We have food on our mind at The Carlton this month; celebrating the great tastes available in the region is something of an obsession at the Carlton Hotel, whether that be in-house or great places to eat around us.
At this time of year, with grey skies, and general signs of January gloom in each direction, it’s the perfect time to seek a splash of colour, sensory fulfilment and solace in good food. Gone is the excess of Christmas and the New Year is a time to nourish the body while the short days lengthen on the journey to spring.
If this sounds like the perfect recipe for you as you wade through the murky months of winter then let us fill you in with a concise North Devon food guide on how to treat your palate. The Carlton is a great supporter of the food festivals which light up the region and embrace the culinary strengths of North Devon.
Great Food Close to Home
Before we begin to explore the area, let’s start this North Devon food guide a little closer to home – at the Carlton’s very own Brasserie restaurant which sates the appetites and enriches the taste buds of residents and non-residents alike. The Brasserie has recently been approved as a member of Food Drink Devon – the essential guide to all things delicious in the UK’s fourth largest county.
So what does our Brasserie bring to the (dining) table? Diners shouldn’t expect fancy flourishes or pretentious combinations. What Ilfracombe’s Brasserie serves is simple food, prepared with the best of local and seasonal ingredients. It’s our opinion that with the West Country’s superb offerings in terms of local meat, fish and vegetables there is little need to dress up for show.
The winter months are also a time to revel in the great British tradition of the Sunday roast and the Carlton has a fine reputation in delivering this most comforting of meals with a high quality twist.
These are served every Sunday in the Brasserie from 12.30pm. The hotel also has stepped up its regular Foodie Friday events to a new weekly fixture. The Brasserie is currently offering hot deals on weekly rotation of mussels and wine, burger and beer, fish and fizz, steak with wine and spice night.
The Brasserie is also earmarked by diners seeking a North Devon food guide to restaurants which brings creativity and imagination to its menu choices for vegetarians and vegans. Aside from a well endorsed Gluten Free menu, the kitchen’s willingness to adapt dishes for specific dietary requirements has made it a go to destination for those seeking menu alternatives.
North Devon Food Guide to Devon food festivals
And just over the foodie horizon for 2020 is the Exmoor Food Fest which takes place in February. The Carlton Hotel is very pleased to be joining the cast of gastronomic sights and tastes to savour for the first time. We will be lining up with restaurants and hotels from across the area to provide gastronomy fans with our exclusive Exmoor Food Fest 2020 tasting menu, meet the supplier evenings and other culinary deals. As well as extolling the diversity of tastes available across the Exmoor area, Exmoor Food Fest urges foodies to get out there and eat their way across the region between February 1st and 28th.
The Exmoor Food Fest kicks off a calendar of food related festivals and events that run throughout the year. Highlights include the Exeter Food and Drink Festival in April and a clutch of events that celebrate the natural riches of Devon’s coastal areas. North Devon, in particular, excels in this respect and another festival that The Carlton is involved in is the popular Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival in early September, which includes a focus on what the area has to offer in terms of seafood.
A little way ahead we have the Devon Street Food Festival which takes place on the town’s seafront every August and in October Barnstaple hosts North Devon Food fest centred in its pannier market hall.
Winter blues? Blow them away by focusing on food to bring the colour into your life this winter season. The Brasserie at The Carlton is a great place to start brushing up on your palate![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
This nutrient-packed dish, based around tuna, credited for its omega-3 properties, vitamin D and antioxidants, along with essential oils. We’ve used raw tuna but canned tuna can be substituted.
Combining the fish with broccoli and peppers ensures a balance of vitamins and minerals, including a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin A, C, E, B6, and Folate. So you can enjoy a delicious light meal while knowing that it’s doing great things for your body and overall health.
Are you looking for a group travel partner in a beautiful part of the world to team up with? Because The Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe, North Devon is seeking to grow our travel partner network in 2020 and 2021. Why bring your group to us? Let’s save the pitch for a moment and start with some genuine travel insights…
The Mona Lisa is too small, Stonehenge is just a pile of rocks, the beach is too sandy and there is no beach in London. No, not fake news, just a handful of the ‘most ridiculous’ holiday complaints on a list compiled by loveexploring.com, serving as a great illustration of how difficult it is to please everybody all the time. Add a group travel dynamic into the mix and you’ve really got your work cut out!
One thing’s for certain, every travel group is different and within each, there is usually a divergence of interests and expectations. Keeping everybody happy can be a full-time job but thankfully The Carlton has the bases covered which is why we lead the way with customised group travel deals in North Devon. To make your experience a great one, we’ve taken some pointers from some bad ones!
“The room was bad.”
One of the most often made complaints made by UK group travel tourists involves the state of their accommodation. Scrimping on the room may shave some cash off the price of the trip but an experienced group travel organiser is aware that a bad night’s sleep in a poorly facilitated hotel only serves to make group members grouchy and resentful and eager to sow the seeds of rebellion within the group (every organiser’s worst nightmare!).
The Carlton Hotel does not do poor quality rooms. There is a stylish uniformity that runs throughout our 30 bespoke rooms, thanks to a £1.7 million pound refurbishment which ensures an impressively high standard throughout. Rooms with brand double glazed windows and casements containing, stylish fully tiled en suite bathrooms, comfortable beds dressed withhigh thread count cotton bedding, flat-screen TVs and free Wifi are universal features of our rooms.
Built into The Carlton’s ethos is a deep understanding of the word ‘hospitality’. The reputation of this Ilfracombe hotel owes a great deal to its emphasis on superb customer service and attending to the little details that make sure a visit runs smoothly and the experience remains memorable for all the right reasons.
“The area wasn’t great.”
Who hasn’t been to a coastal travel spot which consists of mass development wrapped around a thin slither of rather uninspiring beach? Well you won’t find that in North Devon!
This is England’s Adventure Coast, where lush green hills undulate and world beating glorious beaches lie around every corner. Within a stroll’s distance of The Carlton you can find a number of beaches and coves belonging to the town of Ilfracombe alone.
We are talking adventure in the loosest sense of the word here – yes you can set off on a surf safari or coasteering challenge, but you can also just as easily set off to a quiet bay for a picnic and poke around the rock pools.Away from the sea there are wonderful hiking opportunities courtesy of the coastal path and Exmoor national park as well as options for cycling adventures suitable for all levels of fitness.
“The activities/excursions weren’t great”
This is another complaint that comes high up the list. Frequently this is a problem that is rooted in the choice of the location. As every tour group organiser knows, the remedy to this malady is to do your research, or even better work with a partner with the local knowledge to bring to the itinerary.
The Carlton is working with local partners all the time to develop activities and packages thatwill engage guests and give them a great time. From discounted links with local gardens, golf and shooting clubs to therapeutic service providers (such as Tai Chi and massage), local guide and sea captain excursions and even workshops with awesome chocolateers, The Carlton has a whole host of experiential providers it can call on to help group travel organisers plan the ideal itinerary.
“The food was bad.”
This is a frequent bugbear and one that can cause even the most mild mannered group to mutiny. Who can blame them? Along with a bad night’s sleep, poor dining options – facilities and the contents of one’s plate – is the biggest cause for grumbles.
This is not the typical experience at the Carlton, where food plays a huge part in building the guest experience. We are proud to proclaim that we are a hotel with provenance where the food we serve is very much based around the ingredients we locally source. Being on the coast we have excellent seafood while from the North Devon countryside comes excellent meat, vegetables and dairy produce.
A UK group travel experience includes the full Carlton culinary experience – with a choice of breakfast, lunch and dinner options – served in the lovely surroundings of our in-house Brasserie or private dining room.
Our group travel offers begin at £35 per guest (minimum of 3 nights stay), to find out more about our offers and to get the best rate Email or call direct on 01271 862446. If you are organising a group travel in 2020, big or small, we’d love to hear from you.
to chat about how we can help you make the most of your group travel experience
Ok, we’ll admit it, at The Carton we’re rather excited about February! It’s not everyone’s favourite time of the year, but this month we have three reasons to be cheerful: Exmoor Food Fest!
As lovers of fine food, how can we not get excited about this event? The 2020 edition will be even more special of course because this year The Carlton is getting involved for the first time too through our Ilfracombe Brasserie restaurant!
Exmoor Food Fest Background
This most excellent of foodie festivals, right on the doorstep in North Devon, is celebrating something of a milestone in 2020 as this will be the fifth Exmoor Food Fest. The event has earned a reputation for turning the spotlight on some of the region’s finest eateries, while at the same time giving foodies in the area, and from beyond, an added incentive to get out there for a taste of Exmoor!
This incentive comes in the form of the Exmoor Food Fest discounts which run for the month and expose the palate to some of the more sublime tastes the area has to offer. The Carlton Hotel, Ilfracombe, is proud to be joining in this festival of food and will be bringing its own special menu components to the party, along with a selection of exclusive Exmoor Food Fest deals.
Exmoor Food Fest 2020: Deal
For the duration of the event, The Brasserie (at The Carlton Hotel) is offering:
* 20% off of all starters, mains and desserts.
* A special £17.50 dinner menu (1) featuring two courses– available Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
* 15% off accommodation at The Carlton when booked direct
Let’s take a look behind the menu to see what makes the Ilfracombe Brasserie one of your must-eat stops on the 2020 Exmoor Food Fest tour…
The Brasserie
Exmoor Food Fest and the Taste of Exmoor event coincides with the unveiling of The Brasserie. Open to non-residents since The Carlton was extensively refurbished three years ago, the Brasserie has been gaining enough plaudits of its own that the time has come to emerge from the shadows of the hotel and deliver as a stand-alone dining destination in Ilfracombe.
What sets it apart? From the early days, The Carlton has stamped its own distinctive style on the food it serves in its restaurant. The dishes are simple but that simplicity is worn as a badge of honour in the Ilfracombe Brasserie, as it is the food that does all the talking.
The Carlton calls itself a ‘Hotel with Provenance’ and a gaze through the suppliers‘ list tells you just how important local ingredients are for the kitchen team. Free-range eggs, locally caught fish, locally reared meat, seasonal vegetables, and ingredients all feature heavily on the menu.
The fish you will eat at The Brasserie, in Ilfracombe, will have been caught in the bay and landed by local fishing boats or, in the case of the plump tidal mussels on the menu, plucked from the bed of the Torridge, one of two arterial rivers which flow into the Atlantic via the North Devon coast.
Much of the meat that makes the plate in the Brasserie will have been Exmoor farmed (such as the pork), or at the very least come from a southwest farm with high welfare standards (as is the case with the beef and the lamb).
Meanwhile, the kitchen’s supply of staple vegetables comes from The Great Field, located in the nearby village of Braunton, which has been providing sustenance from its nutritious soil since the ninth century.
With such quality and consistency, simplicity in the kitchen means celebrating the authentic tastes and full flavours of these basic ingredients. While the provenance and local sourcing behind the Brasserie menu ensures the food talks for itself, the stylish layout and pleasant surroundings of the restaurant itself is another enticement to enjoy a wonderful evening (or lunchtime).
Also worth a mention is The Carlton’s reputation for non-fussy adjustments to menu items in order to accommodate diners with specific diets and allergies. You know how in some places such requests are received with a with a snooty nose in the air? Well not at The Brasserie, where it is the pleasure of the restaurant to do all it can to ensure that all guests in the restaurant party enjoy their meal.
So that’s the background, now it’s time to jump in and enjoy the Exmoor Food Fest! For more information about Carlton food menus or to book a table for the restaurant email us on dine@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk.
The North Devon coastline has a reputation for being spectacular enough, with its sweeping views across the Bristol Channel, but for a select number of visitors heading to the region, it is the small island that lies off its coast which marks the spot on their holiday map. Lundy is three miles (5km) long and just over half a mile wide (1km) and is a mere 23.5 miles from land (the town of Ilfracombe) and yet it could be another world…
While there are only 28 inhabitants on the island, around 20,000 visitors make the trip to Lundy Island each year between the months of April and October. The crossing, with MS Oldenburg tickets, takes approximately two hours. The Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe has been approved as an official ticketing agent ahead of the 2020 season which means that residents (and non-guests) can purchase MS Oldenburg tickets. This Landmark Trust owned ship is something of a North Devon institution and has been carrying visitors out to Lundy and back for the past 35 years.
With a capacity of 267 passengers, she sails four times a week in the summer, from the port towns of Bideford and Ilfracombe. Most visitors to Lundy opt for the day trip – there on the tide in the morning and back on the tide in the afternoon (due to the tide times are not fixed so make sure to listen when the skipper announces when MS Oldenburg will leave for its return journey!).
However, the Landmark Trust, which manages Lundy Island, also has a number of holiday properties and an increasingly popular North Devon holiday choice is to combine a couple of days exploring the island with a couple of days on the mainland. The Carlton’s central location makes the hotel an ideal place to set up base camp as the Oldenburg leaves from Ilfracombe harbour, which is just a 10 minute stroll away.
Explore Lundy Island
So what can you expect to discover on Lundy? Well, let’s start with the joy of simplicity. There are no roads on Lundy, no shops, no major housing developments. This means there’s no traffic, no pollution and no stress (unless you neglected to listen to the skipper…). You are effectively escaping from the world when you set foot on Lundy Island and even your fellow passengers will begin to melt away by the time you’ve traced your way from the landing jetty to the centre of Lundy civilisation (ie the shop and the Marisco Tavern which are both run by the Landmark Trust).
The island has many nooks and crannies to explore and the 360 degree aspect provides amazing diversity in terrain despite the relatively small surface area. In the west, imposing cliffs jut from the exposed Atlantic side while the sheltered east of the island is home to wildflowers and a gentler coastline. This diversity of the natural environment is a big attraction for wildlife spotters.
Lundy comes from the Norse word for ‘puffin’ and the distinctive black and white bird with the colourful beak lives on the island, one of 317 species of bird which is known to frequent this Atlantic outcrop. This makes Lundy a popular destination for bird watchers who know their stuff, but also for casual visitors who are chasing a glimpse of what the Northern Scots refer to as ‘sea parrots’.
Marine Conservation Area
This beautiful little island also became the first Marine Conservation Zone in Britain in 2010. The waters around Lundy Island have long been popular with divers due to the clarity of the water and the diversity of marine wildlife it encompasses, including branching sponges and cup corals. You don’t have to be a diver to catch sight of the island’s seal population either and it’s very rare to visit the island without seeing at least a couple of pinnipeds bobbing up and down in the sea. There are also basking sharks, porpoises, dolphins and the occasional Minke whale to be spotted in the waters around Lundy. Seal watching, in particular, is a popular pastime amongst visitors.
Pirates and Brigands in Lundy’s History!
While nature rightly gets most of the attention on Lundy, it is worth reading up a little about the rich history of this island. Anyone travelling with kids can score some easy wow points by painting a picture of an island that for many years was the seat of some tumult; over time it has played base to Norse invaders, Knights Templar and various brigand groups including bands of pirates from England, France, the Basque country and even Barbary pirates from the North coast of Africa!
Definitely a trip to jot down in the memory book, Lundy Island may be not more than 20 miles off the North Devon coast but once you’re there, looking back at the mainland, it really does feel like you’ve travelled to a destination both exotic and unfamiliar. You can book your MS Oldenburg tickets to Lundy through The Carlton Hotel, which also offers the perfect pre and post-visit dock to shore up in, replenish stores and stretch your land legs!
What a year 2019 has been! As we draw to a close of another great year in Ilfracombe, North Devon, we’ve got an exciting, jam packed December to look forward to, full of festive fun. From festive entertainment to Christmas markets, art expeditions, live music, craft workshops and more, discover all the best events coming up in our handy guide.
Monday 2nd – 8th 10.30 – 3.30 December Christmas Tree Festival, with Nativity set display and Christmas songs – St Philip & St James Church.
Wednesday 4th 8-9pm & 9th 6-9pm Jack and The Beanstalk Pantomine, The Lantern, Ilfracombe Library.
Friday 6th – 9th Winter Wonders at Quince Honey Farm & free entry to the whole attraction.
Friday 6th Dec 10.30 – 11am Ilfracombe Walking For Health – Landmark Theatre. A gentle 30min walk every Friday.
Saturday 7th 9-11.30 Woolacombe Dunes Park Run. Every Saturday.
Saturday 7th – 8th and 22nd-23rd 10-5pm Santas Grotto & Elf Emporium – The Milky Way.
Saturday 7th 11-8pm North Devon Christmas Market – Museum Of British Surfing.
Saturday 7th, 14th, 21st Dec 9-12pm Christmas Markets – The Big Sheep.
Saturday 7th & 8th, 21st & 24th 10-4pm Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Santa Specials – Woody Bay Station.
Saturday 7th December 10-3.30 Christmas Wreath Workshop – The Lantern, Ilfracombe Library.
Saturday 7th Dec 10 – 12.30 Ilfracombe Farmers Market – The Lantern, High Street, Ilfracombe. First Saturday of every month.
Saturday 7th – 20th Dec 10.30 – 4.30 Printmakers Exhibition – Folio Studio, Ilfracombe.
Saturdays & Sundays 7th – 22nd Dec 10-4pm Wooly’s Winter Wonderland – The Big Sheep.
Sunday 8th December 6-8.30 Christmas Carol Singing – Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station.
Wednesday 11th December 10-3pm Christmas Decoration Workshop, inc Christmas wreath and tree decoration – Museum Of Barnstaple & North Devon.
Friday 13th Dec – 5th Jan Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs Panto At Queens Theatre Barnstaple.
Saturday 14th Dec 9.11.30 Woolacombe Dunes Park Run – free.
Sunday 14th at 2pm Christmas Marketing – The Big Sheep, Bideford.
Sunday 14th Dec 9am – 4pm RHS Rosemoor Magic Of Christmas Food & Craft Fair.
Wednesday 18th – 19th Dec 7.30 – 10.30 Wonderful Christmas Time – Seasonal Variety Show.
Saturday 21st Dec 11.30 – 1pm Santa Arriving By Gig Boat – Ilfracombe Harbour.
Saturday 21st Dec – 1st Jan 11-3pm Watersmeet Christmas Trail – Watersmeet, Lynmouth.
Sunday 22nd Dec 12-3pm Father Christmas At Arlington Court.
Saturday 28th 8-10pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club. Presents the best in live stand up. last Saturday of every month.
Saturday 28th 8-10.45 Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club – The Landmark Theatre.
Saturday 28th Dec 10.30am Festival Of Winter Walks – Braunton Countryside Centre.
Sunday 29th Dec – 1st January 10.30 – 2.30 Mince Pie Specials at Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. Enjoy a steam train ride with fresh mince pies.
Tuesday 31st Dec 8-11pm The big Fat Blues Band, Live At the Pier – the Quay Ilfracombe.
For more information please visit http://bit.ly/WhatsOnNorthDevon
In this months Focus Magazine – Combe Christmas, find out what’s happening this Black Friday with our HUGE sale on gift vouchers and experiences. Discover how you can save 20% on food and drink by becoming a Carlton Club member. Find out why The Carlton is the best venue for any celebration. Warm and refreshing dishes to make with your Christmas leftovers, in including a delicious Turkey Salad With Vietnamese Dressing and Roast Vegetable Soup. What’s on this Christmas at The Carlton from just £20pp and famous Sunday roasts for just £15.75pp and £8 per child.
We’ve just about finished the refresh of this old dame. We always have a little giggle when we get out our old brochures. Heres a glimpse of some of our favourites.
Explore England’s Adventure Coast! Read our Group Travel World feature to discover why The Carlton, Ilfracombe is the perfect base camp to explore North Devon’s coast and the countryside of Exmoor National Park.
North Devon is the Adventure Coast, an unspoiled corner of England where green rolling hills extend to the sea. The region’s natural beauty, with its glorious beaches and stunning countryside make it a destination for adventures big and small! Read the full feature below.
Golf has always had something of a reputation as a holiday sport – golf courses in the Algarve and on the Med paving the way for tourist development in Portugal and Spain in the 1970s and 80s. However, the UK golfing holiday has been a feature of popular tourist spots for far longer and North Devon is no exception.
New figures from Sport England suggest that golf is on the upswing again! Statistics point to a modest rise in the number of people playing golf in the UK after almost a decade of decline and North Devon golf breaks are also seeing a rise in popularity. The Carlton Hotel, situated in the pretty seaside town of Ilfracombe is within striking distance of some excellent courses and some real golfing history.
Play and Stay the Carlton Way!
To set the tone for a great North Devon golfing break, the Carlton offers a Play and Stay package (starting at £67.50 per person, per night) which includes, three course dinner, stay, breakfast and a hefty discount off green fees at nearby Ilfracombe Golf Club.
Three of the Best: North Devon Golf Courses!
What commends the Ilfracombe Golf Club course? For a start, the location is hard to beat – you can literally “See the sea from every tee”. Its 18 holes progress along the cliff top, overlooking the rugged North Devon coastline, with views that extend out over the Bristol Channel and beyond, to the Welsh Hills in the distance (the club’s hole by hole video gives the ultimate visual guide).
The course is open year roundthanks to a little help from Ilfracombe’s contributing microclimate and impeccable grounds keeping. The club house has a reputation for its convivial bar and good food (available all day), although be advised that the club, like most, does have a dress code that needs to be respected.
The Carlton’s Play and Stay package is ideal for a quick getaway, but there is also the option to extend your North Devon golfing break and complete a tour of North Devon golf courses. The Carlton serves as an excellent base to return to at the end of each day, where comfortable en suite rooms invite comfort and relaxation while the great foodand locally sourced drinks of the hotel Brasserie provide the opportunity to reflect and revive, ready for the next round.
Of North Devon’s golf courses, two in particular have interesting histories. Let’s start with the Royal North Devon Golf Club at Westward Ho! which made the Golf World list of ‘Top 100 golf courses in the world a golfer must play’. Its claim to be the ‘cradle of English golf’ comes with the provenance of being founded in 1864 and mirroring the development of the newly created seaside town of Westward Ho! (named after the novel by author Charles Kingsley). It has a reputation as ‘the St Andrews of the South’ and the links are some of the most challenging in the country, making this a very desirable stop on a UK golfing holiday.
Since its establishment in 1897, the Saunton Golf Club has gone through various incarnations, expanding from an initial 9 hole to its present day 36 hole status. Located on the fringes of the UNESCO biosphere reserve of Braunton Burrows, the holes are divided between the West and the East courses. Saunton enjoys a healthy bit of competition with its older North Devon rival and gleefully trumpets its own credentials too, with its two courses ranked 32 and 67 in the Golf World Top 100 (while claiming “there is only one Club with 2 better links courses in the whole country and that is St Andrews!”).
If the former heavyweight courses sound a little too daunting, the region offers less testing alternatives that come with their own charmsand also a few challenges. These include nearby Woolacombe and Morthoe, Portmore Golf Park on the fringes of Barnstaple (9 and 18 hole options), the picturesque Torrington Golf Club (9 holes) and Libbaton (18 hole parkland course).
There are also numerous courses en route to North Devon, should one want to turn a break into a grand tour! The Carlton has a deal with Minehead Golf Course, to name one, which ensures arriving or departing golfers from Devon can ensure they maximise their time away on the greens.
North Devon Golf – An Attractive Proposition
North Devon golf courses have been providing challenging conditions in beautiful locations for many years. For this reason the area has always been popular with golfers looking to get away from it all for a few days – not only from within the UK but also from parts of Europe where the sport is significantly more expensive to practice.
With North Devon serviced by two provincial airports (Bristol is two hours away and Exeter is one hour away), visiting golfers from northern European countries have been making the most of a favorable Euro to Pound exchange rate and discovering the delights of North Devon golf breaks. As well as great golfing, the region also has so much more to offer with opportunities to enjoy wonderful beaches, beautiful countryside, adventure and an abundance of native wildlife.
On the golf course meanwhile, golfers will have their sights set on specific targets and be hoping to capture a satisfying birdie, congratulatory eagle, memorable albatross or legendary condor! If you’re looking for a rewarding UK golf holiday head to the West Country! Contact us on stay@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk and book a Play and Stay North Devon golfing break with the Carlton.