January / February foodie diary

The latest South West foodie news and events for your calendar

Cook like a pro

If your new year’s resolution involves sharpening your kitchen skills, check out The Coexist Community Kitchen‘s line‑up of cookery events in Bristol. The non‑profit cookery school hosts a plethora of classes, while also creating connections between people.

Events in early 2023 include Southern Thai with Fish on January 12, Pickling & Fermenting on February 2 and The Sweet Spot on February 16.

Junk-food fix

Secret junk‑food fan? Head to Eight Stony Street in Frome (pictured top) on January 19 for its Junk Food and Wine tasting event. The wine bar and bottle shop in Somerset has created a three‑course menu for the event, which promises guilty pleasures such as hot dogs, scampi and doughnuts – each paired with a top‑notch wine. Tickets cost £50.

Garden gathering

Make your way to Tisbury in Wiltshire on January 21 for a unique dining experience at Pythouse Kitchen Garden.

The three‑course seasonal supper will combine ingredients from Pythouse’s garden with produce from local suppliers. Expect dishes like butternut squash terrine with smoked wild mushrooms and January King cabbage.

Make the most of the wine included with supper by staying the night in one of the luxe shepherd’s huts. Tickets cost £75.

Moorland feasting

Exmoor Food Fest kicks off on January 25 with a launch dinner at The Farmers Arms in Combe Florey, Somerset.

Then, from February 1, you’ll have the opportunity to eat your way across Exmoor (and surrounding areas) as restaurants take part in the annual event. Participating venues, including The Kings Arms in Georgeham, The Seacliff Restaurant at Sandy Cove Hotel in Berrynarbor, Croydon Hall Hotel & Restaurant in Rodhuish and La Petite Bouchée in Witheridge, will offer set menus at excellent prices throughout the month.

Follow Exmoor Food Fest on social for news on additional tasting dinners and foodie events.

Harbourside supper club

Attention, foodies: there’s a new supper club in St Mawes, Cornwall. The Idle Rocks‘ monthly event promises an evening of gastronomic thrills at its waterside restaurant.

Join the club on January 26 or February 23 to enjoy drinks on arrival, a three‑course dinner crafted from the finest local produce, coffee and petits fours. Tickets cost £55.

Polytunnel supping

Round up the gang for a unique kitchen‑garden dining experience in the polytunnel of Padstow Kitchen Garden (pictured above) on January 29.

The four-course, zero-mile feast will be cooked over fire using ingredients from the Cornish farm. The experience includes a welcome drink from Tarquin’s Gin, and guests are welcome to take their own bottle for the main feast. Tickets cost £60.

Jefferey Robinson to head up new Cornish restaurant

Chef Jeffrey Robinson, formerly of The New Yard Restaurant and The Pantry in Cornwall, has announced he will take on the role of exec head chef at new dining destination harbourhouse in Flushing, Cornwall.

The restaurant is due to open in early 2023. Expect hyper local and sustainable dishes from one of the first chefs in the country to receive a Michelin Green Star.

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