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Cuisine of Devon

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A Devon cream tea
A Devon cream tea

The cuisine of Devon in England has influenced, and been influenced, by other British cuisine.

Food

As a predominantly rural county with a temperate climate, frequent rains and fertile soils, Devon has for centuries been a net exporter of high quality dairy produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, particularly after the nineteenth-century expansion in the railway network which enabled the fast transport of fresh goods to the cities. This tradition continues,[1] and many food products, such as premium fish and crab landed in Brixham remain highly regarded, particularly in London.[2]

As of 2012,[3] Devon boasts a Michelin Guide two-starred restaurant at Gidleigh Park and three other one-starred establishments. Several high-profile restaurant owners have relocated to Devon, to take advantage of its high quality produce, including Damien Hirst, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Mark Hix with a particular cluster in East Devon around Axminster, Ilfracombe and nearby Lyme Regis on the Dorset border. Another gastronomic cluster in the South Hams centred on Totnes, Dartmouth and Modbury, results from these communities pioneering of the Transition Towns concept to develop a sustainable relationship between producer and consumer in the rural economy, while the historic towns of Tavistock, Okehampton and Widecombe-in-the-Moor remain well known for their ancient seasonal markets.

In October 2008, Devon was awarded Fairtrade County status by the Fairtrade Foundation. A monthly county magazine, Devon Life, regularly publishes articles on the food and drink of the county,[4] and the Cornish & Devon Post, a newspaper published in Launceston, also publishes Cornish & Devon Farming Diary and a yearly eating and entertainment guide, Country Cuisine.

Meat and fish

A Red Devon bull
A Red Devon bull

The pasty is as popular in Devon as it is in Cornwall, and the earliest known record for the recipe was from the city of Plymouth in 1510, on the Devon-Cornish border.[5][6] Naturally, this is one of the principal sources of rivalry between the two counties, which in fact form a cultural continuum across the Westcountry, however pasties made in Devon lack Protected Designation of Origin.

White pudding is a highly spiced pork dish still popular in Devon and Cornwall, where it is known as Hog's pudding; versions are known from the West Midlands, Scotland and elsewhere. A variant version containing oats is known as "Groats pudding" and is found on Dartmoor and parts of Cornwall.[7] Both Dartmoor and Exmoor are well known for their production of wild, free-grazing beef and lamb from regional breeds such as Red Ruby Devon Cattle, South Devon cattle, the Greyface Dartmoor and the Devon Closewool sheep.

Brixham trawlers
Brixham trawlers

Fish and chips also remain particularly popular in the many coastal fishing ports.

In New South Wales, Australia, Devon is a name for luncheon meat (processed ham) but is unknown in England. The name changes in different states of Australia (for example, 'Fritz' in South Australia, 'Polony' in Western Australia) but all describe the same type of meat.

Dairy produce

The county has given its name to a number of culinary specialities. The Devonshire cream tea, involving scones or rather Devonshire Splits,[8] jam and clotted cream is considered to have originated in Devon (though claims have also been made for neighbouring counties); in other countries however, such as Australia and New Zealand, it is known as a "Devonshire tea".[9][10][11]

Ice cream is also made by many Devon creameries and is known for its luxurious rich full cream taste. Typical flavours may include summer berries such as brambles or blackcurrant and a local favourite is 'thunder and lightning' made with sugar honeycomb and golden syrup. Ice cream is also often served with additional Devon clotted cream which changes texture when frozen.

Curworthy, Sharpham and Vulscombe cheeses are all made in Devon.[12] Devon Blue and Beenleigh Blue are made at a dairy on the Sharpham Estate.[13] Devon Blue won an award for the best English cheese in 2011.[14]

The Ambrosia creamery with its famous tagline "Devon knows how they make it so creamy", best known for its custard and creamed rice pudding has been based in the village of Lifton since 1917. Junket is a dairy foodstuff known historically as the food of courting lovers and the base product of the initial stage of the cheesemaking process. It can occasionally still be found on traditional menus. Fudge, often made with Devon clotted cream, can be found all over Devon.

Fruit and vegetables

The way in 'which potatoes are served in Devonshire to breakfast is an excellent measure for supplying fat to the organism in a very palatable form. The potatoes having been boiled are placed in the frying-pan along with a liberal supply of bacon fat. They are then chopped small while heating,- and kept in the pan till the outside is browned.

— p 319, North Carolina Medical Journal, Volumes 19-20, 1887.

Potatoes feature prominently after presumably having been introduced to Devon and the rest of Europe by Sir Walter Raleigh of East Budleigh, they formed a major part of the peasant diet in the nineteenth century. An example dish is Homity pie, which traditionally is made with potatoes, onions and leeks.

An exceptional number of traditional varieties of apple are specific to Devon's ancient orchards,[15] which shares a history of cider production with its Westcountry neighbours along with rare varieties of many other fruits including the Dittisham plum, a dessert variety grown there.[16]

The Tamar Valley was historically famous for its early season production of soft fruits in its sheltered south-facing valleys which were exported to London by rail. Today, Riverford distributes its produce via an organic box scheme across the whole of the UK and is the UK's largest organic veg box scheme.

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Devon

Devon

Devon is a ceremonial, non-metropolitan, and historic county in South West England. Devon is coastal with a variety of cliffs and sandy beaches. It has the largest open space in southern England, Dartmoor National Park. A predominately rural county, Devon has a relatively low population density for a county in England. Its most populous settlement is the City of Plymouth. The county town of Devon, the City of Exeter, is the second most populous settlement. The county is bordered by Somerset to the north east, Dorset to the east, and Cornwall to the west. Its economy is heavily orientated around the tourism and agriculture industries.

Brixham

Brixham

Brixham is a coastal town and civil parish in the borough of Torbay in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. As of the 2021 census, Brixham had a population of 16,825. It is one of the main three centres with Paignton and Torquay of the borough.

London

London

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised Greater London, which is governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

Gidleigh Park

Gidleigh Park

Gidleigh Park is a hotel and restaurant located in Gidleigh, near Chagford, Devon, England. Chris Eden joined as Executive Head Chef in September 2019, following 12 years as Head Chef at Driftwood in Portscatho, Cornwall, which has held a Michelin star from 2012 to 2019. The hotel belongs to Andrew Brownsword Hotels which was named AA Hotel Group of the Year 2017–18.

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst

Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest living artist, with his wealth estimated at US$384 million in the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List. During the 1990s his career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, but increasing frictions came to a head in 2003 and the relationship ended.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Christopher Edmund Fearnley-Whittingstall is an English celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer, and campaigner on food and environmental issues.

East Devon

East Devon

East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth.

Axminster

Axminster

Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is 28 miles (45 km) from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth, and is in the East Devon local government district. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 5,626, increasing to 5,761 at the 2011 census. The town contains two electoral wards the total sum of both wards being a population of 7,110. The market is still held every Thursday.

Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs.

Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, 25 miles (40 km) west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site and heritage coast. The harbour wall, known as The Cobb, appears in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion, the John Fowles novel The French Lieutenant's Woman and the 1981 film of that name, partly shot in the town. A former mayor and MP was Admiral Sir George Somers, who founded the English colonial settlement of Somers Isles, now Bermuda, where Lyme Regis is twinned with St George's. In July 2015, Lyme Regis joined Jamestown, Virginia in a Historic Atlantic Triangle with St George's. The 2011 Census gave the urban area a population of 4,712, estimated at 4,805 in 2019.

Dorset

Dorset

Dorset is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi), Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. The county town is Dorchester, in the south. After the reorganisation of local government in 1974, the county border was extended eastward to incorporate the Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch. Around half of the population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation, while the rest of the county is largely rural with a low population density.

Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and South Hams district, and had a population of 5,512 in 2001, reducing to 5,064 at the 2011 census. There are two electoral wards in the Dartmouth area. Their combined population at the above census was 6,822.

Drinks

Cider, known as 'Cyder' or 'Scrumpy' is the traditional drink of Devon as it was in much of the Westcountry, peasants often paid an allowance of three pints per day.[17] One of the most famous cider producers of the 20th century was Whiteways of Whimple, East Devon. They produced many internationally famous ciders and also some non-alcoholic variants including Cydrax and Peardrax. During Whiteway's heyday they boasted the largest cyder orchards in Britain. There is now a Whiteways museum and heritage centre next to the New Fountain Inn in the village of Whimple. Three Hammers is a brand of strong white cider made in Tiverton by the Devon Cider Company. There are still a large number of cider producers in Devon

A Traditional Cider Press
A Traditional Cider Press

Devon has a large number of beer breweries; two well known ones being Otter Brewery (located at Luppitt near Honiton) and Dartmoor Brewery, which, being based in Princetown on Dartmoor, is the highest brewery in England at 1,400 feet (430 m) above sea level.[18][19] The Heavitree Brewery was a local brewer, located in Heavitree; its history can be traced back to 1790. It was the last brewery in Exeter to cease production, continuing until 1970, the brewery buildings were demolished in 1980. The name continues in use as the owner of a chain of pubs in south west England, and Heavitree Brewery PLC continues as a quoted company with its address in Exeter.

The Plymouth Gin Distillery has been producing Plymouth Gin since 1793, which was exported around the world by the Royal Navy.[20] During the 1930s, it was the most widely distributed gin and has a controlled term of origin.[20]

There are now a number of vineyards in Devon producing white wines, the oldest being Yearlstone Vineyard which was started in 1976 at Bickleigh in the valley of the River Exe.[21] Others include Sharpham Vineyard, near Totnes, and Pebblebed Vineyard near Topsham. The monks of Buckfast Abbey still produce Buckfast Tonic Wine which has attracted an unlikely down-market cult status in Scotland.

Devon has a strong association with the old Westcountry tradition of alcoholic cordials such as Lovage, Grenadine and Shrub. These traditional drinks and mixers are still produced today by J R Phillips of Bristol.

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Cider

Cider

Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, as well as the largest cider-producing companies. Ciders from the South West of England are generally higher in alcoholic content. Cider is also popular in many Commonwealth countries, such as India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. As well as the UK and its former colonies, cider is popular in Portugal, France, Friuli, and northern Spain. Germany also has its own types of cider with Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse producing a particularly tart version known as Apfelwein. In the U.S., varieties of fermented cider are often called hard cider to distinguish alcoholic cider from non-alcoholic apple cider or "sweet cider", also made from apples. In Canada, cider cannot contain less than 2.5% or over 13% absolute alcohol by volume.

Peardrax

Peardrax

Whiteway's Peardrax is a pear-flavoured fizzy soft drink popular in Trinidad and Tobago. It originated in the United Kingdom, and was first manufactured by Whiteway's, a now-defunct cider company founded in Whimple, Devon during the 19th century. As of 2007 it is bottled and distributed only by Pepsi-Cola Trinidad Bottling Company, under license since 2004 from Gaymer Cider Company.

Devon Cider Company

Devon Cider Company

Devon Cider Company was a company founded in 1999 in Devon, England, which produced cider. In 2005 it moved to a former Whitbread brewery in Tiverton, which it purchased from brewer InBev. The company went into voluntary administration in 2007 and was restructured as a group of three companies: Devon Cider, Devon Cider Brands and Devon Commercial Property.

Honiton

Honiton

Honiton is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, 17 miles (27 km) north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 11,822.

Princetown

Princetown

Princetown is a village located within Dartmoor national park in the English county of Devon. It is the principal settlement of the civil parish of Dartmoor Forest.

Dartmoor

Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers 954 km2 (368 sq mi).

Heavitree

Heavitree

Heavitree is a historic village and parish situated formerly outside the walls of the City of Exeter in Devon, England, and is today an eastern district of that city. It was formerly the first significant village outside the city on the road to London. It was the birthplace of Thomas Bodley, and Richard Hooker, and from the 16th century to 1818 was a site for executions within what is now the car park of the St Luke's Campus of the University of Exeter.

Plymouth Gin Distillery

Plymouth Gin Distillery

The Plymouth Gin Distillery in the Barbican, Plymouth, England has been in operation since 1793 and used to be a significant manufacturer of gin in the UK. Also known as the Black Friars Distillery, it is the only gin distillery in the city. The original building opens on to what is now Southside Street.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

Gin

Gin

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

Appellation d'origine contrôlée

Appellation d'origine contrôlée

In France, the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir – and using recognized and traditional know-how. The specificity of an AOC product is determined by the combination of a physical and biological environment with established production techniques transmitted within a human community that, together, give the product its distinctive qualities. These crucial technical and geographic factors are set forth in standards for each product, including wines, cheeses and meats. Other countries and the European Union have similar labeling systems. The European Union's protected designation of origin system has now harmonized the protection of all geographical indications and their registration. When labelling wine however, producers may still use recognized traditional terms like AOC, and are not required to display the PDO and PGI logos or terms, mostly for aesthetic purposes.

Bickleigh, Mid Devon

Bickleigh, Mid Devon

Bickleigh is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England, about four miles south of Tiverton. It is in the former hundred of Hayridge. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 239.

Source: "Cuisine of Devon", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 18th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Devon.

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References
  1. ^ "Devon Farming : Lobby Information Pack" (PDF). Devon.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  2. ^ "The New Economy - Brixham Fish Quay". Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Michelin List". Backupemail.designrestaurants.com. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Food & Drink - Events". Devon Life. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Devon invented the Cornish pasty". BBC News. 13 November 2006.
  6. ^ "The Devon Pasty War - 2006". Legendarydartmoor.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Dartmoor Hogs Pudding". Legendarydartmoor.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  8. ^ Slater, Nigel (22 August 2010). "Nigel Slater's Devonshire cream tea recipes". The Guardian. London.
  9. ^ Mason, Laura; Brown, Catherine (1999) From Bath Chaps to Bara Brith. Totnes: Prospect Books
  10. ^ Pettigrew, Jane (2004) Afternoon Tea. Andover: Jarrold
  11. ^ Fitzgibbon, Theodora (1972) A Taste of England: the West Country. London: J. M. Dent
  12. ^ Mason, L. (1999); pp. 13-22
  13. ^ Freeman, Sarah (1998) The Real Cheese Companion. London: Little, Brown; (Devon cheeses; pp. 102-14)
  14. ^ "British Cheese Awards". The Cheese Web. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  15. ^ "The Apple and Fruit Directory ~ Devon Apples ~ Informative Apple and Fruit Resource". Devon-apples.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  16. ^ Mason, L. (1999); pp. 1-2
  17. ^ Peasant Life in the West of England, 1880. FG Heath
  18. ^ "Dartmoor Brewery: About Us". Dartmoor Brewery. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  19. ^ "South Devon Breweries". South Devon CAMRA. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  20. ^ a b Andrews, Robert (2004). The Rough Guide to Devon & Cornwall. Peter Hack, Kate Hughes, Bea Uhart (2 ed.). Rough Guides. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-84353-312-2. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  21. ^ "Devon's Oldest Vineyard". Yearlstone Vineyard. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
Further reading
  • Clark, Philippa, comp. (1968) Exeter Cooking: a collection of recipes. Exeter: [the compiler] (includes a few from other countries and a few for drinks)

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