Meet the Experts

MP Totnes & South Devon

ANTHONY MANGNALL MP

Anthony Mangnall was elected MP for Totnes and South Devon in 2019. He previously worked as a shipbroker and advisor to the former Foreign Secretary Lord Hague. He is the Conservative Party’s Sustainable Agriculture champion which aims to understand and promote solutions to climate change. Anthony is also Secretary to the All Party Parliamentary group for Shellfish Aquaculture (APPG) that concerns sustainability, nutrition and health and the local economic aspects of the industry to coastal communities.

Restauranteur & Fishmonger

CAROLINE BENNET

Wine Producer

CAROLINE WHITEHEAD

Caroline is a corporate lawyer and currently working as a consultant to a major project in Saudi Arabia but still based on the Estate. Caroline spends all of her spare time supporting the development of the vineyards and winery.

Calancombe Estate is owned by Caroline and Lance Whitehead, and in 2012 Caroline realised a long held dream and started to establish the vineyard. Further plantings of grapes, cider apples and blackcurrants were made in subsequent years as well as constructing a purpose-built winery and cider making facility. Caroline and Lance’s aim is to produce wines of the highest quality using only fruit grown on the Estate.

Chef

CHARLIE RAMSDALE & DAN TEAGE

Charlie Ramsdale and Daniel Teage took on the restaurant at Sharpham Vineyard in 2018, and ran it with great success for 4 years, until the relocation of the winery to Sandridge Barton.

They live near Dartmouth where they are now focusing on event catering, private dining, growing produce in their organic no dig kitchen garden and caring for the animals on their smallholding.

Chef & Food Writer

CHARLOTTE PIKE

Charlotte Pike and is a UK based food writer, cookery teacher, chef and occasional broadcaster

Charlotte is the author of five cookery books which have won and been shortlisted for leading International and UK based book awards.  Charlotte is currently the Chair of the Guild of Food Writers.

Charlotte is one of the UK’s leading independent cookery teachers and teaches classes at schools around the UK as Executive Chef Tutor, and teaches a wide range of consumer and corporate classes on a weekly basis. She is also Founder and Director of Field & Fork School, a food education social enterprise.

Charlotte is a is a graduate of the Ballymaloe Certificate Course and is a Chef Ambassador for Slow Food in the UK and member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International. She runs a hugely popular catering company, Charlotte’s Kitchen, cooking for high profile clients, and cooking for weddings and parties all over the UK and Europe.

Food Writer

CLAUDIA RODEN

Food Matters Programme Co-ordinator

CRAIG DAVIDSON

Always fond of good food and wine, and an enthusiastic domestic cook, Craig has since retiring to Dartmouth become a lobster fisherman, sourdough bread maker and dedicated seasonal eater. He has also become interested in how food is produced and became aware of the ecologically poor record of modern farming and the food industry.

For 2022 we offer an even more challenging and entertaining programme than in 2021 with Sustainability and the impact of the Pandemic on the food industry as core themes. We have a fantastic collection of experts to amuse and challenge the festival audience.

Come and hear the experts and join in the conversation.

Dietitian & Public Health Nutritionist

DR CLARE PETTINGER

“Call me a nutrition expert if you will but I am foodie through and through! I breathe food…in all its delectable, historical, political, socio-cultural glory!  So bring me to the table and let’s share those peppered and convivial food conversations – I have a deep intrigue into how food can make us happy, sad, thin, fat, shamed, coerced (the list goes on)… In light of COVID and Brexit, I have a particular interest in how we can collectively transform our food system, so that it is fairer and more resilient for all members of society.”

Clare is engaged in community research on food poverty and social justice and currently leads a Plymouth based  ‘Food System transformation’ project that aims to transform the food system for disadvantaged communities. She is an active member of the Food Plymouth partnership and leads on the Food Equality (poverty) aspect of their action plan.

Food Producer

EDWARD BENTHALL

Edward is the Chair of the Eden Trust, the charity behind the Eden Project.  He and his wife have a deep interest in sustainability, increased when their tenant farmer retired prompting them to take a direct role in managing their farm.  They are learning to manage the conflicting priorities of biodiversity, carbon, food production and public access. 

food writer

FELICITY CLOAKE

Felicity Cloake is the award-winning author of the Guardian’s long-running How to Make the Perfect column as well as six books, the most recent of which, One More Croissant for the Road, was shortlisted for the Fortnum and Mason food book of the year award. Her next book, Red Sauce Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey is out in June, published by Mudlark. She loves kippers, is ambivalent about baked beans, and prefers her bacon sandwiches with marmalade and mustard.

Food Producer & Publican

GEETIE SINGH-WATSON MBE

Geeti is the founder of organic pubs and inns and has 23 years of running truly sustainable pubs!

Geetie Singh-Watson is the founder of the first official organic pub in Britain, The Duke of Cambridge Organic Pub, in Islington, London. After working in the restaurant trade for several years, she was horrified by the wastefulness that she witnessed – food was regularly thrown away, nothing was recycled and seasonal eating was unheard of. Geetie was determined to combine her passion for pubs and food, and set up The Duke as a business that could thrive without harming the environment, bringing delicious organic food to its customers, and educating them about organics, sustainable living and seasonal eating.

In 2009, she was awarded an MBE for ‘Services to the Organic Pub Trade’, and has also been named Business Woman of the Year, Asian Woman of Achievement and Entrepreneur of the Year. An active campaigner and environmentalist, Geetie firmly believes that businesses must act responsibly and be led by their ethics and values.

Geetie’s 4^th organic pub, The Bull Inn, Rotherfold Square, Totnes, is due to open in Autumn 2019.

Author and Journalist

GEORGE MONBIOT

COMPERE

GINA CARTER

I love compering the festival as I have been involved in it since the very first one 17 years ago. I have seen it grow from a tiny festival in the market square on hay bales to a superb national success attracting the top chefs in the country and 100’s of producers from Devon and the South West. I have been lucky to share the stage with the UK’s best loved chefs and rising stars of the future.

Gina is the fabulous compare of our Chef Demo tent and has been living in the South Hams for nearly 25 years following an eclectic career in the music business working in recording studios and record companies.  She loves music, travel, film, eating and drinking, driving – has driven across the Sahara in a banger and loves theatre and started treading the boards herself ten years ago and can be seen with the Dartington Playgoers amongst others.  She now spends her days selling superb tailor made safari and beach holidays to Eastern and Southern Africa with Safari & Beach Travel in Kingsbridge and spends a few weeks every year in both Tanzania and Kenya.  She is extremely fond of rose and champagne, so feel free to buy her a glass at any time!

 Regen Farming Advisor

HARRIETT CHERRY

Harriet grew up on a farm in Hertfordshire. After a brief spell in advertising, she returned to her farming roots and helped develop the Groundswell Show, an event for farmers to learn about soil health and sustainable farming practices.  She spent 4 years as agricultural and environment Researcher for The Prince of Wales, and since 2021 she has been Agricultural Relationship Manager at Wildfarmed, a food company which offers a route to market for cereal crops grown in systems that prioritise soil health.  She lives outside Dartmouth and this is her first year supporting the Food Matters Tent at the Food Festival.

Food Writer

HENRIETTA GREEN

Award-winning food writer, broadcaster, journalist, consultant and event organiser, Henrietta Green has worked in the world of food for several decades.

From the publication of her trail-blazing Food Lovers Guide to Britain, to campaigning for Farmers Markets in Britain, her Food Lovers Fairs, the launch of the first consumer market at Borough, her work as a consultant for, amongst others, Waitrose and her writing for national newspapers and magazines and appearances on TV and radio, she has consistently championed British Speciality Producers and is acknowledged as an expert in this field.

Food Writer

HENRY DIMBLEBY MBE

Henry Dimbleby is co-founder of Leon Restaurants, the not-for-profit Sustainable Restaurant Association, and the charity Chefs In Schools.

Henry Dimbleby was made lead non-executive board member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2018 and in June 2019 the Environment Secretary appointed him to lead the National Food Strategy. Henry co-founded the Leon restaurant chain in 2004, the Sustainable Restaurant Association in 2009, the charity Chefs in Schools in2018 and co-authored The School Food Plan in2013. This set out actions to transform what children eat in schools and how they learn about food. 

Henry previously worked as a Strategy Consultant at Bain & Company where he advised businesses on strategy, performance improvement and organisational design. Before that he worked as a journalist on The Daily Telegraph and a chef at the Michelin-starred Four Seasons Inn on the Park

Drinks expert

JAMES CROWDEN

Cider Writer and Poet

James first went to school in Dartmouth and started farm work in the Tamar valley plucking turkeys. He travelled very widely in the Middle East, Afghanistan and NW India.  Since then he has lived in Devon, Somerset & Dorset and has deep respect for cider and eccentric cidermakers. His many books include Cider The Forgotten Miracle, Ciderland  (Andre Simon Food and Drink Award 2008) and Cider Country. The history he has uncovered reveals that these cider makers pioneered methode champenoise circa 1650…  Strong bottles, secondary fermentation, corks, pack thread, wax and a few years in a well or specially contrived cellars…  Hey Presto Sparkling Cider.

Food Writer & Food Producer

JULIE WADDELL

After doing a French degree and starting her career in corporate life with British Airways, Julie took up a role as a radio news presenter at the BBC in 2005.

Julie’s passion for food and broadcasting came together in 2012when she took on a role on BBCRadio 4 as a journalist on “The Food Programme”. In 2012 Julie set up The Little Smoked Food Company and launched a range of“Moorish”smoked humous products to sell in her local delicatessens. Things moved very quickly with Waitrose launching the brand at the end of 2012, a mere 6 months after Julie first made it at home for her family. Julie was named “Growth Business 2013” in the UK Government’s MentorsMe Awards and received a Special Commendation Award for Growth in the Food & Drink Federation Awards 2013.

In2015 Julie was named as one of DEFRA’s 50 Food Stars and Moorish named as “Most DisruptiveFood Brand2015” in the Real Business Awards. Julie’s smoked humous products won 2 GreatTaste Gold Stars in 2021.Julie’s business has grown exponentially with her Moorish products now being stocked in Sainsbury’s, Asda, Ocado, Booths, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, farm shops and delis. Moorish is also exported to Park n Shop in Hong Kong and Spinneys in the UAE.Moorish has also recently launched in several speedy delivery apps including Getir, Gopuff, Gorillas and Wheezy.Julie lives at home with her family in Devon.

Drinks expert

LINDA SIMPSON

Linda switched from her city job when her passion for wine blossomed and after intensive study gained the WSETDiploma, a Merit in Sensory Evaluation at Plumpton College.As well as running a wine club, Linda has judged wine for the UK competitions.If you see a gold medal on a bottle of wine–Linda may have awarded it.Linda’s tutored tastings focus on fun, friendly events in which to improve your tasting skills and knowledge of wines from around the world.

Wine, Food & Travel Writer

MARC MILLON

Marc Millon is a wine, food and travel writer and communicator.

He is the author, together with his photographer wife Kim, of some 14 books on wine, food and travel topics. Titles include The Wine & Food of Europe, The Wine Roads of France, The Wine Roads of Italy, The Food Lover’s Companion France, The Food Lover’s Companion Italy, and The Taste of Britain.

Academic & Food Writer

MARTIN CARAHER

Focused on inequality and how many in our population don’t have adequate access to food; this leads to food poverty and obesity.

Martin is Emeritus Professor of food and health policy, at City, University of London.  He has spent decades working on issues related to food poverty, local food systems, food in schools and food banks. His recent focus is on how rising levels of debt during the Covid crisis has impacted on food poverty.

Fisheries Manager

MARTIN YOUELL

I grew up on or in the sea in Cornwall, where developed a passion for fisheries. Having studied Marine Ecology at University, I worked in different roles within DEFRA for 10 years. I studied a business masters and changed direction to the private sector as Head of Fisheries at Waterdance Ltd. We are a business doing fishing in the right ways, such as investing in fuel reduction and fish population science. As a board member of a fishing co-operative I aim to achieve change using collective action between fishing businesses and a range of interested parties like universities, regulatory bodies and consumers.

Food Writer

MARY CADOGAN

Mary Cadogan’s career spans decades most notably as Food Director of BBC Good Food magazine for 12 years. Following a move to France she continued her writing and editing career as well as opening a bespoke cookery school with her husband Mick that attracted guests from all over the world. Mary now lives in Somerset where she cooks regular pop up suppers, runs the village market and makes seasonal preserves  when the mood takes her. During lockdown she baked for the village to keep spirits up and to ensure everyone else put on weight!

Farmer & Cheesemaker

MARY QUICKE MBE

Mary Quicke MBE DL,  Quicke’s Traditional Ltd integrated cheesemaking and farming family business. 250t traditional clothbound cheese/year. 670 cows pasture based in 2 calving blocks. Founder Academy of Cheese, a certification scheme whose aim is cheese sold for value not price. Judge at various cheese competitions, including American Cheese Society and World Cheese Awards

Food & Farming Expert

MEL SQUIRES MBE, FRAgS

Food Writer

MITZIE WILSON

Launch editor of BBC Good Food and Delicious magazines; now freelancing as a food writer, food stylist and baker of wonderful cakes.

As a young girl, Mitzie pored over every recipe book and cookery feature in magazines and spent her childhood growing up in Devon making scones and cakes for tea, picking wild fruit for making jams and home made wines and making chutneys from her Dad’s garden produce.

Since then she has been writing receipes for the cookery pages of just about every woman’s magazine.  Her career highlights include launching BBC Good Food magazine and editing it for 9 years, and then launching Delicious magazine in 2003 which she edited for 3 years.

Her passion has always been creating delicious cakes and bakes and food styling for beautiful food photography and as a result has tried every cookery gadget you can imagine (most of which have been confined to the bin!), but there are some essential tools she could not live without.

Food Writer

ORLANDO MURRIN

“I’ve been to dozens and dozens of food festivals, on islands, up mountains, underwater (I made that last one up) but there is none as delightful and picturesque as Dartmouth. The harbour setting – stalls draped along the waterfront – is beautiful and unusual, and gives the festival a unique atmosphere. I also think it is the friendliest festival, with festival goers in a really good mood”

Orlando Murrin is a highly experienced food writer and editor, based in Exeter. 

Orlando Murrin has worked in practically every area of food – as editor, writer, chef and teacher. His latest books – Two’s Company and Two’s Company Simple – are focused on cooking for two. In early 2024 his first crime novel will be published – with a culinary twist.

academic

PROF TIM SPECTOR OBE

Drinks Expert

REBECCA MITCHELL

Rebecca Mitchell is an inspiring wine professional, competition judge, drinks consultant, copywriter, and educator with over 25 years experience in the wine trade. She is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a certified educator for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Rebecca’s wine career began at Bordeaux University and her first job was Cellar Door Host for Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. She then worked in wine tourism, taking clients to award-winning wine estates across Europe and the New World, before becoming a Drinks Consultant for independent hotels and restaurants in the South West.

Since 2011, Rebecca is a WSET Certified Educator teaching wine and spirits qualifications to enthusiasts and professionals working in hospitality and those wishing to pursue a career in the wine trade.

Rebecca previously worked as Head Sommelier at 2* Michelin starred Gidleigh Park Hotel on Dartmoor, managing one of the UK’s most extensive wine cellars.

Rebecca is a Wine Judge and Panel Chair for international wine competitions including the IWSC, IWC and Wine GB. She specialises in cool climate wines and is an ambassador for English wine producers and avid supporter of sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture.

As a member of the Association of Wine Educators, Rebecca tutors the Chefs Academy’s Culinary Diploma students at Ashburton Cookery School and is a wine educator for the South West Wine School in Devon.

Rebecca has written drinks columns for Devon Life magazine, writing about wines, beers, ciders, spirits, and soft-drinks. She also writes tasting descriptions for award-winning English wine producers.

She enjoys hosting tasting events for private and corporate groups plus drinks seminars at food and drinks festivals, including the Dartmouth Food Festival.

Rebecca is an ambassador for Fifth Sense, a charity which supports people affected by smell and taste disorders.

food writer & Chef

SAM BILTON

Food historian, writer and cook Sam Bilton has been intrigued by spices most of her life. Her first book on the history of gingerbread won a World Gourmand Cookbook award in 2021. She is a frequent contributor to national magazines, food festivals, television and radio. Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron is Sam’s second book.

Drinks expert

SAMI GHOSN

Sami Ghosn is truly a renaissance man. He has created Massaya, an admired international wine and arak brand, from the wreckage of his family’s estate in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. Since returningfrom the US in1992after civil war devastation, he and his brother Ramzi have built a winery in the Beqaa and a fabulous wine resort in Mount Lebanon at Faqra. Sami travels widely to promote Massaya and is an exceptional example of Lebanon’s renowned habit of producing brilliant entrepreneurs. Looking back at his family’s legacy, the struggles in the Middle East, the pride in his home land, wine has a very special meaning to Sami: “A glass of wine from Lebanon is more than an alcoholic beverage. It is a message of civilization, tolerance, and identity.”

Food Writer

SHANE HOLLAND

Shane Holland is Executive Chairman of Slow Food in the UK, the leading Food NGO which campaigns for Good, Clean & Fair food all. 

Shane is also Ambassador for Venner, a charity which seeks to improve the diet and life chances of the poorest in society, a  trustee of London’s iconic Borough Market, and a trustee at United St Saviours, a charity which runs best in class Almshouses and gives grants to the community of more than £1 Million a year.  Within the third sector his work has specialised in regards to our most vulnerable citizens, their issues of food poverty & food skills, education, offending, and access to service.

He frequently sits on expert panels, guest lectures at a number of universities, is a TED speaker, and carries out dozens of speaking engagements a year – particularly about the right for good food for all. He is a well-known bonviveur and after dinner speaker, and returns to Dartmouth each year often to be found hosting tasting events.

Chef

STEPHANE DELOURME

STEIN Group Head Chef

Stephane spent his childhood between Brittany and Paris and developed a love for cooking at a young age inspired by his uncle’s travels around the world, returning with new dishes and stories from his adventures.

He started an apprenticeship at the age of 16 at two Michelin starred Sully D’ Auteuil, before moving on to Le Vieux Berlin which specialised in game. His keen interest to learn a new language led him to England in 1989 where he worked in London’s Roof Restaurant at the Hilton on Park Lane. Stephane was also instrumental in the opening of some of London’s most distinguished restaurants, working alongside leading chefs of the time including Michael Croft at Mirabelle and Martin Webb at Quaglino’s.

In 1994, Stephane returned to France where he worked at Michelin-starred restaurant Prunier in Paris for two years. His career has taken him around the globe on the world’s most famous cruise liner, the QE2, as well as to Dublin where he worked with Patrick Guilbaud in his self-named two Michelin-starred restaurant.

After years of travelling around the world, Stephane and his wife made the decision to move to Cornwall to settle down. After just 6 months working with Rick Stein, Stephane was promoted to head chef at The Seafood Restaurant where he remained for over 20 years. Working closely with Rick, he helped to develop new menus and lead the restaurant team.

In 2019, Stephane took on a new role in the business as Group Chef. In which, he shares his skills and knowledge across our kitchen teams as well as hosting dinners in our restaurants.

His passion for cooking is shared with a love of the fresh Cornish produce that is available to him in this part of the South West, as well as great local suppliers.

When not in the kitchen, he can be found travelling the world, watching Rugby and relaxing in St. Issey with his wife and three daughters.

Drinks Expert & Food Writer

STEPHEN BARRETT

Stephen Barrett is an Experienced Wine Educator based in Plymouth. Stephen can organise Wine Tastings & Events for Private, Businesses and Charities alike.

As a long time member of the Circle of Wines Writers and the Association of Wines Educators, Stephen relishes the opportunity to deliver wine tastings and deliver wine events nationwide.

He is also a member of the South West Wine School plus a consummate food and wine writer.

Please find his work on social media via @bistrowineman

Drinks Expert & Food Writer

SUSY ATKINS

‘I live in Devon and I love going to Dartmouth Food Festival. I have volunteered to host wine tastings at it for many years now and really enjoy it. The South West is great at promoting its best produce and I am especially keen to help promote its excellent drinks as well as show wines from other parts of the world.

Susy began her career as a young wine writer in the early 1990s at WINE magazine. She left in 1994 to spend five weeks in South Australia during the harvest, working as a ‘cellar hand ‘at wineries in the Barossa Valley. On her return, she began working for the Consumers’ Association, editing Which? Wine Monthly, which evolved into wine reports for the main Which? magazine. She became co-editor of the Which? Wine Guide in 1997 and worked on seven editions of the guide. Susy now writes a regular weekly column for the Telegraph online www.telegraph.co.uk and is the drinks editor of delicious magazine. Her books include Wine Wisdom, How To Choose Wine, Wine Made Easy and the best-selling, fun pocket-book Girls’ Guide to Wine. She has won both the Glenfiddich Food & Drink award and the Prix du Champagne Lanson wine writing award for her books.

In 2014 she won a prestigious Champagne Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Award for best short wine column for her work in Stella magazine and in 2016 she was awarded Rioja Communicator of the Year at the 2nd annual Rioja Recognises awards in London.

Susy is familiar to many wine & food lovers as a regular wine expert and presenter for over 12 years on BBC1’s flag-ship cookery show Saturday Kitchen. Before that, she was a resident wine expert on Channel 4’s Richard & Judy and has appeared on numerous BBC Radio programmes.

Regenerative Farmer

TIM WILLIAMS

Tim has over 20 years’ experience within farming and associated systems – dairy, arable, deer, sheep & beef; both growing and processing; conventional and organic; large scale and small. This mass of experience has allowed the development of a wide range of experiential and theoretical knowledge, a key strength of Tim’s being his deep understanding of regenerative and low-input farming practices that work closely with natural systems and place soil health at the core.

Drinks expert

TOMMY GRIMSHAW

Tommy Grimshaw Head Winemaker at Langham Wine Estate and judge for the Independent English Wine Awards.

Tommy is a young passionate advocate for English wines. He will guide you through the Langham Estate’s delicious sparkling wines whilst giving an insight into the growth of English wine across the country. Where it has come from, what the future holds, the production methods and what makes the UK such an exciting wine region. We are so fortunate to be able listen to and learn from the Head winemaker of this award-winning Estate.

Drinks Expert

WILL LYONS

Will Lyons, Wine Columnist Sunday Times

Described by The Spectator magazine as having one of the finest palate’s in Britain Will Lyons is a wine writer, author and broadcaster.For more than a decade he has published a weekly column on drinks, formerly in The Wall Street Journal and now The Sunday Times. His humorous, informed, down-to-earth writing has been recognized in both the Glenfiddich and Roederer wine writing Awards. While his entertaining podcast Wine Times was recently named ‘podcast of the year’.

Will began his career in London, where he developed a love for the classic wines of Europe working in St James’s for Justerini & Brooks and Berry Bros.& Rudd. Known for his discerning palate and accurate predictions Will is also an accomplished blind wine taster and has lectured on the art of wine appreciation at Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. A past president of the Edinburgh University Wine Society, a  Commanderie de Bordeaux, Will is Vice President of The Sunday Times Wine Club and co-host of the award-winning Wine Times podcast