Food & Drink

Nine young would-be MasterChefs battled it out for a place in the first finals of the Great Schools' Cook Off at Exeter College this week with Ruth Maddicks, 14 from Uffculme and Bethany Baines, 14, from St James School, Exeter celebrating as worthy winners through to the challenging final.

The young contestants, drawn from schools from Exeter and across Devon, were fighting for the unique opportunity to show off their culinary skills in the Cook Off final that will be live in front of the packed crowds of food enthusiasts expected at Exeter's South West Food and Drink Festival...

This event has SOLD OUT! Please keep checking the website, and in Gourmandine for the next Master Class

Popular Devon chef Mikael Perret of Gourmandine Creperie & Bistrot and Le Frog catering will be demonstrating his confectionarry skills, as well as teaching a small group of lucky individuals the finer details of luxury chocolate making.

Learn about the history of chocolate and the secrets of what makes different types of chocolate taste so different.

Everyone will get the chance to experiment and make their own, unique treats to take home and share, just in...

It’s been a British kitchen and restaurant table staple for more than 100 years, but now Brits are falling out of love with traditional malt vinegar.

Until recently most homes would keep a bottle of malt vinegar handy as the classic condiment for fish and chips or, especially with the older generation, as a pickling agent for eggs, onions and other vegetables.

But now with both fish and chip shops and pickling in decline, demand for vinegar has fallen by four per cent in the last year across all retailers (Kantar Worldpanel data Jan 2013).

However, on closer...

Bacon Connoisseurs Week (18 – 24 March) is set to revolutionise the nation’s love affair with bacon (apologies to all vegetarians among you).

This special week celebrates the many cuts and cures of the great rasher and is a firm favourite in the foodie calendar. This year over 300 cuts and cures from producers all over the nation have been entered into the Bacon Connoisseurs Week Great Bacon Revolution Awards on 18 March. The shortlist includes some tantalising new flavours such as vanilla, cherrywood, beetroot & black pepper and sweet chilli bacon. Other shortlisted rashers...