Food & Drink

This week my dining companion and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the launch of the new menu at Bella Italia in Queen Street, Exeter. I was particularly excited about this having enjoyed my precious visit so much.

Again, we were warmly welcomed by our previous Italian waiter, Manuel and an extremely friendly and highly professional manager called Mykolas. Good staff count for a lot these days, and I have to say, Bella Italia are extremely lucky to have such good staff working for them.

The new menu tasting involved a set menu of new dishes accompanied by a drink of...

Warm up on a cold winter’s evening with a taste of Italy, fresh from Okemoor’s Devon-based kitchen. From traditional Babà al Rum cakes, West Country ricotta filled Cannoli to Nduja spreadable salami, this new mouth-watering range of Italian sweet and savoury delights are individually hand-cooked and can be tasted at Okemoor’s stand at the renowned Dartmouth Food Festival (23rd – 25th October).

Exeter's favourite son Michael Caines is opening of his first restaurant outside of the UK: Pearls by Michael Caines, located in the stunningly beautiful hotel Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

As one of Britain’s best known and acclaimed chefs, Michael has made his reputation by creating exciting, modern European cuisine that makes full use of local produce and seasonal ingredients. At Pearls by Michael Caines, he is delighted to have the opportunity to create a cuisine that utilises the full bounty of the Emirate and the Arabian Gulf, a casual dining experience...

After months of blind tasting, deliberation and judging, the shortlist of finalists for the 2015 Food & Drink Devon Awards have been announced, with the winners revealed at a ceremony in Exeter on Monday 5th October. Entries from across the county included 144 products, 38 producers, 41 hospitality and 6 retail establishments judged by experts from the industry.

Michael Smith, chairman of Food & Drink Devon since 2008, is thrilled with the quality of food and drink brought to the judging table. “We champion Devon’s producers and food and drink industry, and this year in...