We cornered the region's top chefs and gave them a Chinese burn until they told us where they like to eat out and shop for food on their days off. Of course they spilled the beans...

Try our fabulous fishy things to do this summer...

Try our fabulous fishy things to do in Devon this summer...

We cornered Cornwall's top chefs and gave them a Chinese burn until they told us where they like to eat out and shop for food on their days off. Of course they spilled the beans...

We cornered Devon's top chefs and gave them a Chinese burn until they told us where they like to eat out and shop for food on their days off. Of course they spilled the beans...

Fruity, refreshing, and Devon through and through, there's little to beat a cool glass of the appley stuff on a hot summer's day, says Stef Fox.

Try our fabulous fishy things to do in Cornwall this summer...

Fruity, refreshing and packing a punch, there's little that can beat a cool glass of the appley stuff on a hot summer's day, says Stef Fox.

Fruity, refreshing, and Somerset through and through, there's little that can beat a glass of the cool appley stuff on a hot summer's day. So get on, drink up thy zider, urges Stef Fox.

Iain Keith-Smith started Chandos Deli because he loves good food and wine, and he's spreading that love across the South West with seven brilliant shops selling the very best cheeses, fish, breads and more to the people. He talks to Jo Rees about the pleasure of food and the perfect peach.

Vanessa Ebdon of Marshford Organic Foods was growing and selling organic food long before it became fashionable. In over 20 years she has won awards for the Northam shop, the veg boxes, the salad bags and even for vision in organic retailing. She talks to Jo Rees about good food, sustainability and learning to cook tortilla.

Xenia Irwin is a rare vintage, one of just 268 Masters of Wine (MoW) in the world, and one of only 56 women MoWs at that. As wine buyer for St Austell Brewery's wine business Walter Hicks, she is a one-woman wine-force, influencing the wine drinking habits of Cornwall and beyond.

Seafood is fab food - light, healthy and quick to cook, so you don’t spend hours in the kitchen during the precious summer evenings.

You don't have to leave the county for some fabulous weekends away this summer. Here are four favourites in Devon, so save the petrol, save the planet and love local.

Treat yourself to a gourmet weekend break, but don't waste half of it travelling; we've come up with some great ideas near you.

The ultimate in seasonal eating, get out and forage for food for free, says The Scrumper.

Artisan bread, made properly and with a crust you can get your teeth into, is on the rise once again, says Stef Fox.

Neil Haydock is one of Cornwall's most high profile chefs, leading the kitchen at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall. He's got the hard job of living up to the customer's expectations of Oliver's establishment, and says, "Jamie's name gets people into the restaurant, but it's my job to sustain that and make sure they enjoy the experience."

Artisan bread, made properly and with a crust you can get your teeth into, is on the rise once again, says Stef Fox.

Artisan bread, made properly and with a crust you can get your teeth into, is on the rise once again, says Stef Fox.

Hadleigh Barrett has the enviable job of working at one of the country’s most beautiful country house hotels. As head chef at Combe House Hotel and Restaurant in Gittisham he’s helped take it to rising one Michelin star status and win a gold Exellence in Tourism award for Small Hotel of The Year
2007-2008.

Chill out at home with these easy to whip up ice creams. Recipes by Annie Bell.

Alistair Mead, 30, runs Puxton Park, Somerset’s huge farm shop and all round foodie day out.
He grew up in a family of beef and dairy farmers, and is a classic next generation farmer who is diversifying the business. “We’re here to support the local economy and provide an alternative for the customer,” he says.

You can now read your favourite local food magazines online

Wake up and smell the coffee; there's no need to settle for insipid inferiority or burnt offerings, says Stef Fox.

Wake up and smell it; follow our guide to great-tasting coffee and you’ll never again settle for burnt offerings, says Stef Fox.

'Old school' butchers aren’t easy to find nowadays, but Gerald David is flying the flag for traditional techniques, cuts and quality at his stores across the South West. “Don’t be scared of trying something new,” he says. “It’s only a joint of meat you’re buying – not a house.”

At just 24, doughboy Tom Hazzledine has his own bread empire, BakerTom, which makes fabulous back-to-basics bread, and he's on a mission to make proper bread a daily pleasure instead of a once-a-week treat. Jo Rees talks to the man whose fortunes are on the rise.

Wake up and smell it; follow our guide to great-tasting coffee and you’ll never again settle for insipid inferiority or burnt offerings, says Stef Fox.

With two Michelin stars to his name Michael Caines MBE is one of the UK's leading chefs. In addition to his day job as exec chef at Gidleigh Park and partner in Abode Hotels, he's an ambassador for the local food movement, and gives Jo Rees his take on the future of British food.

Rustle up some easy Asian fusion dishes at home - from a quick chicken satay to a noodle broth.

From cheese to chicken, prawns to pork, Cornwall produces some fantastic smoked food. Stef Fox presents the puff on how it's all done.

From cheese to chicken, prawns to pork, Somerset, Bath and Bristol produce some fantastic smoked food. Stef Fox presents the puff on how it's done.

Self-confessed coffeeaholic, Hugo Hercod is a star barista of the highest rank you'll find working in a UK café. That means you'll get a cracking espresso when you go to Relish Food and Drink in Wadebridge, the gourmet café and fine food deli he runs with partner Sarah Townsend. Hugo talks to Lara Glasspool about the bean.

From cheese to chicken, prawns to pork, Devon produces some fantastic smoked food. Stef Fox presents the puff on how it's all done.

Cosy up with British comfort food, made with the best local beef. Here are the faves; steak and chips, faggots, steak and kidney pud and roast beef.

Tea taster Paul Marsh works for DJ Miles Tea and Coffee, the Porlock firm that dates back to 1888. Together with fellow tasters, John Hall and Derek Miles, he taste-tests tea every day to ensure the quality stays high. Lara Glasspool sat down with him for a chat over a cuppa.

Banned by the Puritans for being sinfully rich but loved by King George I, the Christmas pudding is steeped in history and tradition - and alcohol, if you’re doing it right, says Stef Fox.

Banned by the Puritans for being sinfully rich but loved by King George I, the Christmas pudding is steeped in history and tradition - and alcohol, if you’re doing it right, says Stef Fox.

Banned by the Puritans for being sinfully rich but loved by King George I, the Christmas pudding is steeped in history and tradition - and alcohol, if you’re doing it right, says Stef Fox.

For a celebratory mid-winter dining experience, with fabulous modern cooking, get a party together and make a date at Combe House Hotel this season.

Antonina SZ Brown is one half of the team behind St Kew Harvest Farm Shop. With husband Jeremy, she manages the shop, small tearoom, a pick your own garden, some rare breed Gloucester old spot pigs… and the couple's two young children. She talks to Lara Glasspool about the politics of food.

From his role as head chef to the King of Jordan to executive chef on Richard Branson’s Necker Island, chef Graham Brundle has had quite a career. He talks to Lara Glasspool about his latest role, teaming up fine dining with the glorious views at Saunton Sands Hotel.

Somerset's leading chef Richard Guest has made his mark at The Castle Hotel in Taunton, bringing European techniques and sophistication to an already great British menu. With his first book Jam with Lamb just out, and some TV on the cards, he's a man whose career is worth watching.

It’s not just about the turkey. Celebrate the season with these divine festive recipes from Clarissa Dickson Wright and Johnny Scott. Plus we’ve got the top foodie hotels to try if you want someone else to do the hard work. Photographs by Gus Filgate.

September and October sees a wealth of local foodie festivals taking place across the region. Rev up your appetite and hit the road for two months of great eating, says Stef Fox.

One of the South West's most passionate and adventurous foodies, Chris Horridge is the Michelin-starred chef at The Bath Priory. We caught up with him to find out more about his obsession with the appliance of science.

Jason Mitchell is putting the ‘sigh’ back into cider. Using the ‘méthode champenoise’ of France’s Champagne region, he’s created Ashridge Sparkling Vintage Cider - a celebratory fizz with a difference, says Lara Watson.

Roger Ryman holds the much coveted title of
UK Brewer of The Year and has headed up the beer making at St Austell Brewery for nearly a decade. He talks to Lara Watson about French cheese, lone pipers and coffee stout.

With British Cheese Week taking place from October 1-7, we asked international cheese judge Ann-Marie Dyas of Bath's The Fine Cheese Co. for her pick of the most divine, unmissable cheeses from the region.

“You don’t rush brunch,” says local foodie Hugo Woolley, so kick back this weekend with a relaxed brunch of dishes from around the globe.

Climate change is being harnessed by Devon producers to grow crops normally more associated with the Mediterranean. Stef Fox finds out what you could be picking up from your local farmers’ market, any day soon.

Tom Cull may not have eaten all the pies but he may well have baked them. The man behind catering team and gourmet ‘P!E’ makers, Dartmoor Kitchen, he talks to Lara Watson about red snapper, celebrity chefs and eating spiders.

Climate change is being harnessed by Cornish producers to grow crops normally more associated with the Mediterranean. Stef Fox finds out what you could be picking up from your local farmers’ market, any day soon.

Phil Ugalde is a fierce champion of all things Kernow. As director of pasty makers Proper Cornish, you wouldn't expect anything less. He tells Lara Watson about his campaign to get protected status for the pasty.

It’s summer at last, so strawberries (and happy days) are here again, says Stef Fox.

Current holders of the North Devon Food and Drink Awards’ Overall Winner 06/07, The Grove Inn is the place for North Devon foodies in the know. Lara Watson caught up with owners Robert and Deborah Smallbone (and their 20 month old son Charlie).

It’s won international awards, is one of the largest employers in Cornwall, and has been run by one family for more than 150 years. St Austell Brewery certainly knows how to do a Proper Job.

Earn yourself some eco credentials and holiday in Devon this year. The food team hired a retro VW camper van and hit the road for a five day foodies’ tour of North Devon's beaches. Here's the inside story on the best places to eat, shop, visit and stay.

Earn yourself some eco credentials and holiday in Cornwall this year. The food team hired a retro VW camper van and hit the road. Here’s our six day foodies’ tour of Cornwall’s Atlantic Highway. Words by Lara Watson.

Artisan bacon is a world away from the watery, mass-produced stuff. Traditional breeds are reared with care, the meat prepared with skill and the resulting bacon a thing of beauty.

Ever dreamt of giving up the rat race for the Good Life, and exchanging the daily commute for a walk to the end of the garden? You’re undoubtedly not alone, but becoming a smallholder doesn’t necessarily mean giving up on ‘normal life’.

Even if you aren't growing your own you can still live the 'Good Life' by shopping at Cornwall's excellent farm shops and enjoying the fruits of someone else's labours. The food team visited some of the best.

Even if you aren't growing your own, you can still live the Good Life, by enjoying the fruits of someone else's labours from Devon's excellent farm shops. Lara Watson visited some of the best.

Soaring sales of fruit and veg seeds, a rise in smallholding, the fashion for allotments... the food revolution continues as foodies take buying local one step further and produce their own food. Food magazine gets the lowdown on how you can get involved.

Having been awarded six major accolades in as many years, Andy and Rowena Whiteman and Head Chef Tim Treseder at The Harris Arms make a truly winning team. Lara Watson joined Tim and Andy for lunch to discuss pinot gris, barbecued mackerel and under-cooked veg.

Carol Klein's recent series Grow Your Own Veg on BBC 2 has been the surprise hit of the season, with high viewing figures and sales of the accompanying book. food caught up with the enthusiastic nurserywoman at one of her sell-out book signings.

Who’d have thought a simple wrapping of pastry around meat and veg could invoke the pride, passion and arguments that surround the good ol' oggy. Stef Fox pokes around under the crust of the Cornish pasty.

Traci Lewis is one of the most influential foodies in Cornwall. As the head of Organic South West, the Soil Association’s project in Cornwall and the
Isles of Scilly, she’s the driving force behind the county’s burgeoning organic movement.

Planning a wedding this year? Stef Fox has some top tips on how to give it a Cornish foodie flavour - from venue to vol-au-vents.

Aah, the crackle of a roaring winter fire, the clink of fine glassware... If you need a mini-break to see you through the dark cold months, try our guide to Cornwall and Devon’s cosiest retreats.

Bill Clarke’s family business Trewithen Cornish Farm Dairy is the cream of local companies still producing great milk and clotted cream in the traditional way.

Make no bones about it, Craig Stevens is one of Devon’s rising culinary stars, flying the flag for top quality local fish at The Seafood Restaurant in Yealmpton, where he’s the Head Chef. Jo Rees met the man behind the monkfish.

If you’re planning a wedding, it’s easy to give it some local flavour, says Lara Watson.

If cooking isn't your thing but you'd like to track down some ready-to-go gourmet puds like those in 'Comfort eating' on the recipe page, try these Cornish goodies...

These little fingers of fire are being grown in Cornwall and resulting in some top local products,
says hot stuff Stef Fox.

Want to know what’s hot? We asked Cornwall’s deli specialists what they think is unmissable...

Gerald David is an old-school butcher, selling top quality meat across the South West. A traditionalist through and through, he only sells meat that has been killed in-house. "I'd never buy in meat - it goes against my religion," he says.

Josephine Symons owns and runs On The Table, the fabulous farm shop at Rose near Truro. It’s one of the new school of farm shops that is providing a real alternative to the supermarket.
Interview by Jo Rees.

The first week of October is British Cheese week, and some of the UK’s best cheeses are made here in Cornwall. Enjoy our guide to local fab fromage.

The first week of October is British Cheese Week, and some of the UK’s best cheeses are made right here in Devon. Enjoy our guide to locally produced fab fromage.

Ben Tunnicliffe has won numerous accolades for his restaurant The Abbey in Penzance. He’s recently extended his reach with another fine eaterie in the area, The Cove, at Lamorna. Lara Watson got the lowdown on the man behind the mouli.

Head Chef Matthew Mason and “Proprietor/Washer-upper” Paul Parnell are a formidable team at Rockbeare’s The Jack in the Green. Interview by
Lara Watson.

If it’s a battle getting your kids to eat anything other than beans on toast, try our guide to kids' foodie fun. It might just turn your little Ronald McDonalds into budding Rick Steins.

Discover the splendour of the East with our trail of foodie shops, restaurants and places to stay.

Toby Roskilly is Cornwall’s own Willy Wonka, creating strange and scrumptious ice cream flavours - from an unsuccessful garlic and avocado flavour to the award winning pear and Parmesan. Surely he’s got the best job in Cornwall?

Just 20 minutes from mainland Cornwall, The Isles of Scilly are a sub-tropical paradise. Each island is unique, but they are close enough to hop between on a weekend.

Wild food is the current culinary craze of the British food scene. From fungi to flowers, it’s all there for the picking. Wild Food School's Marcus Harrison tells how to forage for your supper.

Fishmonger Ian Browse explains how to get to grips with crab.

With Cornwall now famed for its food as much as its seascapes, Lara Watson went in search of the perfect (dining) room with a view.

Want to bake your own bread, or get to grips with preparing shellfish? A course can take your culinary skills to another dimension, says Derryck Strachan.

At Combe House Hotel’s fabulous new private dinner parties, all that’s missing for the perfect period drama is Mr Darcy carving the suckling pig.
Jo Rees took her place at the table.

Take your cooking skills to top form at one of Devon’s best cooking courses. Derryck Strachan took a seat at the back.

Devon’s convenient new delivery scheme makes buying local food as easy as going to the supermarket, says Lara Watson.

You don’t have to go to London’s Borough Market to pick up the finest food - we’re keeping the best for ourselves right here at Devon’s farmers’ markets.

Derryck Strachan visits Torbay’s new organic demonstration farm.

Kid’s cooking classes, farm visits, child-friendly restaurants or a trip to a farmers’ market... there are loads of fun, foodie things to do with kids this Easter holiday.

Camborne’s food scene has had a makeover with Scott Young’s new restaurant, Fusion. Derryck Strachan went to check it out. Photographs by Nick Cooper.

Plymouth’s new Barbican Kitchen pairs up two of the city's best-known names, the Tanner brothers and Plymouth Gin. Derryck Strachan talks to Christopher Tanner.

Discover the romance of a getaway on the Isles of Scilly.

Take the Tamar Food Trail and discover many of the county’s finest restaurants, as well as a few hidden gems. Try these places to eat and places to stay.

Darts Farm was recently described by The Times as 'The future of shopping'.
Just outside Exeter, the local food and drink emporium is packed with top quality produce and contemporary interiors, with people visiting as much to eat at the café and Fish Shed as to shop.

John Carley is well known as one of the front runners of the organic industry in Cornwall and the UK.

It’s no secret that Camel Valley Vineyard makes excellent wine - but did you know that it’s even the drink of choice for the EU parliament members? Jo Rees talks to Bob Lindo.

Temperate climes, a wide blue horizon, cosy hotels and good food make the Isles of Scilly an ideal getaway this season.

Rick Stein crosses the Channel for his new series and book, French Odyssey. He tells Stephanie Fox how French food measured up to Cornwall’s best.

Few regions in the UK are lucky enough to have the scope for seafood as fresh as Cornwall’s. Words by Lara Watson.

Real ale is no longer just the preserve of the stereotyical beer enthusiast. It’s fast becoming a fashionable drink in its own right, says Carol Trewin. Photographs by Adam Woolfitt.

Paul da Costa Greaves got off to a great foodie start as the son of an English mother and West Indian father. Originally from Toxteth, the “posh part” of Liverpool, Paul has been head chef at The Galley in Topsham for eight years. He talked to food about goat meat, mushy peas and his Christmas puddings.

Artisan ale is fast becoming a
fashionable alternative to wine. Jo Rees caught Guy Sheppard of Exe Valley Brewery, on the hop.

food writer Lara Watson gives her sweet tooth a treat.

Regardless of the mass produced, fluffy ‘Cornish ice cream’ in supermarkets across Britain, you can still find the real thing closer to home. Words by Carol Trewin. Photographs by Adam Woolfitt.

Now’s the time to gorge on freshly picked, crisp veggies. Farmer and grower, Lori M Reich, reveals what to look for when buying and how to make the most of the summer’s bounty.