Having been settled back in Blighty for a good few weeks, I decided that I ought to finally make a real start on a blog post.
This weekend saw Plymouth host its twelfth Flavour Fest, an annual food festival taking over the city centre. What better opportunity, I thought, to show off my home town and some of Devon and Cornwall's incredible produce.
And so, when I arrived at the Piazza with my granny in tow, ready to snap up some foodie bargains and - just as importantly - some pictures for my blog, I grabbed my camera from my bag and...
...promptly realised that I'd forgotten my memory card.
Still, I suppose that's what iPhones are made for.
Sometimes, though, I like to appreciate events like this with just my eyes and ears - and tastebuds. And from the vast array of pies, pasties, cakes, cheeses, fudge, sweets, ciders, and beers we sampled, I've whittled my favourites down to just five that I'd like to share with you.
- Cherry and port jam from The Cherry Tree - from its headquarters in Dorset, The Cherry Tree produces all manner of chutneys, jams and curds, ranging from the traditional Piccalilli to a more adventurous gooseberry chutney. My choice, though, would be the cherry and port jam; it's got the familiarity of a well-loved preserve, but has a little alcoholic twist to it. And who can pass up the opportunity of an (even slightly) boozy breakfast?
- Shaldon Bakery's famous Uglibuns - I must admit that I've long been a fan of these, and didn't so much stumble upon them at Flavour Fest as actively seek them out among the stalls. Essentially, they're fruit buns roughly the size of an adult human's head, chock full of raisins, cherries and peel. I've been lucky enough to find them on holiday in Teignmouth and at our corner shop in Exeter, so if they happen to arrive in a shop near you, you really should try one - unless I get there first.
- Ginger beer from Cornish Orchards - having already sampled several varieties of their cider at Exeter's Old Firehouse - a firm favourite among the student population - I was excited to discover that Cornish Orchards also make ginger beer. If, like me, you like to pretend on occasion that you're a character in an Enid Blyton story, this would perfectly complement a Famous Five-style picnic.
- Grumpies' blue cheese, mushroom and walnut pie - now, I've recently committed myself to becoming a full-time herbivore, but perhaps more on that in a future post. Happily, Grumpies cater for veggies all over the county with this rather fancy-sounding pie, along with another vegetarian variety in the old favourite Homity pie, both of which you can order online. Pies in the post - what a time to be alive.
- Cornish Dream fudge liqueur from Cornish Cream - I realise that this post has taken a rather unexpectedly alcoholic turn - sorry! - but wouldn't liquid fudge have to feature in any line-up? If a bottle of Baileys and a bag of Kernow's finest confectionery were to produce offspring, it would surely be this dreamy concoction. Its lesser known sister Cornish Lust, essentially strawberries and cream in a bottle, is also worth a swig.
Flavour Fest concludes on Sunday 16th August, but will undoubtedly return for a sequel in 2016. Likewise, I'll be back with more of the West Country's best bits in the not-too-distant future.
Hopefully with some pictures next time...
What were your favourites from this year's festival? Let me know in the comments below!
