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Devon Food Partnership Newsletter
October 2023
Welcome to the October 2023 Devon Food Partnership newsletter!
This month, we have a selection of news and events from across the county and beyond, as well as a spotlight on Recycle Devon's work helping households to reduce food waste.
We always welcome suggestions to improve this newsletter. So, if you have any comments, please get in touch:
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Recycle Devon
The Recycle Devon website is a resource for Devon residents to find out more about reducing, reusing, and recycling. This includes detailed information and advice about reducing household food waste.
The free, online Have your food and eat it! recipe book helps households waste less and save money in the process. The first half of the book contains useful tips and guidance on meal planning, smart shopping, freezing, and portion size. The second half contains a selection of tasty and adaptable recipes suited to using up commonly wasted ingredients and leftovers.
Recycle Devon also provides a list of community fridges and larders around the county. These are publicly accessible fridges, freezers, and ambient spaces that offer free food to everyone in the local area. They make use of surplus food that would have otherwise gone to waste – for example, food with damaged packaging or produce from allotment gluts.
The website also includes advice on using your local food waste collection service (now offered or being rolled out in all of Devon’s councils) as well as signposting to other useful resources.
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Devon's culinary talent recognised at the Food Drink Devon Awards 2023
 Many of Devon’s most respected, influential, and passionate artisan food and drink producers have been recognised in the Food Drink Devon Awards 2023. The celebration at Sandy Park was attended by over 400 individuals, making for a lively evening surrounded by the county’s finest contributors in the sector including producers, catering, and hospitability businesses.
These esteemed annual awards are a chance to commend the best of Devon's culinary talent, with awards across a range of categories including the Sustainability Pioneer Awards. View the complete list of winners.
The 2024 awards will open for entries in January. Get involved for a chance to win and receive the opportunity to benefit from invaluable feedback given by unbiased experts including a number of celebrated names from the region.
Read more about 2023’s Food Drink Devon Awards
Exeter Phoenix hosts a Harvest Festival Season of events
This Autumn, Exeter Phoenix are celebrating harvest time with a programme of events open to all exploring food waste; gleaning; excess and abundance; and more. The Harvest Festival is also being used as an opportunity to highlight the incredible work Exeter Foodbank does and to collect donations.
As part of the Food on Film in Four Seasons programme, a series of harvest-related films and discussions has been running. The season will conclude on Sunday 22 October with a screening of Babette’s Feast, followed by a discussion with leading food historian Dr Annie Gray.
Find out what’s on at Exeter Phoenix’s Harvest Festival
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Food, Farming & Countryside Commission report explores what citizens want from their food
New, free business support programme for businesses in East Devon, Exeter, and Mid Devon
The Prosper business support programme is designed to help businesses and entrepreneurs – including food and drink businesses – to improve productivity, reach net zero goals, develop new products, and more.
The programme, funded by East Devon, Mid Devon, and Exeter City councils through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will provide a mixture of online support and in-person one-to-one sessions and workshops.
Find out more about what Prosper has to offer
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Dartmouth Food Festival | Friday 20 October to Sunday 22 October
Since starting in 2004, Dartmouth Food Festival has grown to become a first-class feast of entertainment featuring workshops, seminars, tastings, competitions, demonstrations, and over 100 hand-picked exhibitors, many of which are from Devon. The festival is now a landmark event on the culinary calendar and free for anyone to attend.
Book your free tickets to the Dartmouth Food Festival
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Pumpkin Rescue – Pumpkin Carving and Cooking | Saturday 21 October to Saturday 28 October
Carve and #EatYourPumpkin at a series of five family events in libraries with Community Fridges this October half-term – led by two specialist session leaders – including The Crafty Cook CIC. These sessions are free but bookable via Eventbrite with a small deposit of £5 to hold your place that will be returned at the session itself. The sessions are for children 8+ along with an adult and are funded by the National Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ Fund.
Book your place to carve and eat a pumpkin this half-term
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North Devon FOODfest | Sunday 22 October
North Devon’s biggest food and drink festival, FOODfest, is returning to the newly refurbished Barnstaple Pannier Market. The festival celebrates the local food and drink scene, bringing together an array of talented chefs, restauranteurs, and artisan producers.
See what’s on at FOODfest 2023
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The Big Exeter Feast | Thursday 23 November
The Big Exeter Feast, organised by Exeter Connect, is a conference exploring how to make food more accessible, affordable, healthier, sustainable, and celebrated within the City. In the run up, Exeter Connect will be supporting groups, individuals, networks, and organisations to run a series events, workshops, and sessions including farm tours, community fridge visits, and cooking sessions.
Read more about the Big Exeter Feast
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