Local Food Heroes Flock to Festival

Details were announced for this year’s Moretonhampstead Festival of Food, Drink and Arts (www.moretonfestival.com), including a tasty line up of local food and drink suppliers and a special guest appearance by Michelin Starred Michael Caines from Gidleigh Park.

The Moretonhampstead festival , which takes place on Saturday 5 March, is the first of the seasons’ food festivals, a celebration of the coming of spring.  The event was a runaway success in 2010 with over 60 exhibitors and 2,500 visitors attending.  The number of exhibitors is expected to rise to 100 this year with an exciting list of participants and events already confirmed.  Now in its third year, the festival has gone from strength to strength and will feature an additional art element for 2011. 

Festival organisers are delighted to welcome Riverford Organics as sponsor for 2011 and guest chef Michael Caines, who will be opening the festival and giving the day’s first cookery demonstration.   Participants confirmed to date include:

  Highlights for 2011 will include:

• Opening and demonstration by Michelin Starred Michael Caines from Gidleigh Park
• Up to 100 stalls selling local produce from as close as the next street to as far away as Cornwall
• Festival events at local eateries including traditional high tea at the White Horse and a Dartmoor sausage bar at the White Hart
• Music throughout the day and into the evening
• NEW for 2011 – The addition of an art element including demonstrations and exhibits from South West artists on a food theme and a ‘Secret Studios’ art trail

• Demonstrations from well known local chefs in ‘The Riverford Kitchen’

Announcing the launch of the festival, Peter Middleton, Chair of the Moretonhampstead Business Association said:  “We are delighted with the interest and support already received by some of Dartmoor and the South West’s top food players.”

“Moretonhampstead is a small but thriving community and we’re proud of what we manage to achieve when everyone comes together. The Festival was praised by many exhibitors for its good organisation and friendliness last year and we’re very much looking forward to taking it to even greater heights for 2011.”

Jane Baxter, Riverford Field Kitchen Head Chef and author of the award winning Riverford cook book, said she was thrilled to be supporting the festival.  “It’s fabulous to see a

successful forum for local food heroes and this is a great opportunity for consumers to come face to face with the people who put food on their tables.”

The festival will run from 10am until 6pm with live music in to the evening. Stalls will run the length of Cross Street – which will be closed for the duration of the festival.  Cookery demonstrations will be taking place in the Parish Hall along with various events at eateries around the town.  Art demonstrations on a food theme will be taking place in the Church with a ‘Secret Studio’ trail marked through the town.

For more information, images and to arrange an interview with festival organisers and participants please contact Samantha Kirton at Dart PR, [email protected]  / tel. 0778 616 6556.

Moretonhampstead Festival of Food, Drink and Arts 2011

Participants announced to date include:

Bread of Devon - A family bakery which has been trading since October 2003. Our bread is available at Farmers’ Markets, devonfoodlinks.org.uk, throughout Devon and in select shops and restaurants.  All our breads are hand-made from organic flours and other locally sourced, organic and/or finest quality ingredients. The doughs 'prove' twice before baking, contain no 'improvers' and only low quantities of salt and sugar. We bake a wide range of plain, savoury, seed and sweet loaves using wheat, rye and spelt flours. Our soda breads are yeast free. Those wishing to avoid or minimise wheat gluten can enjoy our 100% rye and 100% spelt breads.

Justice Olives - Olive oil, soap, olives, dates, almonds, couscous and Palestinian ceramics, olive wood and CDs.

The Cherry Tree - The Cherry Tree is a family run business that has been operating since 1997. Within this time we have been selling our range of pickles, chutneys, jams and marmalades at local markets, prestigious shows and outdoor events across the country.

Truly Treats - At Truly Treats we hand-make, bake and decorate all of our cakes and treats fresh to order, using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. The eggs we use are free-range and come from Exe Valley Eggs and our dairy products are organic and sourced locally from Riverford Dairies. We don’t add any artificial preservatives or harmful colourings to any of our baking.  We love the county we live in, and want to do all we can to support Devon and its food and drink producers, so we keep our food miles to a minimum and source as much as possible from local farmers.

Riverford Home Delivery - Riverford Organic began in Devon in 1987, delivering to 30 local homes. Word spread, and with it came the challenge of how to meet demand without compromising a commitment to local growing and employment, supporting local farmers and keeping a close link between grower and consumer. The solution was to team up with sister farms who share the same ethos, growing and delivering to their local areas. There are now five Riverford sister farms in the UK.  Together, the five sister farms deliver to around 47,000 homes in the UK each week. 

Lemon Jelli - Mobile juice and smoothie bar with soups and sandwiches.

Eastcott Vineyard - Eastcott Vineyard lies nestled in a delightful sheltered vale of West Devon, a few miles north-west of Okehampton. The vineyard enjoys well drained gently south-east facing slopes above a valley carved by a tributary of the River Lew. From the top of the vineyard the highest point of Dartmoor National Park is just visible beyond a ridge that provides crucial shelter.  Our grape vines have been carefully chosen to suit the English climate and for the production of high quality sparkling wine, as well as a range of white, rose and red wines.

Shute Fruit & Produce - Shute Farm and Produce is an established family farm located on the fertile red soil of the stunning Teign estuary, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  We carefully choose our fruit and vegetable varieties for flavour - You can taste the difference. Because you pick it, you get freshness that almost squeaks.

Devon Wildlife Trust - DWT is a registered charity working to make Devon a Living Landscape in which wildlife on land and in the sea is varied, plentiful and widespread. We do this by securing the future of key wildlife sites, promoting the sustainable use of Devon's natural resources and increasing support for wildlife in the County

Kernow Kreperie - Kernow Kreperie are a Cornish based Company that attend various events and functions with their mobile creperie stall.

Gratton & Oldridge Quality Preserves - We are a mixed family farm (cereals and beef cattle) in the heart of Mid Devon. Gratton & Oldridge Preserves started in 1999 with Blackberry and Pear Jelly made from Conference Pears from our own tree and wild blackberries from around the farm which we sold at Crediton Farmers’ Market along side the Free Range Eggs which we then produced from our flocks of hens. Now we produce a large and interesting range of preserves that will tantalise even the most discerning palate.

The Liquorice Shop - Traditional liquorice and old fashioned jar sweets.

Georgie Porgies Puddings Ltd - Traditional steamed puddings for tables all year round

The Pampered Chef - The Pampered Chef-UK, Ltd. is the premier direct seller of essential kitchen tools, and has been helping families prepare quick, delicious meals since 1999.

We believe that multi-purpose tools are the cornerstone of an efficient kitchen. Our products are designed to be used in more than one way, so kitchens are no longer cluttered with rarely used utensils.

Tried & Tasted - We are John and Mary Hayes. Since 1997 we have divided our lives between North Devon and southern Greece. Tried and Tasted is a small business which has emerged from our habit of bringing Greek olives and olive oil by car to Devon for family and friends. Word of mouth caused demand to outstrip supply and in February 2007 we shipped our first pallet-load across Europe.

Kernow Confectionery Ltd - Kernow Confectionery Ltd is run by the Shapland family from Wadebridge in Cornwall.  As well as creating a range of confectionery, we enjoy promoting the food and wines of Cornwall, which we believe is amongst the best in the UK. We run a retail outlet in Wadebridge, 'Kernow Harvest', and sell Cornish goods on our two web sites, www.kernowchocolate.co.uk and www.kernowharvest.co.uk  

We have extremely high quality standards and our confectionery is available in shops, hotels and markets throughout the UK.

Wessex Pantry - Wessex Pantry is a small family run business based in the heart of rural Devon – your gateway to high quality, handmade meat, fish and game pies.  All our mouth watering pies are made using only the finest local West Country ingredients wherever possible and are hand crafted using traditional methods.

Diablo Foods – Spanish food and BBQ.

Gidleigh Park Hotel - A wonderful Arts and Crafts house, elegantly refurbished to offer the epitome of luxurious accommodation beautifully complimented by its wonderful location in 107 acres of Dartmoor National Park.  Voted Number One in the Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants, "flawless cuisine, luxurious and welcoming a wonderful all round experience in a gorgeous location".

Dartmoor Tearooms & Café - Dartmoor tearoom at Moretonhampstead within the Dartmoor National Park is an AA top rated cafe and winners of the Tea Guild's Award of Excellence 2010.

Howton Farm - Home produced meat available to buy direct from our farm. Ruby Red Devon Beef from grass fed, welfare friendly cattle. Free-range Gloucester Old Spot X Duroc, extremely tasty pork. Charolais X Suffolk / Dorset ewes, producing lambs of superb flavour and conformation.

Green 2 Gold - We travel vast distances in Spain searching, tasting, talking to the locals, calling at many olive oil mills, and eventually selecting the oils to bring back to England and let others have the experience of tasting too. These oils come to you from the mountains, the plains and the desert like campo in southern Spain. All different, all lovely.

MKS Food Distribution - MKS Food Distribution is a family-owned business that sells Mediterranean specialty foods. We have a passion for our product and promoting a healthy life style.  Since establishing our enterprise in 2005, we have been dedicated to two goals: supplying high-quality specialty foods to businesses and the public, and doing business in a customer-friendly manner. We have been successful in both areas, and have expanded and diversified our product line, which started with dried fruits and nuts, to include more than 70 different products including several kinds of olives, dolmades, and various Greek and Turkish sweets.

Dartmoor Chilli Farm - Dartmoor Chilli Farm is located within the beautiful Dartmoor National Park.  We specialise in growing over ninety varieties of sweet pepper and chillies which we supply from April to October each year.  We also have a range of chilli chutneys, chilli jams, marmalade, sauces, chilli jelly, pickles and our award winning chilli chocolate.

Midfields Granola – A range of luxury cereals hand baked in Moretonhampstead.