Food & Drink

People looking to enjoy a romantic meal on Valentine’s Day are being urged to check the food hygiene ratings before making a booking.

“Planning the perfect Valentine’s date is stressful enough,” said Cllr Rob Hannaford, Exeter’s City Council’s Lead Councillor responsible for environmental health.

“The last thing you want on your mind before that special date is whether the place you choose is hygienic or not. After all, there’s nothing romantic about food poisoning!”

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme rates food businesses on their hygiene standards, based on...

It's seven a.m. on a chilly, dark February morning; there's ankle-deep, sugar-white snow outside and you're stuck ungracefully attempting to digest Mellow Birds Instant Coffee. And you ponder, just for a second, because you have to defrost your car, where on earth has a good, local coffee sprinted off to? And in a world where franchises such as Starbucks eats up your wallets more than Great Western Railways, it has become increasingly difficult to not become blinded by the deeply rich aroma of caramel coffee that hovers around these overpriced corporate chains. But...

Russell Norman and business partner Richard Beatty will be opening POLPO Exeter at 18 Higher Market Guildhall, Queen Street in March 2017. POLPO originally opened its doors in London’s Soho in September 2009. There have since been seven other branches in London, Bristol and Brighton and the restaurant has won a number of awards including Michelin Guide Bib Gourmands, a CATEY and several trade awards. The POLPO cookbook won Waterstones Book of the Year in 2012. The Exeter restaurant will follow on from the traditions of its sister restaurants and style itself as a bacaro. This is a Venetian...

On Wednesday 18th January, local artisan drinks producer, Luscombe Drinks teamed up with Dartington C of E Primary School to plant 1,600 trees as part of an innovative Agroforestry Project on the Dartington estate. Over 30 children from the school joined employees from Luscombe Drinks to assist with the planting of the Elder trees. The elderflowers, which will first be harvested in three years, will be grown in accordance with organic farming practices and used by the Buckfastleigh-based company to create Organic Elderflower Bubbly.

Commenting on the collaboration with Dartington C...