Archive for category Food and Drink

Exeter Food and Drink Festival

Apr 13

Posted by elisa in Articles, Coast, Cottages Search, Devon, Events, family days out, Festivals, Food and Drink, Fun, West Country | 1 Comment

29th April – 1st May is the Exeter Food and Drink Festival, and with the weather the way that it is at the moment, what better time to go and sample a wide variety of foods and drinks and also to watch 4 Michelin star chefs in the cookery theatre. Rob Dawe of Ashburton Cookery School will also be there – I visited the School last year and can testify that the instruction was brilliant and the food tasty! Check out the full blog here.

Mama Stone’s House Band will headline the musical entertainment on the 29th, and feature soul and R&B artist Leigh Coleman and Adam Isaac. Adam’s songs have a bouncy funk/rock edge and his music is full of energy with outstanding vocals, a perfect way to celebrate the big day. Peachy Farmer, a six piece band playing a mix of ska, reggae and dub will headline on Saturday 30th, supported by Jabbrock, to keep the crowds bouncing as the sun goes down.

The Royal Wedding day will be a particular time for celebration, so expect a big party!

Why not try this Helpful Holidays cottage (G28) in nearby Exmouth for a bit of fun on the beach before catching the train or bus to Exeter’s centre – it’s only a short trip away and very scenic (this is a route I know well from my University days). The property sleeps 6 and is ½ mile from the seafront/beach, quietly tucked away close to the heart of town (station, 500 yards), a neat, end of terrace cottage, on four levels, with a fresh, modern seaside feel, it has a pretty suntrap courtyard at the back, and, from the top floor bedroom, great panoramic views over town to the Exe estuary and Lympstone beyond.

Kelly House Banquet

Mar 8

Posted by elisa in Advertisers, Cottages Search, Devon, Events, Food and Drink, West Country | No Comments

Many of you may have watched the restoration programme Country House Rescue on Channel 4, well now is the chance to dine in a banquet at one of them, Kelly House, in the Tamar Valley in Devon.

Since the restoration, the house has opened up its doors to host wonderful banquets by candlelight in the 15th century hall. The next banquet is vegetarian and is on 12th March, the forthcoming months will also host gluten-free and spring feast banquets and at £40 a head for this special night I think it’s worth it.

If you’d like to stay nearby, why not try this Helpful Holidays cottage code J24 that sleeps 6 in Roadford. To the front there is a patio and an enclosed, mainly lawned garden with great views over the surrounding countryside. Inside, there are nicely fitted oak floors and some local photos – all done to a high standard. Good-sized living/dining room (woodburner, TV/DVD) with leather sofas; smart fitted kitchen (dishwasher, washing-machine, microwave, fridge-freezer) with a door to the patio. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms: a large double with en suite shower-room, another double, and a twin room with one bed under the eaves (best for children).

Valentine’s dinner

Feb 7

Posted by elisa in Advertisers, Devon, Food and Drink, Valentine's Day | No Comments

Another Valentine’s themed post for those romantics out there – there is a special four-course Valentine’s menu by a log fire at the Venus Beachside Restaurant in Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth, South Devon on Saturday 12th February. You could go for a romantic stroll along the beach and then settle down between 5.30pm and 9pm to delights such as falafel with herbs & lime juice, mushroom & arame pate, BBQ Bigbury Bay oysters Kilpatrick (crispy bacon and Lea & Perrin sauce), Devon free-range chicken breast served with a rustic sauce of bacon, red wine, mushrooms and shallots and chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce, amongst many, see the full menu here.

After such a collosal meal, you will probably want to retire to a beautiful holiday cottage, and Helpful Holidays have just the one! Linney Cottage is a terraced, sunny, south-facing property converted from a 300-year-old barn. A thickly hedged, enclosed, suntrap, private garden (table/chairs) down 12 steps at the back leads to the shared garden. Inside, the cottage is well decorated, light and comfy. There are three bedrooms, a bathroom (suite plus bath-shower), a living/dining room with TV/DVD/video, CD player and good views over the river Dart. There is a well-equipped fitted kitchen with microwave, dishwasher, washer-drier. It’s best for a maximum of 4 adults and prices are from £302 at this time of year.

photo of Holiday cottage in Dittisham, South Hams with 4 stars, sleeps 5

Valentine getaway

Jan 27

Posted by elisa in Advertisers, Availability, Cottages Search, Devon, Food and Drink, Valentine's Day, West Country | No Comments

It’s coming up to that time of year again, when couples get cosy and fancy a bit of romance – yes, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day! So, what better time to take a break away at one of Helpful Holidays’ cottages in the West Country, perfect for romance. Here is a selection to browse:

This beautiful thatched Grade II listed cottage is in the exceptionally pretty village of Drewsteignton, which has a good food pub, shop, restaurant and church. It lies on a ridge a mile from the most spectacular part of the river Teign valley and is 6 miles to the open moor and 14 miles from Exeter. The cottage (ref: A5) sleeps 4 with two bedrooms (a double and a twin), has an inglenook fireplace and a Rayburn in the kitchen. Prices start from £252.

A Grade II listed farmhouse in Newton Ferrers/Noss Mayo (adjoining small villages beside the lake-like River Yealm estuary) has been cleverly and tastefully converted into two dwellings which sleeps two. The Linhay (ref: L118) is a detached, upside-down cottage, recently refurbished from a former grain store, with own west-facing small lawned garden (bench, table/chairs), it’s decor is simple and modern. The area is popular for sailing, lovely for walking or just sitting. There are essential nearby shops and good food pubs, tennis courts and riding stables. If you fancy a bit of a day trip then there is a pedestrian ferry to coast walk to Wembury and a secluded beach. Prices start from £209.

An attached cottage cleverly converted from outhouses facing the main modern house across a walled courtyard in Chagford, a friendly little village perfectly situated for bracing walks across Dartmoor. The cottage (ref: A55) is only 300 yards from local pubs and shops, so is great for nipping to get another bottle of wine for an evening in, or going out for that romantic meal. The interior of the property is elegant and stylish and can sleep up to 4 people, it’s also only 10 minutes walk away from an outdoor swimming pool – in case of some unseasonably warm weather! Prices start from £252.

Review of 2010

Jan 5

Posted by elisa in art, Articles, Coast, Cottages Search, Devon, Events, Exhibitions, family days out, Festivals, Food and Drink, Fun, Group holidays, Holiday advice, News, North West, Rail, shopping and culture, Surveys, Tips, Tourist Board, Transport, Wales, Walking, Weather, West Country, Yorkshire | 1 Comment

2010 was a year jam-packed with travel related news stories, festivals and events. I’ve taken the liberty of collating some of Holiday Cottages’ best blog posts over the year to give an overall review so you don’t have to go searching for them yourself!

January started with testing out my culinary skills at the Ashburton Cookery School in Devon.

A survey in February showed high speed rail was more important to people than airport expansions.

The Shambles in York was voted most picturesque street in March. There was also trouble on the railways with a Network Rail threatened strike.

Easter was a staycation preference in April.

There were many family fun festivals between May and August.

Even before the Royal wedding announcement we found out how the Royals are key to UK tourism.

27 West Country beaches were awarded blue flags in August, showing that the West Country is a great place to visit!

We were given tips on how to give tourists a better welcome during the Olympics.

Taxing times for holiday rental businesses.

The famous Exmoor Food Festival was in October, tickling visitor’s taste buds!

Bonfire Night had many events to travel to, including the flaming barrel run in Ottery St. Mary’s!

It got very cold in November and December as part of the big freeze.

The year ended with a little early Christmas cheer for the travel industry!

So there’s a pick of the Holiday Cottages blog coverage of events and news over the year. For travel news pertaining to outbound travel don’t forget to check out our sister site’s blog, Villaseek. There will be a run down of the year’s news on there very soon also!

Happy New Year from Holiday Cottages!

Jan 4

Posted by elisa in Advertisers, Christmas, Food and Drink, shopping and culture, Tourist Board, Weather, Yorkshire | No Comments

It’s a few days in to the New Year and I’d like to wish all readers of the blog a Happy New Year on behalf of all at Holiday Cottages!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas as well as New Year and haven’t been caught up in any of the travel chaos or lack of water. Soon I’ll do a round up of some of the top Holiday Cottages blog posts throughout this year, in case you missed out on any corkers.

But for now, let us indulge in thinking of the holidays gone by, and ignore the fact that most of us are back at work today. I spent most of my holiday period at home in Yorkshire, where I ate far too many mince pies, crackers and cheese. I was fortunate enough to get a DSLR camera so took lots of pictures of the Christmas tree as you can see here.

To keep the holiday spirit going, we’d love to hear from you about your holiday period, what you got up to, where you visited and if you went to any of our holiday cottages. Also, please include any links to pictures of cottages and beautiful scenery so we can all get a feel for where you’ve been.

Best Bars launch for Scotland

Nov 29

Posted by elisa in Food and Drink, Tourist Board | No Comments

Have you ever fancied knowing exactly where the best place to buy a pint is while on holiday in Scotland? Well now there is a place that can tell you where thanks to the launch of Best Bars from VisitScotland and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA).

Best Bars was born after a survey revealed that visitors made up a third of drinkers in Scottish pubs. SLTA members will be listed on scotlandsbestbars.com, a new area on VisitScotland’s food and drink website.

Bars will be assessed through an incognito visit by one of VisitScotland’s quality advisors. The assessment will consider factors such as ambiance, service, and how the business encourages responsible drinking.

Rural Affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland’s licensed trade plays a crucial part of our tourism offering.

“Tourism brings a revenue of £4 billion and supports 200,000 jobs. One pound in every £5 spent by a visitor in Scotland is on food and drink related activities, therefore, it makes sense that the two industries work closely together.”

To find out more about joining the Best Bars scheme or being listed on VisitScotland’s food and drink website click here.

Festival of Lights at Exeter University

Nov 4

Posted by elisa in Devon, Festivals, films, Food and Drink, Fun | 1 Comment

Photo by Flickr User crajeeshelly

Aimed at students and families, this Saturday (6th November) there is a free Diwali Festival of Lights at Exeter University‘s Cornwall House on the Stretham Campus from 3pm-7.30pm.

Parking if free on Saturday!

The order of the day runs as follows:

3pm Opening Puja Ceremony

3.15pm – 6.15pm Bollywood Film: Dostana

3.15 – 6.15pm Choose from:

Cookery demonstrations from Curry Leaves, authentic South Indian cuisine with fresh food to purchase!

Paint your own Diya (small candle holder).

Rangoli painting.

Henna tattoos.

Dress in traditional Indian dress or learn to tie a Saree and have a souvenir photograph.

Enjoy a traditional Lassi drink.

Learn and play a traditional Indian card game.

4pm – 5pm Bollywood Dance class – fun for all ages and abilities with professional dancer Madhuri Rajesh. Learn a routine.

5pm – 5.45pm Dhol drumming workshop.

6.15pm – 6.45pm Performance time: see the routine from the dance class, hear the drummers and see some local talented performers.

6.45pm Join the procession to see the fireworks.

7.15pm – 7.30pm Fireworks to round off the celebrations in traditional style. Fireworks will be viewed from Clydesdale Rise.

Halloween events in the West Country

Oct 20

Posted by elisa in Devon, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, Fun, Uncategorized, West Country | 1 Comment

Pumpkin-tastic picture by Flickr User Jeff_Golden

The West Country is going spook-tacular this Halloween so I thought it best to do a round up of some of the best events going on this year for those of you in or visiting the area.

From the 23rd – 31st October The Big Sheep in Abbotsham, North Devon will be transforming its site into an amazing Halloween haven with pumpkin carving, fancy dress, haunted house and train ride and themed indoor play park.

From the 24th October The Cornwall Crealy Adventure Park hosts their Hallowfest with over 20,000 pumpkins, bonfires, the Crealy Witch, spooky games and exciting rides.

24th October to 1st November is the spooky ice rink, Little Monsters’ Ball and games at Cornwall’s Eden Project.

30th October is the date for the Seaton Tram of Terror. Take this spooky ride from Seaton to Colyton for many thrills along the way!

Also on 30th October there are ghost tours for those brave enough at Dunster Castle. Tours run throughout the evening from 5.45pm to 10.30pm.

If there are any other spooky events taking place that you think deserve a mention, please post a reply with details!

Eggesford Gardens Apple and Cider Fair

Oct 11

Posted by elisa in Devon, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, shopping and culture | No Comments

Take the Tarka Line from Exeter or Barnstaple to get to Eggesford on the 16th and 17th October for the Eggesford Gardens Apple and Cider Fair.

Taste many varieties of cider and apple juice and accompany them with some apple-based preserves, cakes and pies. Along with the apple produce there will also be a selection of local beers, cheeses and honey.

This popular festival is at the perfect time in the year for apple produce tasting and walking around wrapped up warmly in a woolly coat, hat and gloves as the low autumnal sun shines down and a sharp wind whips around you.

I’d certainly be envious of anyone who can make it down as this is a beautiful part of the country at this time of year. Let us know if you do go and how you find it!

The gardens are open from 9am-5pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday and further details on how to get there can be found at the website.

If you can’t make the Apple and Cider Fair, then on the 31st October Eggesford Gardens also pay host to an Autumn Craft Fair selling paintings, prints, jewellery, basketry, wood crafts and ceramics.

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