Hotel Chocolat Easter 2013 Review: Beau Bunny Choc Egg

Time for Easter already?  Well it's time to start thinking about it.  Hotel Chocolat kindly sent me a Beau Bunny to sample or give away....I chose to sample it.  They don't seem to sell this from their website in the same format - you can have either the egg or the mini eggs, but their shop may have a more diverse range.  They seem to have turned MR BB into a bit of a 'product' but he is quite cute and the chocolate was OK so I don't really mind.

 I'd like to point out there was nothing wrong with their P and P.  The white scratch on the top of the egg was made by me in my eagerness with some scissors to rip off the ribbon and cellophane.

 So it was a nice transfer of a rabbit plus 6 mini eggs.  We all preferred the 3 caramel filled ones, the other three were 'praline' and we are not that mad on nuts.

The large itself I didn't have a problem with,nice and thick with a good flavour, but my partner said it tasted a bit of coconut which is not necessarily good for a premium chocolate.

Overall 8/10 - enough for three of us to share as a dessert, or for one person at Easter
They are suitable for vegetarians and all of their chocolate is ethically sourced.

Review: Hotel Chocolat: Your Eggscellency Extra Thick Easter Egg

Hotel Chocolat kindly sent me a Your Eggscellency™ Extra Thick Easter Egg.  

The packaging was beautiful, almost a mini hat box, with a luxury black ribbon tied around it.  I have previously criticised HC for their excessive packaging, but this time I was won over. Not as much plastic as there was last year. A couple of months ago I was seriously underwhelmed by the HC Advent Calendar, but this li'l baby ticked all the boxes.  Exciting packaging, thick chocolate in two colours and inside, 12 liqueur chocs: Champagne truffle was my fave, followed by the Mojito and then the Bison Grass Vodka. 

One side of the shell was half milk and the other half plain chocolate.  I really liked that - I am a fan of both and it was nice to take a bite of each.  It was indeed very thick chocolate that I rather liked.  You could really bite into it and hear it snap - you don't get that with a Cadburys Egg.  

This sizeable egg costs a sizeable £26

Devon's Healthier Alternative to Olive Oil: Bell & Loxton Rapeseed Oil

I tried to buy a bottle of this Bell & Loxton Rapeseed Oil a couple of weeks ago at Darts Farm, and they were out of stock, so it was just good luck that I happened to meet the growers at a Taste Buds Magazine event a few days later at Twenty Six cafe.  John and Rachel Bell, the producers, are a lovely couple and seem to be passionate about their oil.  They were kind enough to send me a sample to try out.  I warned them that I only tend to blog about things that I genuinely use and like - I'm not in the blogging business to be cynical or untruthful....they were confident enough that I would be won over.

The oil can be bought in glass or aluminium bottles.  The metal ones are rather stylish with a beautiful graphic design on the label.  The gold detail of the label really evokes the glow of the bright yellow crops in the summer.  I'm happier to keep this on the kitchen work surface than my rather boring plastic bottle of Tesco Olive Oil. And interestingly this is where the Bells are pitching their product.  This is a Devon-grown cold-pressed oil that is comparable to a good olive oil, but wait for this, with even more of the right Omega 3,6 and 9 and half the saturated fat of olive oil.

I straight away dipped some sour dough bread in to the oil.  It wasn't overly strong tasting but had a faint nuttiness and sweetness.  Although I'm a die hard butter user for toast, I tend to drizzle olive oil on sandwiches as I feel that butter is wasted in a sandwich.  So, overnight this oil has become my new 'healthy' butter.

It's also good for frying and roasting - the smoking point must be high enough as it coped really well with a delicious (modified from Jamie) tray bake of salmon and 'what ever veg I had in the fridge and freezer'.  I'm not sure if it was the natural sugars from the peas or the cooked lemon zest, but there was a definite overall light sweetness to the finished dish that we all enjoyed. Photo shows it prior to going in the oven.

It's getting to the point where we can almost stock our entire basic kitchen store cupboard with Devon produce.  I wish John and Rachel the best of luck with their top notch Devon product which certainly won me over, and I look forward to trying the new additions to the range later in the year.

Stocked locally at Shaldon Bakery, Powderham Country Store, Ullacombe Farm Shop , Devon branches of Waitrose and at least forty other locations.

Bristol Lido - A Stolen Day & My New Favourite Place

My husband and I stole a day today.  With children safely at school in South Devon, we headed to Bristol primarily to visit Bristol Lido for lunch, secondarily to stroll around and buy CDs, clothes from Yumi and generally have a day to ourselves.

When you hear lots of good stuff about a place, you just don't want to be disappointed.  A couple of friends had recommended, Tripadvisor has good reviews...I used to go there as a child...we were driving nearly two hours to get there... would it live up to expectations?

The kitchen has an impressive wood-fired oven blazing away, which the chefs really make the most of. 

Our starter was Wood Roast Scallops with Sweet Herb and Garlic Butter.  Mopped up with some hunks of rustic bread - this was heavenly and infused with tarragon.

 My husband had a good dish of tagliatelli with pheasant - very pleasant pheasant, creamy and competent, but he was jealous of my choice for sure. I had Wood Roast Sole with Seville Orange Butter Sauce and Crispy Capers.

 A huge piece of beautifully cooked fish that was crispy, citrusy and had a wonderful and unusual taste - really powerful and not the usual gentle treatment of fish - I loved its boldness.  The waiter was charming and totally on-the-ball.  I asked what the green veg was and they were a form of Italian turnip tops - I had assumed they were sorrel.  They went really well with the fish and capers.  There is an artist at work in this kitchen - they don't just bung things on a plate and hope for the best - they think, taste and actually want the diner to have an 'experience'.  Yes, this is indeed what we want!  I want my tastebuds to tingle and to feel excited by a dish.

I wolfed down the homemade Chocolate and Stout Ice Cream without taking a decent photo - which shows that it was very good.  I couldn't taste the stout - but it was creamy and smooth.

I used to swim here when I was a teenager, OK, I'm not that old, but it did look something like this (only we had colour in the 80s).

The new renovation has made it a wonderful space and the fantastic food is the proverbial 'icing on the cake' - I would  have lurved to have a spa / swim / sauna / massage but that was not on the cards today.  So we had lunch in the upstairs restaurant overlooking the pool.  It's a bit of a voyeuristic experience watching the swimmers.

Now a note on pronunciation.....in Teignmouth where I live, we have an open air pool and we all call it the Lie-doe, but in Bristol it appears they use the more correct Italian Lee-doe.  Lie-doe, Lee-doe?  Who cares?  The food's amazing, it's a great relaxing space and I can't wait to return.  Very soon. Without the children.

Price-wise: lunch is £15 for two courses and £20 for three, and there is also a scrummy sounding tapas menu.  There are 'deals' that include a swim/sauna/hot tub and meal.

Teas Me - Sweet Chai of Mine - Review

I received these sample packs of tea in the post.  I was actually expecting them to be from local Devon tea blender, Tea's Me (I have long been a fan of their wonderful lavender-scented Tottea that claims to 'restore your inner angel'), but these turned out  to be from Squeeze Me, based in Northamptonshire, under the brand name Teas Me (with no apostrophe).  Confused?  I was a bit.

I'm a big fan of 'Chai' teas so I was very keen to try this one as my local supply of Dragonfly Cape Malay Chai Roibos has dried up (anyone know why?).  The see-through pouch was very snazzy - lovely to see all the colourful components of the tea and have a resealable pouch too.  Sometimes my tea gets stashed away in some tin at the back of the cupboard and I only find it months later.  The brew is exactly as described 'warm and comforting' with a big cinnamon kick.  I really liked it.

I tried the Earl Grey flavour today in my brand new ForLife kermit green teapot that A and D bought me.  It wasn't as 'in your face' and powerfully bergamoty or floral as some Earl Greys, but that's no bad thing.  Liked the fact it was blended with bright yellow sunflower petals. Oh, and loved my new teapot.

The Tea sachets cost £3.99 each for 100g loose leaf tea.  I almost forgot the pun! Guns 'n' Roses, I never thought I'd reference you on my food blog, you are so far off my radar but I just can't help it...Oh-ohhhh, sweet chai-aii of miii-iiine....

Ashridge Cider - Devon Blush - Worth £15 a Pop?

I recently attended a really interesting Tasting Panel, hosted by the great magazine that is devoted purely to food and drink from Devon, Taste Buds.  We tried all sorts of Devon produce (ice creams, chutneys and ciders) but for me the stand-out product was the Ashridge Devon Blush Cider.  

It contains a dash of blackberry liqueur - it's presented as a Champagne bottle and is such a summery drink.  The perfect balance of fruitiness and apple and blackberry flavours without being cloying.  I have previously tried Polgoon, a sparkling rose Cornish cider, another premium product, but I definitely preferred the Devon Blush Cider.

 Priced at £30.24 for a double box including delivery - so it's not exactly a cheap alternative to a pint of Strongbow.  But for posh summer drinking (weddings?) it's a beautiful tipple.

Who Serves the Best Cream Tea in Devon?

NB - 
Update Summer 2013
Dartmoor Tearooms is now for sale!  I visited Angels in Torquay the other day and stand by what I said a year ago - fabulous cream tea!

Update Summer 2012
Dartmoor Tearooms are not opening this year due to refurbishment.  They will re-open in Spring 2013.  In the meantime try Angels, Babbacombe, Torquay for an amazing cream tea.  You won't be disappointed!

A cream tea with thick clotted cream and deep red jam served atop plump doughy scones is one of the delights of going out in the afternoon in Devon and Cornwall.  In my time, I have had many a cream tea, a surprising number of which have proved disappointing.  All too often, there is insufficient cream, average jam or a tiny two day old scone.  I have been hearing great things about the Dartmoor Tea Rooms in Moretonhampstead, Devon (longest unhyphenated place name in England I believe).  It was lunchtime, but we all decided to have sweet stuff instead.  Daughter had a chocolate brownie with ice cream and raspberry sauce which she said was delicious.  Husband and I shared a Classic Cream Tea (two scones) plus an in-house homemade toasted teacake.  The tea cake was absolutely wonderful – slathered in butter, just the right amount of dried fruit and peel and a lovely sweet sugar crust on the top.  Divine. 

Tea was of high quality.  I love the ‘FORLIFE’ tea pots that they and lots of cafes are using at the moment (e.g Twenty Six in Teignmouth).  They have an inbuilt strainer inside the main body, so the brew is perfect, no fiddly strainer and presumably easier to clean up afterwards.  They are for sale in the cafe at a good price of £20 – I have seen them for sale online for £22-£25.  Looking forward to receiving one for my birthday (hint, hint).

Everything in the cafe was so clean – I loved the way the crockery, the milk jug, the tray and the cutlery were all so gleaming.  It was a very welcoming environment, friendly waiting staff, fresh flowers on the tables and lots of bits and bobs to look at and admire.

But the burning question - was this the Best Cream Tea in Devon?

Well, I give Dartmoor Tea Rooms a resounding ten out of ten for the fabulous teacake and for the fine pot of tea.  The cream and jam were very good and were just about the right quantity.  The scones were large, just warm (felt very 'fresh' warm rather than re-heated warm) homemade, light and tasty and certainly enjoyable.  But......I have such high standards as I have my own resident scone-maker in my home, and hers are perfection, and have a slightly more buttery golden texture (secret ingredient being yoghurt).  So, outside of my own home, this is probably as near as dammit, one of the Best Cream Teas in Devon.  But of course the quest is ceaseless and I must carry on in my search to find the Ultimate Devon Cream Tea.  This one is jolly good and is definitely on the short list.

NB I think Dartmoor Tea Rooms may be shutting at the beginning of July for a week or two, so do check before going there; but DO go there, it's a great place.  Open Weds-Sundays from April - November.

Bagel and Beans - Great Budget Food in Central Amsterdam

I'm just back from a gloriously sunny and wine-sodden five days in Holland staying with our dear friends A, D and A.

We needed a bite to eat away from the touristy centre of Amsterdam where we'd enjoyed a visual feast of Vermeers and Franz Hals at the rijksmuseum, where incidentally, The Milkmaid was my favourite picture:

..... and we happened upon Bagels and Beans.  This is a small chain of Dutch cafes specialising in breakfasts and lunches.  We heartily enjoyed the 'Everything' juice that included pineapple, orange, strawberry and apple:

The bagels were fresh, packed full of fairly healthy ingredients with some good combos, and not just the average 'cheese and ham' that features heavily on Dutch menus.  I chose the smoked chicken, avocado, pesto and pinenut, with plenty of greenery too (particularly enjoyed the large helping of killer cucumbers):

The free pot of coffee bean shaped and flavoured chocolate beans were a great added bonus - they were on every table.

The juice was 3 Euros -  a tad high, but considering that's the same price as a Coke in a European pavement cafe, not too bad.  The bagel was 6 Euros which I thought was fair enough.  The waiter was so friendly and disarmingly asked me if I was 'well-known in Holland.'  I think he was asking whether I knew Holland well.  Free chocolate, smiley waiters, good food and free postcards from a stand for the children to take as souvenirs - a great respite from a frenetic European city centre and great for people on a budget.

Devon Book Review: A Taste of the Unexpected by Mark Diacono

Just a quick post to express how much pleasure I got from reading this wonderful book.  The experts on Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4 a few weeks ago were quick to dismiss people's desire to grow 'weird' vegetables - apparently white carrots are tasteless and some of the more extravagantly coloured vegetables often fail to thrive and are generally a waste of time.  So that's that, I thought, don't bother with all that fancy schmancy stuff in my veg patch.  Then...along comes this book by Mark Diacono.  He's one of Hugh's River Cottage experts, runs courses there and grows at Otter Farm near Honiton.

I unreservedly love this book because:

a) there aren't any pictures of the author posing artfully either with cleverly positioned 'mud' on knees or flour on cheek, or smiling winsomely at his prize veg with shabby chic decor in the background and old enamel mug

b) he actually took all the photos of the gardens and veg inside the book (repect!)

c) it also has recipes - some of which are a bit fancy, but some plain and easy

d) he really inspired me to experiment - hell, why not grow apricots, goji berries, szechuan pepper in our back gardens / window boxes

e) only one cute picture of child in a garden (I am really naffed off with cookery / lifestyle writers getting their kids involved in photoshoots)

f) loved his ethos of 'grow expensive/ unbuyable produce' rather than onions, potatoes, carrots type stuff

So, let's grow and eat day lilies - this was a fab bit of advice as I was sat outside next to my sprouting day lilies while I was reading this bit.  I reached over, snapped off a flower bud and it did indeed taste a bit like a French bean but with a slight chilli kick.  How naughty and lovely.  Eating flowers. Nasturtiums are budding so I shall be sprinkling them on my salads, deep frying  day lilies and planning how to fit an apricot into our full-the-brim garden.  And definitely some Egyptian Walking Onions (what a name!).  And possibly some Japanese wineberries just so I can make the delicious sounding Japanese Wineberry Trifle.

He's also got a really good blog.  I have a new foodie hero and, what's more, he's a Devon lad!

And this is our vege patch at the moment- not a gojiberry in sight.

And I had to include a picture of our Angelica (yes that green twiggy crystalline stuff that no-one has put on a cupcake even ironically since the 70s) which has turned into a beanstalk - it was 6ft tall until it keeled over in the wind.

Ring of Bells - Pub Review - North Bovey, Devon

This is the Ring of Bells, North Bovey and this is just how a pub should be in Devon.

Attractive, thatched, quiet village, space to sit outside, well-decorated with modern 'murky' shades of paint, but not 'gastro-pub'-ed to within an inch of its life, great local beers, a warm welcome, a woodburning stove, dogs welcome, tasty homemade food at affordable prices.

We had a simple lunch: soup for me (roasted garlic + celeriac with croutons), sardines on toast with roasted vine tomatoes and a ploughman's - all done fantastically well.

Their unpretentious formula for success is proving a hit - getting a table for Thurs - Sat night can be tricky - phone well ahead.  Thoroughly recommended.

NORTH BOVEY, DARTMOOR, DEVON TQ13 8RB
Tel: 01647 440375 W: www.ringofbells.net E: mail@ringofbells.net

Michael Caines Restaurant at Abode Exeter: Amazing Graze

I was drawn to this 'Amazing Graze' menu offer by doing an internet search for my own website and stumbled upon this fantastic offer at Michael Caines' restaurant at Abode, Exeter:  three course lunch for £9.95.  A few days after our trip to Caines' other establishment, Gidleigh Park (more luxurious, more traditionally English country house) we treated ourselves to lunch at Abode overlooking Exeter Cathedral.  After the whopping bill from Gidleigh, we kidded ourselves that eating here would balance out the average of the two meals.

This restaurant is in the hotel (the left hand door half visible in the picture - not the cheaper cafe, MCs next door) and is modern: light and airy with wooden floors and no tablecloths.  The waiting staff were efficient with dealing with a jam-packed dining room.  A slight delay with bringing the bill, but I could hardly blame them as it was so busy.

I chose the confit salmon that I had enjoyed at Gidleigh a few nights previously, just to compare it.  It was not identical, but pretty damn close, and at a fraction of the cost.  My husband had the mushroom risotto - a small portion of deeply flavoured goo.  After this tasty morsel, he wanted to upgrade to five courses for an extra £8, but I wouldn't let him.  Still had to collect the kids from school at 3pm.

The mains were spot-on for lunchtime: seasonal, well-cooked and delicious.  Pollock with a creamy saffron sauce and pork with boulangere potatoes.  Desserts were lovely: glazed lemon tart with lemon confit sorbet (tres tangy) and pistachio nougat glace with chocolate grue.  Yes, we had to ask what 'grue' was - a type of cocoa bean, the waiter informed us.

The petits fours with the coffee were wonderful - two wonderfully large round, sugared fruit jellies that reminded me of the boxed sweets my grandparents used to get at Christmas.  These were passionfruit and apricot flavour served alongside two dinky little chocolate and pistachio madeleines.  These have got me seeking out a mini-madeleine mould on Amazon.  Going to have to mimic them at home.

Since yesterday the price of Amazing Graze has gone up a little.  At £9.95 for three courses, it represented exceptional, unbeatable value for money.  At the new price of £13.50 for three courses it's still highly competitive and for food, service and location like this, it's definitely worth it and recommended.

You can book a table online, which I really liked.  You can see all the times that are available and you get a confirmation email - and you get to see all the special offers - early dining in the evening (be seated by 7pm) also seems good value.

Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon - Restaurant Review

I realise that I may have to change my profile description that says I enjoy eating at 'unpretentious' and 'good value' places.  Gidleigh Park does not exactly fulfil either of those criteria.  This was an incredibly special treat - a gift to my husband for his fortieth birthday. I said I wouldn't blog about it, but then out came the camera and, yep, in true food blogger style, I wasn't taking pictures of my husband (attractive as he may be), but of the beautiful food.

Gidleigh Park is a posh country house hotel par excellence: two Michelin stars, Executive chef is Michael Caines MBE, and number one in the Sunday Times Best Restaurant List 2010 - it feels as if you're eating in a National Trust property.

Drinks in the lounge....oops before we knew it, no we weren't sticking to our 'local food' credentials and ordering some Luscombe apple juice or Camel Valley sparkling wine.  For me a glass of Champagne (NV, thank the Lord) and for him, a Vodka Martini.  I almost guffawed.  So not a Peroni then. 

The service was wonderful - not at all stuffy.  The staff were friendly, chatty, knowledgeable and so enthusiastic about the food and wine.  Special mention to the cheery 'cheese waiter'  (apparently they're called cheese sommeliers in the States) who brought round the fantastic cheese trolley resplendent with many Devon and Cornish cheeses, plus some oozing French ones.

We chose the five course Seasonal Tasting menu with a couple of glasses of appropriate wines.  My first taste of the amuse-bouches and I was in heaven:  a crispy morsel of Cornish sea bream with a Thai froth on the top (far right of picture below).  It was a riot of flavours and made me smile to know that I was going to have such a gourmet evening.  The middle one was an aubergine mousse and on the left a piece of foie gras with a Sauternes jelly.

Matthewsfoodblog has asked me to comment on the bread (one of his fave things about eating in high-end establishments.)  A basket of three types of home-baked , incredibly fresh bread:  a small rustic French-style roll with pointed ends was delicious, my favourite was a small brown round roll containing honey and burnt 'bran' or 'prawn' or 'brown'- (after asking the waitress to repeat the phrase three times, I gave up), and a slice of sun-dried tomato bread which was very nice on its own but so full of flavour that it wasn't good to accompany the delicate food.

The food was superb:

Confit of Salmon, followed by Boudin of pheasant with foie gras, couscous and bouillon (pictured below)

.....then Langoustines with leeks and truffle, Lamb with Boulangere potatotes, Chocolate and Orange Three Ways, Coffee and Petits Fours.

The food was exciting, full of flavour, beautiful on the plate and felt like a culinary adventure.  I could go on about the individual dishes but will just mention the highlights:  the sweetness of the langoustines with the backnotes of a truffled sauce, the melting tastiness of the tender, herbed lamb, the bitter orange sorbet served in a dark chocolate shell and the caramel chocolates served as part of the petits fours.  

My Dad joined us for coffee and petits fours in front of the fire in the lounge (thanks for the lift home, Dad!).  The entire bill came to.......ahem..... £352 (without tip) which is the most I have ever (and will ever) pay for a meal in my life.  We will need some post-traumatic counselling to deal with that.  The coffee and petits fours cost £6.  And there's the 'good value' part of my review.  You get three mini desserts on a wooden platter, plus a handful of chocolates and a pot of coffee or tea, that you don't have to strain your wrist to pour for yourself, for six quid.  A superb end to a memorable meal.  It wasn't just a meal, it was an event that we will remember.  

Paignton, Devon: The Boathouse Cafe Review

Preston seafront was looking lovely on 9 Jan 2011.  The sea looked mirror calm and the rare appearance of the sunshine had strangers stopping to remark on it to each other.

My daughter and I went for a stroll along the waterfront and then decided it was time for hot chocolate and tea.  I had heard that The Boathouse was a decent cafe, but I was a little put off by this:

Well, it's out-of-season in Devon and I guess businesses need to drum up custom, but still....

Despite cheery greetings from the waiter, an overpowering stench of bleach, peeling paintwork and filthy sticky bits under the wooden table slats made me realise that this place must be primarily a Fri / Sat night bar rather than a gourmet cafe hangout.

The morning pastries didn't look very appetising under their cellophane wrappers so we had tea and a hot chocolate with all the trimmings.  Except one.

I'm not keen on tea in a glass (unless I'm in Spain or France where I don't care cos I'm on holiday), but I really do care about getting a carton of UHT milk with my tea.  Yuk.  That's what I would expect at a motorway service station or.....I'm not sure where....on a budget airline, but not in a beachside cafe that has a fully functioning fridge and everything.

This cafe was not really my sort of place at all.  The UHT did it for me. It was out-of-season and needing a bit of a revamp  - it looked lovely outside, so that's where we went!

Sorry, Boathouse, get well soon!

Wimbledon and South Devon Strawberries

The start of Wimbledon, combined with the fantastic sunny June weather we are currently enjoying, has turned my thoughts to strawberries rather than tennis.  Neither gifted with a racquet nor having the funds or connections to wangle tickets to Centre Court matches, the best way for me to enjoy the quintessential English summer day is to find a Pick Your Own strawberry farm.  During the last week I have picked and sampled the produce at two such farms.

Shute Fruit in Bishopsteigton opened their farm gates for the season on Friday18 June.  They are currently offering Pick Your Own (PYO) strawberries and ready-cut new season broad beans.  I was the second customer through the door (yes, very keen indeed) and was eager to be let loose on the strawberry field.

The farm is run by Lori Reich and David Lamboll and is situated in a magnificent location, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the banks of the Teign Estuary.  They work very hard to produce magnificent crops.  Lori is well known on the farmers' market and food festival circuit for her award-winning jams, chutneys and for her cookery demonstrations.  Last summer I saw her rustle up an impressive cream tea from the raw ingredients in under thirty minutes, on stage at the Abbfest Beer and Food Festival.

She is a mine of information about other local food producers and passionate about her favourite home-style recipes.  The Shute Fruit website provides useful information on how to make microwave strawberry jam.  This is ideal if, like me, you find that once you've started picking strawberries, it's very difficult to stop and you end up with punnet-loads more than you can eat fresh.

The Pegasus variety of strawberries that I picked with my friend were heavenly - Lori encourages you to 'try before you buy', although prefers people to just sample one or two of each variety.  I was impressed by the sweetness and perfume of the strawberries - incredibly sweet and juicy, only a real sweet-tooth would need to put any sugar on these beauties.  There were masses of plump, large fruit to be collected, shining out like hidden jewels amongst the golden straw and green foliage.  We collected six large punnets in under an hour.

You can check  the website to see what crops are available on the day you want to visit - this is updated daily.  There are some benches for you to enjoy the sunshine, the passing trains, the wildlife and your fruit feast (after paying at the caravan with makeshift shop counter), perhaps with a punnet of ice cream or clotted cream?

On the opposite side of the River Teign, Netherton  PYO will be a prolific soft fruit producer for the next two months or so.  I visited last weekend with a 19 month old strawberry fan. She couldn't believe her luck!  She gorged herself on the sweet red Elsanta strawberries.  Her father was kind and honest enough to pay an extra contribution for the extra unweighed fruit that his daughter had consumed before making it back to the scales!

The Elsanta strawberries are a useful early variety (often found in supermarkets) but they don't have the depth of flavour of the more traditional perfumed varieties such as Pegasus and Pandora.

A trip to Netherton can be a great family afternoon out - most kids, parents and grandparents love the thrill of seeking out the largest, weirdest or sweetest fruit - there can certainly be a competitive element.  It's also great to remind children where their food comes from and how lucky we are in Devon to have such bounty on our doorsteps.  Netherton also provides a tea shack and picnic benches offering homemade cakes, clotted cream, ice creams, teas and coffees and (rather cleverly) jam sugar to take home for your preserves.

The sign at Netherton warns people not to 'oversample' their strawberries and to be honest and pay for what they pick - fruit farms have been struggling to survive in recent years.  We certainly wouldn't want to see them shut down.

The season is so short, I'm going to make the most of them over the next few months and try to visit them on a weekly basis.  So, whether it's tennis or football, let's remember to take a break from all the sport on television and get out in the sunshine, pick fresh berries and enjoy the fruits of the local farmers' labours - it's almost as healthy as playing tennis.

Another PYO that I haven't yet visited in the South Devon area is Boyces Nursery and Fruit Farm at Shillingford St George, nr Exeter - comments welcome.