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It’s not too late for entrants to sign up for a hearty helping of this year’s Delicious Drake’s Trail, and with a shorter route for 2016 it’s even more accessible for more people. The “wonderfully bonkers” food festival on the run returns on Sunday 2nd October 2016 for a third successive year, an opportunity to challenge the muscles and delight the taste buds.
This inspired and increasingly popular event showcases the amazing array of food available on our doorstep along with Dartmoor’s breath-taking scenery, and encourages people to get fit, dress-up, support the local community and have fun along the way. This year’s fancy dress theme is ‘Sporting Legends’, with participants and spectators being encouraged to come as their favourite sporting and Olympic heroes, a fitting nod to Team GB’s exceptional performance at this year’s event in Rio.
Three hundred runners (fast walkers are also welcome) are expected to take part in the gastronomic race around southwest Dartmoor, the area made famous by Sir Francis Drake. Spectators are also encouraged to join in the fun by following the trail from location to location, taking in the delicious fare and fabulous venues en route, which include Buckland Abbey, Drake Manor Inn and the Garden House, who will be serving fragrant lavender shortbread.
The Delicious Trail is slightly shorter this year at 11.5 miles, but that doesn’t mean the route is any less delectable. Starting at Tavistock College Sports Centre, trail runners are invited to sample some of the region’s mouth-watering produce as they go. Midfields Granola will be handing out samples of their popular wheat free granola to get the race off to a fitting start, along with a healthy dose of vitamins in fruit and veg form courtesy of Riverford Home Delivery. Food and drink stops along the way are being hosted by local pubs, hotels – including the Bedford Hotel serving up sparkling Breakfast Mimosas – and pop-up caterers such as Column Bakehouse, who will be offering bite sized pizza and brioche at Gem Bridge.
As running is thirsty work, there will be plenty of liquid refreshment. Tavy Ales will be handing out samples of their beers to the runners as they pass the Who’d Have Thought It at Milton Coombe, and the Royal Oak at Meavy will be providing bacon and halloumi bites along with Frobisher’s Juice and Sandford Orchards cider from their mobile moor bar on Whitchurch Down. You couldn’t have a Devon food trail without a cream tea, so Drake’s Cafe will be providing their homemade scones with award-winning Hogsbottom strawberry jam and premium Langage clotted cream.
The Moorland Garden Hotel will be hosting a local produce market at the finish line from 12 to 4pm (free entry). Triumphant runners will be greeted with a congratulatory cookie medal by Sweet Devotion. Sunday Lunch will be available from 12 until 2pm (pre-booking essential) and there will also be a hog roast and cream teas throughout the afternoon to re-fuel runners and spectators.
Proceeds from the day will be donated to CHICKS, a children's charity who provide free respite breaks to disadvantaged children from all over the UK. So far the Delicious Trails series of events has raised over £25,000 for CHICKS. Event sponsors, Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management are also big supporters of the charity, as well as lovers of all the Delicious Trails in the South West.
Jo Smith-Scott, the organiser of the Delicious Drake’s Trail, says: “Although a little shorter, this year’s route incorporates old favourites as well as some new offerings. We’ve made the trail more accessible to even more people, so we’re hoping to break our previous records in terms of number of entrants and money raised.
“Spaces are filling up fast however, so you’d better be quick to secure a place!”
Entry costs £30 and the race is open to anyone aged 18 and over. For more information about the day, and to register to take part, visit www.delicioustrails.co.uk.
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Follow Delicious Trails on facebook.com/delicioustrails and Twitter @delishtrails. For more information and images please contact Samantha Kirton and Sara Lamerton at Dart PR,sam@dartpr.co.uk, 0778 616 6556.
Notes to Editor:
About Delicious Drake’s Trail
The annual ‘food festival on the run’ was founded by Kate Treleaven in 2013, who was inspired after taking part in the Marathon du Medoc in France. Kate knew that the South West was a veritable goldmine for food lovers and wanted to bring something different and vibrant to the area; yet her aim was always to keep the delicious food and local producers at the very heart of the event. Popular sister events in the Delicious Trails series include the Delicious Dart Trail, from Totnes to Dartmouth, and the Delicious Kernow Trail in Cornwall, launched earlier this year. www.delicioustrails.co.uk.
Venues taking part
Buckland Abbey
Drake’s Cafe
Drake Manor Inn
The Bedford Hotel
The Garden House
The Moorland Garden Hotel
The Royal Oak, Meavy
Whitchurch Inn
Who’d Have Thought It, Milton Coombe
Producers taking part
Column Bakehouse
Frobishers Juices
Hoggs Bottom Preserves
Honeys Bakery
JB Preserves
Langage Farm
Midfields Granola
Norcotts Cider
Plymouth Tea
Portlebay Popcorn
Riverford Home Delivery
Sandford Orchards cider
Sharps
South Devon Chilli Farm
Sweet Devotion
Tavy Ales
The Cornish Gouda Company
The Insalting Pig