The Hunter’s Inn, Parracombe

Originally posted to DevonLife.co.uk July 2014

Between the villages of Trentishoe and Martinhoe not far from the North Devon coast, you will find a quintessential English pub called The Hunter’s Inn. Encompassed by the lush, wooded slopes of the Heddon Valley, this lovely characterful pub enjoys a beautiful & idyllic setting.

This time, my youngest daughter and I were invited by Landlord David Orton and Head Chef Justin Dunn to participate in the ‘Venison 5 days 5 ways’ week. So on Friday 13^th (not unlucky for us), we dutifully arrived for a wonderful, climactic Exmoor feast.

We were swiftly escorted to our table, situated next to impressive eight feet high bay windows that provide you with a commanding view of the neatly cut lawn and wooded garden beyond. This lovely, picturesque view was a fantastic, added bonus to what was going to be a great night.

After much consideration of the carefully, and thoughtfully constructed menu I chose the Marinated Crispy Chilli Beef served with a Mixed Salad to begin with. Sophie on the other handed opted for the Venison Carpaccio served with Watercress, Parmesan and Balsamic oil. Both of these dishes were really superb and tasted as good as they sounded.

Biting into the succulent strips of chilli beef, your mouth experiences an explosion of flavour accompanied by a pleasant sweet, heat. The leafy salad underneath was also coated with a delightful combo of sweet chilli and the signature, mustard based French dressing. Sophie and I couldn’t resist stealing some food from each other’s plates, and we were both in agreement about the quality and appeal of both of these dishes.

Sampling the Venison Carpaccio, I was similarly pleased. 7 lovely, tender slices of Venison gracefully sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, with watercress on the side and a ramekin of Balsamic oil. It was hard to find fault with such a lovely, well presented dish that really did look the business. Surely this is what great cooking is all about.

The main dishes soon arrived after that. Being ‘Venison 5 days 5 ways’ week, I could hardly choose anything but the ‘Char Grilled Local Fillet of Venison served with Wild Mushrooms, Wilted Coz Lettuce, Minted New Potatoes and Creamy Peppercorn Sauce.’ Sophie on the other hand decided on the more uncomplicated, yet eminently inviting ‘Eight Ounce Hunters Inn Beef Burger with Bacon, Cheese, Chunky Chips & Mixed Salad.’

The Char Grilled Venison was succulent, juicy and simply bursting with flavour. The Wild Mushrooms (nine different varieties) that lay underneath, must surely rank as some of the strangest food I have ever eaten, but were nonetheless a great addition to my delicious, chunk of Exmoor Venison. The creamy, peppery sauce tastefully complimented the dish, as did the beautifully soft minted potatoes.

Sophie’s burger itself was homemade and satisfying. It would be no exaggeration to say that this burger, lovingly made in the Kitchen at The Hunter’s Inn, was a simple monument to juicy, scrumptious beefiness. Utterly delicious in every way, I could even go as far to say that it was the beefiest Beef burger I have ever tasted. And I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my life… The chunky chips, light and fluffy on the inside and brown and crispy on the outside, were of course the perfect match for the dish.

My final destination on this leg of my gastronomic journey was the colourful and creamy Trio of Lovington’s Ice Cream,
sourced from across the border in neighbouring Somerset. Sat on a brandy snap basket, it was a real sweet treat that is so evocative of all that is good and great about Westcountry produce.

Sophie elected for the Lemon Tart served with Strawberries and Clotted Cream. Looking rather good on the plate, the taste and experience of the dish matched the appearance completely! Having lived in Devon for most of my life, I’m somewhat a sucker for clotted cream and the accompanying Wild Berry Compote made with Blackcurrant Cassis was just heavenly.

Both desserts were a perfect end to a really fabulous night. Both David and Justin can be proud of the food, service and ambience found here at The Hunters Inn. Why not pop in sometime soon and find out for yourself?

The Black Venus, Challacombe

Food, Published Works

Posted to DevonLife.co.uk on 17th June 2014

It is not often that you can walk into a restaurant, and then walk out later totally satisfied in every way. Now I am fairly hard to please and it takes a lot to keep me really happy. However The Black Venus Inn at Challacombe managed, miraculously in my view, to tick all of my many and varied boxes.

Marc & Liz Birch are at the helm of this family run business, with daughter Louise & her mum running front of house. Darren their son is the culinary genius leading his small, but talented team in the kitchen behind the scenes. This classic English character pub is cosy, busy and warm and is situated in a gentle dip amongst the rolling hills, a mere stone’s throw from the Somerset border.

First thing you need to realise when entering the Black Venus is that there are no menus. Well there are, but they are just not on the table. In fact, the entire range of dishes on offer are to be found on various blackboards dotted about the premises. And it was to these that my eldest daughter & I went to choose our meals for the night.

I commenced my culinary journey with the Special Chefs Starter, ‘The Black Pudding Stack’, layered with leeks and bacon with a wholegrain mustard sauce. If that sounds rather delicious then you would be on the money. It was without doubt a delightful and mouth-watering treat.

The lovely salty taste of the bacon woven in amongst the juicy, tender leeks made a fabulous addition to the star of this dish. Attended by a flavoursome lake of wholegrain mustard sauce and lovingly decorated with red mustard frills, this starter was a real treat. Who would have thought that Black Pudding could have looked so beautiful?

My daughter Becky, on the other hand elected for the Seared Scallops, again served with black pudding and the delightful addition of a carrot puree. Her verdict on that dish was that the Scallops were ‘very light and soft and cooked to perfection.’

DSC_0051 (2)

Part two for me came in the form of Chicken breast stuffed with brie, wrapped in bacon with a wholegrain mustard sauce (my choice, and worth repeating). In my opinion, the chicken was tender, and perfectly cooked. Again, the bacon wrap was a great accompaniment, cleverly complimenting the warm, soft brie core of this main offering.

The bed of buttery, slightly salted crushed new potatoes was seasoned with black pepper. This combination of basic but important flavours was really tasty and delicious and completely hit the mark. The neatly arranged broccoli also received the thumbs up from me, as it was neither under or over-cooked.

Across the table, Becky’s Duck Breast with a Port & Thyme Jus was akin to a work of art on a plate, describing it as ‘succulent and tender with a beautiful, crusty edge.’ Hmmm, sounds great to me! It was attended by perfectly cooked green beans, and the dish was a simple masterpiece in terms of taste and appearance.

The finale came in the form of a homemade chocolate torte. I was not in any way disappointed. The torte was a luxuriant, chocolate sensation – and very moreish. It was accompanied by locally sourced ice cream, sitting on a bed of broken wafers. A smattering of icing sugar and a rich chocolate sauce completed this superb dessert.

Becky’s Lemon cheesecake was a lovely, tangy foil for all the preceding richness of the evening, guaranteed to cleanse the palette in the best way possible. Created by Darren and his team, it made a refreshing change on the pub dessert landscape.

Marc, Liz, Darren & Louise really are running a tidy ship here and fully deserve recognition on the culinary scene. In my opinion, and I don’t think this is overstating the case, but the food served that night was near perfect. It was tasty, plentiful, hot, well presented, good value for money and came with great service. And the simple English pub, homey atmosphere of The Black Venus is just great.

The Coach House, Kentisbury Grange

Food, Published Works

Posted to DevonLife.co.uk on 27th March, 2014

The Coach House Restaurant at Kentisbury Grange in North Devon is directed by Thomas Carr, the Executive Chef within the walls of this former 17^th Century stable block. Having garnered 2 AA rosettes in 2013 for fine dining and excellent service, we knew that we were in for a real treat. And we were not disappointed.

As you enter through the stylish glass doors you are greeted by Suzzie the Maître D’. Immediately you are made to feel welcome and at ease, and you can either loiter in the bar area for pre-dinner drinks or be ushered straight away to your seats. The restaurant itself has been beautifully designed and the décor is plush, modern and comfortable with an ambience that hits the right spot.

The Coach House offer a competitively priced two course lunch priced at £14.95, but my friend and I selected the three course menu which comes in at a very favourable £19.95. Considering the quality of food served during our two relaxing hours there, I have to say that the three course option represents excellent & outstanding value for money.

For my starter I selected the Coach House Duck, which is a large, golden yoked egg on toast advertised with a Brown Sauce Jus. However, the real surprise are the 5 or 6 slices of finely cut duck which has been cured and smoked right here on the premises. It is over these delightful and mouth-watering slices of finest duck that the tangy and tasty jus is delicately poured.

The combinations of flavours on the plate, and on my pallet for that matter, were simply to die for. It is so nice to be wowed by a starter at the beginning of your culinary journey. If it was the kitchen team’s intention to excite and tantalise in anticipation for the remaining two courses, then I would say that it was a job well done.

Even though we opted for a more basic fare of chilled beer and Westcountry cider, there is also an impressive list of wines from around the world (including The Lebanon), alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and of course spirits.

The next dish to be served by our courteous & attentive waiting staff was the signature Westcountry Fillet of Plaice, with tartar sauce and Chips. The carefully and artistically arranged collection of four sumptuous, tender fillets of plaice sat in a shallow lake of thin but warm tartar sauce accompanied with choice garden peas.

The chips were chunky, crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Absolutely perfect with a sprinkling of rock salt. Notably, only one of the fillets was lightly battered; a stylish nod to traditional British fare. The second segment of this lunchtime feast was yet another success, and now we were gathering pace towards dessert. Could anything possibly go wrong now, could this level of perfection and attention to detail be maintained to the very end? We were to find out shortly!

frozen choc 1

The grand finale came in the guise of dessert intriguingly named: Frozen Chocolate – Caramel and nuts. This was simply stunning visually and of course, on the taste buds too. The block of frozen chocolate was exquisite, a blast of supreme ice-cold, cocoa-laden sweetness.

The frozen chocolate nestled in a lake of caramel at one end with a delicious dollop of rich, chocolate mousse at the opposite side of the bowl. In between and scattered over the pudding were pistachio nuts, sesame seed tuiles, and homemade honeycomb too.

Underneath the frozen chocolate block, I found pieces of chocolate crumble that enhanced this already supremely luxuriant and delicious dessert. It was so tasty that I scraped the plate clean in an effort to harvest every last atom of sweetness.

We couldn’t fault the service of Suzzie and her team in the restaurant, and neither could we criticize the exceptional food cooked and lovingly prepared by Thomas and his team at The Coach House. The various dishes emerged at an even pace that was not too fast or too slow. All in all a fantastic dining experience which we will no doubt be destined to repeat!

Horse rider highlights road safety issue

News, Published Works

Published in the North Devon Journal on April 16th 2015

A North Devon hairdresser based in Braunton has issued a plea for car drivers to slow down, and show more courtesy to horse riders on the road.

Sue Johnson, 41 has suffered several incidents involving inconsiderate motorists whilst out riding her horse, and feels now that the issue must be highlighted.

Sue, who was based at Chivenor Riding Stables said: “It’s people driving too fast and being impatient, just a general lack of consideration really. It’s a regular occurrence to have abuse shouted at you and finger gestures.

“The vast majority of drivers are courteous and patient. The problem seems to worsen during summer months due to, in my opinion, motorists avoiding congestion on main roads and diverting onto country lanes but still driving at the same pace.”

Despite wearing hi-vis vests and hat covers and using appropriate hand signals asking motorists to slow down, she indicated that incidents of near misses and horses being dangerously frightened on our country roads remains.

However, one North Devon man who did not wish to be named said: “We all know they have a right to be on the road… but on ever more crowded roads – is it sensible?”

Tasha Clarke, 21 from Kentisbury, also complained about car drivers swearing at her and shouting abuse. She also said that an ambulance had driven past her on a quiet country road with blue lights and sirens in operation, which could have easily spooked the horse.

In response, Melanie Glanville of South Western Ambulance Service said, that because of the high hedges and blind blends on these types of roads, it is “imperative in such situations to have audible warnings sounding.”

Horses and their riders are part and parcel of life in here the Westcountry, and the issue is set to become worse as more and more cars appear on our already seasonally congested roads.

Lloyd Harvey-Bryant, a Sales Negotiator from Barnstaple said: “Horses are unpredictable, …so you have to slow down for them because you never know what they are going to do.”

Ms Johnson concluded, “Horses have as much right to use public highways as any other road users, such as runners, cyclists etc. In an ideal world no one would want to use roads to ride their horses on.”

Hello America!

Blog, Travel, USA

I’d only just emerged from Seattle Tacoma airport, and we were heading south on Interstate 5 (i5 to the locals), when I spotted the signage for one of these beauties. You may be thinking cynically, ‘ yes and your point is…?’, but for me Taco Bell is just one of those places you have to experience in America. It’s as American as Mcdonalds and when in the States it constitutes a virtual rite of passage. Or was it just because I really like Burritos…?

343

Blog, Travel, USA

Well it’s day 2 and me and my dad wander into the legendary Fish Tale Brewpub in the state capital, Olympia. We were after some much needed liquid refreshment after baking in the hot midday sun.

Inside we found plenty of locally brewed beers and a most inviting menu to boot. Sat at the bar with the locals, we soon got talking to a guy called Doug about two things: The Seattle Seahawks, who won the Superbowl earlier this year and consequently are the State of Washington’s pride, and secondly, his job.

Turns out that Doug was a firefighter and had been one for 29 years. He was obviously proud of what he did and we soon got taking about the horrific events of 9/11. Doug told us that 343 firefighters had died that day, trying to rescue others. 343 was a number I found hard to forget.

He told us also about the parade of some 70,000+ firefighters a year later through the streets of Manhattan. This was to remember all of the fallen during that dark, dark day in human history. Doug said the city of New York ‘ opened its heart to them,’ and no firefighter paid for a drink that day in any bar in the city.

As I tucked into my of mountain of nachos the bargirl had just placed in front of me, Doug bade us farewell. He said we may well see him again as he is most definitely a regular here at the Fish Tale. Having found a little home from home here , I think he might just be right…

Sleepless in Seattle

Blog, Travel, USA

Sleepless in Seattle. Well almost, because I’m about 60 miles south of the fair city. However it is 4.30 in the morning so I guess that kind of constitutes sleeplessness.

Somewhere in the distance I can hear one of those enormous American trains blowing it’s horn, announcing it’s transit through our neck of the woods.

America is a visual feast for a Brit like me, with its wide open spaces, gun stores, proliferation of fast food outlets, and drive in everything. Talking of driving, I had my first attempt at driving on the Freeway yesterday – what a blast!

Now the dawn is breaking here in beautiful Washington State. Outside in the woods I can hear a cacophony of unrecognisable bird song greeting the new day. Reminds me of the handiwork of our creator & and the wonder of life itself…

Truckstop

Blog, Travel, USA

Well we arrived at The Pilot Truckstop, just off Exit 99 of Interstate 5 (the road from Canada to Mexico) in Thurston County for, as my dad put it, ‘a real slice of Americana.’

This was the real deal. Row upon row of beautiful American conventional trucks (engine in front not underneath); many shiny and gleaming with chrome bumpers, radiator grills and exhaust pipes.

We went inside and soon discovered trucker land: a fast food joint, a mini supermarket, DVD’s, basic truck spares and tools, a whole array of sunglasses and of course, showers!

Whilst I ordered the mandatory fast food, my dad had already engaged one of the aforementioned truckers in conversation. I took my seat eventually and we got down to the nuts and bolts of this opportune meeting.

Turns out we were talking to Dane P Carver, one fully certified truck driver running goods between his home town of Portland in Oregon and Tacoma, Washington state.

He was a real interesting guy and he told us he was a San Francisco 49ers fan and he had lived and worked in Scotland, even visiting John O’ Groats – well that’s one up on me.

He also told us that Truckstops were often frequented by ‘ladies of the night,’ and the girls have become peculiarly known amongst the trucking fraternity as ‘Lot Lizards’ (parking lot I guess).

Dane went on to say that some drivers have a special sticker on their trucks, which is a picture of a ‘feminised’ lizard inside a red circle, with a red diagonal line through the centre – indicating no interest. In other words, don’t knock on my window!

It seems that King Solomon of old was right when he said ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’ It’s amazing what you can learn by hanging out in an ordinary place, rubbing shoulders with ordinary people.

As we left, the constant tide of trucks coming in and those departing for their next destination continued unabated. It had been fascinating & interesting to sample this particular slice of Americana indeed.

Dane P Carver – keep on trucking!

Bridge City

Blog, Travel, USA

So we headed south on Interstate 5 to cross the border of Washington into the neighbouring State of Oregon – reckoned to be the most beautiful in the USA.

Our destination today was to be the lovely city of the Portland which spans the Willamette River. I discovered that Portland has many nicknames, one of which is Bridge City. This is due to its abundance of bridges connecting the east and west areas of the city that stand either side of the river.

This urban sprawl in the north of Oregon is apparently a desirable place to live and work, and walking around Portland it’s easy to see why. In the pleasantly intense afternoon sun, the leafy, tree-lined streets and a relaxed, slightly hippy atmosphere seem to anesthetise you to the usual rush and bustle of city life.

Portland is also home to Powell’s City of Books which claims to be the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world. Stopping for lunch at the Brasserie Montmartre, a street-side café daringly advertising a touch of Paris, I asked Emma our young waitress about Portland. She described it as ‘eclectic.’

Enough said, for as we had entered the city earlier we stumbled across a group protesting against circumcision. One of them was brazenly holding up a placard by the roadside declaring ‘Honk if you like foreskins!’ No-one was honking.

Added to the fact that they now have an annual ‘World Naked Bike Ride’ where clothing is optional, I think eclectic sums it up well, and maybe slightly weird. City life I guess, not what a small town boy like me is used too…

On a more normal note, according to the 2014-15 edition of ‘Travel Portland’ this metropolis is also reckoned to be the Bike-Friendliest City, with ‘318 miles of bike lanes and counting.’ Portland boasts the highest share of bicycle commuters in the US too.

Leaving the city via the iconic Marquam Bridge, one of ten over the Willamette, we soon rejoined the busy commuter traffic on the Interstate 5 Freeway to head north for home.

Glancing right we were treated to a magnetic view of Mt. Hood, part of the the Cascades Mountain Range which spans both Washington and Oregon. It’s snowy peak rises more 11,240ft to the east of Portland and is a breathtaking sight indeed.

Further north, we crossed the I-5 Interstate Bridge over the mighty Columbia River, which forms a natural border between the two States. The journey home became even more interesting as more of the Cascades Range came into view.

Mt. St. Helens appeared on the horizon, it’s flattened peak showing clear evidence of the cataclysmic volcanic eruption that took place in 1980 killing 57 people. Mt. Adams standing at 12,276ft loomed behind it’s more famous sister but nonetheless formed an utterly engaging sight too.

Finally, as we ploughed further north into Washington State and drew near to the fair city of Olympia, the grandaddy of all the Cascades peaks interrupted our vision.

Mount Rainier, jutting skyward at a height of 14,411ft perfectly capped what had been a most enjoyable roadtrip. It’s jagged summit clearly visible against the blue, late evening sky.

On the final leg of our journey home, the sun which refused to give up, amazingly continued to sit above the horizon and shed heat and light to all. Notably, it was well past 8.45 in the evening.

We really did have a great day, and if you should find yourself in this neck of the woods, do visit the City of Portland – I think you’ll find its worth it!

Puget

Blog, Travel, USA

I’m a Pacific Northwestern first-timer, but I think I’ll definitely be back. Compared to the endless lines of New York skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, (don’t get me wrong, I love NYC), this was a breath of fresh air indeed.

The light, airy streets of Seattle had a completely different feel to them, as you were irresistibly drawn to Pike Place seafood market. Situated on the eastern shores of the sparkling, Puget Sound, you can wander through the fish market or just drop into one of the many inviting eateries.

It’s easy to relax and feel right at home here in Seattle. Great beer, mouthwatering food, a view to die for and a warm welcome. What more could you ask?