South West England launches Google based food map
February 9, 2010 by Ian McKee
Filed under South West England
Renowned for its quality local produce and award-winning restaurants and gastropubs, South West England has launched the ultimate tool for foodies – a Google-based Food Map that links regional food producers with the restaurants they supply to, and plots farmers markets and food festivals. Users of the Food Map (www.visitsouthwest.co.uk/taste) will be able to create their own culinary journey of the South West, complete with web links, addresses, driving directions, and the distance of travel between food destinations.
A tool of this kind is ideal for a gastronomic hub such as the South West; the region attracts people from all over the world eager to taste a Cornish pasty, Double Gloucester cheese, a Cream Tea, Somerset cider, Red Ruby Devon beef, and Bath’s Sally Lun Bun, to name a few. Its popularity as a top British food destination has also grown in recent years from endorsements by celebrities such as real food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Rick Stein and Michael Caines.
Kirsty Cumming, Director at South West Tourism, said: “Eating food that is grown locally is an important part of a visitors holiday in the South West and now visitors will be able to trace their appetizing meal right back to the source.”
“The Food Map is particularly useful for holidaymakers so they can plan their foodie trail around the region, by plotting their home, hotel or visitor attraction to and from the food outlets, just as they would a Google Map.”
The Food Map covers a range of food destinations across the South West, from the Michelin-starred and AA rosette holders to world-renowned brands and independent restaurants and suppliers.
At the time of launch, the Food Map includes a total of 113 sites including restaurants, gastropubs, farmer’s markets, food festivals, suppliers and producers in the South West. More outlets will be added throughout 2010 by South West Tourism and consumers may make their suggestions by contacting the tourist board through the website www.visitsouthwest.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Media contact:
Megan Whiteside
McCluskey International
Phone: 0208 237 7979
Email: megan@mccluskey.co.uk
About South West England:
South West England is the largest of England’s nine official regions and covers Gloucestershire (marketed as Cotswolds and Forest of Dean), Bath, Bristol, Dorset, Bournemouth & Poole, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The South West is the UK’s leading holiday destination hosting approximately 19 million domestic overnight trips annually and an associated visitor spend of more than £3.6 billion. The region accounts for 20% of England’s domestic trips, 24% of nights and 22% of spend.
*where available
Go direct to the Food Map: www.visitsouthwest.co.uk/taste
South West England launch Challenge Me! at Watergate Bay
December 9, 2009 by Ian McKee
Filed under Featured, South West England
South West England is encouraging Brits to get active and beat the winter blues, by getting involved in its exciting new initiative, “Challenge Me!” Individuals set a challenge for themselves or for someone else, and then proudly share their achievements on social networking sites.
On Monday 7th December at Watergate Bay, a group of apprentice chefs from the Jamie Oliver-inspired Fifteen Cornwall and instructors from the Extreme Academy challenged each other to swap roles for the day! Apprentice chefs were ordered out of the kitchen and onto the beach to complete a gruelling ‘coordination challenge’ to kite-buggy up the north Cornish coast. This was after the extreme sports instructors found themselves deep in new waters as they were challenged to cook a three-course meal to be judged by Fifteen’s Executive Chef.
Kirsty Cumming, Deputy Director of South West Tourism, said; “We’re encouraging people to challenge themselves or each other, to try something different. The south west offers so many exciting and challenging activities from coasteering to surfing, to cooking and cycling, and now is the perfect time to get motivated, get active, and to enjoy the south west!”
The South West England website, www.visitsouthwest.co.uk provides inspiration and ideas for activity breaks in the region. To participate in “Challenge Me!” visit the Challenge Me! South West England page on Facebook, or the blog at www.challengemesouthwest.wordpress.com, and follow the instructions. Challenges that are photographed or filmed and meet the criteria will have the chance to win prizes, including a voucher from White Stuff for the first challenge posted. Challengers can also follow @ChallengeMeSW on Twitter.
It’s easy to get involved:
- Set your challenge – it could be an activity or sport you’ve never tried but always wanted to!
- Find a partner or a group if you want to challenge each other
- Take a photo or video of you and your ‘challengers’ partaking in the activity and post on the Challenge Me! Facebook page
- The Challenge Me! Team will contact eligible ‘challengers’ to enter the prize draw.
The Rules:
Photos or videos must show something that connects you to the south west. Eg you could be holding a south west county flag; a south west England town name is in the background; or your T-shirt shows the name of the activity centre where you are. It is up to you – be creative!
Challenges must be completed and posted before 31 March 2010.
Tips:
The activity does not have to be death-defying! All you have to do is challenge yourself.
Stuck for Ideas? Visit www.visitsouthwest.co.uk where you will find a whole host of activities, but to get you started:
- The Rumble in the Jungle Adventure Golf at Cabot Circus, Bristol
- Abseiling and Caving with ‘Rocksport’ at Cheddar Caves & Gorge
- Gliding over lakes and countryside by Hovercraft at Adrenalin Quarry in Cornwall
- Snurfkling at the Animal Surf Academy in Cornwall – a course for children aged eight to 16 where they swim out on surfboards with face masks and explore what is on the sea bottom
- Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, which offers over 40 different cookery courses from dessert making to dinner parties
- Horseback riding across the welcoming wilderness of Salisbury Plain or the Marlborough Downs
- Cycling in Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean on the 11 mile Family Cycling Trail
- Fly fishing or coarse fishing at The Cotswold Water Park with over 130 lakes covering 40 square miles
- Birdwatching on the Isles of Scilly, the only place in England where the secretive storm petrel nests
- Zipwiring through trees, crawling through tunnels and tackling high wire rope bridges in Bournemouth at the Go Ape centre
Extreme Academy try cooking at Fifteen Cornwall:
Fifteen Cornwall’s chefs try Kitebuggying with Extreme Academy:
Photos:
- ENDS -
A video and photography of the Fifteen Cornwall and Extreme Academy challenges is available.
Media contact:
Megan Whiteside
McCluskey International
Phone: 0208 237 7979
Email: megan@mccluskey.co.uk
South West England is the largest of England’s nine official regions and covers Gloucestershire (marketed as Cotswolds and Forest of Dean), Bath, Bristol, Dorset, Bournemouth & Poole, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The South West is the UK’s leading holiday destination hosting approximately 19 million domestic overnight trips annually and an associated visitor spend of more than £3.6 billion. The region accounts for 20% of England’s domestic trips, 24% of nights and 22% of spend.
