Although a long drive, it’s always best on the first day to get to the furthermost point… and despite travelling on the A303, which is known to be notoriously bad for traffic, the journey actually wasn’t too bad.

We got to The Crib, which is just outside Buckfastleigh, Devon. It is one of the only Tea Plantations in the UK, and happens to have a small campsite attached to it – one of those strange industries (The Tea that is) that we appear to be geting good at, perhaps due to the global warming.

We had chosen to come to this part of the world as we wanted to try out the Riverford Field Kitchen ever since we signed up to recieving their Organic Veg box, and with so many places to go, we simply hadn’t made it back to this part of the world.

With torrential rain falling overnight, then what appeared to be April showers throughout the day, we walked from the campsite to the Riverford Farm Kitchen and it is fair to say, we were not disappointed. The concept is a set sharing menu with multiple dishes to each course, followed by a choice from 5 desserts….these weren’t to share!! There was meat on the main, today it was Pork Belly, but also a vegetarian option which was two different types of squash on this occassion. All the food is organic and the majority is not only seasonal, but also local, and every component was cooked in a balanced way to highlight the flavours within the dish. A really lovely meal and a beautifully relaxing setting.

Whilst the area was beautiful with rolling hills, we only had a short time here, as one day was pretty much taken up by going out to eat. We did however manage to venture to the farm shop, which was more of a ‘cafe’ than a farm shop really… but the food looked great – but also, do a pretty, circluar walk taking in both Buckfastliegh, to look at the Abbey, as well as Buckfast where we found an Organic community shop full of Riverford and other local produce….including some incredible locally made sweet chocolate delicacies which were so intense and full of flavour … we will be back for more of those!

Moving on the following day however, we had been trying to come down and see some friends in Exmouth for a while, and this time everything aligned….including the sunshine. Just down the road from their flat, and spitting distance from the beach, is a fantastic ‘Aire’ where we could park Fawks and stay for 3 nights….something almost unheard of in the UK which is a shame.

Spring had decided to come early and despite being fresh, the skies were blue and the sun warmed everything during the day. Matt and Jonathan had kindly set aside the weekend to show us the area and it is easy to see why they have moved here – a lovely long beach with beautiful tidal contours, but additionally the rolling hills that surround it, although Exmouth town center itself isn’t anything to write home about. Certainly a place for us to consider when we decide to start thinking about where we call ‘home’ in the future.

What is there not to like when the area is full of beauty and fantastic ingredients. Thank you Matt and Jonathan but be warned, we will be back….Matt is too good a cook and the area you live in requires a little more time to explore!

On Monday morning we moved on again, travelling to Burton Bradstock where we have stayed before but couldn’t get into the Pub as we hadn’t booked ahead.

Burton Bradstock is a tiny little village on the South West Coastal Path with a post office and two pubs, but nothing else. There is lots of walking and cycling in the area – we walked in one direction to a great little farm shop which we have been to previously, and filled up our milk bottles a couple of times, unfortunately they had to get rid of their herd of cows but the milk is still very local.

We also walked in the other direction along the coast and up into Bridport, where like the last time we were here, we found a peaceful bench in the Churchyard orchard to enjoy our lunch in the sunshine…this time though, there weren’t any apples on the trees unfortunately but we found a great cafe to compensate afterwards!

This time we booked the The Three Horseshoes pub, before the campsite and we were not disappointed! Although we now have the dilemma as we apparently need to go back and try the other pub in the Village, as we have been told by the owner of the farm shop that it is even better…. oh well, next time…. not going to complain about having too many good places to eat!

Moving on again, we headed over to the New Forest where this time we had chosen to try out the Clubsite that is just outside Brockenhurst, right in the middle of the forest…. even the postcode was about 1km away.

You couldn’t have had a more perfect location, albeit that we had to drive the long way round due to narrow roads, but it was hidden down a long lane, surrounded by forest and ponies…. what more could you ask for, and all about 2 miles from Brockenhurst across the moorland.

Chris and Annie popped over on the Friday for lunch and it was lovely to be able to relax and catch up as it has been a while. Oddly, it ended up being the only ‘grey’ day we had whilst there…. any excuse just to eat, natter and be introduced to ‘Nosecco’ – which actually was a nice alcohol free alternative to prosecco. Its nice to see that there are more and more ‘alternative’ non alcoholic drinks out there that should you want something a little different/ special and they don’t feel a compromise.

Apart from the one ‘grey’ day, the weather was pretty good, so much so we decided to cancel our last three nights stay which was due to be in Winchester, extending for another three nights in the New Forest to enjoy the tranquility and explore further.

The New Forest is such a relaxing place and each time we go we find a different area to explore further. This is definately one of our favourite campsites for location as despite being a ‘larger’ site, as it was so tranquil and hidden away in the forest, yet not too far away from anything on foot or bike.

This little trip soon came to an end though, and it was time to head back to the farm, where the field had started to dry out at last! Spring is definitely here and the birds and buds on the trees are happily showing us what it is all about which is lovely…. even the rhubarb crown Keith planted last year appears to have fought its way back through the foliage and nettles… well one out of three surviving isn’t bad!

Before coming back I had seen that one of our local pubs was offering a ‘tasting journey’ through India and managed to book in. It was a collaboration between the Owner/Chef and Manpreet Singh Ahuja ‘The Singing Chef’ and it was truly unique, and delicious with it’s flavours….all rounded off with some Chai Tea and Shortbread – what more could you ask for!

We have been cooking a fair bit and playing with some new recipes that have popped up. Our sucess stories this time include the following:-
– Riverford Spinach and Mushroom Souffle – quick and easy breakfast or lunch, so light and full of flavour
– Riverford Feta, Olive and Spinach Quiche – Great tasting quiche that could be made with whatever you have in the fridge – cold or warm
– Burnt Basque Cheesecake – This is a great alternative to my go to cheesecake. It is nutty and creamy but very light
– Mixed Chilli Bean and Sweet Potato Pie – a great alternative chilli for those who don’t like spice
– Happy Pear Ikarian Longevity Stew – a great one pot stew full of flavour and warmth
– Indian Spiced Brocolli with flakes almonds – a great side dish to accompany most curried dishes
– Dr Rupy’s seed and nut bread – another gluten free alternative, full of deliciousness.
– Thai Red Curry and Lentil Soup – Warm Creamy deliciousness in a bowl

…and we not only have some sprouting mung beans on the go now – which incidently are delicious and simple to make – but have started some preserved lemons using Ottelenghi’s recipe…we just have to wait another 4 weeks until they are ready!

…and our little route this time looked a little like this…