Real Life – The Extra Mile

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WIN TICKETS TO THE THREE COUNTIES FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival

The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival is the most exciting culinary event to hit Malven in…as long as we can remember. Packed with first-rate local and artisanal food products to sample, award-winning chef demos to watch and fantastic stalls to browse, this event has us clearing our diaries for Sat 29 and Sun 30 July in anticipation.

Win two free one-day tickets to the show (worth £24)

As readers and lovers of The Extra Mile, we know that you love to eat locally. You like sampling freshly-made flavours and talking to producers who really care about where their ingredients come from. At the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, this is exactly what you can expect. To give you a little helping hand on your way to the show – freeing up a few pounds to spend on the excellent foodies wares once you get in – we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away. Simply visit our Facebook or Instagram pages and Like the relevant Three Counties food and Drink Festival post, tagging in a friend, to be in with a chance to win. We’ll announce the winners on 24 July, to give you a handful of days to get organised.

What's on at the Festival

There is an embarrassment of activities to enjoy, including demos, tastings, cocktail-making, family-friendly workshops and more. There’s a Celebrity Chef Cookery Theatre, with guests including Rosemary Shrager, John Whaite, Matt Pritchard, Chris Bavin, Matt Tebbutt, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Masterchef finalist, Pookie.

To find out more, visit The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival, and set your Sat Nav for WR13 6NW now (opens Google Maps). To be in with your chance to win two free tickets, head over to our Social channels and Like and tag in a friend now. Good luck!

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The Festival line-up for foodies!

Visit the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival’s website here. Find them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Here’s their full What’s On timetable. And if you can’t wait for the competition winner to be announced – get your tickets online in advance. Have a great show everyone!

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PLACES TO EAT ON THE WAY TO GLASTONBURY

Road tripping to Glastonbury? Looking for somewhere to stop for food on your way to the mighty Glasto? If you’re in need of proper, good food ahead of a weekend of hedonistic indulgence, we’ve got you covered. These fabulous local businesses are mere minutes from some of the main road routes to the great tented music city.

Driving to Glastonbury from the north: Hartley Farm Shop

For those wending their way south of the M4 on the way to Pilton, it’s worth planning a stop at Hartley Farm Shop near Bradford-on-Avon. You can line stomachs with proper farm house breakfasts or wood-fired pizzas (depending on the time of day) and grab some car snacks for the onward journey. We’ll never stop going on about sausage rolls as a supreme car snack, and theirs are excellent. A first-rate place to stop to eat en route to Glastonbury.

Heading to Glasto off the M5: Honey and Ginger

If you’re driving the fast M5 route to Glastonbury, it’s a short swoosh off the carriageway to find Honey and Ginger. As the Extra Mile is Bristol-based, you’re in our stomping ground so we’re regulars at this fabulous shop and café. Grab yourself a frothy coffee and pastry to tide you over the rest of your journey, and if you’re a late arrival to the festival and passing on a Friday, don’t miss the doughnut specials.

Driving to Glasto from the east: Teals Farm Shop, Somerset

Driving to Glasto from London or the east? The A303 takes you most of the way from London to the Glastonbury festival site. The most direct Google maps route will take you off a little earlier to cut through Warminster, but stay on the main road a bit longer and you’ll avoid some traffic AND get to stop at the marvellous Teals Farm Shop. You can stock up on camping supplies in the cavernous food hall, have a hearty plate in the café, or cool down with a gelato ice cream.

Driving west to Glastonbury: Longstock Park Farm Shop

If you’re driving from the east to Glasto on the A303 and want to find somewhere good and local to eat on your way, a 10-minute detour can have you at the door of Longstock Park Farm Shop. Estate-harvested ingredients are whipped into delicious brunches and lunches and the cakes are second-to-none. Grab a bench in the orchard to peruse the set listings over an iced coffee before you reach festival bedlam. This is actually the farm shop of Waitrose and Partners (not a lot of people know that) so the quality is predictably high.

Driving to Glastonbury from Wales: visit Haughmond Village Store

Driving down to the festival of festivals from North Wales? Split the journey at Haughmond Village Store, Café and Bakery. As the name suggests, it’s an all-rounder. Pep yourself up with a coffee while you charge your electric car, tuck into a homemade pasty, or stash some sandwiches and supplies for later in the journey.

Driving from Wales to Glastonbury: Forage Farm Shop

Those making the pilgrimage to Glastonbury from South Wales would do well to stop at Forage Farm Shop. A celebration of Welsh food and flavours, the kitchen serves up tantalising and hearty meals (even late into the evening on summer weekends), so you can enjoy a proper feed before letting loose on the dance floors. The farm shop shelves are stocked with seasonal, natural products too, so it’s a good place to stock up the cool box.

Driving to Glasto from the South West: Sheppy's Cider Farm

Get into the Glastonbury spirit by pausing your journey at a Somerset cider farm. Sheppy’s is a well-established family cider business that has successfully branched out (pardon the pun) into hospitality. Non-drivers could sup a refreshing glass of the good stuff, while everyone will enjoy the sizzling sausages and tasty plates in the café. Stash some deli goods in your bags for some decadent festival treats later in the weekend. A classic West Country stop on your way to the West Country’s best-known event.

Food stop near Pilton: take me to The Bridge

Just half an hour away from Pilton, you’re probably at the fringe of the festival traffic here, so if the queues are getting too much pull into The Bridge Bakery and Canteen for a tasty brunch, cooling sorbet milkshake, or moreish cookies. Enjoy a moment of rest on the banks of the River Parrett before embarking on the final furlong of your Glastonbury journey. A great place to stop to eat on your way to Glastonbury

Buy The Extra Mile Guide: find better places to eat

Enjoy finding places to eat near you and near motorway junctions that are more interesting than boring big brands? Buy The Extra Mile Guide, out now and currently an Amazon No. 1 Bestseller (as at April – June 2023). It’s packed with almost 300 better places to eat where you can find local food and flavours produced, picked or made by local people, to help support the UK’s small food businesses.

Coming next from The Extra Mile team: The Coastal Café Guide

In 2024, Printslinger Publishing (the team behind The Extra Mile) will bring out a new guidebook to the best cafés and places to eat around the UK’s coastlines. Visit our new website here and follow us on FB and Insta to keep up to date with Coastal Cafés. Got a great suggestion for somewhere that would be great in this new coastal café guidebook? Email us today. Happy Glastonbury, all!

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2023 EDITION LAUNCHES 27 MARCH

LAUNCH MEDIA RELEASE:

‘The Extra Mile’ guidebook launch: avoid Motorway Services food this Easter

The new, fourth edition of The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services launches in print and online on 27 March. Designed for those who dislike motorway services food, this glovebox guidebook (with its companion website and online map) will steer you into more than 275 better places to eat across England, Scotland and Wales – all near motorway and main road junctions.

How The Extra Mile works

The Extra Mile (384pp) helps people find their perfect pit-stop by road or by region. It also helps them find and support the country’s smaller, independent food businesses. The book has:

20 full-colour maps (motorways, regions and EV chargers)
Over 275 farm shops, cosy cafés, family-friendly stops, dog-friendly pubs, attractions with restaurants, RHS and National Trust attractions and more
QR codes so readers can get directions or visit places online with ease.

Thoughts on modern car travel, from Alastair Sawday (editor)

“When travelling these days, the scenery is often of warehouses, service stations, other roads, and giant distribution centres (is that all we do – distribute other people’s stuff?). It’s dispiriting. Travellers need a break from the ugliness, somewhere to rest their battered eyes on green space. They also need to eat some delicious food.

“The 2023 edition of the much-loved guide, The Extra Mile, will bring relief and touches of delight to thousands of weary or nervous road-travellers. I founded the company a few years ago after decades as a travel-book publisher and am delighted that the longing for ‘good things’ is growing, and that we can support good people. The book is part of the food revolution, and I challenge anyone not to love the idea. (It is important to note that I no longer own Alastair Sawday Publishing, now a thriving employee-owned company. The Extra Mile is an independent publication.)”

Book launch: 30 March, Bristol
The book’s launch event runs from 6.30pm-8.30pm on 30 March 2023 at a central Bristol location. The Printslinger team will be there to say a few words, along with some speakers from the local food movement. This event is free but ticketed due to space, please contact kerry@theextramile.guide for details if you’d like to attend.

Pre-ordering and discount codes
From w/c 20 March, the book will be live to pre-order online on our website (RRP £14.99). Visit www.theextramile.guide/shop. For a discount code to share with your online audiences, contact kerry@theextramile.guide

What people are saying

“Turn travelling from ordeal to a voyage of discovery! A few extra miles can open up new vistas of enjoyment, and better health too.”
Helen Browning OBE, CEO of the Soil Foundation

“My work in food, festivals and sustainability takes me all around the country. The Extra Mile Guide works on several levels: it helps drivers find fresh and often unusual places to eat, it supports local jobs and economies, and it brings the country’s vital network of smaller food producers to more people’s attention.”
Sidharth Sharma, local food campaigner, co-founder of Shambala Festival

“Of course it’s easier to just pull into a service station, but why would you when fresh food is being grown and served at independent farm shops and cafés just around the corner? This thoughtful guide will steer you into more interesting places to eat, while supporting the country’s smaller producers.”
Natasha Astara, Tablehurst Community Farm, Best Food Producer 2022 (BBC Food and Farming Awards)

There are many wonderful (and virtuous) reasons for travelling The Extra Mile way, from experiencing lovely food, places and people to supporting a more sustainable food system. You also realise that saving time by using motorway services rarely brings any benefit at all to your day.”
Barny Haughton, Organic chef, food educator and founder of Square Food Foundation

“A brilliantly simple and clever concept, these guides are hugely helpful for anyone who cares about good food, supporting small businesses and sniffing out the good stuff. Makes a stop-off en route a destination in itself.”
Elly Curshen @ellypear, Author and Columnist

About The Extra Mile/ Printslinger Publishing
Kerry O’Neill – author of The Extra Mile edition 4 – is a Bristol-based freelancer specialising in wine, food, adventure, and travel. Following a two-year desk-bound period, hitting the road to research and write this book sounded like the best thing since non-sliced bread. O’Neill will soon oversee Printslinger’s publishing activities, in partnership with Laura Collacott (author of editions 1-3) and venue liaison and publishing co-ordinator, Eleanor Weeks-Bell. The team’s expertise covers local food, travel, publishing, marketing, sustainability and more. Printslinger is planning several new titles for 2024.

—– ENDS —-

NOTES FOR EDITORS

ABOUT THE EXTRA MILE GUIDEBOOK (EDITION 4)
The Extra Mile guidebook helps road users avoid motorway services and boring, big-brand food. It directs them to hundreds of better places to eat instead – all near motorway and main road junctions. Spend locally, support smaller food and drinks businesses and choose lower food miles, all while turning your journey into more of an adventure. Book contains illustrative motorway, regional and EV charger maps.

ABOUT THE COMPANY
The Extra Mile is from Glovebox Guides, an imprint of independent publisher, Printslinger Ltd.
Please note that while Alastair Sawday founded Printslinger Ltd., both it and The Extra Mile book are separate from Alastair Sawday Publishing (Sawday’s), which is now an employee-owned organisation.

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WHERE TO HIRE A CAMPERVAN

Looking to make a proper road-trip of it? You’re going to need a campervan. Like Airbnb, a number of companies now offer campervan hire direct from owners, so you can rent a home-on-wheels no matter where you are in the country.

Camplify

A platform for renting recreational vehicles, with a range of sizes and styles. Van owners are all personally verified by the team and RAC cover means you don’t need to worry about breaking down. Some owners will even deliver the van to your holiday destination.

Paul Camper

Home to more than 1,000 private campers, you can take your pick on Paul Camper. Although the sharing website was born in Berlin, it’s spread to the UK and has a range of vans across the country. Handovers are in person so you can visit it and take it for a test drive before finalising the booking.

Quirky Campers

Specialists in hiring out bespoke campervans, Quirky Campers rents out a range of beautifully designed motors so you can live out your #vanlife dreams, if only for a little while. The company prides itself on sustainable credentials so expect vans fitted out with masterfully reclaimed materials (see picture below from Quirky Campers), as well as carbon offsetting for your driving miles.

Go Boony

Boonies are a New Zealand term for beautiful, untouched places, so Go Boony is a nod to where the founders of Go Boony met – on a campervan trip, naturally. They claim to have the largest fleet in the UK, with pet and bike friendly options easy to find.

Suitably inspired to hit the road? Find perfect pitstops and idyllic farm shops at which to shop and stock up, in The Extra Mile guidebook – friend of campervan gloveboxes everywhere – or by using the online Venue Finder.

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WHY LOCAL FOOD MATTERS

At the Extra Mile, we’re firm proponents of local food. We crow about it at every opportunity. You’ll see it plastered throughout the book. But why?

Industrial scale farming and huge supermarket supply chains have served us well in feeding the growing population, but it has come at a cost. The quest for cheaper food has meant the increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, energy, land and water. As a result, our global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss and a major driver of climate change, accounting for around 30% of total human-produced emissions.

Local food is the antithesis of this form of production. It’s produce grown within a short distance of where it’s consumed (although there’s no formal legal definition). Here are some of the benefits.

Buying locally grown food encourages small scale, nature-sensitive farming…

…and shifts away from harmful industrial monocropping. The impact on bees is just one well-documented example of the harm monocropping can wreak on nature. By contrast, farming in harmony with the local microclimate can have a restorative effect on the soils and wildlife.

It supports local farming businesses and gives back to the community

Money spent with growers and neighbouring cafes and restaurants keeps money close to home, instead of going to faceless national businesses. That develops agriculture and hospitality in the area and keeps communities and economies thriving. The New Economics Foundation estimated that for every £1 spent in the local food network, £3.70 is generated in social, economic and environmental value. Food festivals (such as the eatFestival shown in the two images below) are a great way to discover some of your very local producers.

It has lower food miles

In the UK we import around half of our food. Buying local means crops don’t have far to go once they’ve been harvested. Without the need to drive crops long distances between where they’re grown and consumed, the carbon footprint shrinks, reducing the impact of your lunch.

It’s tastier and more nutritious

Crops can only be grown in accordance with the prevailing weather, which means local food is largely seasonal. Produce that ripens or matures naturally is served fresh, which means it’s tastier and more nutritious than food that is picked early (or out of season) and ripened artificially on its journey to shops.

If shopping locally, choosing food that hasn’t travelled far, and supporting smaller-scale and often independent food businesses is what gets you out of bed of a morning, dip into The Extra Mile. The guidebook is packed with small local cafés and offers viable alternatives to monotonous, motorway service station food, and disappointing forecourt food. Browse our Venue Finder here or buy the most up-to-date version of the guidebook for your own glovebox or that of a friend today at The Extra Mile’s online bookshop.

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MEET THE OWNERS: WRIGHT’S FOOD

Simon Wright and Maryann (c) Wrights Food Emporium

We asked Simon and Maryann at the wonderfully named Wright’s Food Emporium (find them here on The Extra Mile venue finder), to tell us where the idea for their business came from, and what keeps them going. Here’s what they said…

“Wright’s came from an idea to open a ‘village’ shop with a small cafe serving good coffee, sandwiches, cake. The name is our surname and Emporium seemed the right word: place of trade.

We started in a different location but after a year this didn’t work out and we were a bit stumped about where to go next. We came to look at the building in Llanarthne which was huge, filthy and very dilapidated but did have some lovely features like the floors and windows. We saw the potential and, with the help of a few good friends, were able to get the funding together to buy it. It had a good feeling about it and having historically been a coaching inn, felt welcoming.

Some people thought we were crazy as it’s very rural but luckily it has worked out and become a destination of its own for many people.

We wanted to use local produce as much as possible and cook as much as we could from scratch; bread first thing in the morning, cakes daily, soups, stews, pies and so on. We use local meat, vegetables and cheeses and try to keep everything seasonal.

I have been working in hospitality for the past 30 years running restaurants locally and coming from a family with an interest in food and farming.

We use local suppliers for as much as possible and are happy to try anything new and local, luckily for us suppliers seek us out. During the pandemic rather than closing as was the norm we stayed open to supply our local customers and support our suppliers who were losing most of their markets and customers, creating a click-and-collect service which proved very popular.

We use recyclable and compostable packaging as much as possible; we supply pies etc in enamel dishes which customers return for us to reuse; and we use a wood pellet boiler and stove for most of our heating and hot water needs. 

I enjoy working with our loyal staff and having such great customers, many of whom have followed us from business to business over the last 30 years. Hearing positive comments about our food, shop and ambience is very rewarding.

Costs are rising at a frightening speed and increased energy costs are now hitting us so we fear that the next year is going to be very challenging .

We take pride in being welcoming to all at Wright’s and are happy that our customers feel part of our business. You can call in just for a coffee or a loaf of bread or stay for hours chatting to friends and enjoying the hospitality. We only sell food we enjoy ourselves: wine and spirits from suppliers we admire; pottery and crafts from local makers as much as we can; homewares we find useful; and ingredients from Italy and Spain we can’t live without. We are happy to stop for a chat and give advice when required on food or anything else we can help with .

Ideal road trip? Driving through a rural area of Wales, Scotland or France, as we did in September up in the mountains of the Ardêche. It was so beautiful, quiet and peaceful. Time away is very precious when you are in the hospitality trade.

My ideal car snack is definitely a packet of crisps, ideally olive oil and salted !”

Thank you Simon and Maryann for sharing your Meet the Owners story with us here at The Extra Mile, we’re thrilled to feature your friendly stop-off point in our guide.

If you’re keen to support the hard-working foodie hubs that are at the heart of their local communities, use our Venue Finder to seek out great stops on your next trip or buy the most up-to-date edition of the guidebook here. The new edition will be out in spring 2023, and we can’t wait to see Wright’s in amongst our fabulously foodie pages.

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CATCH THE UK’S BEST AUTUMN COLOURS

Are you a leaf peeper?

Europe is beginning to catch on to the North American hobby of leaf peeping, a term used to describe trips dedicated to the seeking out of blazing autumnal colours. The Japanese call it momijigari which means maple viewing, more specifically, but the quest for colourful leaves is the same. Who hasn’t gaped in wonder at the golds and russet reds of the UK’s woodlands as the seasons change? What better reason for an autumnal exploration? Here are some of the UK’s best leaf peeping spots.

Gibside, Tyne and Wear Designed for its stunning views and now a National Trust property, Gibside (pictured above), at the edge of the Derwent Valley near Gateshead, is heaven for leaf chasers with 720-acres of beckoning woodland. Download one of four walking routes through the landscaped parkland to maximise your stop. (Image (c) National Trust)

Wintour’s Leap, Gloucestershire

Enjoy the sylvan colours of the Forest of Dean blazing around the horse-shoe sweep of the river Wye from the unique vantage point of Wintour’s Leap, just to the north of Chepstow (pictured below). It’s also a popular climbing spot, if any adventurers have their ropes and harness in the boot. Visit Dean Wye has lots of great ideas for activities in and around the region. (Image (c) Visit Dean Wye.)

Llanwrst, Wales
Is there a more iconic image of autumn in Wales than the Tu Hwnt I’r Bont tea room (pictured below)? We don’t think so. Make this Virginia-creeper clad cottage part of your autumn road trip to see it in its full, fiery glory.

(Image (c) Tu Hwnt I’r Bont.)

Glen Affric, Scotland

Sometimes touted as Scotland’s most beautiful glen (though it’s a hard-fought crown), Glen Affric’s woodland and moorland come alive in autumn as the leaves change colour. With a 10-mile circular walking circuit, prepare to enjoy them from every angle.

(Image (c) Visit Scotland.)

Stourhead, Wiltshire
Famous for its spectacular hues in autumn, the National Trust’s Stourhead property is decadent in its autumn splendour (pictured below). Enjoy this quintessential view across the lake towards the Pantheon to see the colours in reflected glory.
(Image (c) National Trust)

The Extra Mile glovebox guidebook brims with excellent eating choices, designed to take motorists just off the main roads and into the lovely communities and locally run foodie businesses hidden around each corner. This autumn, escape the monotony of the Services and the bland forecourt food at A road garages around the country. Use The Extra Mile book or online map to eat more memorably. To buy a copy for yourself, or as a gift for a favourite, frequent-travelling friend, visit our online shop today.

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EAT:FESTIVALS – TRULY LOCAL FOOD

Man from Ginger Beard Pickles and Preserves holding a jar of pickle

eat:Festivals are renowned across the South West not just for the excellence of their festivals and traders selection, but for their award-winning efforts to produce a sustainably run festival. We talk to festival co-founder, Beverley Milner-Simonds, about the importance of shopping locally, eating local foods and supporting local businesses.

Q) You run a series of award-winning local food festivals across the West Country. What does local mean to you, and why is it so important that you only feature very local traders at each event?

A) We’re all from somewhere, and making where you live work and play a better place seems the right thing to do. Focusing on local producers allows us to keep that money in the local community and introduce people to producers they can buy from easily time and time again.

Q) If people are used to buying big brand products, what do you think are the key things they’ll notice if they start to shop at smaller local places, or to buy locally made, hand-crafted food from local producers (and why does it matter)?

A) Buying from small local producers allows you to get the story behind the product. To understand how it was grown, made and ultimately brought to life for you. Understanding where your food comes from, meeting the maker, and having a great time is the underlying ethos to eat:Festivals.

Q) Why is it important to support local producers and do you have any specific examples of a business that suffered then bounced back or had to innovate or diversify as a result of the huge challenges of recent years?

A) Being able to help micro and small businesses thrive really gets us out of bed in the morning with a big smile on our faces. Watching fledging businesses grow, become employers, develop new products and get stocked locally is incredibly rewarding. Take for example Nutts Scotch eggs. They relied heavily on face-to-face sales, pre-pandemic. Now, they also focus on their online sales, supported by some of their previous direct sales to customers, and have developed their kitchen space ready to supply bigger customers wholesale in this post-pandemic world. They’ve seen a big switch in their business balance; having more regular wholesale customers now enables them to have a steadier income and to employ two more members of staff.

Q) You’ve won multiple awards for your green, planet-first ethos. What environmental, green or ‘local’ related award are you most proud of and why, and do you have any nuggets of advice for small food businesses who want to minimise their impact as they grow?

A) We are very proud of how we run our business. Sustainability for us has six key parts. Transport, energy use, water use, food, waste and impact in the community. The events industry has been a very wasteful sector over the years, with temporary structures erected and scrapped after the event. We were recognised at the Tourism Excellence Awards South West in 2019 for our responsible, ethical and sustainable approach to tourism. We have proved that you can run events differently. At a festival, you have an opportunity to engage with people in a different way. You can prompt behaviour change by encouraging people to walk, cycle or scoot to your event, or mandating no single-use plastic (which met with no resistance whatsoever from any of our producers). You can encourage people to switch to fully compostable materials, or to those that can be recycled at home for those who are taking purchases away with them. Our top tip for small food businesses starting out is to look at the different aspects of their production along those six areas we highlighted. Transport, energy use, water use, food, waste and impact in the community.

Q) Where might your traders’ products be stocked, locally and in the region? Will you find any of them at motorway services?

A) We get such a buzz when we spot one of our producers being stocked locally, regionally and in some cases nationally. You’ll find our producers at your local farm shops and sometimes even at farm gate sales too. But you’ll also spot them on the menus at independent restaurants and cafes and bistros and at some petrol stations and forecourts, especially businesses like Touts, based in North Somerset.

Q) The Extra Mile book exists to help people find good local food in lovely surroundings just off motorway and main road junctions, to stop them having to go to the Services. Can you name a few of your own favourites (here is the Extra Mile map if that helps)?

A) Top tips off the Motorway? Well, obviously Gloucester Services for anyone heading up and down the M5 in the West Country. We also love Pyne’s of Somerset, just south of Bridgwater. Brockley Stores on the A370 in North Somerset, OMG, it’s worth the detour, let’s face it, such incredible stuff in there! If you’re heading further south on the M5, then Darts Farm is a really good food hub, with lots of amazing producers stocked there. And if you’re looking for a cracking cup of coffee, we’d love you to turn off at Wellington and go and explore Brazier, a coffee roaster based in Wellington with a lovely back story.

Q) Will you use The Extra Mile Guide – Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services?

A) Being able to get to the root of where your food and drink comes from, to meet the maker and to hear the story behind the product, is a really nourishing way to eat. The Extra Mile enables you to discover great local food and drink on your travels so we think it’s a great idea!

eat:Festivals are a great free day out. You’ll find them in 17 town and city centres across the South West, showcasing the very best of local food and drink from within 30 miles of the town. In addition to the truly incredible food and drink on offer, each festival offers free entertainment, education, sometimes free bike mechanic sessions and a whole heap of foodie fun.

Visit eat:Festivals on Facebook and their website for more details on upcoming events and how to join as a local trader.

To buy The Extra Mile Guide (from Glovebox Guides) visit our Shop now. The fourth edition is underway and will be out in spring 2023. Contact us now if interested in joining its collection of memorable local places to eat, drink and rest.

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IT’S A HARD JOB, BUT…

Laura Collacott, writer of the first three editions of The Extra Mile, is back on the road in June 2022. She’ll be making a cameo appearance in the new edition of the book (due out in spring 2023), as she’s seeking out memorable new venues in the North East for the fourth edition of our essential glovebox guide to good food on the move. Laura found a moment to reveal the reality of life on the road. It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it after all…

View of the North York Moors — Laura’s view over the North York Moors this week

“Ah, the joy of being a food writer. We know what you’re thinking. Meandering from café to farm shop, chatting idly to the good people behind them, languorously tucking in to gargantuan sandwiches, feasting on slabs of cake and scratching farm pigs behind the ear. Gently fattening.

If only.

In truth, finding the good cakes and best breakfasts involves a lot more legwork. It starts with poring over maps and trawling the internet for places that look promising, followed by long days on the road zipping from place to place and diverting to follow tip-offs from locals or the glimpse of a promising signboard. Many of the places we visit don’t make the cut for various reasons – too greasy, too bland, too unfriendly; simply not special enough.

But for those that are – special enough – those that we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to a friend, we set to work. We speak to the owners to find out why they set it up, and their food ethos; to staff to find out how it runs and where the ingredients come from. We talk to customers to find out what they like best about the place and what their favourite dishes are. We explore the shelves and inspect the menu, tasting mouthfuls where we can and taking extensive notes. Then we’re off again, on the hunt for the next.

Far from eating cream teas in every stop (we’d be the size of houses if we did), this is a life of hastily eaten pastries and scotch eggs on the hoof. A life of broken snatches of Radio Four shows and disgraceful crumb- and paper-strewn cars.

Sometimes there are long, dispiriting stretches where nowhere fits the bill. But when you do stumble across a fantastic place, where the welcome is all wide smiles and the owners are foodies who can name the farmers who supply the eggs and salad leaves…it makes the empty miles melt away.

And then there are the views. The sweeping, moorland vistas or emerald hilltops that you just can’t see from the motorway. The countryside traffic jams caused by a string of ducklings crossing the road and the little-known towns that surprise you with their vibrance. That’s when we’re sure it really is worth going the extra mile.”

Order The Extra Mile book now

The updated third edition of The Extra Mile is being prepared for print now and will be back in the shops around mid to late July 2022. We’re updating everyone’s opening hours so that you don’t turn up for a slap up feed when a cafe is closed, and we’ve removed those places that are no longer open. Order from our Shop today and your book will arrive and may even still be hot – or at the very least a little bit lukewarm – off the actual press. If you order it elsewhere online, it will likely be people’s older stock of the 2019 edition so our top tip to ensure you get the 2022 reprint with up-to-date intel is, buy directly from us.

NEW edition coming in 2023

Laura and our other similarly discerning roving reporters are on the road in 2022, seeking out more great finds to feature in the fourth, spring 2023 edition of the book. Subscribe to our newsletter (scroll down the homepage to enter your email) and keep an eye on our social media channels for news of its release. Don’t forget to let us know if you discover any terrific eateries while on your travels this year. We’d love to feature their local characters and flavours in our new collection of independent cafes, pubs, restaurants, farm shops, ice-cream parlours and attractions across the land.