Rockfish Seafood & Chips, In support of Visit South Devon's Crab Day on Friday, 22nd October, Rockfish Seafood & Chips are offering all diners (on tables of two or more) who order fish and chips and a bottle of wine, a free pot of South Devon crab meat per table to try. more

Anzac Street Bistro are a huge supporter of the Food Festival with chef, Serin Aubrey, being Festival Executive Chef.  This year Anzac Street is celebrating with a menu honouring one of their favourite restaurants - Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecote.  This will be a unique dining experience where customers come to enjoy just one selection. This will be a steak night extra or din ai re (a vegetarian option will be available). more

Browns Bar give enormous support to the food festival year on year and always provide a special Festival Menu.  This year they have two special menus. Thursday 21st October sees the return of Mark Lobb's Fish Night, when Mark will recreate his fish stall in Browns. On Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd there will be  'Fruits de Mer' laden with local crab, oysters, prawns, langoustines, razor clams, mussels, clams & scallops. more

Resnova Floating Inn has provided an exceptional taster menu for the food festival for the last few years and this year is no exception. The 2010 'Taster Fest' menu is extensive and features a wide variety of fantastic local fish and seafood. more

The Royal Castle Hotel has been a supporter of the Dartmouth Food Festival from the start and every year can be relied upon for invaluable input. They have a special Steak Night Menu for Friday 22nd October using Aune Valley mature beef and also Salmon or Swordfish steaks. On Saturday 23rd their Food Festival menu will offer a wider choice of great seasonal food. more

Cafe Alf Resco a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike, Alfs' has been a strong advocate for food festival over the years and always hosts our Food Festival Quiz. They usual only open daily from 7am - 2pm but will open in the evening on Saturday 23rd October when they will be serving 'Alf's rustic food Festival Supper'. At Alf's they are passionate about using local, seasonal produce. Book on  01803 835880. more

The Dartmouth Apprentice have developed their New Look Menus and Opening Times in time for the Food Festival.   Anytime, Daytime @ the Apprentice when they will be serving coffee, light lunches and snacks as well as lunches.  Evening @ the Apprentice for an Italian themed food in a stunning venue. The Apprentice is a training restaurant for the long-term unemployed. more

Annabelle's Kitchen is new to Dartmouth but John and Jo were instantly keen to be involved in the Food Festival.  Taste their food at the Audience with Mitch and Friends on Thursday  or try  their  6 course tasting menu on Saturday 23rd October. There will be just one sitting with a menu that uses the best of local Devon produce. more

The Seahorse Restaurant Festival Advocate Mitch Tonks has given the Festival enormous impetus over the past three years and his support has played a huge amount in the growth of the event. This year Mitch has invited a host of friends to cook with him at the Seahorse; Henry and Josceline Dimbleby, Mark Hix, Diana Henry and Valentine Warner will all be guest chefs at various times. More details more

Jan & Freddie's Restaurant the brasserie regularly change their menu to use seasonal produce. This Festival season they will be serving such delights as; River Teign mussels, con fit of free range duck, saddle of venison, and belly of Devon pork.  more

Treats without the Tricks at Pennywell Farm!

October Half Term Monday 27th – Friday 31st October 10.00am to 5.00pm

If you prefer grins to grimaces, fun to frights and smiles to spooks then forget Halloween and join us at Pennywell Farm, near Buckfastleigh for Jollyween.  Join us for pumpkin carving and take home your very own pumpkin face lantern! Brighten your day with a first class performance from either Ben Cornish or Billy Wiz in the Pennywell Theatre and join in with a full day of hands on activities, shows and displays.  

The only big, strange and nasty surprise at Pennywell is the prize of the day for completing the pumpkin trail around the farmyard.  All the Pennywell animals will be waiting for their last cuddle of the season and the world famous Pennywell miniature piglets will be looking forward to piggy cuddles every day – guaranteed to bring a smile to any face.  All the family can hop aboard the pumpkin express, while over 6’s can enjoy a quad bike ride and over 8’s can race their way around the Run Rabbit Go Cart track.  The great news is that it is all included in the admission price. further info

What's On in Dartmouth for October

The Red Bullets Fund-raiser Wednesday 20th October 2010

Dartmouth Food Festival in conjunction with Dart Music Festival from 7.30 - 11.00pm in the Market Square, Dartmouth.  Retro music from The Red Bullets and some great grub from the Festival chefs.  Tickets to include a two-course supper of Keith Floyd's Andalusian Paella and an Eighties-style Banoffee Pie. Dress: Casual or retro, it's entirely up to you... Tickets £12.50 each available from Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre, Mayors Avenue, Dartmouth. Cash or cheque only please.

Dartmouth Galleries Week - 22nd October 2010.

The Town's Art Galleries are opening their Autumn exhibitions this week and welcome all to come along and browse the fine work on show.

Dartmouth Apprentice presents Charmed Night: 30th October

An Evening of the world’s most beautiful Opera in Dartmouth’s most stunning venue. The evening will feature soprano Mariya Krywaniuk, mezzo soprano Hannah Pedley and pianist Will Vann,  It will feature the intoxicatedly beautiful music of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Humperdinck, Handel, Bizet, Offenbach and Faure. Dartmouth Apprentice is housed in the stunning converted church of St Barnabas and its wonderful acoustics mean any live music sounds amazing – and what better music to exploit this quality than the transcendent notes of the world’s most beautiful operas?  We are offering the evening with a set two-course menu at an amazing price of £35 per head to include a drink on arrival.  For details call 01803 837820 or visit the restaurant at St Barnabas Church.  more

Family Fright Week at Woodlands 23rd - 31st October,

9 Creepy days of Halloween, New Spectre of the Abbey Ruins, Daring Phantom Pirates Maze, Trick & Treat Hunts, Workshops, Ghoulish Ghost Train,  Flying Spooks Tractor Ride, Free pumpkins & Pumpkin carving competition Join the best beastly Halloween ever Captain Skeleton and 6 Beastly Attractions will be raising screams for 9 days of the best Halloween ever at Woodlands

Enjoy the extra fun on Halloween Day on the 30th October with excellent prizes for the Spangles Best Fancy Dress Competition. At twilight, join the Lantern Lit procession to the Monks Pool and hear Woodlands own ghost story of Laura the gentle ghost. Floating your Wishing Candle in the Monks Cave is very special and banishes all ghosties from Woodlands for another year.

The fantastic Firework Festival theme for the magnificent bonfire mural is the Pirates Revenge. Come as a Pirate, join the Grand Parade on November 6th and you could be the Great Firelighter. Have fun with Spangles, Ben and the Jazz Band and exciting sideshows. Costing £5000, Fire Magic has created a spell binding Firework finale to the Woodlands Firework Festival. All the events are included in the day admission and make ideal free events for campers staying at Woodlands Grove 5 star camping park.  

30th October – Halloween Saturday Party Time

The Spooky party with Spangles the Clown, New Spectre of the Abbey Ruins

Daring Phantom Pirates Maze, Trick & Treat Hunts, Workshops, Ghoulish Ghost Train,  Flying Spooks Tractor Ride, Free pumpkins & Pumpkin carving competition, Wicked Witch of the Woods Procession, float your wishing candle in the Monks Cave, Best Spooky Fancy Dress competition.

6th November – Firework Festival,

The Pirates Revenge Bonfire.  Fancy Dress Competition at 6.00pm, 6.30pm  March of the Pirates - the best dressed Pirate will light the Bonfire, Top Guy competition, Devon’s Monstrous Firework display, Sideshows, BBQ , refreshments, Ben the Master Juggler & Spangles the Clown, Live Band

Remember you can beat the VAT rise, secure a 2011 holiday before January 2011 at 2010 prices, just give Caroline or Coast & Country a call to reserve your favorite property.

Looking forward to your next visit

Michael & Caroline 

& the Hillfield Village Team