Crumbs Devon - issue 8

CRUMBS DEVON

Mad asra !

Hatte

A little slice of foodie heaven

Amazing times at Glazebrook House

NO.8 AUGUST 2016

NO.

08

august

c ru

Afternoon delight

mb sm a

g. c

om

2016

a pot of tea! a pile of cakes! a was wasT Ted

su sw pe ee r t

r thecipe bes e r s fr t c egio om he n's fs

day!

DEVON knows how they make it so dreamy

You throw away the outside, cook the inside, eat the outside, and throw away the inside.

What am I?

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Bum iss pe ue r !

BOIL ’Em! GRILL’Em! DRO N ’Em DROw IN BUTTER!

However you cook them, it’s a

Corn on the cob!

A STAR IS CORN

Rockfish

goes gluten free Cake makes at Ashburton

Life’s a beach at The Cary Arms

EVERYTHING STOPS FOR TEA THERE ARE TIMES – usually High Summer – when the very core of my Englishness blossoms forth and so, no matter where I am or what I am doing, I have to stop, on the dot of four o’clock, for afternoon tea. (Okay, this is a disaster for my waistline, but I’ll give the habit up come September. Honest.)

It’s just so hard, you see, to resist the joy of a cutting cake that’s been baked freshly that morning, ready to be served with your tipple of choice (mine’s Prosecco – if I’m not driving).

It’s also a great excuse for a nice sit down and an even nicer natter, and so, in the interests of meaningful research, I called up that lovely award-winning food photographer – and my partnerin-crime on these matter – Guy Harrop, and invited him down to a very special Tea Party at the truly unique Glazebrook House hotel.

I’d heard rumblings about the talents of the hotel’s young chef de partie, Amy Symonds, who is knocking out two Michelin star-style fancies and cakes there, thanks to her training at Gidleigh Park under the tutelage of chef Michael Caines. You can see the results of my mission to find Devon’s swankiest afternoon tea on page 40.

But it’s not all about cakes and sweets and indulgences (well, it is – but don’t tell anyone). Occasionally I do some actual proper grown up foodie work, and when I heard that the Rockfish chain in South Devon now offers its entire menu as gluten-free, I shot down to the Brixham’s Rockfish restaurant to find out more. Gluten-free is much more than a passing fad – it’s here to stay – and we’ve got the first seafood restaurant chain in the UK, here in Devon, that’s made a commitment to making that switch. Co-owner and front man Mitch Tonks tells us all about it elsewhere this issue too…

FROM THE 1934 SONG Every nation in creation has its favourite drink France is famous for its wine, it’s beer in Germany Turkey has its coffee and they serve it blacker than ink Russians go for vodka and England loves its tea

crumbsmag.com

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

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APPLE

ANDROID

Crumbs is now an app!

You can read all editions of Crumbs – Bath+Bristol, Cotswolds and Devon – on iTunes or Android. Scan the QR codes opposite, search ‘Crumbs’ or go to crumbsmag.com

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

Table of Contents

D E V O N

NO. 08 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2016

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CHEF!

KITCHEN ARMOURY

08 HERO INGREDIENTS Few things say summer like a cob of sweetcorn, grilling happily away on the barbie 10 OPENINGS ETC 15 ASK THE EXPERT Short but sweet: it's the Rivenberg guide to oils 18 KITCHEN LIBRARY

Amazing recipes from the region’s top kitchens

40 CRUMBS COOKS WITH We’re mad as The Mad Hatter for the great afternoon teas at Glazebrook House

GUY HARROP

STARTERS

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22 Chocolate chip cookies,

by David Allen 24 Cannon of lamb,

by Peter Mills 26 Seafood stew,

by Nigel Powell 28 Home-made ice cream,

by Orlando Murrin 32 Le Framboise-Vanille,

by Sylvain Peltier 34 Strawberry and cream cupcakes, by Iris & Bird 36 Classic Victoria sponge,

by Steven Lamb

50 THE WANT LIST Now here’s a teapot you wouldn’t want no dormouse sleeping in (far too expensive!)

MAINS 54 GLUTEN BEGONE! The Rockfish gang are leading the way with a brand new menu – or, rather, the old menu, but now gluten-free

PLUS! ADDITIONAL RECIPES

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56 SCHOOL OF ROCK CAKES Actually, you learn to make posher patisserie than this at Ashburton Cookery School

AFTERS New & notable restaurants, cafés, bars 62 Deer Park 64 The Cary Arms PLUS

66 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Mr Wignall, the new Michael at Gidleigh Park, picks some local favourites

INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

If it’s Sund , SundAE it mUst st be Cream Tea Time

,

FORGET THE SCONES, and whether you’re supposed to stick the jam or the cream on top. This is one of the finest cream teas we’ve seen served ever, anywhere. A clever twist on a Devon teatime favourite, you can now sample the sumptuous Cream Tea Sundae at the new Salcombe Dairy – a suitably nauticallythemed ice cream parlour, which has just opened in the heart of Dartmouth. Think Grease and its Pink Ladies – and all that “he said, she said” girly gossip – when you tuck into this moreish mix of biscuit crumb base and blackcurrant sorbet, topped with blueberry sauce, fresh strawberries, crunch wafers and vanilla clotted cream ice cream confection.

It’s truly delicious – whichever order in which you strike the cream.

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✱ salcombedairy.co.uk

S T A R T E R S

Hero Ingredients

sweetcorn

The Jolly Green Giant has long guarded endless acres of sweetcorn fields. And he has every reason to look so happy, too, for his charges are an unbeatably simple summertime treat

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SUPERMAN WAS DOUBTLESS brought up on sweetcorn at his Midwestern farm; certainly, Supergirl once took part in Smallville’s ‘Miss Sweetcorn’ beauty pageant – and won.

(We doubt the other lasses had much of a chance, really.) And on endless cans of the stuff, a friendly monster – the Hulk crossed with Peter Pan, but 100 feet tall – ho-ho-hoed his way into our dreams.

There’s always been something magical about sweetcorn – a cheap, plentiful summer treat that looks dramatic and is a doddle to cook – but it’s also something that’s easy to dismiss.

Perhaps if it wasn’t quite so plentiful it might hold a degree of food-snobbery fascination – it’s delicious enough – but no: to many, sweetcorn is just too basic, like peas or potatoes, to get excited about. More fool them.

Sweetcorn is, of course, at heart just another type of maize, but it’s one that heaves with sugar – in this it’s very different to your regular field corn, which we use to make cornflakes and tortillas – and that we deliberately pick while it’s immature. This, of course, means that we get it before all the sugar’s turned to starch – but it also explains why sweetcorn that’s even just a couple of days old can be such a disappointment, and why we throw away so many thousands of tons of it each year. The problem is, we’re often tempted to buy a lot in one go – and then feel disappointed when the stuff we don’t eat immediately has gone starchy by the time we get around to it. Buying little and often, then, is the secret to sweetcorn.

Superman is, famously, America’s most celebrated immigrant, but the foodstuff Ma and Pa Kent, his adopted salt-of-theEarth parents, grew is the exact opposite, about as American as it comes. Indeed, it was the Native American tribes that ate it first, the Iroquois of the yet-to-beUSA’s Eastern seaboard trading what they called ‘papoon’ with Euro-settlers as early as 1779. What they’d long been enjoying was a mutant strain of corn, but a naturally occurring one, and it took off as a worldwide foodstuff in the 19th century, and then – yet more so – in the years immediately after World War II. The edible parts of sweetcorn are the little yellow pea-size kernels – about 800 on each ear, or ‘cob’ – and, indeed, they’re often mixed with peas for a pleasingly colourful effect, both in old-

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style school dinners and in a particularly popular national-flag echoing dish in Brazil. Across much of Mexico and South America (where corn-eating once fuelled the Mayan, Aztec and Inca civilisations), it’s beans that corn is most often paired with, however. They make a particularly protein-rich duo, each being strong in an essential amino acid the other lacks.

At this time of year, though, it’s hard to look past the simplest of preparations. A classic mid-to-late summer treat, fresh, tender sweetcorn tends to appear in the shops and markets from August on; pick green, fresh-looking husks with a fine, silky tassel on the end, dodging those that look too dry and browned. You’re looking for sweetcorn that’s as fresh as possible – just picked, or as near as.

The classic way to cook is in boiling water for 10 minutes or a little less (add sugar, not salt, to keep it tender), then serve with salt, black pepper and heaps of melted butter. (Chilli powder or paprika are more advanced add-ons, and Crumbs has always enjoyed the addition of Marmite – yes, really – at this point too, though not everyone’s convinced.)

Alternatively, you could grill ’em on the barbie, as seen on our cover: start by soaking ’em in salt water for 10 minutes, then dry them, and whack the whole cob on there (perhaps wrapping in foil) over a lowish heat until it starts to char.

Something like 15 minutes should do it.

Other things you can do are cut the kernels from the cob and use in a fish chowder or Chinese-style soup, or use as part of a spicy salsa. Give sweetcorn fritters a try, too – they’re at their best with bacon or a frisky lime mayo.

Or, of course, you could just eat it raw – so grab an ultra-fresh ear at a farmers’ market, and chow on down.

The other thing is that kids love this stuff: it’s the one vegetable – or, at least, the fruit of a grass that thinks it’s a vegetable – that they universally adore.

Many a parent has found sweetcorn the most useful of gateway drugs, tempting the little ’uns into the likes of peppers and peas, and filling them with all sorts of good stuff – potassium, vitamins A, B3 and C, fibre – along the way.

Oh, and after you’ve stuffed your faces, try not to throw the cobs away. There’s a lot of flavouring in these things, and – though inedible – they’re a treat in a stock for stews. There’s a reason he’s such a jolly giant, you know...

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CHOWDER

Recipe by fenlandcelery.com (SERVES 4) INGREDIENTS

750ml whole milk 750g undyed smoked haddock ½ tsp cracked black pepper 2 bay leaves 50g unsalted butter 5 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 onion, sliced 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 175ml white wine 2 tbsp plain flour 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice 200g sweetcorn kernels handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped lemon juice, to taste 4 large eggs, poached METHOD

– Add the milk, fish, pepper and bay leaves to a pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the fish flakes. Transfer the fish to a plate and reserve the milk.

– Melt the butter in another pan and add the celery, onion, carrot and garlic, and sweat over a low heat for 10 minutes.

– Add the wine and allow it to bubble, and reduce by half.

– Stir through the flour and reserved poaching milk, mixing constantly until thick. Add the potatoes and corn, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

– Flake the fish (discarding the skin and any bones) and add to the chowder with the parsley and lemon juice to taste. Serve with the poached eggs.

S T A R T E R S

Openings Etc GRUMPY CATS Two of the UK’s most talented chefs have joined forces to bring two Michelin stars, 60 years of joint culinary know-how and a gert dollop (as we say in these parts) of chefy grumpiness to Devon’s food scene, with the launch of their new venture, Two Grumpy Chefs. John Burton-Race and Chris Sherville will happily curate parties “from the intimate to the outrageous” – including weddings, launches, sporting events and private parties – at your home, at top venues, or on your yacht (as if). More next issue – if we feel brave enough to meet ’em! ✱ twogrumpychefs.com

DRAKE’S PROGRESS

JADE IN FULL

On your marks! Get set! Go! Sunday 2 October will see the return of the Delicious Drake’s Trail, the popular food-festival-on-the-run in aid of CHICKS charity. Entries are now open and Devon’s fun-loving foodies are urged to sign up pronto, since places are limited to 300.

So how does it work? Well, runners and walkers will undertake a unique gastronomic tour of west Devon. Starting in Tavistock, you’ll eat and drink your way around the fringes of Dartmoor, sampling a mouth-watering menu of bite-sized local produce served up by businesses based on (or near) the route. By the time they reach the finish, at the romantic Moorland Garden Hotel, participants will have run, jogged or walked approx 11.5 miles of scenic trail – and devoured more than a dozen different dishes, washed down with generous drops of local ale and cider.

Trailfounder, Kate Treleaven, said: “We had such great feedback following last year’s event, including one woman who summed it up beautifully as, ‘wonderfully bonkers’. That’s the sort of benchmark we’ll be aiming for this year too!” (There’s a fancy dress theme, by the way, inspired by the Rio Olympics: yes, this is your chance to run as a “sporting legend”.)

This August, Devon winemaker Ian Renwick is opening his first wine shop – the delightfully named Jaded Palates – in Chagford, Dartmoor.

Ian is bringing a range of skills picked up working with French winemakers in Provence to the county, and with his shiny new degree in winemaking – that’s a degree? Sign us up! – he’s promising a whole new wine shopping experience. His motto is ‘Great wines, told simply’, which should give some idea of what to expect.

✱ deliciousdrakestrail.co.uk

✱ jadedpalates.com

In the diary...

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ROCKFISH & GWR FESTIVAL Do not miss this one: The Rockfish Crab Festival in Dartmouth celebrates the nippy fellas with Devon’s own celebrity seafood chef, Mitch Tonks, who’ll cook with co-host chef Angela Hartnett.

Always a great party atmosphere, this is a must; therockfish.co.uk

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JAZZ AND ALE FESTIVAL Yes, they do a lovely posh afternoon tea, but the folk at Boringdon Hall don’t mind letting their hair down to host their annual Jazz and Ale Festival either, running from 2-10pm on 28 August. It’s free to attend but parking is £3 per car; boringdonhall.co.uk

Aug

Aug

@thedevonfoodie gets excited (understandably) over macaroons

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@HubBoxExeter does mighty meat, like this huge Prohibition Burger crumbsmag.com

S T A R T E R S

In the Larder 4

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SU M M ER M A DN ESS The weather is hot, but we’re not eating less…

LEMON TWIST Waterhouse Fayre Lemon Curd, £3.75 per jar If you were planning on making Orlando’s amazeballs lemon curd ice cream this summer, then this is the very same – and utterly delicious – curd he recommends you use. Its maker – Ann Stallard, from near Tiverton – makes jams for the National Trust, which should tell you something.

She recently entered seven of her products into the Taste of the West awards and won guess how many?

Yes, seven. Go, Ann! Devon stockists include The Old Bakery in Hartland, The Deli Shack in Tiverton, and Country Cheeses in Topsham and Totnes. ✱ waterhousefayre.co.uk

HONEY BLESSED Mighty Fine Peanut Butter Honeycombe Dips, £7.50/220g Our ‘Everything Stops for Tea’ Mad Hatter’s Tea Party menu – see page 40 this issue – features a delicious home-made black pepper honeycombe, but if life’s too short to get the saucepan out then cheat with the moreish versions from Mighty Fine, including this peanut butter-flavoured milk chocolate-covered one. It’s our favourite afternoon treat and, come to think of it, it’s pretty tasty at elevenses, too. Devon stockists include Quickes Farm Shop, Newton St Cyres; Ilsington Village Shop and Delytes Deli, Budleigh Salterton.

FLOWER POWER Folkington’s Old-Fashioned Elderflower Drink, £9.95/12 x 250ml We can’t decide what to rave about first – the cute, cute, cute glass bottle this drink comes in, or the distinctly old-fashioned taste of a not-too-sweet elderflower juice, made from wild flowers. We can’t imagine hosting any elegant summer tea party without serving this, or something else from the Folkington range – nicely chilled – for those abstaining from tea or fizz.

Prrssed Pear Juice, anyone, or Pink Lemonade? Devon stockists include Griffins Yard, South Molton. ✱ folkingtons.com

SEAWEED SENSATIONS Seamore I Sea Pasta Tagliatelle, £5.49/100g dried (500g cooked) Devon is the only English county boasting two fantastic (and very different) coastlines – Cornwall’s are connected, so don’t count, we’re saying – so if you don’t have seaweed in one form or another in the cupboard, where’ve you been food shopping?

Foraging is fun, but only if it’s not raining – so here’s a handy store cupboard staple to remind us all why we live here. Now you can serve a taste of Devon shoreline without struggling into your hiking boots (or is that just us?) to go find it.

Available online. ✱ wholefoodsmarket.com

✱ mightyfine.co

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S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S

Askthe yourWaitress 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!

Who are you then, Nadine?

I’m the receptionist and waitress at The Prince Hall Hotel on Dartmoor.

I’ve been here two years now.

And where did you work before?

I was mostly self-employed, working in a family business before I moved to work here.

What’s the best thing about working at Prince Hall Hotel, then?

The amazing free food we get for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The people who work here are all fantastic too, and we get to go to work each day in an idyllic Dartmoor setting.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Learning all about the organic wines we have on the menu here – we’ve got something like 55 different varieties that come from different regions around the world, and we have to know something about each one. Oh, and testing the chef’s new petit fours – that’s always a tough job. (Ahem.)

THE BEST PET HOTEL She’s the first person you meet at our editor’s favourite Dartmoor hotel (okay, her dog’s favourite Dartmoor hotel), and comes to work with a smile on her face every day. Meet Nadine...

What skills have you learnt since coming here?

I’ve been trained to make really, really good coffee, so I can call myself a barista now. I especially like to say I’ve learned the art of good latte-making.

What sort of customers do you get?

Prince Hall Hotel is known as Devon’s most dog-friendly hotel, and so our customers are likely to be friendly, chilled and relaxed – which might also be because they’ve turned up here with their beloved pets in tow.

What are the best-selling dishes at the moment?

Well, for one thing, the chef can’t make his signature scallops dish fast enough – everyone wants to try it, and they just fly out of the kitchen.

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What are the best-selling drinks?

People are asking more for the craft gins – one of the most popular ones we stock is Tarquins, which many of our guests love.

What makes the restaurant such a special place to visit?

We have some of the most spectacular and unique views across Dartmoor, and we also have a very appealing ambience – nowhere else is quite like here, and that’s what our guests tell us they love about the place.

If you were a customer today, what would you order?

If it was in season, I would always choose our local venison dish – but, since it’s not the right time of the year, I would go for a delicious fillet of West Country beef.

What do you think makes for great customer service?

Smiles, manners and quiet confidence – and, probably the most important thing of all, a good sense of humour.

Where have you visited locally where the service was excellent?

I was really impressed by the staff at the Peter Tavy Inn, which is close by.

Where do you like to eat on your days off?

On a lovely sunny day I enjoy sitting out and eating al fresco in Royal William Yard, Plymouth.

What do you cook at home?

Nothing – are you kidding? The food I get at work is incredible, so there’s really no incentive for me to try and make my own. ✱ princehall.co.uk

This could be you! Contact us at: simon.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk crumbsmag.com

STARTE RS

Ask the Expert

DRESSING IT UP Jamie Rivenberg, Devon chef-turnedhome cook, knows good food. Here’s his choice of oils for making a humble summer salad dressing sing WALNUT OIL

It’s been gracing the shelves of delis for years, but I really think this oil remains underrated. Packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B1, B2, B3 (niacin) and E, it’s super-healthy, and can even lower cholesterol – not bad at all.

Obviously, it carries a subtle nutty flavour, so it’s perfect for adding some deeper notes to summer dishes without making the meals too heavy.

Walnut oil makes a great dipping oil too, or try drizzling it over some bruschetta and or crumbling it over some tangy Devon Blue cheese.

AVOCADO OIL

I hate to say it, but this is possibly the trendiest oil of 2016, and – with its hefty amount of skinconditioning vitamin E – I can see why.

Like the avocado itself, this oil is best described as ‘green’, both in appearance and flavour. Its slightly grassy aroma screams summer to me, and it roasts really well with Mediterranean veg. That said, avocado teams up perfectly with lime juice and freshly chopped coriander to make a summery Mexican-style dressing for your salads too, and can even hold its own against fiery chillies. I like to use this dressing when I serve a salad with mackerel bites, or other oily fish.

FUSSELS SMOKED RAPESEED OIL

Hands down, this is the best oil I’ve found in the past couple of years. Oak-smoked and gloriously golden in colour, I’ve used it in many recipes to add in some musty smokiness – especially in winter, when I can’t get my regular barbecue fix.

Summertime should overload me with smoke and fire, but more often than not my chums serve me up some mediocre bangers from a gas barbecue. My ingenious solution? Whip up some roasted garlic and lemon mayonnaise, using this smoked rapeseed oil, and smother it all over my hot dogs. Winner!

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S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S

New Kid kid on on the the Block block New When did you begin cooking?

I began cooking at home with my mum, who was a great baker. Money was tight, so we’d make our own pasties and cakes to make food stretch. I didn’t just learn to cook from that; we cooked and ate together, which was really good family time.

What inspired you to start in a kitchen full time?

Professionally, I started when I was 13 at the hotel where my dad was the General Manager. I loved it from day one, went to college to train, and then went to the Savoy Hotel in London.

What’ve been the big challenges?

Every job has its challenges, and I’ve tried to take on new roles where I can improve the food and influence the menu. I guess Highbullen will be my greatest challenge to date, as it is the biggest place I’ve been a Head Chef and we are starting from scratch, but that is great – the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward.

And your proudest achievement?

I’m proud of every job I’ve had. I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to work in the kitchens of some stunning properties, and consider myself very lucky to have worked for – and, indeed, have had work for me – some amazing and talented people.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH Expect exploding flavours and great ingredients cooked well, says Stephen Walker, new Head Chef at North Devon’s Highbullen Hotel, Golf and Country Club

Where might we know you from?

I spent the last eight years at the Mount Somerset Hotel in Taunton, which was great. It is an absolutely beautiful hotel, and it holds a lot of fond memories for me.

How would you describe your style?

My cooking is very simple now. I’ve just arrived at High Bullen, where I want to cook great food simply. And what a great place to do it this is: it offers an opportunity to do all sorts of different food types, and is growing, so it’s an exciting time to be joining.

What do you like about Devon?

I’ve lived in the South West now for 10 years, and wouldn’t want to work or

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live anywhere else. I can’t think of anywhere that has such a diverse offering of exciting suppliers.

Where do you like to eat out?

I try to eat out as often as I can.

Clavelshay Barn in Bridgewater is a great place to eat, and also Combe House – which has just reopened as The Pig at Combe, so I will have to check out the new menu there.

Fave ingredients and suppliers?

We’re using lots of local fish, sea vegetables and delicious Cornish new potatoes. I’m lucky to have John May butchers in South Molton on the doorstep, so the meat we’re getting is excellent. We’re using a lot of scallops and pork belly right now, with cauliflower and curry – a great combo.

What do you like to cook at home?

Simple food – a Caesar salad with a bottle of Peroni, or a good bacon sandwich (but it has to be dry cured bacon, with Malaysian chilli sauce, a flashback from working with a great Malaysian chef for eight years).

And the best meal you’ve eaten?

I was part of a chef competition a few years ago and went to Chez Nicos for dinner – it was amazing! I still remember the veal sweetbreads.

What’s your favourite cookery book?

My favourites are still The Square Restaurant cookbooks. He has a simple way of making food beautiful, and it’s amazingly clever.

Who are your foodie heroes?

I’ve lots, but they’re not people you would necessarily know. James Parkinson, who taught me you can run a kitchen and be nice to people; Simon Haigh for really helping me understand food combinations; Sean Naen for showing me how to make food explode with flavour; and my first-ever head chef, Eric Pittock, for teaching me about life as a chef and dealing with the stress. Hi, Chefy! ✱ www.highbullen.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

Trio

CREAM QUEENS

Devon is famous for its cream teas – oh, yeah – and, within Devon, here’s where those in the know go 1. THE BADGER’S HOLT Worth the visit just to check out the four different versions of the classic cream tea they do here: two big ones (£6.50), one smaller one for a quid less, and a savoury one with cheese scones. (Okay, so that one’s not quite so classic.)Once an old fishing lodge, Badger’s Holt nestles at the foot of the 1300ft high Yar Tor – a famous beauty spot where the east and west tributaries of the River Dart meet.

Though it’s now a fully-licensed restaurant, they still make their scones to a secret recipe the guys here have used for over 60 years. ✱ badgersholtdartmoor.co.uk

2. TOR ROYAL FARM We’re late, we’re late, for a very important date! Actually, no, we’re not! Unlike the White Rabbit, we’re bang on time for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, as it’s not being held at Tor Royal until August Bank Holiday Monday (that’s 29 August), when it will help raise money for Sheepstor Church. Promising stupendous sandwiches and curious cakes, the Tea Party starts at 3pm, with all guests asked to wear fancy dress and mad hats. Tickets are £20pp, and entertainment will include a brass ensemble and a barbershop quartet. ✱ To book, call 01822 890189

3. BORINGDON HALL They say variety is the spice of life, and if that’s true then you will be spoilt for choice if you book into Boringdon Hall for afternoon tea this summer, because – as well as an impressive medley of unusual sandwiches, cakes and other fancies – the afternoon tea, served in the dramatic surroundings of the quintessentially English Great Hall, offers both ‘special edition’ and traditional tea choices.

Jing tea is a favourite (though we’re not so posh, and quite like a good cup of builder’s brew). Afternoon tea is served 12-5pm, but you must book ahead: 01752 344455. ✱ boringdonhall.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

Kitchen Library The freshest, most inspirational cook books of the month

HEAT

Kay Plunkett-Hogge Quercus, £20

Subtitled ‘Cooking with Chillies, the World’s Favourite Spice’, this colourful new book from food writer Kay PlunkettHogge follows the trail of this fiery ingredient from the Americas to Europe, and along the spice routes to the Middle East, India, China and beyond. With more than 120 recipes from around the world, including Thai, Indian and Mexican dishes, and some tantalising desserts, Heat showcases the huge versatility of chilli, and celebrates its rich and nomadic history.

From a Peruvian ceviche and Thai-influenced green papaya salad to a fragrant Goan pork vindaloo, via chicken biryani and a Bedouin lamb leg spiced with cinnamon, saffron and Aleppo pepper, it’s a highly vibrant book that’ll bring plenty of warmth and colour to your kitchen.

COOKING WITH LOULA Alexandra Stratou Artisan, £20

Unlike many Greek cookbooks that simply feature dishes aimed at tourists wanting to recreate their holiday restaurant meals, Cooking with Loula takes us into the kitchen of a Greek family for a fascinating look at the traditions and pleasures of sharing a homecooked meal.

As well as revisiting recipes from her parents, Alexandra Stratou focuses on memories of Kyria Loula, the woman who started working at her great-grandmother’s house, cooking for the family on a weekly basis.

Beautifully written and tastefully designed, the book features 100 recipes organised with chapters on simple healthy weekday dishes, more leisurely Sunday meals, and also dishes for high days and holidays. We like the recipes for green beans and shrimp; tomato-stewed chicken with orzo; and the beef stifado.

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THE KITCHEN SHELF

DINNER TONIGHT

Eve O’Sullivan and Rosie Reynolds Phaidon, £24.95

Lindsey Bareham Mitchell Beazley, £20

Based on the idea of the fashion capsule wardrobe, Eve O’Sullivan and Rosie Reynolds show that with a perfectly stocked pantry of basic items, anybody can create delicious, effortless food. The Kitchen Shelf provides a convenient and fuss-free approach to tasty everyday cooking, with 100 delicious recipes broken down into key chapters around hero ingredients and pantry/cupboard/fridge.

These straightforward recipes include Persian lamb with pomegranate rice; fennel, orange and chickpea salad; shrimp and tomato curry; and peanut butter blondies. With tips and tricks that make it easy to swap ingredients and nudge you into creating new dishes, this is a must-have for any kitchen.

Whether it’s her bestselling collaborations with Simon Hopkinson, or her solo books, a new arrival from Lindsey Bareham is always cause for celebration, and Dinner Tonight is no exception. Based on the premise that you’re home from work, starving and staring into the fridge wondering what to cook for dinner, the book is a collection of the most mouth-watering recipes from her popular Times column. With enticing ideas and an emphasis on fresh, seasonal foods, it’s packed with ‘200 dishes you can cook in minutes’.

Highlights include Thai mango chicken salad; teriyaki beef and noodles; and strawberry almond crumble. This is a brilliant cookbook from a writer who understands the demands of the time-poor in search of a quick, healthy meal.

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A HANDFUL OF FLOUR Tess Lister Headline, £27

Located near Tetbury, the mill in Shipton Moyne Wood has been producing flour since the time of the Domesday Book, and now produces organic, stoneground flour used by many top chefs around the world. The flour produced at Shipton Mill has earned many supporters among professional and amateur bakers, as well as chefs including Richard Bertinet, Paul Hollywood and Jamie Oliver. Owner John Lister’s daughter, Tess, has written all the recipes in A Handful of Flour with help from the mill’s head baker.

As well as detailed sections about flour varieties, the book tells the story of the mill, alongside recipes for breads and savoury and sweet dishes, including courgette, potato and mint tart; chicken schnitzel with Parmesan and rosemary crust; and spelt and wildflower honey cake.

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RECIPE FROM

Cooking with Loula by Alexandra Stratou (Artisan, £20)

SPANAKOPITA (SERVES 6-8)

To make a pie, one simply has to contain ingredients inside layers of dough. I imagine that at some point there were no recipes for them, as they were just filled with leftovers or abundant produce from a family’s vegetable garden.

Pies are perfect when you need to feed large groups of people—you can make them in advance, they don’t need much fussing over, and people always love them! This spanakopita recipe has earned me many moments of glory, and I hope it will do the same for you.

INGREDIENTS

extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 large leek, finely chopped 500g various greens (such as chard), washed, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped

500g spinach, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped 500g feta cheese, crumbled 3 large eggs 1 x 225g pack filo pastry METHOD

– Coat a large frying pan with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and leek and cook until golden. Add the greens and spinach, cover the pan with a lid, and allow to wilt. Add a bit of water if the pan becomes too dry.

– Remove from the heat and drain to remove any excess liquid before transferring the greens to a bowl.

– Mix in the feta and eggs, and some pepper. Taste and season, if needed.

– Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

– Brush a 13x9 inch (33x23cm) baking dish or baking pan

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with olive oil. Start the pie by laying a filo sheet on all four sides of the baking dish. Each sheet should partially cover the bottom of the dish, with the rest hanging over the edge. Brush every piece of filo that you lay on the dish with oil. Then place 5 sheets in the centre, brushing each with oil. Add the filling and spread it out evenly.

– Place 5 more sheets of filo over the filling, brushing each with oil, then fold over the overhanging sheets that you started with. Cut any excess filo away with scissors or a knife and use your pastry brush to tuck the filo in around the edges of the dish. Score the top with a sharp knife, marking the pieces you wish to cut later.

Sprinkle with a little water.

– Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the filo is golden brown.

Chef!

Still think home-made ice cream isn’t worth the effort?

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

Highlights MR FREEZE

Summer around Orlando Murrin’s gaff is a real treat when he breaks out the home-made ice cream Page 28

SLAMMIN’ LAMB The sweetest of meats at The George Hotel Page 24

SWIM FAN

Red mullet, cod, mussels and prawns, all swimming in The Kings Arms’ seafood stew Page 26

Plus

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36 VICTORIA SPONGE Just one of a range of cakes et al this issue

Bring out the dark stuff Chef!

We love it when an old pub – and this one has a thatched roof and everything – gets a new lease of life. And David Allen of The Ring of Bells has a perfect pudding for us too Word-of-mouth has it that this little gem – tucked away in the mid-Devon countryside, close to Crediton, and so only a short 10 mile drive away from Exeter – is now well worth a visit. Having been closed for a couple of years, The Ring of Bells pub at Cheriton Fitzpaine has been brought back to life by new owners David Allen, who’s also chef here, and partner Binka Caven. They reckon they’ve thrown all the love and determination they could muster at the project. And well done, we say; it shows.

Here’s one of David’s favourite puds.

CHOCOLATE CREAM with CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (SERVES 6-8)

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 cream 200g dark chocolate (55% cocoa) 500g of double cream 80g dark brown sugar 2 eggs 2 vanilla pods pinch of sea salt

For the cookies 170g dark brown sugar 170g caster sugar 225g unsalted butter 2 eggs 5g salt 370g plain flour 4g baking powder 340g choc chips METHOD

To make the cream – Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a pan and gently bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally.

– Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate, followed by the eggs. Whisk until smooth.

– Add a pinch of sea salt and pass through a fine sieve into a jug.

– Pour into cups or ramekins and chill for at least 8 hours or, preferably, overnight.

To make the cookies – Combine the sugars, butter, eggs and salt and mix until smooth.

– Add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Do not overmix. Tip the dough into a bowl and mix in the choc chips. Rest the mix for 2 hours.

– Make gobstopper-sized balls and place on a tray that's been lined with greaseproof paper. Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 8-10 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack.

– Serve with extra whipped cream or clotted cream.

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✱ THE RING OF BELLS, The Hayes, Cheriton Fitzpaine, near Crediton EX17 4JG; theringofbells.com

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Summer on plate a

Chef!

Chef Peter Mills likes to shake things up, merging sweet and savoury to give diners at The George Hotel in Hatherleigh a memorable dining experience

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Having owned his own restaurant in his hometown of Enniskillen, North Ireland, followed by a stint as personal chef to steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal in Kensington Palace Gardens in London, Peter says he relishes every opportunity to experiment with flavours – and when he offers you a scoop of his homemade basil ice cream, you know he’s not messing.

“I love summer,” says Peter. “I love the abundance of fresh produce just waiting to be savoured. This lamb dish is wonderful, and served warm with the goats’ cheese you get the softness of the cheese and the crunchiness of the surface together.

“To me, it is just summer on a plate, and best enjoyed in the garden as the sun goes down with a glass of something – I like a chilled Sancerre, but it goes equally well with our own labelled Merlot.”

Peter likes to play with flavours, mixing the traditionally sweet with the traditionally savoury, so often follows this up with an elderflower panna cotta that combines classic sweet flavours with oregano. But that’s a story for another day…

CANNON of SEASON’S LAMB with FLOWERS, SPROUTING HERBS, HERITAGE TOMATOES and ENGLISH GOATS’ CHEESE (SERVES 2)

At The George they serve this lamb dish with garden-warm tomatoes, simply dressed, with baby leaves and a handful of herbs. Perfect!

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INGREDIENTS

300g cannon of lamb (trimmed) English mustard parsley breadcrumbs 100g English goats’ cheese flour 1 beaten egg breadcrumbs 100g floury potatoes 50g unsalted butter 150ml lamb jus (made by reducing good lamb stock with a good glug of red wine) rapeseed oil 75g mixed heritage tomatoes sprouting herbs (watercress or coriander) 75g pesto (see recipe below) edible flowers, such as nasturtium Parmesan cheese METHOD

– Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4.

– Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then sear in rapeseed oil on a smoking hot pan until all sides are coloured. Take off the heat, brush with mustard and then coat in parsley breadcrumbs. Set aside.

– Cut the goats’ cheese into large chunks (around 4cm square, if you can).

Dredge them in flour, dip them in egg wash, then coat in breadcrumbs. Set them aside too.

– The potato needs to be in tiny pieces.

We use a Japanese turning mandolin here at The George, but if you don’t have one then just grate the potatoes using a cheese grater.

– Melt the butter, then mix in the potato pieces. Drop into a hot, heavy pan, flatten out thinly into your desired shape, and cook until browned.

(I like making them into something resembling a Frisbee.) Take the potato cake off the heat and let it cool on a metal tray, where it should crisp up.

– Put the lamb onto a heavy tray and put in the oven at 180C/350F/ gas mark 4 for 5 minutes. Take out, and rest for 4 minutes in a warm place.

– While the lamb is cooking, deep fry the goats’ cheese at 180C/350F for 1 minute, then bake in the oven at the same temperature for 4 minutes.

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– Pick herbs and roughly chop the tomatoes, arrange on the plate, and dress with pesto. Carve the lamb, then add to the plate, together with the goats’ cheese and flowers.

– Carefully add the lamb jus. Serve the potato on the side.

– Finally, add a grating of fresh Parmesan to finish dressing the dish just before it is served.

PESTO (SERVES 2)

INGREDIENTS

20g toasted pinenuts 20g Parmesan 1 garlic clove glug of olive oil 30g sprouting rocket leaves (or use basil, if you prefer) METHOD

– Blitz all the ingredients in a blender, or use a pestle and mortar and some elbow grease! ✱ THE GEORGE HOTEL, 5 Market Street, Hatherleigh, Devon EX20 3JN; thegeorgeinhatherleigh.com

Food, food, food

Chef!

Don’t think our headline makes sense? Don’t worry, it will. Here’s an amazing seafood stew from Nigel Powell at The Kings Arms

There’s always a big warm welcome for whoever walks through the door at The Kings Arms in North Devon’s Georgeham – thirsty surfer, hungry family, loved-up couple in need of a romantic dinner, or even a tired dog that just wants to curl up and sleep.

Head chef Nigel Powell has one single mantra which is on a repeat loop, and that’s “Food, Food, Food.”

His background is quality cooking with seasonal ingredients, and this is a chef who understands big flavours, great produce – and how to get them onto your plate.

He describes his Seafood Stew as a warm, jumbly plate of flavour, texture, taste and colour, which will leave you feeling satisfied from the inside out.

Using local ingredients, and a whole lot of cooking love, it’s not hard to see why this is one of this super-friendly pub’s top dishes.

It might be the cooking that brings you through the front door, but this really is a proper local. It’s just five minutes from one of the best beaches in North Devon, and run by a team that likes to do things properly – from the way they cook their food to the way they keep their beer. Just as importantly, they look after you when you step through their front door.

THE KINGS’ SEAFOOD STEW (SERVES 4)

There’s something so satisfying about chucking a load of fish in a pot – and something even more satisfying about what you’ll be tucking into a little later.

Ideal for hungry sailors and surfers – or just those who’ve been out for a brief stroll with the dog…

INGREDIENTS

For the bouillabaisse 1 onion, sliced 4 celery sticks 1 tsp fennel seeds 200g chopped tomatoes 4 tbsp tomato purée 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced ½ red pepper peppercorns 3 garlic cloves, chopped 100g crab/lobster shells/fishbones a good glug of brandy For the rest 8 small red mullet fillets 8 small cod fillets 16 mussels (de-bearded) 16 peeled king prawns fresh herbs to finish METHOD

– Roast off the crab and lobster shells with the brandy. Add the fishbones and cover with water to make your fish stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, giving you your bouillabaisse-style base sauce. (You can do this the day before.)

– Heat 2 tsp of oil in your biggest frying pan or wok, and cook the onions until they turn golden. Then add the garlic, celery, chilli, carrots and fennel seeds.

– Add and cook the tomatoes until they break down, add tomato purée and simmer for another 2 minutes.

– Pan fry the red mullet and cod fillets in a little olive oil for 2 minutes, then finish in the oven for two more.

– Sauté the prawns and mussels until cooked.

– Pour the bouillabaise between 4 warm bowls, and arrange the red mullet, cod and mussels on top.

Serve with fresh herbs and warm fennel bread. ✱ THE KINGS ARMS, Chapel Street, Georgeham EX33 1JJ; 01271 890240; kingsarmsgeorgeham.co.uk

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TIPPLE-TASTIC! Our favourite matched drinks to go with this dish? Either a chilled glass of Verdejo, a nice light IPA, or a pint of Korev!

The

( recipe )

Devon cook Chef!

FREEZE... & FREEZE AGAIN

Devon cook Orlando Murrin is pleading with us – if you’ve never done it, now’s the time to discover the wonders of home-made ice cream

FOOD STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA NILSEN Xxxxxxx

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U ✱ Orlando Murrin is a food writer and chef. For five years he wrote a daily recipe for the Express newspaper before becoming editor of BBC Good Food, and founder of olive magazine. Ten years ago he set up a gastronomic chambre d’hôtes in SW France, before returning (exhausted) to the West Country. He has written five cookbooks, including the No Cook Cookbook and A Table in the Tarn, and lives in Exeter.

nless you’ve experienced homemade ice cream, I can completely understand why even the keenest cook might ask, ‘why bother?’ There are some great artisan brands out there – Salcombe Dairy and Otter Valley, to name but two – and a mind-blowing range of flavours (haggis sorbet, anyone?).

So can home-made ice cream really be that much better?

The answer is – yes, yes, yes!

It’s like home-made bread or chocolate cake; everything about it screams homemade and gorgeous.

Even before you scoop it, it looks scrumptious. The texture is natural, not as if it has been extruded by machine.

And then there’s the flavour: brighter and fresher than anything you can buy.

Most commercial ice creams are loaded with stabilisers and sometimes preservatives, to make them easier to transport, store and serve. The first thing to remember about home-made ice cream, which does not contain these, is that – because of this – it is best eaten fresh: either the day after making, or within a week. The texture will be softer, and the flavour undimmed.

During my years as a chef in south west France, I made ice cream at least three times a week. Life in the kitchen was very tough – there was only one of me – and, if I could have bought anything approaching home-made, I would have thanked my lucky stars. The truth is, I couldn’t, and my ice creams probably attracted more compliments than anything else I made.

A year or two after opening, we invested in a state of the art ice cream maker. It was took two people to lift it onto the worktop, cost four-figure Euros, and certainly sped the process up.

But, I must admit, it didn’t make better ice cream than my good old Magimix Gelato Chef.

MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF

If you are new to home-made ice cream, start off by making the recipe over the page, which is a ‘no-churn’ ice cream.

This is the classic method, in which you make a rich whippy mixture, freeze it till semi-set, beat or fold it to discourage ice

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crystals, then freeze again. When making this – the easiest – sort of ice cream, I have a few suggestions.

First, make sure you are using a no-churn recipe. ‘Light’ ice creams (based on milk or yogurt) usually set too hard. Sorbets are fine, but the finished texture – even if you beat assiduously during the freezing process – will be ‘granita’-like, rather than the silky, almost elastic effect, of bought.

Second, know that three things make for a softer set: fat, sugar and alcohol.

Third, make a day (or up to a week) ahead. And then, most importantly…

Always transfer the ice cream from the freezer to the fridge. It will not only soften, but the flavour will come alive too.

For this reason, freeze the ice cream in serving quantities (not as one great big block), so you can take what you need when you need it.

USING A MACHINE

Once you get into home-made ice cream, you may wish to buy a machine. All the different sorts work well, so it’s a bit like buying a piece of clothing – work out how many times you’re likely to use it and do the arithmetic.

The starting point for vanilla ice cream has to be the famous ‘Ultimate Vanilla Ice Cream’ at bbcgoodfood.com (recipe by Angela Nilsen, who took the photographs for this feature). With the arrival of superior bought custards in supermarkets, even the custard-making step can now be eliminated in many recipes – simply fold the custard into the whipped cream with sugar and flavouring and start churning.

Of course, part of the fun is to create your own flavours, according to what you fancy or what you find in the garden.

Here are a few tips: Taste the mixture before freezing, allowing for the fact that freezing dims taste buds, so the unfrozen mixture should taste super-sweet and superstrongly of whatever flavouring you’re aiming for.

It’s fun to add texture, but avoid chunks of raw fruits – which freeze hard as bullets – or large nuts, which can break teeth. The best add-ins are: chocolate, broken cookies, chopped confectionery, preserves or fruits in syrup. Add these at the end, or – if you’re aiming for ripples – fold in minimally just before consigning to the freezer.

THE SECRET OF SOFT SCOOP

THE LUSHEST SUMMER ICE

For years it was thought impossible to achieve true soft scoop at home. With modern ice cream makers, that’s no longer the case: simply serve from the machine, straight after churning.

Another clever technique, from across the Atlantic, involves freezing ice cream in ice cube trays, then blitzing in a liquidizer or food processor, and serving straight from there.

You will need two large ice cube trays but, I assure you, it’s worth it.

Especially for Crumbs Devon readers, here is a seriously gorgeous, can’t-go-wrong ice cream to serve in a cone, on its own or with summer fruits. Texture, flavour, ripple – this one has it all.

If you make your own lemon curd, this is its best destiny. If not, I suggest you seek out Waterhouse Fayre Lemon Curd. Based near Tiverton, Ann makes her award-winning curd exactly as you would at home, in small batches and using nothing but lemons, sugar, West Country butter and free-range eggs from South Molton. You can buy it at farm shops and delis all over Devon. It costs about £3.50 a pot, and why not ring the changes and try her tangy Passion Fruit Curd, or (arriving this summer) Vanilla Curd?

INGREDIENTS

350ml double cream 45g cream cheese 3 large egg yolks 50g sugar 60ml honey, maple or corn syrup (the flavourless syrup favoured in the United States, which you can now buy in Waitrose) 1tsp vanilla good pinch of salt

METHOD

– Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, honey, maple or corn syrup (whichever you are using), vanilla and a good pinch of salt.

– Bring the double cream to a simmer in a pan, pour half into the yolk mixture, whisking all the time, then return to the pan and cook until the custard coats the back of a spoon (don’t let it simmer).

– Transfer back to bowl and whisk in the cream cheese.

– Put the bowl over a larger bowl of icy water, to speed up cooling, and whip the custard till thick and cold. Spoon mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until hard (three hours or overnight).

TO SERVE

– Pop out ice cubes into a liquidizer or processor, add a splash of milk (which helps them blend), and whizz till soft-scoop. You can also, at this point, put the ice cream in a box and serve within a week. Just don’t tell anyone how you did it.

LEMON MERINGUE RIPPLE ICE CREAM INGREDIENTS

568ml pot double cream 250g tub mascarpone 250g vanilla custard finely grated zest of a lemon 2 tbsp limoncello, vodka or kirsch 3 tbsp golden caster sugar 70g crisp meringues (about 4 fist-size meringues), broken into marble-size pieces 150g lemon curd (about half a jar) METHOD

Forget the shopbought stuff, even the best of it; this is the real thing

– Make space in your freezer, because you will be making multiple visits. A day in advance, if convenient, put in a large metal or glass bowl and plastic boxes for the finished ice cream. If you are planning to serve your ice cream all at once, you need one large box, or (if serving on several occasions) smaller boxes.

– In a stand mixer or using an electric hand whisk, whisk the cream, mascarpone, custard, zest, alcohol and sugar until billowy, like soft whipped cream.

– Turn gently into the chilled bowl, trying not to knock the air out, and freeze for 90 minutes to two hours (larger freezers are often quicker), till softly set round the edges.

– Using a large metal spoon, fold the mixture to mix and aerate, and refreeze for about 60 minutes.

– When the mixture is softly set, not too stiff to work but not too runny either, use the metal spoon to fold in the broken up meringues to make a craggy mixture.

– Spoon the lemon curd over the top, then use the metal spoon to fold in carefully, leaving the mixture streaky.

– Turn gently into the chilled plastic box or boxes and freeze. Soften the ice cream by moving to the fridge for an hour before scooping into dishes, served with summer fruits or on its own.

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( recipe ) The problem, of course, is resisting the temptation to steal too many of the add-ins for yourself as you make it

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In the French style Chef!

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( feature )

It’s what the Victorians would have recognized as an afternoon tea cutting cake – baked each morning, ready to serve that day – but with the contemporary twist we expect from one of the UK’s top pastry chefs, French-born and Devonbased Sylvain Peltier

When Crumbs rang Sylvain to ask if he would make us a spectacular contemporary cutting cake for our afternoon tea theme, we knew we’d get nothing like your traditional sponge, madeira or lemon drizzle cake.

These all have their places, of course – though usually in a National Trust tearoom or Quayside coffee shop – but Exeter-based Sylvain thinks a different way. His Little French Cakes are always astonishing to behold: exquisite, delicious and sometimes, as with this large cutting cake, anything but little or reserved!

Spectacular. And if there’s one thing better than looking at it, it’s slicing into it. Trust us on this one…

LE FRAMBOISEVANILLE (SERVES 12)

INGREDIENTS

For the lemon sponge 3 eggs 100g soft butter 95g icing sugar 120g ground almond zest of 1 lemon 15g lemon juice METHOD

– In a mixer with a whisk, cream the soft butter and icing sugar together.

– Slowly add the eggs, then the ground almond, lemon juice and lemon zest.

– Bake in a 20cm metal ring at 170C/340F/gas mark 3 for 15 minutes.

– Leave to cool down.

INGREDIENTS

For the raspberry palet 250g raspberry purée 25g caster sugar 15g cornflour 17g cocoa butter METHOD

– Mix caster sugar and cornflour together.

– Heat the purée to 40C, then whisk in the caster sugar, mixed with the cornflour.

Bring to the boil while whisking, and add in the cocoa butter.

– Cling film the base of a 20cm metal ring and pour in the palet mixture.

– Leave to set

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INGREDIENTS

For the vanilla bavarois

120g milk 120g double cream 2 vanilla pods, split and scraped 125g caster sugar 5 egg yolks 14g gelatine 500g whipped cream METHOD

– Bring the 120g of cream, the milk, and the vanilla pods to the boil.

– Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar by hand, until light and fluffy.

– Pour the boiling milk and cream over the egg yolks and, using a sugar thermometer, cook out to 85C to make an Anglaise.

– Immediately pass the Anglaise through a fine sieve.

– Soak the gelatine in cold water.

– When the gelatine is soft, add it to the warm Anglaise and leave to cool down below 45C. – Add the whipped cream to the cooled down Anglaise.

Building up the cake

– Place a 20cm diameter metal ring on a tray lined with grease proof paper.

– Cut the lemon sponge into a 18cm diameter disc and place it at the bottom of the metal ring.

– Cut the raspberry palet into a 18cm diameter disc and place it on top of the lemon sponge.

– Using a piping bag, pipe the vanilla bavarois around the lemon biscuit and raspberry palet to the top of the metal ring, and using a palette knife smooth the top so that the vanilla bavarois is flush with the top of the metal ring.

– Leave the cake in the fridge for 6 hours, after which use a blowtorch to heat up the metal ring very gently, until you are able to lift it up. Or, use the warm blade of a thin knife, running it between the metal ring and the cake.

– At this stage you can either freeze the cake for later use, or decorate it with fresh raspberries and serve. ✱ Sylvain works part-time at The Salutation Inn in Topsham, where you can taste his patisserie. He travels regularly with Michael Caines as his pastry chef of choice (they spent 10 years working together at Gidleigh Park), and he offers consultancy/training to other professionals. @Sylvain_Peltier; sylvainpeltier.co.uk

Chef!

It's a mystery When we wanted a Mad Hatter-style tiered cake for our Crumbs tea party table, we trawled for Devon bespoke cake makers who could meet a crazy brief – but still produce a cake that looks good enough to eat – and stumbled on Iris & Bird

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A part-time, word-of-mouth business (shh, don’t tell everyone, or they’ll be queuing round the block!), Iris & Bird created the three-tiered, semi-naked lavender and rose cake – dressed with its cute Mad Hatter topper of roses, herbs, tea bags and a pocket watch – that stole the show at the big photo shoot this issue (see page 40).

It’s typical of the bespoke occasion cakes these guys make to order.

It is, however, a bit too ambitious for most of us to try, so here the makers – who shun the limelight, and would rather their cakes did the talking – share a less ambitious, but still incredibly delicious, cupcake recipe, made to a strawberries-andcream brief, but with the kind of elegant and mouth-watering twist you can expect from this talented baking team. (You’ll have to try the recipe to find out what it is, though.)

Alternatively, you could just buy one of their occasion cakes, from £125.

STRAWBERRY & CREAM CUPCAKES (SERVES 12)

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes

150g caster sugar 150g butter 150g self raising flour 2 tsps vanilla essence 3 eggs

For the filling and topping

1 punnet of strawberries (pick 12 of the best, and keep to one side for later) 1 small tub of clotted cream

For the strawberry compote 200g strawberries 200g caster or icing sugar

For the butter icing 100g butter 200g icing sugar 1 tsp of vanilla essence splash of milk METHOD

– Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, and prepare a cupcake tin with

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12 large cupcake cases.

– Cream the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and pale.

– Break the eggs into a measuring jug and beat together lightly.

– Add the egg slowly to the creamed butter and sugar, a little bit at a time, and mix together well.

– Sift the flour and slowly add to the mixture, gently folding the flour about a third at a time. (We do this bit by hand.)

– Use two teaspoons, one to scoop the mix up and the other to edge the mix off the first and into each cupcake case.

TIP: For a more uniform batch of cakes, you can use an ice cream scoop or piping bag to fill each cupcake case.

– Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and risen.

TIP: To be sure they’re ready, you can poke a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, they’re done.

– Remove the cupcakes from the tin and place them on a baking tray to cool.

Make the strawberry compote

– Remove the stalks and cut the strawberries into quarters.

– Put the strawberries into a pan and cook gently for a few minutes.

– Add the sugar and cook for a few more minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and

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the mixture syrupy.

– Take off the heat and leave to cool.

Make the icing

– Sift the icing sugar and carefully mix together with the butter and vanilla essence, until light and white.

Tip: Add the splash of milk to soften the mix, if needed.

– Scoop the butter icing into a piping bag with a nozzle fitted. (We like to use a trusty old nozzle that looks like a star.

A Wilton 1M icing tip can be used for this style of piping.)

To assemble

– Use a small knife, cookie cutter of corer to remove the centre from each cake.

– Spoon some of the compote into each cupcake hollow, followed by a dollop of the fresh clotted cream.

– Starting at the outer edge of each cup cake, pipe the butter icing around and over the filled core.

– Top with you best strawberries, and set aside to finish.

TIP: If these cupcakes aren’t snaffled straight away, you’ll need to pop them in the fridge, as they contain fresh cream, and eat within 1-2 days.

✱ Email info@irisandbird.co.uk

LAMB POSTs STEVEN LAMB

I

am originally from Manchester, an urbanite and city dweller, where there was a strong sense of community when I was growing up, but – oddly – very little celebrating of who we were locally. The notion of people coming together, other than in pubs, clubs and football stadiums, was alien to me, and so when I made the move to the rolling countryside of the South West, and discovered the event known as the local summer fete, I felt strangely compelled to immerse myself in them. Now I am a serial summer ‘fete-alist’, and accept that these are events that can’t help but make me happy.

There is something about a village fete that, on the surface, gives a sense of innocent celebration – though with

a surfeit of bunting – but that actually offers a great deal more. I love all the traditional elements of a village summer fete, such as the stalls selling bric-abrac and locally made produce. I am an enthusiastic purchaser of raffle tickets and a strong admirer of the tombola.

I can never walk past a ‘beat the keeper’ shoot-out either, and I’ve nearly dislocated my shoulder at the coconut shy trying to topple those nuts. Of course, the beer and cider tent is a given – and nobody will ever convince me that a troop of Morris dancers and musicians is anything other than a playful moment of magical madness. Sheep shearing, tug of war, face painting, bubbles, the wanging of wellies and the tossing of hay bales: all are elements I live for.

@lambposts for Twitter & Instagram

CLASSIC VICTORIA SPONGE

Here’s what we know.

It takes a certain genius to keep it simple, yet still knock socks off with a cake so delicious it needs no fussing with. She’s Queen of Cakes, and long may she reign, says Steven Lamb.

‘She’, of course, is Victoria sponge

( S E R V E S 8 -1 0 ) INGREDIENTS

175g self-raising flour 175g unsalted butter, in small pieces and softened 175g caster sugar, plus extra to finish 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten pinch of sea salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 3-4 tbsp soft-set raspberry jam

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The best thing I ever saw was at a fete in Dalwood in Devon, where a small team of people took apart a whole vintage tractor, right down to the nuts and bolts, and then reassembled it in record time to music – and the occasional line of commentary through a crackling speaker.

It was like a 3D contemporary dance, choreographed from a Haynes manual.

I am also particularly drawn to village halls. I am amazed at this network of community-run spaces that operate as function rooms, social clubs, and classrooms for ballet, yoga and tae kwon do. However, they really come into their own as part of the village fete, where they become the competition arena.

Now, normally, I am not one for food competitions, and I don’t think I’ve ever sat through a full episode of MasterChef or Bake Off. But there is no getting away from the tense drama of who has made the best sponge, preserved the sweetest pickle, or grown the biggest onion, at a fete. This subtext to the village fete is where the real action is – the competition is fierce, and it’s all about the winning.

Think of all the planning, pruning and practice leading up to that one moment on show day, where a winning rosette for first place or ‘Best in Show’ sets you high in community standing for the entire year. Or the sharp intake of breath and disappointment when you

fall short in the opinions of a harsh panel of judges, sending you into a crisis of confidence tailspin. Or the extremes of emotion, angst, anticipation, joy, elation, resentment and disbelief etched onto the faces of those taking part. And all of this played out to a backdrop of mostly inclement weather.

I find there is a sense of collective pride in this rural scenario and, as a Dorset ‘blow in’ – I know, I know (but I work in, and love, Devon) – for the last 12 years, I have begun to get a better sense of who we are through these gatherings. There is a softness and dusty playfulness to our exteriors, but right through our core is a sharp steeliness that runs like a laser.

Like, in fact, the layer of jam through a Victoria sponge.

EQUIPMENT

butter and sugar mix is, the easier it will be to blend in the eggs, which in turn helps to prevent the mixture curdling.

– Add the eggs, about a quarter at a time, adding 1 tbsp of the weighed-out flour with each addition, and beating thoroughly before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract with the last of the egg.

– Sift in the rest of the flour, half at a time, and use a large metal spoon to carefully fold it in.

The mixture should drop off the spoon easily when tapped against the side of the bowl. If it doesn’t, add a spoonful or two of hot water.

– Divide the mixture equally between the prepared sandwich tins (or spoon it all into the larger cake tin, if using), spreading it out lightly and evenly with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cake(s) are lightly golden

and spring back into shape when gently pressed with a finger.

– Leave the cake(s) in the tin(s) for a couple of minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (If you’ve baked a single cake, once cooled, cut it horizontally into two equal layers.)

– When cold, spread one cake layer with the jam, place the second on top and dust lightly with caster sugar. The cake will keep for five days in an airtight tin.

2 x 20cm matching sandwich tins, or a 23cm round tin, lightly greased and base-lined with baking parchment. (For total egg weight less than 175g, use 2 x 18cm sandwich tins, or a 20cm round tin).

METHOD

– Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl and put aside.

– In a large mixing bowl, using either a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter to a cream.

– Add the caster sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very light and creamy (this will take about 5 minutes with a hand-held electric whisk, and up to 10 minutes using a wooden spoon). The lighter and fluffier the

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✱ Recipe from River Cottage Handbook No. 8: Cakes, by Steven’s colleague, Pam Corbin, published

by Bloomsbury Publishing. To buy it, or for info on Steven’s upcoming courses, visit rivercottage.net

Sunday Lunch Complimentary bottle of wine, when four dine. Quote ‘Roast Beef’ Offer runs until Sunday 28th August

RING P U B

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OF

BELLS

R E S T A U R A N T

W W W. T H E R I N G O F B E L L S . C O M 01363 860111 C h e r i ton F i t z pa i n e , C r e di ton , D e von E X 1 7 4 J G

Kitchen

Armoury CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

BURNING LOVE Now we’re in the midst of patio season, we all want to sit outside as long as we can. But, says Matt Bielby, Bielby sometimes nature needs a bit of help…

You know what? I’d rather be too hot than too cold. Summer’s great an’ all, but by the time the sun slips behind the treeline I’m more than happy to pack up and go inside…

Whoa, there! Not so fast! You see, I might just have the solution for you. Looking not unlike a squat, wide-mouthed, giantsize jar of Marmite, this bang-on-trend combo heater and cooker – a slightly space-age matte black beast – from Danish experts Morso keeps you warm on the long evenings and serves as a handy grill or pizza oven as it does so.

The difference, of course, is that this is not a love-it-or-hate-it thing: unlike Marmite, everyone can appreciate the Morso Forno.

Well, it looks pretty cool, but how does it work?

The old fashioned way – by burning wood or charcoal. There’s a wide, low-ceilinged firebox in this modernist, kettle-shaped thing that produces plenty of radiant heat – you hardly need to huddle around it, even – and there’s plenty of space inside, so you can just push the firewood to one side when it’s time to cook. Internally, it’s not unlike a classic Italian stone oven, which makes it perfect for making crisp, fresh pizzas or crusty bread. Pop in the

THIS MONTH crumbsmag.com

grill grate and you can do fish, steaks, sausages, burgers (all the barbecue classics), and even marshmallows on a fork. You can happily try trendy Southern American-style slow-cooked food on it too, while an optional door even turns it into a smoker.

a useful height, the table also adds a handy prep surface, plenty of storage for wood under the table top, and hooks for hanging utensils and all those pizza oven tools. Plus, of course, you can now easily wheel it around to wherever on the patio best suits.

Where do you put it?

Wherever you want, as long as it’s sturdy enough – this thing is made of cast iron, after all, so it’ll happily live outside all year around – but it does look pretty cool sitting on this chunky wheeled table accessory (part of the Forno Garden Kit that includes a Tuscan grill insert, an ash scraper, and three bags of kindling wood).

As well as raising this handsome Dane to

Sounds perfect to me!

Well, what you may not find quite so perfect is the price – £1,099 for the full-size Morso Forno (there’s a smaller, cheaper one too), or £1,699 for the full-on Garden Kit with the little trolly et al. But, when you think of all the summertime fun it guarantees, is that really such a crazy price to pay? (Perhaps best not to answer that, eh?)

Mad Hatters!

Sleepy mice!

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Moving place settings!

Crumbs Cooks With…

Everything

Stops

For

Tea

And if you’re after a slap up, once-in-a-lifetime High Tea that Alice, The Hatter and The March Hare would all be happy to pull up a chair at, then head directly to Glazebrook House hotel, says Susan Clark Photos by GUY HARROP

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w e didn’t just stumble across Glazebrook House hotel in South Devon to host our crazy Mad Hatters Tea Party for this issue of Crumbs – oh no, we bobbed up and down, juggled limes and swallowed fire sticks performing all our very, very best party tricks to persuade owners Pieter Hamman and his partner, Fran, to lend us head chef Dan Bennett and

new pastry chef, Amy Symonds, for the day. (To be fair, though, this opulent boutique hotel was the obvious choice for a Tea Party like no other, because it’s been refurbished with a charming Alice In Wonderland theme, each of the eight unique bedrooms now named according to a character from one of those fantastical storybooks.)

But we had no idea we would stumble on our very own modern Alice here, in the shape of pastry chef Amy Symonds, who joined Executive Chef and Michelinstarred Anton Piotrowski’s kitchen at Glazebrook earlier this year, and who has been bringing all the skills she perfected under Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park to the pastry menu here – including (and especially) to the afternoon tea.

“I never planned on becoming a chef,

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but took a part-time job at Boston Tea Party café to help finance my course in graphics,” she says, “and, before I knew it, I’d discovered my true passion. Michael Caines then took a real risk when he took me on as a breakfast chef at Gidleigh Park – I’d had no experience of cooking at that level – but I worked my socks off for three years, and made my way up the pastry section to chef de partie.”

Amy says two Michelin-starred chef, Michael, was a fantastic mentor, and so inspiring to work for that, when he left Gidleigh Park at the end of last year to open his own country house hotel and fine dining restaurant, she left too.

Her meeting with Anton Piotrowski was a chance one (it was at the Trencherman Awards, which took place in Padstow last November).

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Daniel and Amy love making regular afternoon tea, but liked this one even more

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Impressed by Amy’s execution of Michael’s signature orange and chocolate mousse dessert, which was delicious – I was there, and am still talking about this pud – Anton invited her to join his team at Glazebrook, and the rest, as they say…

Happily, Amy brings those incredible skills to all the cakes, fancies and desserts on the menu at Glazebrook and, yes, the conventional afternoon tea includes her take on a chocolate and orange mousse that melts dreamily in your mouth as you reach for another one.

“Glazebrook,” she says “is an amazing, quirky and inspiring place to work.

I really enjoy having the freedom of running the pastry section here, and creating my own dishes.”

Amy works on a day-to-day basis with Head Chef Daniel Bennett, and it’s clear from watching the two of them in action, as they plate up for both the conventional afternoon tea they have made for us and the fantastical Alice in Wonderland-style Tea Party they’ve put on, where everything is super-small or super-sized, they have a fantastic working relationship, which translates to the plate.

Here are some of Dan and Amy’s showstopping recipes from the Glazebrook afternoon tea menu – the components of which constantly change, according to what the chefs plan to create to tantalise your tastebuds and surprise you.

Note: The tiered cake centre piece for this Tea Party shoot was made to order for us by the newly-launched Devon cake and bake company, Iris & Bird (see page 34 for more on those guys). ✱glazebrookhouse.com Just imagine this is a layer cake, but savoury; we’re calling it the ‘stackwich’

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Yes, apparently she dresses like this to work every day…

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Is there anything that’s cuter than a tenny, tiny pan? We think not…

The only problem with all this amazing savoury is that you have to leave room for the sweet‌

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SAVOURY RECIPES PARMESAN CRISP, RED PEPPER KETCHUP & PARMA HAM (10 BITE-SIZED PIECES) INGREDIENTS

4 red peppers, roasted 4 shallots, finely diced 1 Granny Smith apple, grated 100g caster sugar 150ml red wine vinegar 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 100g Parmesan cheese, grated 25g cornflour 1 slice of Parma ham METHOD

To make the red pepper ketchup – Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4.

– Roast the red peppers until softened. Take out of the oven, cool, and then remove the skins and seeds. Slice to saute.

– Saute the diced shallots in a frying pan; add the red peppers, red wine vinegar and caster sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until this sauce thickens.

– Remove from heat and add grated apple.

– Blend the sauce for 10 minutes, and then pass through a fine sieve.

– Season the ketchup with Worcestershire sauce.

To make the Parmesan crisps – Mix the Parmesan and cornflour in a bowl.

– Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.

– Thinly spread your Parmesan and cornflour mix across the tray.

– Cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and bake for 10-15 minutes until the crisp is golden brown.

– Allow to cool and then break into bitesized pieces.

To plate up – Plate up your Parmesan crips shards, nad spoon the red pepper ketchup over the top.

– Sprinkle the top of the sauce with additional small chunks of Parmesan.

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POTTED CRAB APPLE JELLY & CITRUS FENNEL

BLACK PUDDING SCOTCH EGG

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

150g white crab meat 1 spring onion, thinly sliced 1 chilli, diced 5g fresh ginger, peeled and diced 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Granny Smith apple, juice 1 leaf of gelatin, softened as per instructions 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp vodka

4 soft boiled quails eggs (boil for just 2 minutes 30 seconds to keep soft boiled) 200g black pudding 1 egg yolk 100g plain flour 1 egg yolk, beaten 100g bread crumbs

(SERVES 4)

METHOD

– Hand-pick the crab meat to ensure there are no pieces of shell.

– Mix the crab meat in a bowl with the spring onion, chilli, ginger, lemon juice and olive oil.

– Season to taste.

– Share this mix equally between four small Kilner jars.

– Gently warm the apple juice and add the softened gelatin. Allow to cool and then pour over the top of the crab mix in the Kilner jars.

– Mix the fennel slices with the second measure of lemon juice, lime juice and vodka. Place this mix over the top of the set apple jelly.

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(SERVES 4)

METHOD

– Pre-heat your stove top fryer; you want the oil to reach 180C/350F. – Gently peel the quail eggs, wash, and set aside.

– Blend the black pudding with the egg yolk.

– Roll this mix out between two layers of cling film, and then cut this rectangle into four squares.

– Remove the top layer of cling film and place one peeled quail egg in the centre of each of your four squares.

– Hand-mould the black pudding around the egg to form a ball.

– Roll each of these balls through the flour, and shake off any excess.

– Now dip each ball in the beaten egg mix, followed by the breadcrumbs.

– Fry each Scotch egg ball until golden brown with a crispy coating.

That’s either a giant helping of food, or a very tiny teacup…

SWEET RECIPES

Remember that with patisseries – though this may seem odd to the home cook – the chef measures everything very precisely, including eggs…!

GLAZEBROOK SCONES

BLACK PEPPER HONETCOMBE

GLAZEBROOK CARROT CAKE

125g butter, softened 75g icing sugar, sieved 25g baking powder, sieved 125g beaten eggs 125g milk 150g raisins

INGREDIENTS

Remember what we said about patisserie and precision? This time you’re measuring the oil (last time it was egg weights).

METHOD

METHOD

– Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/ gas mark 3.

– Cream together the butter and icing sugar; use a standalone mixer with the paddle attachment, if you have one, or similar. If not, use good old fashioned elbow grease, and cream the mix unti it’s pale and fluffy.

– Add the sieved flour and baking powder until you have a breadcrumbs texture.

– Beat together the eggs and milk, add to the scone mix, and fold together.

– Mix in your raisins, and then tip out onto your work surface and knead.

– Leave to rest for 15 minutes and then roll out to about 2cm thickness. Cut to your preferred size and shape (we usually use a 2.5cm x 2.5cm cutter).

– Place your scones on a baking sheet, glaze with milk, and cook for 15 minutes.

– Leave the cooked scones to cool and rest on a wire rack.

– Serve with jam, cream and all the usual trimmings.

– Place the sugar, Golden Syrup and black pepper in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook on a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.

– Turn the heat back up and cook until the liquid has become a darker caramel colour.

– Take this off the heat and beat in the bicarbonate of soda.

– Pour this mix into your lined tin, and allow to set at room temperature. Don’t move the tin until it has set.

– Once set, break into bite-sized chunks.

(MAKES 12)

INGREDIENTS

(MAKES 24 PIECES)

200g caster sugar 5 tbsp Golden Syrup 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 pinches of cracked black pepper greaseproof-lined tin

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(MAKES 18 SLICES)

INGREDIENTS

325g vegetable oil 300g plain flour 10g bicarbonate of soda powder 425g caster sugar 210g eggs 9g cinnamon powder pinch of salt 370g carrots, grated 100g walnuts, chopped METHOD

– Pre-heat the oven to 160C/325F/ gas mark 3.

– Mix together all the ingredients, except the grated carrot and walnuts, until they’re evenly combined.

– Now add the carrots and chopped walnuts.

– Transfer to your favourite cake tin, either loaf or round.

– Bake for one hour (check the middle is cooked through before you remove it from the oven).

– Leave to rest on a wire cooling rack.

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With afternoon tea, how you place each cake on the stand is, of course, very important‌

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THE WANT LIST

Lovely new kitchen additions, though in somewhat unexpected shapes…

1 TEAPOT 1017 £10,210 It might sound a tall tale, but this exquisite sterling silver vintage tea pot does cost the price above.

Named The Teapot 1017, it’s by Henning Koppel and won the Gold Medal at Triennial di Milano 1954.

(Did we mention the price….?) ✱ georgjensen.com 2 CROCUS MEASURING SPOONS £11 Part of the funky Zeal ‘Reflecting Nature’ contemporary range of bakeware, these are too pretty to be stuck in a drawer. There are five non-stick spoons here, and the leaf loop holds the set together for easy closure and storage. ✱ shopsatdartington.co.uk 3 STELLAR COPPER ICE CREAM SCOOP £5.60 If you’re planning on making Orlando’s incredible lemon curd ice cream this issue, don’t let the side down by serving it with any old tatty scooper. This copper delight from the Stellar range is perfect for soft scoop. ✱ hartsofstur.com 4 TOM DIXON STONE CAKE STAND £125 Elevate your cake and butterfly buns to the dizziest heights of chic with this ‘Love, Love, Love It’ contemporary stand. ✱ tomdixon.net 5 TAUNTON VALE ROLLING PIN £25 We’ve got the pinny (Granny’s) and now we want this vintage-style daisy rolling pin, which we first spotted on Pinterest and tracked down to maker Taunton Vale and stockist The Vintage Kitchen. ✱ thevintagekitchen.co.uk

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Trencherman’s Pub of the Year 2016 INTRODUCING HEAD CHEF, SCOTT PATON

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.

TEL: 01752 344455 WWW.BORINGDONHALL.CO.UK

G THE

EORGE Hotel c.1450 Rebuilt 2010

HATHERLEIGH • DEVON

CHRISTIAN AND D I A N E W E L C O M E YO U TO THE GEORGE IN H AT H E R L E I G H !

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

A rebuilt 15th Century coaching inn

Come and try our new early summer menu!

Our chef Peter has taken some lovely local fresh produce and created a wonderful selection of dishes for you to try.

Just a little hungry?

We serve homemade Devonshire Tapas – just buy one, maybe a runny scotch egg, or try the whole set of 7 different dishes for £15.

Or why not try our tasting menu of five savoury courses for £30 a head created especially for your party. Booking at least 24 hours’ in advance essential.

We have 13 ensuite rooms, some with four poster beds and in-room roll-top baths, and all with unique, vintage interiors.

Need somewhere to stay?

T. 01398 332248 E. info@theswan.co www.theswan.co

Market Street | Hatherleigh | EX20 3JN 01837 811755 www.thegeorgeinhatherleigh.com

Bampton | Tiverton | Devon | EX16 9NG

KINGS ARMS G

E

O

R

G

E

H

A

M

genuine freehouse pub

ovenance uce & pr local prod outdoor and function area s

live music

& drink inning food award-w

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

nm

TOR ROYAL

Afternoon tea from ÂŁ14 Treat yourself to a full afternoon tea including homemade scones with lashings of clotted cream and a selection of sandwiches and cakes.

Open 2pm-5pm To book call 01822 890189 or visit www.torroyal.co.uk

JOIN US FOR OUR 'MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY' Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August, 3-5pm For more information and to order tickets please give us a call Princetown, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6SL

Restaurant and accommodation on the edge of Dartmoor National Park

Come and join us for a cream tea, a light lunch or just an ice-cream next to the river!

01364 631213 badgersholtdartmoor.co.uk Dartmeet, Princetown, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6SG

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

The fish ain’t the problem – it’s the grain. Happily, Rockfish has hauled a solution aboard…

Highlights AGAINST THE GRAIN

Eating out can be a pain if you need to go gluten-free, so hurrah for Rockfish. They’ve only done the entire menu that way…

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THE CAKE ESCAPE

Creating the coolest of cakes at Ashburton Cookery School Page 56

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Including…

4

PARTS TO ONE RECIPE The result?

Profiteroles!

S

o, writes Mitch Tonks, why did we take the big step of making the entire menu available as a gluten-free option?

The easy answer, of course, is that people kept asking us if we had anything gluten-free and, if so, what was it. Time to do something about it, we thought.

First off, we sourced a gluten-free batter we could use when specifically requested. For a while we thought we were doing a great job, but then a gentleman called me, after his wife had eaten at one of our restaurants and had fallen ill. The problem was, she’d been eating our ‘gluten free’ fish and chips.

I said I didn’t understand, and then explained that her dish had been fried in oil, at 190C, with gluten-free batter. How could it have affected her?

But the customer then outlined the ins and outs of what you have to do to be truly gluten-free and, as a result, safe and suitable for coeliacs. How it involves separate oil, separate filtration, separate utensils and a completely different way of looking at, and organizing, things.

My gut feeling – excuse the pun – told me that the demand for gluten-free was only going to grow. Gluten-free bread and other products were becoming more and more visible in supermarkets, after all, and I hated to think that people couldn’t come to our restaurants, through either dietary or medical choices. So I decided that we should go down the path of offering a properly gluten-free menu, in addition to our standard one.

I didn’t want that group of Free From diners to feel marginalized, or to be offered just a few ‘choices’, and so the only option was to offer the whole menu

Mains

Fishing well Devon’s top seafood chef, Mitch Tonks, has taken his top-notch Rockfish restaurant chain a trail-blazing 100 percent gluten-free.

Why so? Let’s let the man himself explain…

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Mat Prowse and Mitch Tonks (left and right), owners of Rockfish, with gluten-free hero Kirk Gosden sandwiched in the middle

exactly the same – but gluten-free. I also didn’t want people without allergies to feel they were being compromised for their choices, so we had to offer the original menu too. After all, I’ve always wanted Rockfish to be for everyone.

So, how did we do it?

Well, Kirk Gosden – our amazing group Head Chef – headed up the initiative, and although perhaps a little reluctant at first, because of the size of the task, he’s actually picked this brief up with so much energy and enthusiasm that, in many ways, he’s the guy who made it happen.

Kirk started by methodically listing every single ingredient in every one of our menu items, and then sourcing and testing as many gluten-free alternatives to each as possible. He also consulted with The Coeliac Society, as it’s important to us that we are accredited by them.

We didn’t want to change the experience of dining with us, so we’ve sourced gluten-free soy, vinegars, and so on, and found a taste profile match between gluten and non-gluten free sauces. Kirk and I tested and tasted equivalent recipes until we found what we were looking for in each one.

Some of the challenges we had to overcome included changing our kitchens, and working with our cooking range manufacturers to redesign our kitchen filtration system. We’ve invested over £100k in this switch, alongside in-depth staff training.

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The gluten-free batter was a particular challenge for frying fish, as it is, by nature, crispy because it is rice flour-based. But the biggest challenge of all was identifying all the hidden ingredients that were in the things we used to make sauces. We were amazed by the amount of products that contain gluten: things like mustard, vinegar, and mayo, as well as obvious stuff like breadcrumbs. I know coeliacs will understand this, because they have no choice, but to scrutinize ingredients lists on everything you buy is tough.

Bread is one of hardest things to find an equivalent for. And trying to find a good match to traditional bread, which is what we set out to do, turned out to be the wrong approach. We realized that gluten-free bread should be seen as a totally different experience and, once we made that switch in our thinking, we found a brilliant one that pleased us as much as the usual bread we use.

The best moment was when we got our fish and chips in gluten-free batter right. It was crisp, non-greasy, slightly lighter in colour, but the taste and texture experience was fantastic. And we knew, once we got the frying oil and filtration sorted and made sure there could be no cross-contamination behind the scenes, that we could make the nation’s favourite dish totally gluten-free.

The biggest single cost we incurred was replacing the kitchen frying range in Dartmouth, which ran to about £60k. Of course, we needed to buy new duplicate utensils, and add another filtration system too – so that the oil used for gluten-free never became contaminated.

All the training documents for all our teams are held on an iPad electronically, and now they’ve been updated with gluten-free information on all processes and recipes. We place huge importance on training our people in both the kitchen and front of house. We want our customers to be able to trust us, and we’re introducing a little gluten-free sign or flag that gets placed on all our glutenfree dishes as they come out of the kitchen, to further reassure guests.

My favourite gluten-free dish? As all our gluten-free dishes mirror those on our existing menu, I like them all! It was particularly important that the fried fish tastes good, though, and – happily – it really does! We’re always working

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on new menu items too, and we’ve got things like a gluten-free bouillabaisse and chowders being looked at for winter.

Is gluten the only food allergy out there we could be worrying about?

No, but this one is particularly big for both medical reasons and choice, and I wanted everyone to be able to continue eating what we offer. It really limits where you go out to eat, otherwise.

And we’ve more innovations coming along, too. We’ll have more waterside restaurants in 2017, and we’re currently looking at having a mobile unit so that we can take Rockfish to events (we keep being asked to do this). Plus, we’re also looking at brewing our own beers, perfect for fish and chips, on site. ✱ therockfish.co.uk

Pass profiteroles the

Mains

Want to get more confident with your patisserie? Then check out the day courses at Ashburton Cookery School. You’ll soon be whipping up choux pastry and crème pate like a pro, says Susan Clark

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f you’re thinking of signing up for the one day patisserie course at Ashburton Cookery School, you will need (a) a good night’s sleep the night before, (b) trainers (or other shoes you can stand in for most of the day), and (c) your wits about you. Why? Because when the chef tutors at this award-winning facility offer to teach you to make patisserie, they are not messing around – and, if you can take the pace, you will leave having learned to make sweet pastry, choux pastry, eclairs and profiteroles, glazed fruit tarts (just like they sell in the windows of the fanciest French delis), madeleines and biscotti – not to mention all the relevant glazes and coatings and fillings.

Oh, and your own delicious lunch too.

To be honest, we can’t think of a better way to spend £165 – an amount which might seem indulgent, but just think of the returns. Afterwards, you’ll be able to make and serve the kind of goodies – or afternoon tea – that will have the neighbours gossiping (and hoping for an invitation the next time you put your pinny on) for weeks and weeks following.

The courses, which run from 9.30am to 4pm, are intense. In fact, patisserie-making is intense anyway – there’s a clue in the fact you have to measure eggs and oil, and there’s no ready reckoning allowed when it comes to quantities and measurements. But really, you’ll be pleased as punch you’ve taken the time to pick up the kind of skills that never leave you and, more, the confidence to cook like this at home. Time to try the recipe over the page…

Founded in 1992 by Stella West-Harling, Ashburton Cookery School offers over 40 different courses, including patisserie, breadmaking, and Indian and Italian cooking.

This summer there are two one-day patisserie courses, on 15 and 26 August. The skill level for these courses is intermediate, so you need to know your way a little around the kitchen. ✱ ASHBURTON COOKERY SCHOOL, Old Exeter Road, Ashburton TQ13 7LG; 01364 652784; ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk

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Chocolate ganache-covered profiteroles CHOUX PASTRY 150ml water 65g plain four 50g unsalted butter 2 whole eggs (120g) pinch of salt pinch of sugar – Bring the water, sugar, salt and butter to the boil in a saucepan.

– Remove from the heat and add all the sieved flour in one go.

– Stir immediately, and return to a moderate heat.

– Keep stirring until the mixture leaves the side of the pan.

– Remove from the heat and allow to cool on a tray for five minutes, then place into a bowl.

– Gradually add the beaten eggs and beat well.

– The paste should be a dropping consistency. If it’s not, then add a little more egg.

– Pipe into choux balls and bake in a hot oven (200C/400F/gas mark 6) for approx. 25 minutes, until crisp and hollow.

CRÈME PATISSERIE

FILLING FOR THE PROFITEROLES

1 litre full fat milk 3 vanilla pods, split in half lengthways and scraped of seeds 14 eggs yolks 225g caster sugar 115g corn flour

50% crème patisserie (see recipe to the left) 50% double cream

(TO FILL 8 PROFITEROLES)

– Place the milk and vanilla seeds in a pan and warm until tepid.

– Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour together in a heavybased pan until pale.

– Slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture and place on a medium heat.

– Whisk the mixture vigorously until it starts to thicken and comes to the boil.

– Continue to whisk for another one or two minutes, and then pass through a sieve into a bowl.

– Finally, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to set. You need this to make the filling (next step!)

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– Semi-whip the double cream until it forms soft peaks.

– Carefully fold the double cream into the pastry cream, being very careful not to overwhip.

– Place the filling into a piping bag and pipe into your profiteroles.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE (WILL COAT 16 PROFITEROLES)

1kg dark chocolate pistols or pieces (53% cocoa content) 1 litre double cream – Warm the double cream and slowly stir in the dark chocolate pieces.

– Do not boil the chocolate ganache, otherwise it will split and go grainy in texture.

– Allow to cool slightly so it thickens, before coating your profiteroles.

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#09

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

A little slice of foodie heaven

GONE FISHIN’

sUe N ex t is

Sardines! Mackerel!

Monkfish! Clams!

Next issue, we’re pulling all sorts of fun things out of the sea

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

CHARLIE PINDER charlie.pinder@mediaclash.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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

GREG INGHAM greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk

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DEVON IN the sunshine? What could be better? (Devon in the sunshine with no traffic on the roads, for one thing.) This issue we’ve been checking out the joys of cream teas, and generally revelling in the skill and dedication of our local producers.

And, next month, we’re going to pull out our sea-legs from under the bed for a special fishy feast of an issue. Can’t wait!

Crumbs is back with...

CHRISTMAS PARTIES Yes, really. (We didn’t think it soon soon) FABULOUS FIGS Feeding the hungry since 9000BC LAST OF SUMMER Making the most of those final days

Haul aboard our next issue from

Friday, 9 September

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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!”

(Mark Seward, Dukes , Sidmouth, East Devon)

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

Afters

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

If The Prisoner had lived in a hut like this, he’d never have wanted to escape…

Highlights DEER PRUDENCE

At the Deer Park, the wise thing to do would be to resist eating all the afternoon tea treats.

But did we…?

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ON THE BEACH Nothing works up an appetite like hearing the crashing waves at The Cary Arms’ new lodging option…

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Including…

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The age of our Rolls Royce in years (and looking good on it, too!)

Af ters

( G R E AT C O U N T R Y P I L E S )

DEER PARK If you’re looking for a quintessentially English afternoon tea, look no further than Deer Park Country House Hotel – they’ll even send a Roller to pick you up, says Sue Stoneman

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he car – a 1937 Rolls Royce, no less - arrived bang on time for our very special trip. We’d dressed up for the occasion of our afternoon tea, and I’m so glad we did. Our chauffeur, Stephen – smartly togged in a sporting tweed – introduced us to his shiny red Rolls Royce Phantom 1. What a beauty!

We swept down the drive to the hotel, where the recently acquired deer had been assembled for a ‘family photo’ (I suspect the chef already has his beady eye on them), and glimpsed the new Tree House accommodation to the left. At the main house proper, pots of homegrown herbs and vegetables lined the porch and dressers in the entrance hall and, as we stepped over the threshold, we could smell the heady scent of freshly-picked sweet peas in a vase on the reception desk.

Afternoon tea was being served in the lounge overlooking the garden, and down towards the wood-fired oven and outside cooking area. I settled into the huge sofa and opted for tea with my afternoon tea. There’s no menu, so what turns up will be a surprise – which I like.

As we sipped our cup of loose leaf tea, the waiter appeared with the prettiest of three-tiered cake stands, piled high

with a tempting selection of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes.

We’d starved ourselves all morning to make space for the afternoon tea, and so we listened intently, stomachs now growling, to news of what treats we were about to eat. There were four different finger sandwiches to start: ham and wholegrain mustard, egg mayonnaise, and smoked salmon and cucumber, some made with brown bread, some with white, but all with the crusts cut off, and all the exact same size.

Our only real dilemma, as we munched through the savouries, was what to go for next – scones or cakes?

The cakes won, and we dived headlong

into a delicious blood orange mousse on a thin sponge base, which just melted in the mouth. Next we tasted the double mini petit praline choux on a thin biscuit. These were perfect, filled delicately with pistachio cream and coated in shiny chocolate and decorated with nuts – yum!

Still going strong – and by now on our third cup of tea – we devoured the lightest of lemon drizzle cake, paused for a moment or two, and then crunched our way through a raspberry macaroon filled with crushed raspberries.

It was fairly quiet in the hotel, and we were checked on several times by the attentive and friendly staff. Soon a fresh pot of tea (different tea pot) and a fresh jug of milk were brought out to us.

The scones – sweet and savoury – were still warm, not too big, and, with the split around the sides, broke delicately in half. Cream first (this is Devon, after all) and then we pondered the choice of spiced plum or strawberry jam – both made from produce from the hotel’s own walled garden.

Full to bursting, and glad of a little walk, we had time for a little snoop around the hotel, visiting the newlybuilt Orangery and venturing out into the stunning gardens. You must go and see the walled garden – it’s absolutely beautifully kept, and full to bursting with fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.

We would have lingered but, sadly, the world was calling us back. Never mind, there’s always tomorrow.

✱ DEER PARK COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL, Weston, Honiton EX14 3PG; 01404 41266; deerparkcountryhotel.co.uk

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Af ters

T

( AMAZING BEACH HUTS )

THE CARY ARMS

With a glass door wall that opens entirely to the elements, the new Beach Huts at The Cary Arms are as good as being on the QE2 – but without the throngs. Bliss, says Susan Clark (who remembers the QE2)

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he pictures here should tell you two things straight off.

One, wear flip flops and not your Jimmy Choos. And two, the Beachside Grill here – even following its über-cool refit – still does what it says on the tin and offers informal beachside dining at its best.

Once upon a time, a beach hut was, well, something quite different. A few old bits of ply banged together and slapped about with a bit of old paint Grandad happened to have lying about – but those days, trust me, have gone.

We’ve all seen beach huts changing hands for Monopoly money, putting ownership out of reach for so many – but what if you could decamp to a hut that you rented by the night and, not only that, what if it was a hut which wouldn’t look out of place along the Maine coastline in the U.S. of A.?

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How very glamorous and, indeed, how very unexpected.

Unexpected to me for sure, since the last time I visited The Cary Arms at Babbacombe, t’was the depths of mid-winter. The sea raged and the winds howled and I wouldn’t have been the least surprised that cold, dark night to spot the odd smuggler or two scampering over the rocks with a barrel of rum under one arm and a bolt of soggy raw Chinese silk under the other.

Imagine, then, the joy of visiting mid-summer, when it’s actually warm enough to take your place on one of the Airondeck chairs on your private balcony outside one of the four new Beach Huts, and see for yourself how the pinkish tinge of the sedum lining the ‘living roof’ of the two new super swanky beach suites just below you (these practically overhang the incoming water) is only a shade or two lighter than the reddish soil of the crumbling cliffs opposite.

It is, as you can tell, almost impossible not to get swept away by the sheer romance of this place, which calls itself ‘The Inn on the Sea’. Now that the Beach Huts – part of a £2 million redevelopment, that will include a new spa – have opened, it might be time for those who find themselves single to get on with finding someone to cosy up to in the handmade deluxe bed at night.

I hadn’t really intended to come over all romantic – or, indeed, to stay

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the night. My original plan had been to head for the über groovy pod (open to residents only), and see what would make its way towards me in the shape of a beachside afternoon tea.

Well, scones – naturally – but quite nice to have a choice of savoury and sweet. And then, unexpectedly, a brownie to die for. A brownie so good my friend, who is no slacker in the kitchen, went off to find the recipe.

And then, what to my mind is the crowning glory of any proper seaside afternoon tea: a cucumber sandwich made with white bread and the crusts cut sharply off.

One had to be really rather careful not to polish off the lot, but that was only because one did, in the end, decide to accept an invitation to be the first person ever to stay in Beach Hut number 4 – even Alisha Dixon, who is a regular guest, hadn’t had the chance to stay here yet, because they’ve only just been finished. This being the case, I needed to leave space for the inevitable gastropub style supper which The Cary Arms is so very good at.

I loved my hut, and spent a good hour – maybe more – flicking switches and twirling remotes to change fan speeds (the fan alone cost £2,000) and lower flame licks (the built-in fire is for aesthetics only, since all the heating is under-floor) and stream Bowie tracks from my iPhone via the Sonos to entertain the fish exploring the crevices

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in the rockpools below. I peered out of the bedroom porthole and sat on the champagne cork-style stool and, in the interests of good research, measured the fluffiness of the towels – very fluffy.

There was a cute little red Smeg fridge with lots of complimentary goodies (including the all-important fresh milk) and a bottle of good Provencal rosé; plus Burts crisps, and a decanter with a Plymouth Sloe Gin beckoning. But, best of all, it is in walking distance (through the garden and back into the hotel) of some very good gastro grub.

Word has got out about the new Beach Huts at The Cary Arms – of course – and no wonder. They are fab.

So it’s little surprise that I’m now told there’s no availability until September, though – look on the bright side – that’s only really a few weeks away now. (And, actually, I would imagine a winter evening in the hut would be every bit as romantic as mid-summer. Now, where’s my credit card…?)

There are just four new Cary Arms Beach Huts, and they each cost a fixed price of £375 per night, which includes breakfast. The new beach suites, meanwhile, are £475 per night, including your breakfast.

Why more? Well, they’re bigger, and closer to the water, for one thing… ✱ THE CARY ARMS, Oddicombe Beach Hill, Babbacombe, South Devon TQ1 3LX; 01803 327110; caryarms.co.uk

Little black book

He’s ‘the other’ two-Michelin-starred Michael. And, now he’s had six months to eat his way around Devon, we asked Michael Wignall, Executive Head Chef at Gidleigh Park, to spill all on his fave foodie hotspots BREAKFAST? I really like The

Birdcage Café in Chagford. It’s very quirky, and serves brilliant coffee.

BEST BREW? I’m not really a huge beer

Quick!

Now add some of Michael’s faves to your own foodie contacts book The Bird Cage, Chagford TQ13 8AA; thebirdcagechagford.co.uk Dartmoor Brewery, Princestown PL20 6QX; dartmoorbrewery.co.uk Waitrose, Torquay and Teignmouth; waitrose.com The Rock Inn, Haytor Vale TQ13 9XP; rock-inn.co.uk Plymouth Gin Distillery, Plymouth PL1 2LQ; plymouthdistillery.com The Nobody Inn, Doddiscombsleigh EX6 7PS; nobodyinn.co.uk Pipers Farm, Exeter EX2 4TA; pipersfarm.com River Cottage Canteen & Deli, Plymouth PL1 3QQ; rivercottage.net

or ale drinker, but I think that, locally, Jail Ale by the Dartmoor Brewery is very good.

BEST SUPERMARKET? My favourite down here is Waitrose, for great quality food. Up north, though, it’s got to be Booths, a grocery chain that focuses on regional produce. In fact, Booths is one of the places I should thank for my career, as going there is one of the things that made me so passionate about great quality food. I’ll always remember the Booths coffee aisle: not just for its aromatic smell, but because it’s where I first discovered that you could grind your own beans. It’s where my taste for fine coffee began.

SUNDAY ROAST? Ah, this one’s easy.

The Rock Inn at Haytor Vale.

QUICK PINT? The Chagford Inn is good; it’s got a great atmosphere.

CHEEKY COCKTAIL? I probably like the

Champagne Bar at the Plymouth Gin Distillery the best.

FOOD ON THE GO? Sushi, sushi, sushi.

My food – as everyone who has had a chance to come and eat at Gidleigh Park since I arrived there at the start of the year will know – has many Asian influences, which have their roots in my travels to Japan. We spent our honeymoon in Japan, and that’s where I also found my love of sushi!

ALFRESCO EATING? Biased, I know,

but the best place to relax has to be the terrace at Gidleigh Park, indulging

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in a very contemporary afternoon tea and admiring the incredible views.

HIDDEN GEM? I don’t know if I want to share this, so keep it to yourselves.

The Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh certainly deserves the word ‘hidden’, and has heaps and heaps of character.

COMFORT FOOD? For me it’s warm, toasted sourdough with lashings of unpasteurised and unsalted butter. The raw flavour of the butter, and hot tasty bread, is a true home comfort.

WITH THE FAMILY? At home with a roast chicken from Pipers Farm Shop in Exeter. The key is to keep it simple, and serve it with seasonal veg and, of course, crispy roast potatoes. I’ll cook everything very slowly in the AGA in my new home (which, I have to admit, I’m finding very difficult to get used to…)

CHILD-FRIENDLY? We really like The

River Cottage Canteen in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard. It’s great to be so close to the water, and not only is the food excellent but the whole place is very family-friendly too.

BEST CURRY? The Mogul in Bagshot was my all-time favourite before I moved to Devon and, to be honest, I’ve yet to discover one in the South West – so I’m open to suggestions!

✱ Michael is one of the UK’s most respected chefs, winning Michelin stars in every kitchen he has headed up since gaining his first one in 1993. He’s been in Devon since January, wowing Gidleigh diners with his ever-evolving, contemporary, but less formal approach to fine cuisine. His spectacular taster menus run from £75pp; gidleigh.co.uk

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