is a brilliant accompaniment to a summer BBQ, and is a great crowd pleaser.

We serve it cut into squares and piled onto a rustic wooden chopping board.

Focaccia keeps for only a day, but freezes really well and eats superbly when gently re-heated in a low oven.

INGREDIENTS

500g plain, or strong, flour 2 sachets easy-blend dried yeast 2 tsp salt 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 400ml lukewarm water large handful roughly chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme leaves 12 green or black olives large pinch of rough sea salt METHOD

− Put the flour, yeast, salt and oil in a roomy bowl and mix in most of the water with a wooden spoon, stirring to form a very soft, gooey dough. − Turn out and knead on a floured worktop for five minutes or until smooth and elastic. − Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for one hour until doubled in size (on top of a kitchen cupboard would be perfect) − Preheat oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. − Lightly oil a baking tray or Swiss roll tin and tip in the dough. − Now, with your fingers, gently spread the dough out to the edges of the tray, flattening it as you go. Scatter with the herbs and gently ‘dib’ the surface of the dough with your fingertips, making deep depressions in the surface. Sprinkle over the olives and sea salt and place in the centre of the oven.

Bake for about twenty to thirty minutes, or until golden. − Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes or so. Now cut into squares and serve.

JIM’S TOP SIX TIPS FOR MAKING BREAD 1 Make sure you add enough salt – under-seasoned bread will taste dull.

2 Yeast and salt do not like each other, so place the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the opposing side until you are ready to add water and start mixing.

3 Test the temperature of the water with your finger – it should feel neither too warm nor too cold.

4 Cover your dough with oiled cling film – a tea towel will get gooey when the dough rises and sticks to it!

5 You can put bread dough in the fridge, even freeze it, but never over-heat it, as he yeast will become de-activated – permanently!

6 Make sure your bread is properly cooked through. Turn it over and tap the bottom – it should sound hollow.

If not, put it back in for a few minutes.

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JIM’S TOP SIX TIPS FOR TEMPERING CHOCOLATE

EASY CHOCOLATE TEMPERING

1 Only use top quality chocolate!

2 Buy a good quality cooking thermometer – a laser-type is best, as it will give you an instant temperature readout, but a digital one will do the job just fine.

3 Not a lot of people know this, but you can temper dark and milk and white chocolate just the same.

4 Take your time – trying to temper chocolate when the kids have just got home. or when rushed, will do neither you nor the chocolate any good.

5 Don’t try to temper on a hot day or in a hot kitchen – the tempering process requires the chocolate go down to 22C, after all.

6 Have everything to hand before you start – this is what chefs call the ‘Mise’ (for Mise en Place).

(SERVES 12)

We temper chocolate to give it that attractive shine and characteristic ‘snap’, writes Jim. Also, tempered chocolate will not melt in the hand so readily. Tempering chocolate needs care, and you will need a confectioner’s thermometer or digital temperature probe.

INGREDIENTS

400g dark (70%) chocolate METHOD

CUTE CHOCOLATE POTS (SERVES 8)

These beautiful little chocolate pots are very rich, so don’t eat too many (ah, what the hell – eat as many as you like!). They go down wonderfully with crisp tempered chocolate shards and sweet dessert wine.

INGREDIENTS

For the pots: 280ml double cream 2 level tbsp caster sugar 250g good quality dark chocolate, min 70% cocoa solids 2 large egg yolks 2 tbsp Armagnac or Cognac (whiskey’s good, too) 25g (1oz) unsalted butter METHOD

− Heat the cream with the sugar to almost boiling point, then allow to cool for a couple of minutes. − With the chocolate still in its wrapper – this bit’s good! – wack the slab down on the

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worktop as hard as you can. Then open it up and tip all the little bits into the cream.

– Immediately stir until all the chocolate has melted and the cream turns a rich dark brown, with no little streaks of un-melted chocolate visible. − Stir in the egg yolks, the spirits and the butter. Keep going until all the butter has melted into the chocolate cream. − Pour into little coffee cups, then pop them into the fridge for a couple of hours.

To make the decorative tempered chocolate shards: − Pour the tempered molten chocolate onto a (preferably marble, but at least cold) work surface. Spread it to a thickness of no more than 2mm. − Allow to cool until almost set, then, with the edge of a palette knife angled at approx 45°, push it into the edge of the chocolate furthest away from you and scrape a thin curl. It should roll naturally into a curled shard. Practice until you get it right, then use all the shards to decorate your dessert. − Remove the chocolate pots from the fridge an hour or so prior to serving in order to bring them up to room temperature, and serve with the tempered chocolate shards and a glass of chilled dessert wine.

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chocolate

− Finely chop or process the chocolate until it resembles breadcrumbs. − Melt 300g in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth (don’t allow the water to come into direct contact with the bottom of the bowl, lest the chocolate curdle or ‘seize’). The temperature of the chocolate should be between 48C and 55C. − Remove from the bowl and allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then slowly add the remaining processed chocolate, stirring until the temperature drops to 28C. − Finally, raise the temperature very gently to 31C or 32C. − Test the temper by dipping a cold knife into the chocolate and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, by which time the chocolate should be hard, shiny and brittle.

3

2

1

THE WANT LIST

1 SOUS VIDE WAND £89.99 You’ll soon be making restaurantstandard food at home with this thing, because the wand/ thermometer will turn your saucepan into a water bath for perfect results – whether cooking meat, fish or veg. You’ll need a pan at least 19cm deep to use it – another thing for your want list! ✱ lakeland.co.uk

Smart stuff to buy, at every price point…

4

2 PAUL HOLLYWOOD ENAMEL BAKING TIN £9 What we like about this new pie tin is that it reminds you what to do next: bake! Designed for a crisp and even bake and with a lipped rim for a pristine pie crust topping, there’s now no excuse for not serving perfect pies – every time. ✱ shops@dartington.co.uk 3 PAUL HOLLYWOOD WOODEN PIE DOLLY £14 And on the subject of pies, Paul’s come up with a nice twist on the old fashion pie flute, with this cute wooden pie dolly. Drilled with holes and carved with side grooves to prevent a vacuum forming, it’s perfect for pork pies. ✱ shops@dartington.co.uk

5

4 JUDGE CERAMIC COFFEE GRINDER £34.50 Switch to coffee beans with this ceramic, hand-cranked beauty which, unlike others on the market, will grind – not cut – the beans, meaning you get superior flavours. ✱ panters.co.uk 5 MORSO FORNO £1,099 Still raving about the uber cool kettle-shaped indoor (or outdoor) wood-fired stove we featured last issue? You can get it from Exeter’s Hearth & Cook, which sells a little, less expensive version too. ✱ hearthandcook.com

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THE JUBILEE INN

A newly refurbished boutique Inn and restaurant with luxurious guest accommodation under the internationally renowned Dark Skies Reserve above Exmoor National Park.

We offer fabulous fine dining or classic inn food cooked to perfection, accompanied by fine wines and ales. Relax with a warm welcome in beautiful, yet comfortable surroundings which are both elegant, yet a little bit quirky!

The Jubilee Inn West Anstey, South Molton, Devon, EX36 3PH

Tel. 01398 341401

info@thejubileeinn.co.uk www.thejubileeinn.co.uk

THE WREY ARMS Newly refurbished, family and dog friendly pub serving good beers, excellent food and comfortable B&B at a very reasonable price. Children’s play area and outdoor seating available as well as BT Sports, pool tables and darts in our sports bar.

New menu recently launched celebrating good home cooked pub food at outstanding value in a friendly and comfortable environment.

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The perfect pairing to every fish dish…

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

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CHRIS OPHER PIPER WINES “In a world often led by price driven competition at all costs, it’s a delight to work with a company bucking that trend. From the warehouse to delivery, and all those in between, you’ll find passion, quality, knowledge and conviction... and a smile to boot!”

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“A bright, outstanding nose of freshly picked lemon and green melon.

Intense and persistent on the palate, the grapefruit acidity is incredibly appealing against a lemon backdrop.

Particularly aromatic and elegant.”

Decanter

“This is not just ‘good for an English wine’ but ‘excellent as a European wine’. Wonderful balance and intensity, with a top-flight finish.

Muscadet meets Chablis!”

Christopher Piper, Christopher Piper Wines

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1 Silver Street, Ottery St Mary, Devon, EX11 1DB sales@christopherpiperwines.co.uk www.christopherpiperwines.trade / 01404 814139

Mains

NEW COMPANIES, AMAZING INNOVATIONS, CAMPAIGNS WORTH FIGHTING FOR, AND PEOPLE THAT MATTER

Highlights FEELING THE PINCH

Watch your fingers!

(These fellas aren’t exactly helpless, you know…)

In a physical fashion only, of course, for business is booming at Favis of Salcombe Page 50

MEN AT WORK

Fancy hosting the best ever dinner party at your house? We know the guys to call…

Page 56

Including…

1 crumbsmag.com

49

CRAB PASTY That’s better than you’d get at any high street chain!

These guys were clearly never told off for playing with food

IF I HAD A HAMMER Mains

Family crabbing firm Favis of Salcombe is hoping to scoop the prestigious Taste of the West Supreme Champion award again this year. And with three Gold Awards already already under their belts for 2016, they might just crack it, says ALEXIS BOWATER

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t’s been an astonishing year for family firm Favis of Salcombe, whose reputation has gone stratospheric in the last 18 months. Crowned the Supreme Champion by Taste of the West, they beat off stiff competition from other Gold Award winners − from Bristol to Lands End − with their hand-picked white crab meat (which we – and apparently the Chinese, who can’t get enough of their exports − can vouch is well worth all the awards, and more).

Judges raved about their product, with Devon chef/judge Peter Gorton trying to take the tasting pots home, and John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West, saying: “White crab meat is incredibly difficult to get just right as a product, but this company really has managed it. It’s truly superb in both flavour and texture, and really does show off just what the South West can do.”

Trencherman’s Pub of the Year 2016

The Swan is the oldest pub in the charming historic town of Bampton, near Exmoor National Park, an area well known for its hunting, fishing, shooting and popular with ramblers and cyclists.

We have a passion for food and with this we like to embrace the use of local produce, keeping menus simple, yet bursting with flavours and imagination.

We take pride in our well kept, locally sourced ales and fine wines, to whet the appetites and suit all tastes.

Eat, Drink & Sleep At the Swan, Bampton

KINGS ARMS G

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genuine freehouse pub

ovenance uce & pr local prod outdoor and function area s

T. 01398 332248 E. info@theswan.co www.theswan.co Bampton | Tiverton | Devon | EX16 9NG

live music

& drink inning food award-w

Chapel Street, Georgeham, EX33 1JJ 01271 890240 www.kingsarmsgeorgeham.co.uk

M

( feature )

It’s just a hunch, but we think that chap in the grey suit below might not actually be a regular Favis family member…

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY (WITHOUT FALLING OUT!) We asked Favis for their top tips on running a close-knit family business and still managing to speak to each other, whatever the ups and downs.

1 The business is continually growing and evolving as new family members join, they say, and the knowledge that has been gained is passed down through the generations. We all end up knowing the business inside out.

2 We are all working towards the same goal, and – as the business has always been around – everyone is passionate about it. If we ever disagree about something, nobody is afraid to say their bit, which means it’s always resolved in a positive way.

For the family, who’ve been fishing crab and lobster off Salcombe in South Devon since 1972, the year of being voted ‘Supreme Champion’ has seen their goodies landing in even more prestigious kitchens than usual, across not just the South West but London too.

Their crab meat is celebrated in many name restaurants across the capital.

Brothers Kevin and Nigel run their crabber, The Emma Jane, from Salcombe, joined now by Sam who – at only 18 – is up for their week-long runs 30 miles out into the English Channel.

Pippa Favis and Laura, 22, run the office and manage the land-based team.

The family is clear about the secret to their success, how they won the Supreme Champion award and what makes their food so special: “It’s simple, really,” says Laura Favis. “It’s all completely natural. There’s nothing

3 Everyone gets on really well, and knows each other so well that working together is fun.

CRABTASTIC STATS

4 There is always someone to make the tea and coffee who (happily) knows exactly how you take it – it saves time!

5 No-one can pull a sickie, as we’d all know about it!

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added, nothing taken away, and all of our crab meat is 100 per cent hand picked.”

Among their customers are Michelinstarred Gidleigh Park on Dartmoor and Soar Mill Cove in South Devon. Awardwinning chef and author Jane Baxter is another huge fan, using Favis brown and white crab meat as preference over any other. Exports out of their Kingsbridge HQ, where they do the cooking, handpicking and packing of the crab, are not just to restaurants in Devon and London, but also to China, where the export market is huge.

So representing The Best of British both here and abroad meant nobody should really have been surprised when this award-winning Devon family firm was recently invited to meet another wellknown family firm – The Royal

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vis How many crab does Fa s fish per year? 500 tonne you can b cra ny ma How cook and pick per day?

500kg d out How much do you sen m fro s ge ran It ek? we every 1-14 tonnes b?

What size is a good cra 3kg Hen crab 1kg; cock crab

ople Your best advice for pe b cra n ow ir the g kin coo at home (basically, what should we do with it?)

20 Cook in boiling water for fore be l coo let and s ute min b, picking. Dismantle the cra and s gill the of se po dis t crack the claws − then ge g! kin pic to

( feature )

Family! (Well, Prince Charles actually, since he was representing ‘The Firm’.)

Earlier this year, at a glittering event on Exeter’s Cathedral Green staged to celebrate Taste of the West’s 25th year, the heir to the throne met Laura Favis to discuss all things crabstastic.

Actually, HRH had met the Favis family years before, at their boat when she was moored at Salcombe’s Fish Quay. This time, though, reports Laura, he wanted to know more about production – and the success of their export operations – and then asked for more details on whether (and how) hand-picking manages to get all shell shards out of the meat.

Laura told Prince Charles that’s easy to answer: “We do it at our headquarters, just outside Kingsbridge, in the traditional way using a hammer and a teaspoon.”

The family are used to dealing with wellknown faces by now, supplying, as they do, some of the most famous celebrity chefs in the country, not least those here in Devon.

Mitch Tonks, owner of the Rockfish chain and the award-winning Seahorse Restaurant in Dartmouth, says he prefers Favis hand-picked crab meat over all rivals, using it both in his restaurants and also at his annual Crab Festival in Dartmouth.

“I’ve eaten crab all over the world, and the crab from South Devon is the very best I have ever tasted,” he says. “I’m a great believer that crab meat needs to be as fresh as it possibly can be, and so that’s why we always use Favis crab – you can’t beat it, as it’s picked properly and can be eaten as fresh as is possible.”

With a hat trick of three Taste of the West Gold Awards already under their belt for 2016, it remains to be seen if they can repeat their success of last year and scoop the Supreme Champion accolade again too. Whether they do or not, though, there’s a cracking future ahead of them.

“Our future plans include expanding our picking area and getting a second boat,” says Laura. “Some things do scare us − like being lost at sea, or forgetting to pay a bill − but there are more things that excite us, like winning awards.”

With a great business like this, a fantastic sustainable product and an inspiring family firm with three generations now working together to get their catch from pot to plate in less than eight hours, you can fairly say their future is just as sparkling as the sea off Salcombe where they fish.

FAVIS OF SALCOMBE’S EASY PEASY (and award-winning) CRAB PASTY INGREDIENTS

METHOD

150g white crab meat 150g brown crab meat 100g diced, par-cooked potato 1 glass dry white wine 1 dash sherry 1 banana shallot, finely diced 2 star anise 1 tbsp English mustard 1 pint of double cream 50g grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg for egg wash good quality puff pastry (10cm rounds, if possible)

− Reduce the wine, sherry, shallots and star anise until nearly all the liquid has gone. Add the mustard and cream and reduce again by one third. Add the Parmesan and leave to cool. − Fold in the potato and crab meat and refrigerate. − Add 1 large tablespoon to each puff pasty round, fold over and crimp shut with your thumb or a fork, then brush over and crimp shut with your thumb or a fork.

– Brush with beaten egg and cook for 30 to 35 minutes at 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

✱ favis-os.com

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Gift Vouche rs availab le

Relaxed friendly cookery courses on Exeter’s historic quayside www.exetercookeryschool.co.uk

Mains

‘Two Grumpy Chefs’ is what they call themselves, so it’s not just us being cheeky. One has eaten scorpion, and survived to tell the tale; the other was posted on a ‘Missing Persons’ list whilst partying in his youth, and lived to tell that tale too. Meet (nowrelocated-to-Devon) chefs John Burton-Race and Chris Sherville

And a bit about Grumpy Chef Chris: “I once had a new pair of cowboy boots and numerous cactus spines surgically removed in A&E, after a night on Wild Turkey in Arizona. And I discovered a love of cooking when a girl I invited to supper was still there at breakfast.”

tHe

O DD CoUPLE Grumpy Chef John tells all: “I lived in Malaysia as a child. When I was four-years-old I ate a scorpion − with no adverse side effects. My first car was a Hillman Imp. I won European Chef of the Year 1992, and cooked for King Juan Carlos of Spain. I’m not as grumpy as Chris.”

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“My name’s John, and I hear you can cook.” It was an abrupt introduction and start to a solid friendship, perhaps, but when dealing with celebrity chef John Burton-Race, it’s probably just to be expected. Acclaimed private chef Chris Sherville and one-time TV star John have been friends for years: their wives met whilst both were pregnant, and now their children, Rufus and Pip, enjoy days fishing off Devon’s coast together. It wasn’t until the beginning of this year, however, that the two decided to head into business together, with Two Grumpy Chefs the result.

This private dining venture seems to have been something of a no-brainer. Both Chris and John are renowned chefs; indeed, Chris calls his friend’s talent “a rare thing”, and the two men work well together. “John is more hot-headed,” Chris says, whilst claiming to be a calming, more organized influence. The result is certainly a unique experience, where both the client and the food become central focus.

“Before even thinking about a menu, we sit down with the client and discuss what they like,” John says, “plus what they want for the event, and how we can best achieve that.”

It is clear that it’s this level of dedication which sets The Two Grumpy Chefs apart. That, and the level of cooking they bring to clients’ own homes, which they say is like no other service on offer.

Over their respective careers, John has been awarded two Michelin stars and Chris graduated with distinction from the Leith School of Food and Wine − both chefs have run their own restaurants. And this new partnership is something of a meeting of minds. Where John is comfortable cooking to an audience, Chris prefers to be more in the background. Yet, they work well and harmoniously together, providing a sense of balance, as well as creating the most delicious of meals.

Both also acknowledge their luck at ending up in Devon.

“We’re so fortunate with the produce that’s on offer locally,” says Chris, and John agrees. The animal husbandry, the pastureland and the seafood of the county allows the Grumpy Chefs menus to have a real seasonal focus.

Their suppliers, too, are crucial.

“We have a man that hand dives for scallops,” John says, “and our fish comes from the day boats. We also love taking the ingredients up to London to cook with; they’re like nothing else in the city.”

John is keen to emphasize that the duo are keen to advise their clients on which drinks to serve alongside the food too, in order to best showcase their menus.

Both the scale and scope of the Grumpy Chefs’ Amazingly, one clientelle continues to grow. With a tasting of the guys who evening, a lobster night and an event on Exmoor can make food like this once, we all in the pipeline, John and Chris are certainly busy – and their ambitions remain similarly lofty. quote, “caught his undercarriage “I’d like to think about cooking for clients abroad while vaulting an next, or perhaps on a yacht,” says John. A new electric fence”… cookbook featuring their recipes is in the offing too, and there is even talk (too exciting for words) of a restaurant or cookery school in the future.

But, for now, both are content with cooking with the best of what Devon has to offer, and providing their clients with events which will rise above all expectations. If you’re brave enought to contact them, you could be hosting the season’s most show-stopping dinner party or event, too… ✱twogrumpychefs.com, or contact them via facebook.com/ Two-Grumpy-Chefs, or via Twitter @TwoGrumpyChefs

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#10 sUe N ex t is

DEVON

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EDITOR

SUSAN CLARK susan.clark@mediaclash.co.uk DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

MATT BIELBY matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM ADVERTISING MANAGER

SIMON HAWKINS simon.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

SARAH KINGSTON sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION DESIGNER

CHARLIE PINDER charlie.pinder@mediaclash.co.uk

A little slice of foodie heaven

BERrY NICE Blackberries, sloes, rosehips, and elderberries: next issue we’re rambling through the hedgerows

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

JANE INGHAM jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE

GREG INGHAM greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk

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THIS ISSUE we’ve been balancing out the on-trend with the traditional, so for every pulled pork treat there’s a treacle tart, for each swig of rum there are classic wine choices. Hey, it’s just the way we all tend to roll these days…

Crumbs is back with...

TINSEL TIME Get the party frocks out – it’s time to book your Xmas shindig THE DARK STUFF Chocolate heaven, from three of the best OLD PARK HALL Devon’s coolest B&B (we know, normally we’d run a mile) TO YOUR DOOR Foodie gift hampers you won’t want to give away

Haul aboard our next issue from

Friday, 7 October

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NOW Bi-M ont hly

M AG A ZINE The South West’s new wedding bible PICK Up your free copy now

T Follow us @VowMag From the makers of Crumbs, Bath Life, Bristol Life, Cardiff Life, Exeter Living and Salisbury Life Ad enquiries: Helen.Kembery@mediaclash.co.uk; Editorial: Matt.Bielby@mediaclash.co.uk; 01225 475800

Afters NEW RESTAURANTS DEVOURED, NEW BARS CRAWLED, NEW SHOPS EXPLORED, AND EVERYTHING REVIEWED AND RATED

Turns out, in the Caribbean they’ve got better things to do than plaster their walls properly…

Highlights THE RUM DIARIES

We channel our inner pirates at Exeter’s new Rum & Crab Shack Page 64

GET THE HABIT crumbsmag.com

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Behind-the-scenes at Ilfracombe’s coolest new hotel Page 62

Including…

80 rums on offer at the Rum & Crab Shack.

(We didn’t think it too many)

Af ters

O

( BOUTIQUE HOTELS )

THE HABIT

We’ve longed for a super-chic boutique hotel on the North Devon coast for years, and now it seems we’ve got one – with bells on. SUSAN CLARK celebrates the joyous experience that is cocktails and a sleepover at Ilfracombe’s The Habit Boutique Rooms

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nce upon a time there was a seaside town that had it all – its own modern theatre building, an astonishing statue (Verity) representing Justice on loan from the highest paid contemporary artist in the world (who just happened to live up the road), and a dinky little aquarium which should not be underrated.

But the citizens of this seaside town were sad. They could decamp to the beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon, they could eat fish and chips at the side of the Quay and watch HMS Oldenburg setting off for the mystical Lundy Island, and they could even buy a Kiss Me Quick hat – but what they could not do was book into a chic little boutique hotel, because the seaside town didn’t have one.

Until now, that is…

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( feature )

The Habit, which opened in Ilfracombe’s Fore Street last year, set tongues wagging even before the paintwork on the walls of its 11 beachstyle contemporary bedrooms had dried.

Word trickled across to the county town of Barnstaple and beyond – there was talk of elegant interiors, good food, a buzzing contemporary cocktail bar vibe and, as if that wasn’t enough, the well-kept secret of a fantastic seafood restaurant just a hop and a skip down the road, where the chef, Thomas Carr, has trained with two Michelin-starred Cornish celeb, Nathan Outlaw.

Not surprisingly, there was now a stream of foodies heading to Ilfracombe hoping to see what all the fuss was about – and, trust me, it’s worth the trip.

The Habit – a former 40-something bedroom hotel (which tells you how much bigger each of the mere 11 rooms must be now) – is the vision of husband and wife partnership, Ian and Clare Newman. Clare is the interiors and design brains for the project, whilst husband Ian, a builder, has made sure there’s been no cutting of corners during this mega refurbishment. Clare is also a qualified pilates instructor and so, uniquely, the hotel also offers both oneto-one (£35 an hour) and group sessions.

The couple moved from Ascot, Berkshire to the North Devon coast seeking that chillaxed vibe this part of Devon does so well, and then spent their money refurbishing the hotel so their guests could experience the same.

“We like to think of The Habit more as a guest house than a hotel,” says Clare. “It’s intimate and relaxed, a place where you’ll feel comfortable coming and going as you please, chatting to staff who are always there to help, or simply wiling away the hours in peace with a coffee and a good book.”

And they must be doing something right, because the hotel is starting to garner tourism awards, including, this year, runner up in the AA’s ‘Funkiest B&B’ category.

Until this summer, The Habit was also offering a fine dining menu in the smart Hancock’s Restaurant (head chef is Alex Fulluck, who cooked at The Reform Club in London), but Clare and Ian have decided to scale back since then, and now offer a simplified bar/brasserie menu, which I think makes sense – it’s all about the uber-chilled vibe on this side of the Devon coast, and we’re all just as likely to turn up to dine in bare feet as high heels.

If you’re planning a weekend over on this part of the coast, then, I can’t recommend The Habit highly enough.

It’s fun and funky, and doesn’t take itself too seriously – which is exactly what North Devon is all about.

And if you’re more local, and looking for a great night out, why not throw caution to the wind and give in to the temptation of a Good, Bad or Dirty Habit, which are the names of the hotel’s own cocktails, as devised by the resident mixologist?

✱ THE HABIT, 46-48 Fore Street, Ilfracombe, EX34 9DN; 01271 863272; thehabitboutiquerooms.com

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Af ters

( G R E AT S E A F O O D )

RUM & CRAB SHACK

Susan Clark travels the world – via the rum in her glass – from the comfort of a bar stool at Exeter’s new Rum & Crab shack, a gaff that’s picked up on the new trend for artisan spirits. Pirates, young and old, are especially welcome….

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( feature )

J

ust a short walk from the hustle and bustle of city centre shops and Exeter’s Cathedral Green is one of the city’s newest eateries, The Rum & Crab Shack. It’s the second ‘child’ of a St Ives restaurant owned by two friends who, over a glass of rum, decided this would be their business dream. Thankfully, they are sharing it with the rest of us.

Two large glass windows with gold writing lure you into their industrialyet-seaside themed restaurant, like a pirate unable to resist shiny treasure.

The building is, naturally, a game of two halves, with a distinct restaurant area and a bar area that are so much like those at their original restaurant that this building felt like just the right fit to owners Chris and Neythan.

There are no boats on the window sill, nautical stripes or crab decor here, though – just earthy wooden tables, metal chairs, rope lighting and exposed brick walls. With “seafaring fare from round here and famous rums from over there”, the Rum & Crab Shack certainly knows what it has to offer both the keen diner and the social drinker. What’s even more enticing, though, is that all the seafood is sourced from neighbouring Cornwall, thus making sure all that delicious goodness stays more or less on home turf, as opposed to being exported for other landlubbers to enjoy.

I sat down in the lovely window booth, so I could watch the world go by, and waited for my Strawberry Fields drink − made of pulverised fresh strawberries, mint leaves and lemonade − to arrive. I’ve lately been taking newfound pleasure in trying out alternative non-alcoholic offerings, especially at lunchtime, and this was both interesting and refreshing, and worked well as a palate cleanser throughout my meal.

The Rum & Crab Shack isn’t just about food, of course; if a relaxing drink is more your thing, then look no further – there’s an extensive drinks menu, and you’re welcome to relax in the bar area, sipping away without anyone getting crabby. As well as all the normal options, there are over 80 rums on offer, from Venezuela, the Canary Islands, Mauritius, Cuba, Australia and more.

One of the rums – Dead Man’s Fingers – is even made here, using an imported base rum. It boasts flavours of

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orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, and when a Dead Man’s Finger cocktail was recommended to me as a must-try, I weakened and went for it. (I’m not someone who normally drinks rum, but it was delicious and I would definitely have it again; very smooth, with all the flavours singing in harmony.)

The menu boasts plenty of crab options, including rum and crab soup, crab cakes and whole claws, and there is also plenty of meat and some veggie options too.

As tempting as the bar area is, though, food was the order of the day for me, and for starters I chose the tempura squid and also the children’s macaroni cheese. The squid was lovely and tender in a crispy batter, with a soft inner layer accompanied by a sweet chilli sauce for dipping, and there was plenty to get your mitts on.

With a flutter of my eyelashes I asked for lobster in the macaroni cheese, as per the adult version, and behold, for pieces of silver, my wish was granted! A very good portion of macaroni cheese turned up, with lobster peeking out from the tubes as if it were hiding in coral.

The meat was tender, the sauce cheesy but not overly so, and with the addition of chopped spring onions and crunchy breadcrumbs on the top, the whole dish was delicious and felt indulgent.

For my mains course, I choose the crab nachos. (I wish I’d been warned about this sea monster: a large bowl of nachos, knee-deep in beautifully sweet crab, cucumber and tomato salsa, sweetcorn and spring onion, and all smothered in melted cheese. The savoury, fresh and sweet combination was moreish and the dish was certainly

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big enough for two to share, should you feel the urge to try something else on the menu as well.)

The fare on offer for ‘trainee pirates’ (the kids) is no lesser quality, and there’s not a chicken McNugget or a sausage and mash in sight.

As the tables around me began to fill with punters, creating a good ambience, it was time for finish up and walk the plank back to the agreeable chaos of the city, and my day job.

I was, however, happily full to the brim, and still savouring the delicious tastes of my lunchtime escape. I have no doubt that I’ll be returning soon – but at sunset, when I can get stuck into more of the liquid treasure, too. ✱ RUM & CRAB SHACK, 14 Catherine Street, Exeter EX1 1EU; 01392 758050; rumandcrabshack.com

Little black book

Though he has half his life rooted in Mexico, surfer Noel Corston also runs a fine dining restaurant in Woolacombe. On days off, here’s where you’ll find him BREAKFAST? My favourite spot in the

world is El Cafecito, at our Oaxacan home on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.

Unbelievable quality and value, with classic Oaxacan breakfasts, coffee (ask for Café de olla, not filter!) and pastries. For a special occasion here, though, my wife Nora will usually cook something Mexi at home!

Noel Corston is one of Devon’s best chefs, and owner of a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant in Woolacombe: NC@EX34. A couple of years ago he ditched the bistro menu, and now only offers a fixed Chef’s Taster menu, so you have to book…

Ilfracombe, North Devon. Paul there runs a great little restaurant, cooking straightforward, homely, honest food with no frills.

ONE TO WATCH? My old surfing mate,

BEST BREW? Exmoor Gold, of course.

Tom Carr, is also in Ilfracombe. He trained with Nathan Outlaw, and now has his own little place. We find we often share customers.

FAVOURITE GROCERY SHOP?

EATING WITH FRIENDS? The Kings

Cawthorn Foodmarket in Braunton has always been great for general stuff, and more recently there's also Johns of Instow, either in Instow or Appledore.

BEST WINE MERCHANT? I have an

extensive list for the restaurant, but, for personal use, I tend to use Majestic in Barnstaple, as I like to browse in store.

SUNDAY LUNCH? The Rock Inn in

Quick!

HIDDEN GEM? La Gendarmerie in

Georgeham always hits the mark, but once again, we usually stay at home, as we have a large, four-generation family.

Now add some of Noel’s faves to your own foodie contacts book

QUICK PINT? Has to be The Rock Inn again! Their Abbot Ale is always in great nick.

Exmoor Gold, Exmoor, TA4 2NT; exmoorales.co.uk Cawthorn Foodmarket, Braunton, EX33 1AA; 01271 812053 Majestic Wines, Barnstaple EX32 8PB; majestic.co.uk The Rock Inn, Georgeham, EX33 1JW; therockinn.biz John May Family Butcher, South Molton, EX36 3BU; johnmayfamilybutcher.co.uk La Gendarmerie, Ilfracombe, EX34 9ED; lagendarmerie.co.uk Thomas Carr at The Oliver Room, Ilfracombe, EX34 9DJ; thomascarrchef.co.uk Squires, Braunton, EX33 2JL; squiresfishrestaurant.co.uk The Thatch, Croyde, EX33 1LZ; thethatchcroyde.com Seadog Foods, Ilfracombe; seadogfoods.co.uk

POSH NOSH? Best meal in the South

West was at Paul Ainsworth’s in Padstow, but the ‘meal of my life’ was at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume in Cartmel.

Not Devon, I know, but flawless nonetheless. I’m looking forward to seeing (and eating at) Michael Caine’s new gaff in Lympstone next year, too.

FOOD ON THE GO? The venison pie from John May Family Butcher in South Street, South Molton, which specialises in Exmoor meats and produce and sells a rather fantastic game range.

ALFRESCO FEASTING? My garden

on Sunday, at around 3pm in summer!

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Arms in Georgeham; another old mate of mine, Steve Cave, runs this great little boozer, with loads of amazing bands playing.

WITH THE FAMILY? Squires Fish & Chips in Braunton; they just keep doing what they do! And it's always brilliant.

CHILD FRIENDLY? Squires again; it’s a firm family favourite with my lot.

BEST CURRY? Barricane Beach Cafe near Woolacombe, for the sunset as much as anything else.

BEST ATMOSPHERE? The Thatch at Croyde, with the Universe Inspectors in the house!

SOMETHING SWEET? Hockings

ice cream, enjoyed preferably in Appledore by the Quay.

TOP STREET FOOD? Jim and Beth at Seadog Foods are smashing it – they won both ‘Best of the Best’ and ‘ Best Snack’ in the British Street Food Awards last year − and I also like Stoned, who do pizzas in Braunton.

But, for me, the best street food in the world is the tacos you get in Mexico City (obviously). ✱ NC@EX34, South Street, Woolacombe, EX34 7BB; 01271 871187; noelcorston.com; @NoelCorston

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Pre-Christmas Mini Break For 2 people sharing. £199 per room, per night. For dinner, bed and breakfast

NR PRINCETOWN | DARTMOOR | DEVON | PL20 6SA Tel: 01822 890403 | Email: info@princehall.co.uk

www.princehall.co.uk