Food festival support organisation winding down after decade of success

THE organisation behind the Exmoor Food Festival and the emergence of Somerset as the number one local food county in the country is winding down its affairs after a decade of successful work.
Somerset Food Links has been offering support and advice to a growing number of small start-up food and drink producers since it was formed in 1999.
Now, the not-for-profit company will become dormant at the end of the financial year.
However, the infrastructure and intellectual assets of Somerset Food Links could be utilised by the food and drink sector if new funding streams became available.
The company has created a rich legacy of food and drink events and resources which stretch from one end of the county to the other.
Its achievements include setting up Somerset Farmers Markets Ltd, which now runs 16 farmers markets each month, in communities across the county. It also founded the annual food festivals on Exmoor, the Quantock Hills, in the Mendips, on the Blackdown Hills, and in South Somerset, as well as being integral in the formation of the Wellington Food Town project.
Other huge success stories for Somerset Food Links include:
Somerset Community Food, a charity educating people about growing and cooking food
Levels’ Best, now a premier landscape brand, for marketing quality food and drink produced from the Somerset Levels and Moors
Somerset Local Food Direct, a web-based food and drink home delivery service offering produce from more than 80 local producers
Somerset Food Links’ work has mainly been project based with an aim of creating sustainable organisations.
All of these enterprises are independent and are run by their own boards or members.
The three remaining employees of Somerset Food Links will be pursuing other interests.
Somerset Food Links managing director Andrew Moore said the decision to wind down the operation had been taken reluctantly and with sadness, but the board recognised the organisation needed a new focus and would not be able to achieve this in the current economic climate.
Mr Moore said he was extremely proud of Somerset Food Links past and present staff who were largely responsible for the organisation’s achievements.
He said: “There has been an enormous amount of goodwill from fellow food and drink producers, who we have all enjoyed working with, and have helped form the embryo of a network of businesses that produce some of the best products in the country.
“We are also very grateful to all the other individuals and organisations who have contributed to Somerset Food Links.
“In particular, we are grateful for the grant funds and sponsorship without which we would not have been able to achieve our outputs.
“They include councillors and officers of Somerset County Council, the five district councils in Somerset, Natural England, The National Trust, and in particular Exmoor National Park Authority, which facilitated much important work on Exmoor.”
Somerset Food Links deputy director, Elaine Spencer-White said: “A measure of the resounding success of Somerset Food Links is the fact that during our 10 years we have seen the number of recognised food and drink producers in Somerset more than double.
“Somerset’s food and drink producers produce a fantastic range of goods that is now more easily available to residents, which creates both direct and indirect employment as well as a healthier population.
“However, there is still much work which could be done if the funding was available as the food and drink sector is never static and there is still growth to be achieved and better infrastructure to be developed.
“If you look at the bigger picture of climate change and rising food prices around the world, then you appreciate that local food supplies need to be nurtured.
“They can play a substantial role in the economy of a rural county like Somerset by providing employment, improving the health of the population, and reducing food miles, which is good for the environment.”

Somerset was judged by UKTV Food to be the county with the greatest number of local food producers in 2007.

• Our photograph shows Somerset Food Links deputy director Elaine Spencer-White. Photo submitted.

A feast for all at the Exmoor Food Festival 08

THE Exmoor Food Festival, an eight-day extravaganza to celebrate the area’s finest local food, starts on Saturday with the Porlock Tea Party and a produce market at Dulverton Carnival.
On Sunday, television wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be launching the Lyn Food Fest, a day devoted to sampling the great tastes of the moors.
During the festival, visitors can treat themselves to stunning views over Porlock Weir and equally stunning local produce at Andrews on the Weir.
They can relax and enjoy a pamper treatment as well as fine farmhouse fare at Hindon Organic Farm, and they can enjoy tasty treats cooked up by Minehead café Cream with fresh produce straight from Minehead Farmers’ Market.
Or, visitors can glean top tips from the chef at Dunster’s Yarn Market Hotel to take home and try in their own kitchens.
There is an opportunity to learn how to catch and cook wild food at Wimbleball, or to try Morrocan evenings in Minehead, or sample a mouth-watering meal from the award-winning Hidden Valley of the Pigs, in Barbrook, followed by an amble to see the animals at Alta Lyn Alpacas.
The food festival should include something on the menu for anybody’s taste.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There is a great variety of venues and events across Exmoor during the festival.
“People can talk to local food producers to get the inside story on what makes Exmoor’s food the best in the world.
“We specialise in fresh local produce from the moors which has been beautifully cooked and presented.
“Customers return year after year and are always delighted to find something new and exciting on the menu.
“Dulverton Carnival, farmers markets, food fayres, and a feast of events across Exmoor make this festival must for food fans across the South West.”
The food festival runs from October 4 to 12, and programmes are available at Tourist Information Centres and at www.exmoorevents.co.uk, or by calling 01643 821425.

• Our photographs show (TOP) Keith Wicks, of the Whortleberry Tea Room, in Porlock, (MIDDLE) celebrity guest Johnny Kingdom, and (BOTTOM) a sample dish from the festival. Photos submitted.

Johnny Kingdom guest appearance at Exmoor Food Festival

TELEVISION wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be a guest of honour at this year’s Exmoor Food Festival.
Johnny, a poacher-turned-gamekeeper who loves his local food, will be launching the Lyn Food Fest and signing books on October 5.
Lynton will be showcasing the very best foods, wines, and drinks from unique local producers as part of the festival.
The eight-day feast of local produce starts with a tea party in Porlock on October 4, while more adventurous tastebuds should be tantalised by a Moroccan evening at The Creamery, in Minehead.
There are also workshops on how to catch, cook and eat wild food, trapping or hunting with falcons, how to prepare game, and selecting wild mushrooms and herbs during a ‘Wild Food at Wimbleball’ event.
Thef award-winning Hidden Valley of Pigs, in Barbook, features a free range rare breed herd of Berkshire pigs, while huacaya alpacas can be seen on the Alta Lyn Alpaca Farm.
Visitors can pick up top tips from the renowned chef at the Yarn Market Hotel, in Dunster, take a tour of Exmoor villages in a vintage bus to enjoy locally-sourced lunches, visit Exmoor’s secret corners on a wildlife safari followed by a sumptuous meal at the Home Cook, or browse through a crafts and local produce market before attending Dulverton Carnival.
Firm favourites such as the Porlock Food Fayre, Breakfast at the Heart of Exmoor, Styles Ice Cream Open Day, and Exmoor Dinners at Ranscombe Farm Restaurant are again also on the menu this year.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There are eight action-packed days and nights that will delight people who are passionate about superb local food.
“From farmers markets and food fayres, cosy pubs, and intimate restaurants, to farms on the wide open moors, there will be something to delight fans of fantastic food.”
Programmes for the Exmoor Food Festival, which runs from October 4 to12, are available at Tourist Information Centres, or more information is available by calling 01643 821425, or visiting http://www.exmoorevents.co.uk/.

• Our photographs show (from the top) Johnny Kingdom; Derek de Maid, of Brendon Hill Crafts; and an Exmoor lamb dish. Photos submitted.

Tourist association and council work together to save Exmoor Food Festival

THE future of the Exmoor Food Festival has been secured thanks to an alliance between the Exmoor Tourist Association and West Somerset Council.
The food festival was started in 2002 with support from the South West Regional Development Agency and aimed to help local businesses suffering as a result of the economic crisis caused by foot and mouth disease.
Somerset Food Links then took it on for five years and turned it into a hugely successfully event which attracted thousands of visitors to the area outside of the traditional tourism season.
Tourist association chairman Antony Brunt said: “When we heard they were looking for local people to develop it further, we were delighted to be in a position to help.
“It is an event which, in partnership with the council, we would like to develop in future years to increase visitor numbers.”
District council’s Exmoor Events manager Jill Homewood has worked with Food Links over the past few years and will ensure a smooth transition to the new organisers.
This year’s festival will run from October 4 to 12 and is timed to help local accommodation providers, food producers, and restaurants reap the benefits of a longer tourism season.
Firm festival favourites such as the Porlock Food Fayre, Lyn Food Fest, Breakfast at the Heart of Exmoor, Styles Ice Cream open day and Exmoor Dinners at Ranscombe Farm Restaurant are all back on the menu this year.
New events will include Wild Food at Wimbleball, Porlock Tea Party, Moroccan evening in the Creamery, Minehead, Alta Lyn Alpaca open day, jazz and local food evening at North Walk House, Lynton, and gourmet dinners with top tips from the chef at the Yarn Market Hotel, in Dunster.
Council economic development and tourism portfolio holder Councillor Michael Downes said: “We are delighted that the Exmoor Tourist Association is helping to take on the running and development of this festival, which is a favourite with local and visiting food fans.
“Attracting out-of-season visitors to Exmoor brings economic benefits not just to the businesses directly involved, but to the economy as a whole.”
Programmes for the Exmoor Food Festival, which runs from October 4 to 12, are available at Tourist Information Centres, and more information can be obtained by logging onto http://www.exmoorevents.co.uk/ or http://www.exmoor.com/ or by telephoning 01643 821425.

• Our photographs show Exmoor Food Festival veterans (TOP) Keith Wicks, of the Whortleberry Tea Rooms, Porlock, and (BELOW) Derek de Maid, of Brendon Hill Crafts, which started on the Brendon Hills before relocating close to Barnstaple. Photos submitted.

Exmoor Food Festival finishes another year in style - now booking for 2008

THE annual Exmoor Food Festival finished in a feast of activity at the Porlock Food Fayre when more than 750 visitors sampled the best of Exmoor food and drink from 27 local producers.
The ever-popular ‘Exmoor Breakfast’ in the Moorland Hall, Wheddon Cross, served around 230 breakfasts on both Sundays of the festival, and earned its place as a firm favourite in the festival calendar.
An open day at the sheeps milk ice cream producers, Styles, in Rodhuish, was also a hit with visitors, and a new addition to the festival, the Lyn Food Fest and Treasure Hunt proved to be a big draw for both visitors and local people.
Food festival organiser Kate Harris said: “This year has proven to be even more successful than ever. Plans are already under way for next year’s events.”
Any local producers who want to take part in next year’s festival should contact Somerset Food Links on 01458 241 401 to book their place.
The festival was sponsored by DJ Miles Tea and Coffee Merchants and featured locally-sourced sausage sizzlers, succulent roasts, medieval banquets, seafood and game dishes.
The Saffron Kitchen offered hands-on sessions for visitors to learn how to give local produce an exotic Indian twist, or there were Mediterranean-style meals available at the Royal Oak, in Porlock.
Cider making, wine tasting, and a tour of Cotleigh Brewery were also available, while DJ Miles Ltd opened the doors to its unique tea and coffee blending shop in Porlock.
A Fair Trade Supper with African dance night was held in Monksilver and an Exmoor horn lamb tasting took place in the Culbone Inn, near Porlock.

• Customers who took part in a survey of Exmoor Horn lamb at four leading restaurants across Exmoor gave it a big thumbs up and scored it nine out of 10 for its eating quality.
  The results of the survey were announced at the lamb tasting day by the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society.
  Visitors to the event were treated to delicious local Exmoor Horn lamb served in a Somerset mixed herb bap, especially created for the food festival and the lamb tasting day by The Avenue Bakery, Minehead, and accompanied by roast potatoes.
  In the survey, eight lambs from Exmoor farmer JR Richards and Sons were slaughtered and butchered locally by Combe Martin Meats and supplied to four leading restaurants across Exmoor which specialise in serving local produce.
  The participating restaurants, Andrew’s on the Weir, in Porlock Weir, Exmoor Forest Hotel, in Simonsbath, Tarr Farm Inn and Restaurant, at Tarr Steps, and Woods Bar and Restaurant, Dulverton, asked diners who chose lamb off the menu to complete a brief questionnaire at the end of their meal, and more than 100 forms were completed.
  Ian Rigby, the society’s meat marketing consultant, said: “These results reinforce what many of us who eat Exmoor Horn lamb have known for years, that lamb produced from this breed that is naturally reared in its native surroundings is very special and tastes absolutely fantastic.
  “We are now working on developing an Exmoor Horn brand for both lamb and mutton so people will be able to identify and buy these meat products in the future.”
  Exmoor Horn sheep and their ancestors have roamed the hills of Exmoor for centuries and have long been prized for the eating quality and flavour of its lamb and mutton.
  At the beginning of the last century the meat was much sought after by some of the most prestigious restaurants in London.
  As farming systems changed and became more intensive, however, with the post-war quest for cheap food, traditional breeds like the Exmoor Horn became less popular and numbers declined.
  Exmoor farmers never lost faith in their native breed and through a strong breed society, formed over 100 years ago, they improved the breed and maintained commercial numbers to the current level of 19,000 registered breeding ewes.
  The society’s chairman, Pauline Lyle, said though a long standing traditional breed, the Exmoor Horn was in no way a rare breed, and when crossed with a Bluefaced Leicester ram the resultant Exmoor Mule was considered to be one of the most productive sheep around.
  Exmoor National Park Authority has also recognised the importance of the breed as an integral part of Exmoor’s heritage by awarding the society funding to maintain and increase flock numbers on the moor, through the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund.
  
• Our photographs show some of the exhibitors at the Porlock Food Fayre: From the top - Nutcombe Chocolates, Brendon Hill Crafts, Cranfields, Dunkery Vineyard. Photos submitted.