Devon is well known for its superb food and drink and has won many accolades for its excellent local Devon made produce.
If you’re a real ‘foodie’ why not combine your love of food and drink with a visit to a county that has numerous fine dining restaurants, some with world famous chefs such as Michael Caines MBE, chef at Michelin-starred Lympstone Manor? Devon has plenty of high quality accommodation as well as welcoming cafes and farm shops such as award-winning Darts Farm and even Krispies Fish & Chip Shop in Exmouth who won the 2019 Best Fish & Chip Shop at the National Fish and Chip Awards 2020!?
A visit to Devon isn’t complete without taking time out to enjoy a delicious ‘Devon Cream Tea’ but remember to take it the Devon way with the cream first and jam on top. Take a drive across beautiful Dartmoor or Exmoor and you’ll come across a café selling home-made fruit scones where you can sit, savour such a delicious treat whilst enjoying the stunning scenery.
Devon has a wealth of wonderful award-winning producers, who supply everything from ice cream, coffee, cider, gin, fish, cheese and pasties! These producers are rightly proud of their products and these Devon companies continue to supply top quality goods loved by locals and visitors alike – including Salcombe Dairy Ice-cream, Rolys Fudge, Westcountry Olives, Ventons Devon Cyder, Waterhouse Fayre, Black Tor Brewery, Exeter Gin, Chunk Pasties, Langage Farm, Devon Coffee Company, Crab Shed Salcombe, Blakewell Smokehouse and many more.
Devon’s farming heritage is well known and with the fertile red soil that Devon is famous for there are many farms across the county that have been handed down from parents to children through the generations. Small family businesses run right across Devon selling a wonderful variety of local high quality grass fed meat and homegrown fresh vegetables, many proudly organic, including Riverford Organic Farmers, Devon Fresh Vegetables, Veg-inabox.com, Shillingford Organics, Rod & Bens Organic Farm in Kenn, Shute Fruit Farm near the Teign estuary and Devon Meat Box Company to name just a few.
When talking about fantastic Devon produce we mustn’t forget our fishing fleet which is still one of the busiest in the UK. With two coastlines stretching for miles there’s a wealth of seafood caught in local waters including shellfish, hake, haddock, pollack, plaice and sole and Brixham has the largest fish market in England. Our quaint and unique fishing villages are dotted along the coastline including Clovelly, Dittisham, Shaldon, Beer, Budleigh, Salterton, Seaton and Hope Cove which make a memorable place to stay. There are also top quality fishmongers across the county and many award-winning seafood restaurants where local catches can be tasted.
A ‘foodie’ visit to Devon can be most months throughout the year as there are food festivals from May to December and you will find a foodie event taking place somewhere in the county. In May there is the Salcombe Crab Fest, the Seaton Eats Boutique kicks off and runs at various dates until September. Also, Flavour Fest in Plymouth and Clovelly Seaweed Festival. In June the Devon County Show usually takes place at Westpoint showground just outside Exeter and also in Exeter in September is the Foodies Festival as well as Abbfest and the South Molton Food Festival. In the autumn there is the Eat Festival taking place in Dawlish in October and Teignmouth in November. The historic annual event of Tavistock Goosey Fair takes place in October as well as the Dartmouth Food Festival where more than 70% of exhibitors are from Devon, plus the Clovelly Herring Festival is an annual event in November.
Some of Devon’s Top Attractions also hold popular food events including Powderham Castle which has a food festival on Sat 7th and Sun 8th October 2023, Buckfast Abbey’s Bee Experience Days in the summer where you can learn about colony life and hold a frame containing comb with honey, brood, and bees on it. Clovelly in North Devon have multiple food events including the Seaweed Festival on 28th May, Lobster & Crab Fest on 3rd September, Apple Day on 22 October and their Herring Festival on 19th November. South Devon Railway offer fine dining for Sunday lunch on board or a delicious and popular afternoon tea as you watch the Devon countryside roll by from the comfort of your carriage. Our destination partners also have some fabulous foodie events this year including Visit Plymouth, Devon’s Ocean City, which has a lively events programme including Flavour Fest, perfect for Foodies on 27-29th May and the Harbour Festival on 17 & 18 September. English Riviera is running a brand new Food & Music Festival from the 26th to 28th May which will be showcasing the region’s finest food, restaurants and chefs, alongside an incredible line-up of the UK’s best music acts, including Scouting For Girls, UB40, The Feeling and Rebecca Ferguson as well as England’s Seafood Feast which will be returning to play host to a feast for all the senses on 29th September to 15th October. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in some of the best seafood in the world. Finally Visit Exeter has the popular Guildhall street food markets and regular farmers markets at various dates throughout the year selling fabulous local, fresh produce.
If this isn’t enough to keep you entertained take a visit to one of Devon’s farm shops which are full of gift ideas as well as local produce and they usually have a café onsite too. Places to look out for include award-winning Darts Farm, Powderham Farm Shop, Greendale Farm Shop, The Blagdon Wharf Barn Farmshop & Café in Holsworthy which boasts a seasonal experience & something to remember. They serve seasonal dishes, most of which is grown & harvested on their farm less than a mile away, Quickes Farm Kitchen, Occombe Farm , Thornes Farm Shop , Churston Traditional Farm Shop, Besshill Farm Shop and Fermoys Farm Shop and there are many more across Devon.
If you are looking for a location to visit in this country that not only has historic towns, pretty villages, stunning moorland, miles of breathtaking coastline and wonderful seasonal events as well as top class food and drink then you need to head to Devon.
