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GOURMET TRAVELLER
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Left to right:
Victoria Cranfield’s
lemon and rose
petal marmalade;
the wild beauty
of Saunton
Sands. Opposite,
clockwise from top
left: Godminster
brie and charcuterie
at The Exmoor
Beastro; Saunton
Sands; Brixham
soused herrings at
The Swan; sunset
in Woolacombe
as seen from the
VW Camper van
N
orth Devon is the sort of place you want to meander through,
explore and discover at a slow pace, perhaps in a vintage
VW Camper. Why not? Ours is bright red and dates from
1971. This classic beaut takes us on a journey along high coastal
roads that look across the Bristol Channel to Wales, down lanes
that are narrow, winding, sometimes outrageously steep, lined with
high, overgrown hedgerows; up climbs that lead to the bare and
majestic stretches of Exmoor then plunge into valleys that are
lush and almost sub-tropical. Along those roads and in a vehicle
such as ours, it is simply impossible not to drive lightly.
‘We don’t do “hurry” here,’ says Dan the Fishman, when we arrive
to meet him at Appledore’s historic harbour more than an hour late.
‘I was in Plymouth last week and it felt so strange. Everyone was
rushing!’ An ex-lifeboatman, Dan is not only a fisherman and
fishmonger, selling from his barrow at farmers’ markets and
festivals, but he has also become an unofficial ambassador for
North Devon’s sustainable fish. This means teaching children and
adults how to understand, value and cook the harvest.
‘Many people in cities have lost the ability to taste real food. It’s
all that rushing about. They have never had the chance to enjoy fish
virtually straight from day boats or to savour grass-fed meat reared
slowly on a farm. Coming to North Devon is an opportunity for
people to reconnect with where real food comes from,’ he says.
North Devon has always been a popular destination. People have
been coming here for centuries to experience the remote beauty
of places like Lynmouth and Combe Martin. Indeed, the poets
Coleridge and Wordsworth walked about 50km to reach the
Valley of Rocks in 1797, its grandeur inspiring the 18th-century
Romantic Period in art and literature. Ever since, the area has
continued to attract visitors.
It is only in recent years, however, that people have come here
to discover an array of outstanding food and drink. Just north of
Barnstaple, we visit Broomhill Art Hotel, in a lush, wooded valley,
a beautiful venue for the largest permanent
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Where to stay
Broomhill Art Hotel This quirky hotel not far from Barnstaple is set
within its own sculpture garden and is decorated with works by local
artists. Lovers of art and nature come here to enjoy tranquillity as
well as excellent local food served in the Terra Madre Restaurant
(see Where to Eat). Rooms are clean, individually and originally
furnished, and reasonably priced. Doubles from £75. Muddiford
Road, Barnstaple, 01271 850262, broomhillart.co.uk
Hunters Inn Hidden off the A39 near the sea, this surprisingly large
inn resembles a Swiss chalet. Open since 1824, guests have
included poets, composers and prime ministers. The pub itself has
own-brewed ales, while the restaurant serves homely foods, mainly
from locally sourced ingredients. Doubles from £100. Heddon
Valley, Exmoor, 01598 763230, thehuntersinnexmoor.co.uk
Kentisbury Grange This beautifully restored Victorian manor on
the edge of Exmoor has recently gone up a gourmet notch with the
launch of The Coach House restaurant by two-Michelin-starred chef
Michael Caines. The chic hotel is furnished tastefully with antiques
and original artwork. Doubles from £125. Kentisbury, Barnstaple,
01271 882295, kentisburygrange.com
Saunton Sands Hotel This elegant art deco hotel is poised like a
gleaming white ocean liner, overlooking North Devon’s best beaches.
While the rooms are modern and well-equipped, service is oldfashioned in the best sense (there is a voluntary dress code for
dinner, for example). This is a grand old hotel that harks back to
another era, a lovely place to visit and stay. Doubles from £145.
Saunton, near Braunton, 01271 890212, sauntonsands.co.uk
Stoodleigh Court Coach House B&B A stylish and modern
luxury bed & breakfast set in a remote and incredibly peaceful
corner of mid-Devon. Rosey and Steve are welcoming hosts and
the farmhouse breakfast, made with ingredients from neighbouring
farms, is outstanding. Doubles from £90. Stoodleigh, Tiverton,
01398 351206, stoodleighcourtcoachhousebandb.co.uk
‘Many people in cities have lost the ability to taste real food. They have
never had the chance to enjoy fish virtually straight from day boats or
to savour grass-fed meat, reared slowly on a farm’
HOW TO GET ABOUT
O’Connors Campers offers vintage VW Campers dating mainly from the
Sixties and Seventies, ideal for exploring the lovely lanes of North Devon at
a slower pace. It takes a little while to get the hang of driving these classic
rides, but they are such a fun way to get around that it is more than worth
it. Available for hire by the week, Monday to Friday, or for a long weekend.
Prices start from £425. Highlands, Old Road, High Street, Okehampton,
01837 659599, oconnorscampers.co.uk
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NORTH DEVON
Opposite page, from
top left: Stoodleigh
Court breakfast;
Tiverton; Alex and
Fiona of The
Exmoor Beastro;
Appledore;
charcuterie at
Broomhill Art Hotel;
NC @ EX34;
Lynmouth; Noel
Corston; ribs at The
Exmoor Beastro.
This page, from left:
its interior; lamb at
Tarr Farm Inn;
Lynmouth; tapas
at Broomhill
‘Here, more than elsewhere, there is a strong sense of community, where
people support each other and the local economy’
collection of contemporary art and sculpture in the South West.
It seems fitting that the award-winning kitchen of Terra Madre
Restaurant has based itself on the philosophy of Slow Food, the
Italian-born movement that celebrates food that is ‘good, clean
and fair’. Sitting on the terrace overlooking the sculpture park, we
enjoy a lunch of West Country tapas: delicate, home-cured salmon
on a bed of salad leaves and flowers picked from the garden;
honey-glazed Devon goat’s cheese on a seasonal vegetable stew;
Lundy crab bisque; organic pork meatballs; and local cold-smoked
trout and prawn croquetas. It’s delicious and informal food that is
simple and sophisticated, like the region itself.
In Barnstaple, North Devon’s main town, we discover the Pannier
Market, an impressive vaulted hall built in 1855 and so named
because people from surrounding farms and smallholdings used
to come here to sell their vegetables from wicker panniers. The
Pannier Market is still in operation every day, but no longer only for
food. Nearby Butchers Row once used to house more than 33
butchers selling meat from local farms. Today, just one – DA Gratton
– remains. How did this small market town ever support so many
butchers, I wonder? ‘Before supermarkets,’ I’m told, matter-of-factly.
Here, more than elsewhere, there is a strong sense of community
where people support each other and the local economy. At Barton
Farm Dairy, we meet Gary and Linda Wright, who work a dairy herd
of 130 mainly Holstein and Jersey cattle.
‘There is a real interest in knowing where food comes from,’
says Gary, handing me a glass of raw milk virtually straight from the
cow. ‘People here are turning away from the supermarkets.’ I take
a deep swallow: rich, creamy milk that leaves you with a moustache
is a forgotten taste that is just so good. Linda also uses this
unpasteurised milk to produce wonderful soft cheeses such as
creamy Kentisbury Down and a very mild, fresh Barton Blue.
Customers come direct to the dairy, helping themselves and leaving
the money in an honesty box.
At the Old Rectory in nearby East Down, Victoria Cranfield uses
the bounty from her rather wild garden and surrounding fields to
produce an astonishing array of handmade jams, jellies, chutneys
and pickles. A former lawyer, Victoria first came to East Down for
holidays as a child. As we walk in the field, she points out not only
fruit, flowers and plants but also the incredible biodiversity of
a pesticide-free microclimate. ‘Listen to the field,’ she instructs. ‘You
can taste it in my jams, just as you can taste the smells.’
Indeed, her apple and rose petal conserve evokes the intense
scent of roses; lemon and horseradish marmalade is pungent and
sharp. Victoria makes marmalades known as ‘proper’ (Seville
Orange, Pink Grapefruit) or ‘improper’ (Blood Orange and Espresso
won gold at this year’s World Marmalade Festival). The Chocolate
Splattered Marmalade is ‘my homage to Jackson Pollock’. My
guess is that it is the ‘improper’ that interests Victoria more. In this
overgrown paradise, she is having fun.
Travel information
GETTING THERE
First Great Western operates trains from London Paddington to
Barnstaple (the furthest point accessible by train), via Exeter St David’s,
with a journey time of about 4 hours. firstgreatwestern.co.uk
National Express runs a regular coach service that departs from
London’s Victoria Coach Station. Barnstaple can be reached in about
5 hours 30 minutes. nationalexpress.com
RESOURCES
Visit Devon is the official tourist board, offering a wealth of information
about the county, including what to see, where to stay, suggestions for
eating and drinking and cycling routes and walks. visitdevon.co.uk
A Taste of Devon is a useful resource for food lovers, covering the
best farmers’ markets, artisan producers, shops and restaurants that
you must try on your trip. atasteofdevon.co.uk
FURTHER READING
North Devon & Exmoor (Bradt Travel Guides, £7.99). This new book
lifts the lid on secret spots in Devon, with out-of-the-way places, local
characters and a guide to sustainable tourism.
Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson (Puffin Modern Classics, £6.99).
First published in 1927, this novel follows the life of Tarka amid his
natural habitat of the Taw and Torridge rivers in North Devon.
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‘Dan is not only
a fisherman and
fishmonger, selling
from his barrow at
farmers’ markets
and festivals, but he
has also become an
unofficial ambassador
for North Devon’s
sustainable fish’
Enjoyment seems to be a real motivation for people living and
working in the region. Chef Noel Corston used to come to Croyde
to surf. Learning to chef was a way to travel the world and nurture
his passion. He met his wife while in Mexico and the couple
returned to North Devon, opening The Courtyard restaurant in
Woolacombe more than a decade ago. In 2012, he relaunched it
as NC @ EX34, serving a seven-course tasting menu at dinner.
Noel’s aim is to express the unique flavour of North Devon’s
protected Unesco Biosphere Reserve, working directly with farmers,
fishermen, foragers and hunters to create food that is simply
stunning. The menus may simply list the main ingredients, but the
cooking is anything but spartan.
‘Red Ruby’, for example, consists of perfectly grilled Red Ruby
feather steak, confit of shoulder, and lightly poached bone marrow
with local vegetables: a parsnip purée, baby carrots and broccoli,
and sharp homemade choucroute made from local cabbage. For
Noel, the cooking and intensity of flavour of the vegetables is as
important as the meat. ‘Apple’ is the thinnest caramelised apple tart
with an ice cream churned from Devon Blue cheese. This is food
that is at once totally local and really satisfying.
‘Do you still get time to go out and surf?’ I ask. ‘I don’t do too
badly,’ the 36-year-old chef tells me. ‘We work incredibly hard for
six months, then we close and go to Mexico. I am really trying to
get the balance of work and family life right.’ Equilibrium seems
to be the key here, in food as in life.
Our trusty red Camper also takes us to the roof of Exmoor, where
we marvel at the most rugged cattle you will ever see, their shaggy
coats offering protection from the harsh elements that buffet this
high moorland, even in the summer months. Way up here they
thrive on a diet of coarse grass, gorse and heather, yielding meat
with fine marbling and terrific flavour. Exmoor lamb similarly matures
in a harsh natural environment to result in a character that is
deliciously robust and full. Just over the border in Somerset,
we pause for lunch at the bustling Tarr Farm Riverside Inn &
Restaurant beside a popular beauty spot. Moorland lamb, chargrilled
and pink, is served with local vegetables and washed down with
a quenching pint of Exmoor Ale.
Coming off the moor, we head into mid-Devon to meet organic
and free-range pig farmers Will Knowles and Jeannie Morrissey of
Pork Heaven from Devon. An ex-commercial pilot, Will took over his
father’s farm and only began to breed pigs about eight years ago.
To see Jeannie in the pens with the creatures is to know that this
is clearly a labour of love. ‘Animals should be given the life they
deserve,’ says Will, matter-of-factly. ‘I really do think ours enjoy
about the best life that a pig can have. The way to give respect to
the animal is to produce the best-tasting meat you can.’
The results speak for themselves: since Will and Jeannie began
their business, they have won no end of praise, and awards for their
sausages, burgers, chops and belly pork,
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Where to eat
Prices are for three courses excluding wine,
unless otherwise stated.
NC @ EX34 Dining at Noel Corston’s restaurant
is a treat. The tasting menu changes regularly to
reflect what is available. This is dining of the
highest order, but it remains fun. Drop in, too, for
a cocktail. Tasting menu from £75. South Street,
Woolacombe, 01271 871187, noelcorston.com
Tarr Farm Inn A serious restaurant and place
to stay at one of Exmoor’s most popular beauty
spots. Come here for home-baked cakes,
sandwiches or baguettes, afternoon cream tea,
or full lunch or dinner. £35. Dulverton,
01643 851507, tarrfarm.co.uk
Terra Madre at Broomhill Art Hotel
Local meats, seafood, cheeses and homegrown
vegetables are part of Terra Madre’s Slow Food
philosophy. A Spanish twist comes from using
Iberian ingredients for tapas and more elaborate
dinner menus. £25. Muddiford Road, Barnstaple,
01271 850262, broomhillart.co.uk
The Coffee Cabin Fabulous crab sandwiches
and homemade cakes can be found in this
stylish café on Appledore’s historic harbour. £10.
22 The Quay, Appledore, 01237 475843
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The Exmoor Beastro This laid-back venue
brings the fun and diversity of street food to
a restaurant environment. Alex and Fiona are
proud to source ingredients from local farms,
and much of their delicious bistro-style food is
done in a small wood-fired oven in the courtyard.
£35. 44 High Street, Dulverton, 01398
323712, theexmoorbeastro.com
The Quay Restaurant Views of Ilfracombe
Harbour compete with those of Damien Hirst’s
art at this stylish restaurant. The menu centres
on local seafood – think seared scallops with
chilli, lime, coriander and pak choi, and crispy
calamari with garlic mayonnaise. Don’t miss
Verity, Hirst’s bronze sculpture on the pier.
£45. 11 The Quay, Ilfracombe, 01271 868090,
11thequay.co.uk
The Swan Devon Life’s Gastro Pub of the Year
2014 serves exceptional pub fare while still
being a welcoming place for locals to enjoy
a drink. Food is traditional: salt beef with tangy,
piccalilli and soda bread; soused Brixham
herrings; St Ives wild sea bass with linguine,
crab and roasted tomatoes. Good selection
of local ales and wines. £35. Station Road,
Bampton, 01398 332248, theswan.co
Opposite page:
Dan the Fishman
at Appledore;
Ilfracombe
harbour. This page,
clockwise from
below: Saunton
Sands; Lynmouth;
Damien Hirst’s
sculpture Verity at
Ilfracombe; dunes
and beach huts at
Braunton Burrows
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‘Meat has lost so
much quality because
of supermarkets. We
are producing our food
in the old way, to make
meat and sausages that
have real taste’
This page, from
top left: Lynmouth;
Linda Wright of
Barton Farm Dairy;
Exmoor cattle;
cheeses at Barton
Farm; on Exmoor.
Opposite, from top
left: Lynmouth;
gooseberries and
elderflowers, for
Victoria Cranfield’s
jam; Jeannie at
Pork Heaven; Gary
Wright at Barton
Farm; raw milk;
East Down; Pork
Heaven; Hunters
Inn, Heddon Valley
including Best of Sausages at the prestigious Taste of the West
Awards in 2014. ‘Meat has lost so much quality because of
supermarkets. We are producing our food in the old way, to make
meat and sausages that have real taste,’ says Will.
At the nearby Stoodleigh Court Coach House B&B, we sample
the result of Will and Jeannie’s labours the next morning over an
ample farmhouse breakfast. The sausages are succulent, tasty and
absolutely delicious, certainly ranking among the best I have ever
tasted. The black pudding, fried until just crispy, is pretty sensational,
too. Rosey and Steve, our hosts, renovated the coach house of
the Stoodleigh Court estate into a beautiful, luxury, boutique B&B
that is welcoming and warm.
In Dulverton, the gateway to Exmoor, we visit the Exmoor Beastro
and meet Alex Nutts and Fiona O’Mahoney, another couple working
together to create a life for themselves and their young family.
Previously, Alex and Fiona ran a successful street food van. Their
favourite activity was to pick a spot on Exmoor to have a pop-up
happening, then tweet and send messages on Facebook and wait
for the crowds to appear. So successful were they that everyone
kept asking them to open a restaurant.
Alex cooks just about everything in a small wood-fired oven, while
Fiona makes the puddings and is front of house. The street food
ethos shines through in dishes made with impeccably sourced
local ingredients: onglet in red wine, ‘damn fine BBQ pork ribs’ in a
sticky, finger-licking sauce, 65-day dry-cured steaks, and a beef
tagine with preserved lemon.
While some city folk dream of escaping to the country, for others
it’s more of a rediscovery. In Appledore, over a crab sandwich at
The Coffee Cabin (supplied by Dan the Fishman), Martin Ford and
Richard Parsons, both from North Devon and in their early 30s, tell
a little of their story. ‘We moved away to study and work before
returning to open this business. When you come back to your
home, you see it with fresh eyes. There is a real quality of life here.’
There is indeed. Our journey, though, is nearly at an end. We
meander down the lovely Exe Valley in our VW Camper, which has
transported us through the heart of North Devon. Just south of
Tiverton, we spy a sign to a local vineyard, Yearlstone, and can’t
resist sampling Roger and Juliet White’s delightful pink sparkling
wine, made with pinot noir grapes grown in a steeply sloped vineyard
overlooking the river. The wine, with its fine and persistent bubbles,
is light and invigoratingly fresh, a sparkler that can stand comparison
with the best. It’s the perfect wine to toast the artisan food producers,
the fishermen, the farmers and the chefs of North Devon.
Marc Millon and Mark Parren Taylor travelled to North Devon
courtesy of Visit Devon. For more details, see visitdevon.co.uk
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Left to right: Dan the Fishman at The Coffee Cabin in Appledore; the café’s crab sandwiches; Heddon Mouth; ploughman’s lunch at Tarr Farm Inn
Where to shop
Barton Farm Dairy Come down to the farm to taste and purchase
unpasteurised milk, cream and outstanding farmhouse cheeses. If no one
is in, simply help yourself and leave your money in the honesty box.
Kentisbury, Barnstaple, 01271 882283, bartonfarmdairy.co.uk
Dan the Fishman Prime, locally caught fish from Dan’s barrow, is a familiar
sight at markets across North Devon including Bideford, South Molton,
Hatherleigh and Holsworthy. Dan is a great communicator and runs fish
workshops as well as talks in schools. clovellyfish.com
Pork Heaven from Devon Head direct to the source to meet Will
and Jeannie and purchase a range of fabulous pork products, including
award-winning sausages. Stoodleigh Barton Farm, Stoodleigh, Tiverton,
01398 351568, porkheavenfromdevon.com
Real Food Market There’s a great selection of North Devon’s edible
bounty on show here: farmhouse cheeses, meat, sausages, homemade
cakes and pies, proper bread, the freshest seafood and shellfish and much
more. Producers are small and individual, including Cranfields, Red Dog
Bakery, Glam Pig, Wizard Ales Brewery, Bampton Game, Old Forge Fish,
Bulldog Fish Farm, Stefano’s Homemade Foods, The Posh Kebab
Company and John’s of Instow. Pannier Market, Barnstaple, takes place
on the second Sunday of each month
Victoria Cranfield produces award-winning marmalades, jellies, preserves
and chutneys on a small scale in a shed behind her house, utilising much
that is grown in the garden and fields. Find her fine preserves in delis and
fine food shops or online. Cranfield’s Food and The Proper Marmalade
Company, East Down, Barnstaple, 01271 850842, cranfieldsfoods.com
West Country Cheese Co Just behind the Pannier Market on Barnstaple’s
Butchers Row, offering an extensive selection of mainly West Country
cheeses as well as artisan food products from the area. A good place
to stock up for a beachside picnic or cycle ride along the Tarka Trail.
10 Butchers Row, Barnstaple, 01271 379944, westcountrycheese.co.uk
Yearlstone Vineyard Located in a commanding position overlooking the
Exe Valley, this is Devon’s oldest modern vineyard, first cultivated in 1976.
Today, Roger and Juliet White produce a range of top-notch wines, from
white or rosé sparkling to full-bodied red. The vineyard can be visited in
season and the Deli Shack Café offers light lunches to accompany the
full range of wines. Bickleigh, 01884 855700, yearlstone.co.uk
Left to right: magnificent local crayfish; Saunton Sands; Yearlstone Vineyard brut; Martin Ford and Richard Parsons of The Coffee Cabin
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