Devon Food, Drink and Local Information - Blog

The Old Forge Restaurant on Dartmoor wins best Afternoon Tea Award
The Old Forge Caffè and Restaurant in Chagford, Dartmoor, has had lots to shout about recently. The Old Forge was judged as having the best cream tea in Devon by independent cream tea reviewer Ditch Townsend, who has tasted over 250 cream teas in the county. The Old Forge Restaurant - Best Cream Tea in Devon! In September 15 the Daily Telegraph coined the Dartmoor-based café as "Britain's best cream tea" whilst The Times wrote "the cream of Devon teas". Now the Café Life Awards has crowned the Old Forge... Read more...
2015 Christmas markets and events in Devon
Devon is bursting with Christmas events and activities, from meeting Santa, Christmas shopping or watching the magic of a Christmas light switch on. There is plenty going on in Devon to entertain the whole family. Christmas markets and late night shopping where you can enjoy an assortment of craft stalls, local food and drink and entertainment are becoming more and more popular each year. It shouldn’t be hard to find a Christmas market nearby and its bound to get you in the festive mood. If you want some Christmas fun,... Read more...
Devon Themed Gift Ideas - Updated 2025
Devon Themed Gift Ideas - Updated 2025
Last Updated: November 2024 Gift Ideas from Devon When buying gifts for friends and family it is always nice to personalise the gift to make it extra special. Giving a present... Read more...
Best Picnic Spots in Devon - Top 20
Picnic's are a great British tradition and in Devon we're blessed with wonderful beaches, beautiful river valleys and lakes, as well as stunning moorland, all perfect for enjoying a picnic. As we sell picnic hampers using local Devonshire foods we've put together this list of 20 of the best picnic spots in Devon, along with a map showing each location. Jump to - North Devon Picnic Spots - Exeter & East Devon Picnic Spots - Dartmoor Picnic Spots - Torbay, Plymouth & South Devon Picnic Spots   Picnic Spots in North... Read more...
How to make a perfect scone by the Devon Scone Company
At this year’s Exeter Food and Drink Festival, I went to a cooking demonstration by Richard Hunt of the Devon Scone Company on making the perfect scone. Having been in the industry for more than 20 years Richard is a well-known face in the area and often invited to talk at local food events. As well as running the Devon Scone Company with his wife Claire, Richard also provides a professional hospitality consultancy service aimed at sharing his expertise and knowledge with fledgling and experienced chefs or restaurants. One of... Read more...
Independent cream tea reviewer Ditch Townsend shares his latest finds!
A guest blog from local cream tea expert Ditch Townsend on his top 5 finds from May... They begged me not to eat their cream tea. “Come back after 2.30pm,” they said, “the scones will be freshly baked,” they said. That’s Exeter’s Tea on the Green for you. Too fastidious, by far. I ploughed on in my quest; now or never! It was large. It was hot. Could extra freshness have improved the buttery shortbread crunch as the scone’s glazed crust succumbed to me? Might not the dense and delicious... Read more...
Dog settles Devon vs Cornwall cream tea debate!
We recently teamed up with our friends at Doggy Devon to share our love of cream teas and dogs, here’s a guest blog from at Claire of Doggy Devon: Doggy Devon is all about dog friendly Devon places to eat, drink, stay and play, and if you follow Doggy Devon on social media, you’ll know that both Paul and I are quite partial to a cream tea when we’re out and about exploring the county with Alfie. I got in touch with Sam (of Devon Heaven Hampers) as it seemed... Read more...
Exeter Food and Drink Festival 2015
Last weekend we visited the Exeter Food & Drink Festival featuring top-notch produce from around the South West - what could be a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon! This is the 12th year that the festival has run and the organisers have made a real effort to make it a great day out for the whole family. Cooking classes, arts & craft tents and a miniature farmyard proved a hit with children, while adults were able to indulge in some of the best food and drink in the... Read more...
Dartmoor Cream Tea Challenge
About the Dartmoor Cream Tea Challenge The cream tea challenge is a route across Dartmoor that incorporates 16 great tearooms and hotels that sell Devonshire cream teas. With its stunning scenery Dartmoor is the perfect place to enjoy a cream tea, or 16! Its open expanse makes Dartmoor perfect for walkers, with the most well known trek being the ten tors adventure where students hike between 35 and 55 miles across Dartmoor on a route that takes them between 10 Dartmoor tors. How the Dartmoor Cream Tea Challenge Works The Dartmoor Cream Tea Challenge is a fun... Read more...
Interview with Peter Hunt, Dartmoor Wild Flower Honey
Based in North Bovey, Dartmoor Wild Flower Honey is run by expert beekeeper Peter Hunt who has been beekeeping ever since he was 12. As well as managing his own 100+ beehives, at various locations from the banks of the River Tamar to around 15 hives in his garden, Peter also offers advice to other beekeepers and bee swarm removal services. We’ve recently stocked Dartmoor Wild Flower Honey in our Thunder & Lightning Cream Tea and will be adding it to more food hampers soon, so we caught up with... Read more...
Home Farm Cafe
Last week we visited Home Farm Cafe on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, near Bovey Tracey, to sample their cream teas after originally missing them from our '50 of the best cream teas in Devon' list. It was our mistake to miss them, the scones were homemade, warm, fresh and rather large! The cream tea cost £4.95 for a pot of tea for one, two scones, jam and clotted cream, which is good value. The cafe is set in the Parke estate, which is now home to the Dartmoor National... Read more...
Mothers Day Afternoon Tea Ideas for Dartmoor
Although we believe a Mothers Day hamper from us makes for an excellent Mothers Day present, you can't beat spending quality time together so with that in mind we recently produced a guest blog for http://www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk/ on where to take your mum for afternoon tea on Dartmoor and thought we would share the article. Here is a list of 5 places to take your mum for an afternoon tea on Dartmoor this Mothers Day: 1. Primrose Cottage Tea Room, Lustleighhttp://www.primrosetearooms.co.uk/ Nestled in the Wrey Valley on the edge of Dartmoor, Primrose Tea Rooms... Read more...