Happy 7th Birthday to us!

This week, we are celebrating our 7th birthday! They do say time flies when you’re having fun, and we certainly have enjoyed sharing photos and stories with you all these years.

On a dreary day in December 2012 the idea of an Exmoor community on social media and beyond was raised at a Christmas lunch at the Culbone Inn.  Exmoor4all was born and, thanks to all you lovely people, we have grown a lot since then.

Let’s have a look at some statistics:
Our Facebook page now has close to 20,000 followers and reaches over 120,000 people each month.  Over 80,000 people engage with our posts regularly.  We also started the Exmoor Conversation Group as well as the Exmoor4all Photo Group on Facebook  – both have well over 1,000 members, and both groups are growing steadily.
Twitter and Instagram are very popular, too, with close to 6,000 followers on Twitter and close to 4,000 followers on Instagram, and a lot of engagement as well.
And then there’s our website which has nearly 30,000 followers.
All in all, with your help, we are able to reach a quarter of a million people each month – and thanks to the amazing photos you allow us to share, people from all over the world have discovered our beautiful National Park and have fallen in love with Exmoor.

It is a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed photos and stories and has shared our posts – without you, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this.  Exmoor4all has sparked off a number of ventures which all support the Exmoor community.  We have listed some of them below – it would be fantastic if you could have a look, put dates in your diary, and if you can’t make any of the events, please share them on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

We raise our glass to all our wonderful supporters,
Here’s to the next seven years!

Your Exmoor4all Team

 

The Exmoor Food Fest will run again during February 2020.
This month-long food festival, which is now in its sixth year, celebrates the best food and the most amazing chefs our region has to offer.
Participating restaurants, among them Michelin starred Thomas Carr at The Olive Room, offer special deals for two and three courses, highlighting local produce and the talent in our hospitality industry.
Pop over to www.exmoorfoodfest.com for the latest updates and check out Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well.

In 2020 we are organising the first Taste Exmoor festivals!
There will be a Food & Drink Fair at Porlock Village Hall on 29 Feb/1 March which will conclude the 2020 Exmoor Food Fest.
And on 29 – 31 May there will be a big Taste Exmoor Festival at Horner Farm near Porlock with lots of traders, cookery demonstrations by award winning chefs ( we have teamed up with The Chefs Forum for this) and a pop-up restaurant.
We are also working on a Summer and Autumn Taste Exmoor Festival – dates and venues to be announced shortly.
You can follow us on FacebookTwitter, and of course the website (which still needs a bit of work).

An Exmoor Beauty.

Photo by Donna Cox Alsoomse.

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The latest from Exmoor4all

We have been busy…

The Exmoor Food Fest preparations are gathering pace.  We have just signed off a campaign on The Breeze starting on 4 January 2016 to shout out about a month long celebration of the best our region has to offer.  

Participating restaurants will be offering two courses for £10.00/ three courses for £15.00, and we are finalising exciting events which include gin tasting, oyster and champagne feasts, evenings with local authors, dining experiences in unusual locations and so much more.

The Dunster Food Festival, which is taking over the whole of Dunster at the end of February, is going to be foodie heaven.

Fingers crossed we will be able to give you all the details about the Gourmet Trains which will be run by West Somerset Railway in February – all we can say at the moment is that award winning chefs will be cooking on these trains.

The website www.exmoorfoodfest.com will be updated regularly – please keep checking it out for the latest information.

The Exmoor Food Fest (or Exmoor4all for that matter) does not receive any official funding. Without the generous help from Arthur David –  Food with Service we would  not be able to run this food festival. 

Thank you all for your ongoing support!

PS You can subscribe to our newsletter here – that way you will not miss out on any updates.

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Here are some of our upcoming events:

1£30.00 per person (incl. two course dinner)

The Beatles and The Stones – The two bands that have defined popular music were often pitted against one another during the Sixties.
Richard Havers, who has written extensively about both bands and worked for them on various projects, delves into their enduring appeal and unravels some of the mystery as to what makes them so timeless. With music and photographs.

Tickets are available from The Culbone: Call 01643 862259

Exmoor on a Plate: Oysters & Champage

3More details coming soon…. It will be a great opportunity to taste Porlock Oysters. Make sure you don’t miss out and book your place now.

Call 01643 862259 (The Culbone)

“Barn Food” with Claire’s Kitchen

2An amazing meal in very unusual surroundings, that’s Claire’s Kitchen’s pop-up restaurant in one of the medieval barns at the Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre in Allerford on 10 February. Tickets are selling fast – don’t leave it too late.  Click here to book your place.

Photo of the Week

04 Dec Bob Cowlard

Early November morning. Photo by Bob Cowlard.

The latest from Exmoor4all

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This photo of Prayway Head near Simonsbath by Robert Hatton was the most popular image on our Facebook page last week. It had 1159 likes and was shared 146 times.

Exmoor Food Fest 2016

During February 2016, restaurants across Exmoor will be offering 2 courses for £10.00/ 3 courses for £15.00.  There will also be a number of events during this time to celebrate the best Exmoor has to offer.

We are busy with signing up restaurants and updating the website with the latest information. I can confirm that Michelin starred chef Mark Dodson (Mason Arms, Knowstone) will be taking part again as will The Coach House by Michael Caines at Kentisbury Grange and Thomas Carr of the Olive Room in Ilfracombe. The latter has just been listed in the Michelin Guide. You can now book the “Barn Food” experience with Claire’s Kitchen at the Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre online – it will make a brilliant Christmas present! Don’t forget to put the Dunster Food Festival on 27/28 February into your diary.  We have already got a fantastic offer of street food and local produce booked in. More details to be announced as soon as possible. Please get in touch if you have any ideas or would like to be involved in Exmoor4all and the Exmoor Food Fest.

Wishing you all a good week,

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Join us for an evening with a difference, a one-off experience, which involves a stunning, albeit unusual location, an owl display and, of course, fabulous Mediterranean food prepared by Claire’s Kitchen. It will be a night to remember!

Book now

Menu:

Canapés

Roasted red peppers and anchovy salad on roasted garlic toasts
Chorizo tortilla with allioli

Sharing Starters

Pea soup with a crispy serrano ham crouton and basil oil
Gambas pil pil (sizzling gambas prawns)
Piquillo rellenos de queso de cabra (goats cheese stuffed piquillo peppers)

Sharing Mains

Suckling pig cooked whole on a spit with a mediterranean herb and garlic marinate
Red pepper and halloni paella on a rich Sofrito base
Chorizo with tomato butter beans, parsley and Claire’s Kitchen Lynch cider
Poor man’s potatoes cooked with the suckling pig with onions, rosemary and garlic

Dessert

Almond cake with Crema Catalina ice cream, custard caramel and a cherry compote

Tickets: £32.00
(Includes Owl Display and everything on menu – all dietary requirements are catered for, but please advise in advance)
Cash bar.

* Tickets will be posted at the beginning of December 2015 in time for Christmas

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Would you like to be involved?
We have still space for street food traders and local producers.
Email us at exmoor4all@gmail.com

The Exmoor4all calendar costs £7.50 plus p&p.
You can order it online on our website – click here 

Print

Sponsor of the Exmoor Food Fest 2016

The latest from Exmoor4all: 16 November 2015

PHoTO OF THE WEEK


This photo of a majestic stag by Liz Mitchell was the most popular on our Facebook page last week.

Greetings from Exmoor

Even though we are well into November now, the weather is still very mild here on Exmoor. Last week’s storms and heavy rainfalls have given way to autumnal sunshine while I’m typing this.

Thank you to all the traders who have been in touch so far with regard to our Exmoor Markets. We are going to get back to you as soon as possible – hopefully we have a full list of venues and dates by the end of this week.  If you know of or own a venue where you would like to host an Exmoor Market, please get in touch with us.

If you are looking for unique presents which are not available on the Highstreet, then our limited edition Exmoor4all calendar might be something for you.  We will also shortly be launching tickets for our celebrity charity ball in February as well as a number of “pop-up restaurant” events which will all take place during the Exmoor Food Fest in February 2016.
We are currently working on an eCommerce website where you will be able to order canvasses of the calendar images.  A portfolio with photographs by some of our Exmoor4all contributors is being built. You will also be able to book activities and events directly through us.  All websites will be accessible via www.exmoor4all.com

We are very lucky to live in this part of the world, and we hope that, wherever you are reading this newsletter, you are well and safe.

The Exmoor4all calendar costs £7.50 plus p&p. You can order it online on our website – click here

The Exmoor4all calendar costs £7.50 plus p&p.
You can order it online on our website – click here

For our 2016 Exmoor Food Fest we have teamed up with Claire Lynch of Claire’s Kitchen for a number of fun events. These include pop-up restaurants in rather unusual locations.
On 10 February 2016 we will be in a barn on the grounds of the Exmoor Falconry in Allerford.  Join us for an Owl Display followed by a delicious meal.
Two weeks later it’s time to visit the Exmoor Pony Whisperer, Dawn Westcott, at her farm at Holt Ball in Luccombe.  Dawn has recently published a book about Exmoor Ponies and was seen a few days ago on ITV This Morning.  Following a talk about Exmoor Ponies we will sit down and eat a fabulous meal.

West Country Food and Farm Tours will be running a number of tours to Exmoor farms in cooperation with the Luttrell Arms in Dunster and The Culbone near Porlock. Dates to be announced very sooon!

These are just a few events to take place during February 2016.  We are currently finalising the list of restaurants offering 2 courses for £10/ 3 courses for £15 during the Exmoor Food Fest across Exmoor.

If you have a venue or an idea how to get involved, please get in touch! Just email us at exmoor4all@gmail.com.

A big thank you to our head sponsor Arthur David without whom the Exmoor Food Fest would not be possible.
All restaurants and events will be listed on the Exmoor Food Fest website.

Coming up:
6 December 2015:       Exmoor Christmas Market at Kentisbury Grange
February 2016:            Exmoor Food Fest all over Exmoor
10 February 2016:       Pop-up Restaurant at the Exmoor Owl Centre, Allerford
27/28 February 2016:  Dunster Food Festival

We are waiting to confirm the dates for “Exmoor Stars”, our Celebrity Charity Ball, as well as a number of other pop-up restaurants at various barns on Exmoor which will all take place during the Exmoor Food Fest in February 2016.

In 2016 we are launching Exmoor Markets – events at a number of locations across Exmoor featuring local produce and crafts.  We are currently working on a website while finalising the dates and venues.
If you are a local food producer or know of someone who makes arts and crafts
or sells home made food products, please send us an email to exmoor4all@gmail.com.
Exmoor Markets coming up:
06 December 2015            Exmoor Christmas Market at Kentisbury Grange
27&28 February 2016:      Exmoor Market at the Dunster Food Festival
10 March 2016:                  Exmoor Market at the Exmoor Falconry, Allerford
12 June 2016:                     Exmoor Market at the Exmoor Falconry, Allerford
16 October 2016:              Exmoor Market at the Exmoor Falconry, Allerford

***  THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTACTED US SO FAR –
WE WILL BE IN TOUCH SHORTLY ***

The latest from Exmoor4all

Only 45 sleeps….

Even though it is only the beginning of November, television commercials and displays in shops are beginning to remind us that – whether we like it or not – Christmas is coming.

If you are looking for unique presents which are not available on the Highstreet, then our limited edition Exmoor4all calendar might be something for you. We will also shortly be launching tickets for our celebrity charity ball in February as well as a number of “pop-up restaurant” events which will all take place during the Exmoor Food Festival in February 2016.

The Exmoor4all calendar costs £7.50 plus p&p.
You can order it online on our website – click here

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We are delighted that Thomas Carr from the Olive Room in Ilfracombe and Michelin starred Mark Dodson, Mason Arms Knowstone, are joining the Exmoor Food Fest again in February 2016.
A big thank you to our head sponsor Arthur David without whom the Exmoor Food Fest would not be possible.
All restaurants will be listed on the Exmoor Food Fest website.

Exmoor Food Fest #food #foodies #finedining #festival #Exmoor #FebruaryEnjoy 2 courses for £10.00/ 3 courses for 15.00 at participating restaurants across Exmoor

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Dates for the Diary

Coming up:
6 December 2015: Exmoor Christmas Market at Kentisbury Grange
February 2016: Exmoor Food Fest all over Exmoor
10 February 2016: Pop-up Restaurant at the Exmoor Owl Centre, Allerford
27/28 February 2016: Dunster Food Festival

We are waiting to confirm the dates for “Exmoor Stars”, our Celebrity Charity Ball, as well as a number of other pop-up restaurants at various barns on Exmoor which will all take place during the Exmoor Food Fest in February 2016.

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Exmoor Markets (1)

In 2016 we are launching Exmoor Markets – events at a number of locations across Exmoor featuring local produce and crafts. We are currently working on a website while finalising the dates and venues.

If you are a local food producer or know of someone who makes arts and crafts or sells home made food products, please send us an email to exmoor4all@gmail.com.

***

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

IMG_4857

Robbers Bridge near Oare, Somerset
Photo by Stephen Ring

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If you would like to keep up-to-date with the latest Exmoor4all projects and events,
you can subscribe to the Exmoor4all newsletter.

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