The Extra Mile – The Extra Mile

Posted on 07/10/202507/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

Celebrate British Food Fortnight

Farmers with a cart load of British farm food for British Food Fortnight

The best in home-grown British food

Every autumn, British Food Fortnight shines a well-deserved spotlight on the incredible bounty grown, reared, and produced across the UK. It’s a joyful two weeks of celebrating home-grown food, supporting British farmers, and reconnecting with the land that sustains us. For anyone passionate about sustainability, low-food-miles produce and discovering local flavours, this is the perfect time to explore your nearest farm shop, taste the best of British, and buy food that truly supports our countryside.

If you’ve ever wanted to eat more seasonally, reduce your carbon footprint, and enjoy fresher, more flavourful ingredients, British Food Fortnight is your invitation to do just that.

What is British Food Fortnight?

British Food Fortnight is the nation’s biggest celebration of British produce, organised by Love British Food. It typically runs for two weeks in late September and early October, coinciding with harvest season: a fitting moment to celebrate the richness of the British countryside.

Now running for over 20 years, the event brings together farmers, food producers, farm shops, restaurants, schools, and communities to champion home-grown food. The idea is simple: to remind us all of the value of buying British. This is not only for taste and freshness but also for the health of our planet and our rural economies.

At its heart, the campaign encourages people to choose local: to seek out British ingredients in shops, to dine at restaurants that source from nearby farms, and to support producers who care deeply about the land.

Where it’s happening

The beauty of British Food Fortnight is that it happens everywhere, from small rural villages to bustling cities. You’ll find events in farm shops, markets, pubs, and schools across the country. Many local councils and community groups get involved too, hosting food festivals, tasting sessions, cookery demos, and farm tours.

Farm shops are often at the centre of the celebration. Many places host tastings of seasonal produce, cheese and cider pairings, pick-your-own fruit days, and family-friendly events that showcase the stories behind local food.

You can find participating businesses on the Love British Food website or simply ask your local farm shop if they’re taking part. (Chances are, they’ll be delighted to tell you all about their latest harvest!)

Why buy British?

Choosing British food isn’t just patriotic. It’s practical, sustainable, and delicious (as the 150+ places in our own The Farm Shop Guide will attest!).

Here’s why buying British matters:

Fewer food miles: Home-grown food travels shorter distances meaning it’s fresher, tastier, and has a smaller carbon footprint.
Support for local farms: Every pound spent at a farm shop or local market goes back into the community, helping family-run farms thrive and keeping rural communities alive.
Better animal welfare: British farmers are recognised for maintaining some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.
Seasonal eating: Buying British means eating with the seasons — crisp apples in autumn, plump asparagus in spring, and juicy strawberries in summer.
A stronger rural economy: Supporting British producers keeps the countryside alive and working, preserving traditional skills and landscapes.

It’s a simple equation: buying British food sustains British farms.

How to get involved

There are so many easy, rewarding ways to take part in British Food Fortnight:

Visit your local farm shop: Discover fresh produce straight from nearby fields. Many farm shops offer local cheeses, chutneys, breads, and meats you won’t find in supermarkets.
Cook a British meal: Plan a dinner around seasonal British ingredients. Think roast root vegetables, local lamb, or apple crumble with fruit from a nearby orchard.
Join an event: Look out for community feasts, farmers’ markets or open farm days near you.
Share on social media: Tag your finds with #LoveBritishFood or #BuyBritish and help spread the message.
Give the gift of local food: A hamper of farm shop favourites makes the perfect present for food lovers.

Discover more with The Farm Shop Guide

If British Food Fortnight leaves you hungry for more, The Farm Shop Guide is your ultimate companion. This beautifully crafted book from Extra Mile Books showcases the best farm-to-fork destinations across the UK, from hidden rural gems to coastal farm shops and market cafés.

Every entry celebrates the people behind the produce (the farmers, bakers, butchers, and growers) who are all committed to sustainability and high-quality, low-food-miles food. Whether you’re planning a countryside trip or simply looking for a more ethical way to shop, The Farm Shop Guide helps you discover where your food really comes from.

It’s not just a directory; it’s an invitation to live more locally, gently, and deliciously.

A celebration that lasts all year

While British Food Fortnight may officially last two weeks, its spirit can carry on throughout the year. Every time you buy from a local farm shop, choose British butter over imported brands, or visit a pick-your-own orchard, you’re celebrating what makes our countryside so special.

Supporting British farmers is about more than food. It’s about community, sustainability, and a shared respect for the land. So this British Food Fortnight, go the extra mile: discover your nearest farm shop, fill your basket with local goodness, and take a bite of Britain at its best.

Posted on 05/08/202505/08/2025 by The Extra Mile

Coastal Paths in Britain: where to start?

10 coastal paths around the country

Many of your journeys around and across Britain are to visit the coast, from Cornwall to Caithness. Read on to discover ten of our island’s finest coastal paths and walks: perhaps you might then be the one to write the next coast-path bestseller… If you discover any must-see cafés on your adventures, do let us know for the next edition of our Coastal Café Guide.

1. South West Coast Path (England)

Length: 630 miles
Route: Minehead (Somerset) to Poole Harbour (Dorset)
Highlights: England’s longest National Trail, offering dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, and charming fishing villages.
Recommended guidebook: Walking the South West Coast Path by Paddy Dillon (Cicerone Press)

2. Pembrokeshire Coast Path (Wales)

Length: 186 miles
Route: St Dogmaels to Amroth
Highlights: Traverses the UK’s only coastal national park, featuring rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and diverse wildlife.
Get started: The Pembrokeshire Coast Path by Dennis Kelsall (Cicerone Press)

3. Causeway Coast Way (Northern Ireland)

Length: 33 miles
Route: Portstewart to Ballycastle
Highlights: Showcases the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway, dramatic cliffs, and historic castles.
A classic guidebook: Causeway Coast Way by Eoin Reilly (Rucksack Readers)

4. Fife Coastal Path (Scotland)

Length: 117 miles
Route: Kincardine to Newburgh
Highlights: Passes through picturesque fishing villages, sandy beaches, and historic sites.
A guidebook to consider: Fife Coastal Path by Sandra Bardwell and Jacquetta Megarry (Rucksack Readers)

5. Norfolk Coast Path (England)

Length: 84 miles
Route: Hunstanton to Hopton-on-Sea
Highlights: Features expansive beaches, salt marshes, and nature reserves.
For inspiration, see: Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path by Bruce Robinson (Cicerone Press)

6. Arran Coastal Way (Scotland)

Length: 65 miles
Route: Circular route around the Isle of Arran
Highlights: Encircles the Isle of Arran, offering diverse landscapes from rugged cliffs to sandy shores.
A guidebook to consider: Arran Coastal Way by Jacquetta Megarry (Rucksack Readers)

7. Ceredigion Coast Path (Wales)

Length: 65 miles
Route: Cardigan to Ynyslas
Highlights: Offers stunning views of Cardigan Bay, opportunities to spot dolphins, and access to quaint coastal towns.
Get a flavour: Walking the Ceredigion Coast Path by Liz Allan (Kittiwake Books)

8. Gower and Swansea Bay Coast Path (Wales)

Length: 97 miles
Route: Loughor to Kenfig Dunes
Highlights: Traverses the Gower Peninsula, the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, featuring dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, and rich biodiversity.
Have a peek into: Official Guide: Carmarthen Bay & Gower (Wales Coast Path)

9. South Wales Coast and Severn Estuary Coastal Path (Wales)

Length: 109 miles
Route: Kenfig to Chepstow
Highlights: Offers varied landscapes, from industrial heritage sites to natural reserves, and connects with the Offa’s Dyke Path at Chepstow.
Find inspiration: Top 10 Walks: Wales Coast Path – South Wales Coast (The Trails Shop)

10.Tarka Trail (England)

Length: 180 miles (figure-of-eight route)
Route: Barnstaple to Meeth and back via various towns
Highlights: Inspired by the novel Tarka the Otter, this trail combines coastal and inland paths, offering diverse scenery and wildlife.
A walking, cycling, wheeling guide: The Tarka Trail Guide, by tarkatrailguide.co.uk.

Choose your path and walk it well

You could spend a lifetime walking the coasts of Great Britain, though for many the reality is the odd week and some memorable long weekends here and there. Wherever you go and however you get there, do keep your palate peeled for lovely new cafés that pop up at the roadsides you pass and the coast paths you cover, and let us know for the next editions of our café and local food guides.

Check out our three best-selling foodie guidebooks below, with The Coastal Café Guide perhaps being the best suited to fuelling your fun around the edges of our island this year. Good luck, happy trails, and bon appetit.

Posted on 26/06/202526/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

English Wineries to Visit in English Wine Week

Self-guided wine tour image from Langham Wine Estate

A high-quality quartet of wineries across England

Celebrate English Wine Week with a visit to your closest winery (easier if you live in the southern half of the island but not impossible if you live towards the north!). Whether you’re a seasoned wine lover or simply looking for unique day-out ideas, English Wine Week is the perfect time to discover the vineyards, cellar doors, and farm shops championing English wine.

Featuring many award-winning locations, The Extra Mile Guide is your trusted companion for finding independent food and drink stops just off your beaten track. If you’re searching for English Wine Week inspiration, our guidebook has a few local numbers and artisan vineyards up its sleeve, alongside family-run delis, and off-motorway pit-stops where you can sip and savour your way through the week.

It’s going to be another long hot weekend: pen in your visits, tours and tastings now and stay cool in the sunshine.

1. Heron Farm Vineyard, Honiton, Devon

There’s so much to say about Heron Farm Vineyard that we almost need to drop the little joining words altogether and just line all the award-winning nouns and wines up, end-to-end.

Magic happens in this Grand Designs building encircled by acres of working farm. It’s not all about the accolade-soaked wines, either, though the Solaris and Pinot Noir grapes thrive in their Devon soil. The farm and gift shop is lovely and the vineyard café excels with fresh kitchen-garden-to-table dishes, from curried pollock to cauliflower steak, often garnished with bright flowers. Sheep wander, the walled gardens delight and a Vineyard Walk weaves through the orchard, Fairy Gardens and some of the 3,000 vines.

First-time visitors (drawn by the added bonus of several EV chargers) often return with time on their hands and room in their boots for local gin and rum as well as vino. Plan your own first trip, tour or tasting and explore the pretty market town of Honiton afterwards.

Website for Heron Farm here.

2. Darts Farm, Topsham, nr Exeter

Darts Farm, on the Exe estuary, is a vibrant farming, shopping and eating hub. Links to the soil are strong with the family’s Ruby Red Devon cattle grazing on the river banks nearby. Reconnect with nature by visiting the animals, following the farm walk or spotting wildlife from the wetlands bird hide.

A highlight of a visit to Darts Farm is their Pebblebed Vineyards; head online to learn about their tours and tasting which run throughout summer until September (generally Thursdays and Saturdays, check and book ahead).

Darts’ food hall brims with locally reared, caught or made goodies: seasonal produce from the farm and vineyard, deli goods like British farmhouse cheese and West Country essentials from the region’s food and drink artisans. The butchery is the quiet star of this show (though the bean-to-bar chocolate and homemade gelato of in-house chocolatier, Cow & Cacao, is catching up).

Follow the fresh-ground coffee aroma to the eateries, whose indoor and outdoor tables maximise the views. Expect Devon cream teas and delicious meals, from pan-fried sea bass to charcuterie platters. The Farm Table works its magic over the flames, The Fish Shed does great fish and chips and The Shack makes a mean steak sandwich.

Visit Darts Farm online here.

3. Langham Wine Estate

The Langham Wine Estate is a wall-to-wall, grape to glass delight. Not content with being an international sparkling wine producer of the year award winner – take a bottle of the Pinot Meunier Extra Brut home – the winery also has a rustic café and outdoor pizza kitchen.

Walk-ins are welcome, though book online in summer to secure a spot in the café or hay-stacked barn, or at a bench amongst the vines and pretty hedgerows. Sharing and seafood platters are piled high with bright delicacies, and local ales and ciders join the homegrown wines on the menu. The Portland crab open focaccia is fab, the soft cheese soaked in Kalamata olive brine a salty speciality, and the Dorset posh ploughman’s a window into local fruits and flavours.

Feast your eyes on the grape-filled greenery with a guided tour, opt for the self-guided walking tour with a wine tasting flight, or enjoy your pre-ordered picnic within the satisfying symmetry of the vineyard.

Visit Langham Wine Estate online.

4. Squerrys Estate, Westerham, Kent

Squerryes’ family motto means ‘it’s permitted to be joyful’. Joy isn’t merely permitted at this 2,500-acre North Downs estate – gateway to the Garden of England – it’s inescapable. Squerryes has been creating magic for nearly 300 years and bottling it (in the form of sparkling wine) for a good while, too.

Take a table at the estate’s seasonal and sustainable Winery Restaurant next to veritable walls of wine; relax beneath broad parasols in the Garden Café overlooking the rosé vineyard; or plunder the deli’s bountiful larder whose cheese counter is curated by Neal’s Yard, London. Scoop into a creamy Kent blue for a peppery taste of the region.

After a vineyard walk, refill that energy gap with a coffee and light Portuguese tart, as the wine aficionados survey the Cellar Door’s pyramids of home-grown wine. In Westerham, next door, you can learn about the region’s brewing heritage or head south to Winston Churchill’s former home, Chartwell (National Trust), to appreciate its art collection and formal rose garden.

Visit Squerry’s Estate online.

Love a winery-based detour? You'll love our guide

To help you find memorable places to stop just off motorway junctions or while on the road exploring Britain, try The Extra Mile Guide (or our sibling titles, The Farm Shop Guide and The Coastal Café Guide). Packed with hundreds of memorable places to stop, eat and enjoy British food and drink (and wine), the guides will help you plan far more interesting journeys. Browse our books here.

Posted on 09/06/202522/07/2025 by The Extra Mile

11 ethical coffee roasters

11 ethical coffee roasters in Britain

We love coffee as much as you do so we’ve compiled this list of Britain’s browse-worthy ethical roasteries. The following roasters have made our list for they all sell direct to the public, many offer coffee subscriptions, and all take their environmental and sustainability responsibilities seriously. They also practise fair or direct‑trade and do their best to support the all-important coffee bean growers themselves. Brew on, baristas…

1. Pure Roasters Coffee, Glasgow

This ethical speciality roaster is based in Glasgow. They source sustainable beans and offer flexible subscription deliveries across the UK.

☕ Website: pureroasters.com
☕Instagram/X: @pureroasters

2. Dear Green Coffee Roasters, Glasgow

This Glasgow roastery is B-Corp certified. A direct‑trade roaster, they source responsibly and reinvest in grower communities. Dear Green offers single‑origin and organic blends online, both to trade and to the lucky public.

☕ Website: deargreencoffee.com
☕ Instagram: @deargreen

3. Blue Coffee Box

Blue Coffee Box offers a letterbox‑friendly ethical coffee subscription, spotlighting small-holder growers worldwide. This is the choice for adventurous drinkers seeking traceability and variety.

☕ Website: bluecoffeebox.com
☕ Instagram: @bluecoffeebox

4. Mont58 Coffee, London

Mont58 is an award‑winning South‑East London roaster specialising in fair‑trade Arabica and compostable packaging. Their subscription service offers excellent value.

☕ Website: mont58coffee.com
☕ Instagram: @mont58coffee

5. Origin Coffee Roasters, Cornwall

This B -Corp certified Cornish roastery runs along very sustainable lines, with traceable beans and a strong online subscription programme. They are known for championing their farmers and producers.

Website: origincoffee.co.uk
Instagram: @origincoffeeroasters

6. Coaltown Coffee Roasters, Wales

This South‑Wales B-Corp has transparent direct‑trade sourcing, award‑winning beans and equipment, and a UK‑wide subscription service. We also found Coaltown Coffee served at many of the excellent independent cafés and coffee shops we loved in Wales.

☕ Website: coaltowncoffee.co.uk
☕ Instagram: @coaltowncoffee

7. Black Mountain Roast, Hay-on-Wye

This foot‑o‑the-mountains roaster in Hay‑on‑Wye offers bi‑weekly or monthly coffee subscriptions. Their award-winning blends come in compostable bags. Waste not, want not, drink more coffee!

☕ Website: blackmountainroast.com
☕ Instagram: @blackmountainroast

8. Wrexham Bean Co, Wrexham

A North‑Wales speciality roaster that celebrates local art and plants a tree per subscription purchased. Not just a pretty coffee! For those seeking a coffee subscription, it offers weekly to monthly delivery.

☕ Website: wrexhambean.com
☕ Instagram: @wrexhambean

9. Pact Coffee, London

This London‑based B-Corp has been a pioneer of direct‑trade specialty subscriptions since 2012. Pact offers a roast‑to‑door service and beans that come bedecked with great‑taste awards.

☕ Website: pactcoffee.com
☕ Instagram: @pactcoffee

10. Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross

A firm favourite in this home office (and as pictured above), Unorthodox Roasters feature in our independent café guide, The Extra Mile Guide: Alternatives to Motorway Services. They also happen to roast their own beans and offer a coffee subscription (which reminds us, it really is time to order some more).

☕ Website: www.unorthodoxroasters.co.uk
☕ Instagram: @unorthodoxroasters

11. Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, East London

This East‑London craft roastery was founded in 2001. Union offers its CoffeeClub subscription, sells in supermarkets, and maintains great artisan values throughout the process. Taste the craft in every cup with Union.

☕ Website: unionroasted.com
☕ Instagram: @unionroasted

Making you want to drink better coffee?

Try a new coffee subscription from one of the suggestions above, or get your own copy of The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services to keep in your glovebox. Packed with almost 300 ideas for local, just-off-the-junctions places to eat and drink, the guide also bursts with independent cafés and coffee shops, whose baristas are just waiting to create you a delicious cup using fresh and locally roasted beans. Happy re-caffeinating and book browsing…

Posted on 08/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

The passion behind our Farm Shop Guide

Girl with dreadlocks reading The Farm Shop Guide

Introducing: The Farm Shop Guide

Eleanor Weeks-Bell is the compiler of 2024’s Amazon bestseller, The Farm Shop Guide (a book featured in Waitrose Weekend, Times Weekend and more). Here’s her introduction to The Farm Shop Guide, to give you a feel for what it and we at Extra Mile Books are all about. Ele, over to you…

“Why buy flavourless, pre-packaged food that has been shipped thousands of miles when you can get the most deliciously fresh and toothsome produce direct from the field down the road? Starting in Scotland and running from North to South and West to East – to end in Kent, the fertile garden of England – this guide is a celebration of Britain’s growers and producers and their farm shops, cafés, and restaurants.

Family-run farms and more

You’ll find everything from traditional rustic barns to contemporary vending machines, run by all types of people from experienced farming families who have lovingly tilled the soils for generations, to community-owned or charity-led farms that provide opportunities for people to learn new skills and to improve their wellbeing. There are over 1,500 farm shops in Britain and this first edition of The Farm Shop Guide features over 160 of our favourites.

From rural to urban settings and from small and quirky to large and established places, this book reflects the fantastic diversity of Britain’s farms and farm shops. Read on to discover specialists of all varieties of vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, honey, cider, wine, and flowers, and the wonderful cafés, restaurants, and delis where you can sample this bounty in situ.

From children’s play parks to PYO

You’ll unearth memorable places with wildlife trails, pick-your-own (PYO) fields, children’s play parks, and animal petting farms, plus farms that run their own events, courses, and workshops. As well as reducing food miles, many of the farms you’re about to meet are fully invested in protecting and the natural environment through regenerative and nature-friendly farming.

There are farms that are planting hectares of hedgerows, wildflower meadows, and trees; raising rare breeds to the highest welfare standards; working to organic principles; reducing their energy use through wind and solar power and other measures; and those earning certification from bodies such as Pasture for Life, RSPB Fair to Nature, and the Soil Association.

While researching this book we’ve come to know and love some incredible farmers and producers. Working all hours, their resilience keeps them ploughing on in the face of increased costs, staff shortages, capricious weather systems, and the stranglehold of supermarkets on the farming community. These people are all passionate about growing good food well and championing the very best in seasonal local produce.

Connect with where your food comes from

By visiting the places in this guide, you are supporting these committed custodians of our land while benefiting from eating delicious, nutritious fresh food. You’ll feel more connected to where your food comes from…and can even top up the wellbeing tank by spending time in nature or petting a baby goat! We hope this book inspires and accompanies you on many new adventures across farm and field.”

Eleanor Weeks-Bell, Compiler of The Farm Shop Guide

Sound like your kind of book?

If our ethos resonates with you, we have a sneaking suspicion that you might enjoy The Farm Shop Guide, or its sibling books The Coastal Café Guide (which does what it says on the tin) or The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. Hit the image or button below to browse our current guides, and do let us know if you find any favourites that we’ve yet to stumble upon.

Browse guides here

Posted on 06/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

The energy behind our Coastal Café Guide

Hand holding The Coastal Café Guide in a living room.

Introducing: The Coastal Café Guide

Kerry O’Neill is the writer of 2024’s Amazon bestseller, The Coastal Café Guide (a book featured in The Scotsman, Times Weekend and more). Here’s her welcome to the book, to give you a feel for what it and we at Extra Mile Books are all about. Kerry, over to you…

“The coast represents many things to many people. Some head to the coast purely to relax or for fun, holidays, escapes, surfs, swims, and sunbathing. Others go to be uplifted, inspired, and buoyed by the mental health and well-being benefits of being in, near, and on the ocean. Whatever your motivation, you’ll need to eat while there. This guide is a counter-clockwise journey around Britain. It starts in the South West (where we at Printslinger/ Extra Mile Books are based) then heads east and up to Scotland, returning via rugged West Wales.

Food with a view and beach eats

This first edition has around 150 cafés, restaurants, seafood shacks, horsebox pop-ups, beach cabins, bars, and pubs that we hope you’ll enjoy visiting. Often small and independently run, each place is ready to keep your salty self fed and watered while at the coast. If it is food with a view you seek, in many cases: you got it. Love them? Great! Prefer other spots? Tell us for next time. We’ve had some epic experiences while researching this book.

What’s more impressive is the resilience of Britain’s small coastal café owners. Battling the same challenges as the rest of us, they manage to keep that beachy flag flying in the face of increased food costs, difficulties finding staff, and the famously fickle British weather. By visiting the places in this new guide, you are supporting the people that work so hard to make your day memorable, with their splashes of local colour and tasty regional specialities.

May this book be your companion on many foodie and coastal adventures.

Kerry O’Neill

Writer of The Coastal Café Guide and publisher at Extra Mile Books, from Printslinger.

Sound like your kind of book?

If our ethos resonates with you, we have a sneaking suspicion that you might enjoy The Coastal Café Guide, or its sibling books The Farm Shop Guide (which does what it says on the tin) or The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. Hit the image or button below to browse our current guides, and do let us know if you find any favourite coastal cafés that we’ve yet to stumble upon.

Posted on 05/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

Win a Devon escape – last chance!

Win 2 nights in Devon - competition blog post header

Competition ends 8 June. ENTER NOW!

Our competition has been running over on Instagram for a wee while now so we’re giving it a final boost…and you a final chance to enter. Here’s what the prize includes, and it’s a good-un…

Win a pitch for two nights at Ocean Pitch, Croyde; a £50 voucher for Biffen’s Kitchen; a £50 cinema voucher; plus copies of bestsellers The Coastal Café Guide (from Extra Mile Books) and The Salt Path.

🌊🌊🌊 TO ENTER 🌊🌊🌊

1. FOLLOW @extramilebooks on Instagram and LIKE the Competition post
2. FOLLOW @oceanpitch on Insta
3. FOLLOW @biffenskitchen on Insta

🌊🌊🌊 THE PRIZE 🌊🌊🌊

🌊 SLEEP: A pitch for 2 nights for 2 people at Croyde Bay’s Ocean Pitch Campsite, Devon (bring own van/ tent etc)

🌊 EAT: £50 in vouchers to spend at Biffen’s Kitchen Food Truck (on-site at Ocean Pitch)

🌊 WATCH: £50 Cinema Vouchers to see The Salt Path? The Surfer? Your call…

🌊 READ: A copy of #1 bestsellers: The Coastal Cafe Guide from Extra Mile Books, The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

🌊🌊🌊 GOOD LUCK! 🌊🌊🌊

🌊 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
One winner will be chosen at random from competition post ‘Likes’ on @extramilebooks’ Instagram page, on 09.06.25. Deadline for entrants: 23:59 on 08.06.2025. To be valid, the entrant must have ‘Followed’ @extramilebooks, @oceanpitch, + @biffenskitchen on Instagram. The winner will be contacted via Instagram DM and has five calendar days to respond or they will forfeit their right to the prize and a second random winner will be drawn and contacted. The Ocean Pitch and Biffen’s Kitchen prizes must be taken during the same consecutive two-day period. No cash equivalent or part-refunds will be offered. Ocean Pitch camping dates are subject to pitch availability. Weekend availability is very low until September but any available dates including mid-week dates are permitted. Prize valid for bookings with Ocean Pitch for dates until end Sept 2025. No purchase necessary. Entrants must be resident in the UK and be at least 18 years of age. No monetary equivalent offered. No transport or other costs are included. This prize is not transferrable unless agreed with Extra Mile Books. This giveaway is run by Extra Mile Books (www.theextramile.guide). It is not affiliated with Meta, Facebook, or Instagram in any way. Please send any Qs to the organisers: hello@extramilebooks.co.uk.

A Coastal Campsite of the Year

Ocean Pitch is a brilliant, surf’s-edge campsite in Croyde Bay, Devon. This spot is world-renowned for its perfect waves (and Ocean Pitch is renowned for its epic staff!). As if that’s not enough, the competition winner also gets £50 credit at Biffen’s Kitchen. The legend of his pinkled onions alone is enough to keep hungry surfers coming back year after year. We’re also throwing in £50 in cinema vouchers – tell us your closest complex or indie cinema and we’ll sort that bit out just for you.

Click to watch the competition film:

Enter The Coastal Café Guide's competition below

If you need a break and an escape to the edges of the country (whether you win the competition or not!) you might just need The Coastal Café Guide. It’s packed with around 150 places to eat near the sea, from beach eats to fancier, fishier restaurants, to cool, surf-inspired shacks like the hidden gem that is Biffen’s Kitchen, at Ocean Pitch, Croyde. To browse this or any of our other guides, see below.

Posted on 04/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

The Joy of Getting Slightly Lost

The lost joy of getting slightly lost: why paper guides still matter

We’ve all been there, following the blue dot on a phone–screen, eyes down, marching toward the next café, viewpoint, or farm shop with barely a glance at what’s around us. Efficient? Maybe. But satisfying? Not always. In a world of digital maps and algorithm-driven reviews, we’ve lost something quietly magical: the joy of getting slightly lost.

The beauty of the detour

One of the best things about slow travel – especially along Britain’s coast or countryside – is its unpredictability. The winding lane that wasn’t on the route? It might lead to a family-run café with the best crab sandwich you’ve ever had. That missed turnoff? You could stumble across a beach no App has reviewed (yet). Paper guides – the kind you can hold in your hands, scribble notes in, and spill coffee on – invite this kind of discovery. They don’t demand your attention. They suggest, rather than dictate. And they leave space for chance.

Screens don’t make memories

Phones are useful. We won’t deny that. But they tend to flatten the experience: screen glow, search results, star ratings. You arrive knowing exactly what to expect because you’ve seen it all in advance: the buildings, the meals, the platters, the views.

With a paper guide, you arrive hoping for something, often finding more than you bargained for. There’s been no hype, no amped expectation, no Instagram filters. This allows you to discover the place as it truly is, so you’ll meet real people, producers and farmers, often selling their own homemade food for your enjoyment. This isn’t sat-navigation: it’s adventure.

Why we still make printed guides

At a time when almost everything is online, we deliberately make real guides: designed to be enjoyed offline. They are beautiful, colourful, high calibre books: carbon-neutral print products made with vegetable inks and using certified paper from carefully managed forests.

They don’t need signal. They have no batteries to die, no pop-ups to annoy, no notifications to cause you stress. Just pages packed with handpicked, characterful places, some of which we’ve got very lost trying to find.

We believe there’s something grounding about unfolding a map or drifting through a guidebook, circling a café, ear-marking a page, or flipping through pages over breakfast to plan your next stop. It’s a type of travel that invites you to stay present… and sometimes to go off course.

So go on. Get a little lost

Next time you hit the road, leave the SatNav off for a while. Let your finger trace a route across a page. Embrace the scenic way. Look out for high points, viewpoints, nature reserves, picnic bench signs, car parks atop cliffs. And if you take a wrong turn or it takes ten minutes longer than planned, don’t panic; that’s where the best stories often begin.

Gift a guidebook today

Our printed guides, The Extra Mile, The Farm Shop Guide, and The Coastal Café Guide, are packed with brilliant places that are worth getting slightly lost for. They are also ideal gifts, especially for people who prefer the real world to the digital one, or who prefer books to screens.

‘You can’t wrap an app’ as we like to say, but you can gift a lovely guidebook, ready to create countless foodie memories for your recipient as they follow their tummies and noses around Britain in search of good, honest, local food, with a little bit of adventure thrown in.

Explore Extra Mile Books’ full collection of guides below.

Posted on 31/05/202527/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Why Farm Shops Are the Future of Ethical Eating

Image of the bread and bakery section at Weetons

Why Farm Shops are the future of ethical eating

In an age where supermarket aisles are crammed with plastic packaging and mystery meat, more and more people are asking: Where does my food come from, and what impact does it have?

Enter the modern British farm shop: a haven for ethical eaters, local food lovers, and sustainability-conscious shoppers. Once thought of as quaint countryside stops, farm shops today are pioneering a new kind of food culture: one rooted in transparency, taste, and doing better by people and planet. Farm-to-fork is something that producers strive to offer, and visitors love to experience. Here’s why farm shops are leading the charge for a more ethical way to eat. (Image above (c) Weetons.)

1. You know where your food comes from

Unlike supermarket supply chains that stretch around the globe, many farm shops sell food grown, reared, or made right on site or by producers they know personally. Whether it’s grass-fed beef from the next field or honey from a neighbour’s hives, there’s a story behind every product. That means fewer food miles, fresher produce, and a direct connection between farmer and eater. There are some truly delicious farm-to-fork experiences to be enjoyed.

2. Support regenerative and sustainable farming

Many independent farms and their farm shops are champions of sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture, namely a way of farming that restores soil health, promotes biodiversity, and works with nature rather than against it. By shopping at these outlets, you’re helping to fund regenerative farming that builds a better food system, rather than depleting it. Image below (c) Westerton Farm.

3. Champion small-scale and artisan producers

Farm shops are more likely than supermarkets to stock products made in small batches, which have been crafted by local artisans or by family-run producers. Whether it’s hand-churned butter, heritage apples, or traditionally made cheddar, these products preserve skills, regional flavours, and rural jobs.

4. Reduce waste and packaging

Looking to shop with less plastic? Many farm shops offer refill stations, loose produce, and minimal packaging, especially compared to supermarkets. You’re more likely to find recyclable or compostable containers, and often reusable options, too.

5. Keep money in the local economy

Ethical eating isn’t just about the environment, it’s about people. When you spend money at a farm shop, more of it stays in the community. You’re supporting local livelihoods, helping rural businesses thrive, and keeping Britain’s independent food culture alive. image below (c) Ben’s Farm Shop, Staverton.

6. Seasonal, responsible choices, without the 'greenwashing'

Ethical eating is about more than buzzwords. Farm shops typically stock what’s truly in season, helping you eat in tune with nature’s rhythms… and without the air-freighted strawberries in January. It’s simpler, more honest, and (spoiler) tastes better too.

Ready to eat more ethically?

The Farm Shop Guide is your road-trip companion to some of the most ethical, delicious, and independently run food stops across Britain, from award-winning farm shops at regenerative farms to delis, cheesemongers, bakeries, honey farms, and more.

Wherever you’re heading, there’s a better bite waiting nearby: one that supports the land, the farmers, and the future.

Order your copy of The Farm Shop Guide today.

Posted on 29/05/202527/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Beyond the Big Chains

Betty Berkins cafe, an independent cafe in The Extra Mile

Why independent motorway stops-offs matter

When you’re halfway through a long drive and your stomach starts to rumble, the default is often a motorway service station: convenient, predictable, and usually forgettable. But what if there were a better way to break your journey? One that supported local communities, served better food, and added character to your trip?

Welcome to The Extra Mile: a curated guide to delicious, independent places to eat near UK motorway and main-road junctions. We believe that taking the scenic (and tasty) detour is about more than just what’s on your plate; it’s also about whom and what you support along the way.

Image above (c) Betty Berkins

The trouble with chain services

Let’s face it: the average motorway service station is hardly known for its individuality and charm. From lukewarm fries to overpriced coffee, chain-dominated services tend to serve up convenience somewhat at the cost of character.

Many service stations are owned by a handful of large operators, meaning that their profits leave the local area and sometimes the country, even though the services themselves may be located in the heart of Britain’s rural communities.

Why do independent food stops matter?

1. Better food, made with care

Independent cafés, bakeries, and farm shops near motorways often use fresh, local ingredients. Many make everything from scratch, from sourdough toasties to homemade cakes and seasonal soups.

2. They support local economies

When you stop at a family-run café or regional farm shop, you’re keeping money in the local community. That means more local jobs, stronger rural economies, flourishing local food and drinks producers, and thriving high streets.

(Certain services brands, i.e. the Westmorland company’s Gloucester, Tebay, and Cairn Lodge services, act in a way that is more akin to independently run pit-stops, and are notable exceptions to the general rule of motorway services’ profits leaving the area. Each of the Westmorland trio supports hundreds of local farmers and food producers by stocking and introducing their goods to their millions of annual visitors.)

3. A more memorable journey

Nobody reminisces about that generic burger they grabbed at the services just off Junction 18 that time. But taking a one mile detour to stop at a converted barn café or a friendly farm shop with goats and garden tables? That becomes part of the story.

4. Lower your travel footprint

Many of the places featured in The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services keep their eyes sharply on their carbon footprint and sustainability efforts. They buy local produce to reduce food miles, offer EV chargers, or work hard to reduce their packaging use.

Taking the detour is easier than you think

All the venues in The Extra Mile are within 15 minutes of a motorway or main A-road junction (most are a lot closer or within a few minutes). This means better food without a major diversion, plus the satisfaction of skipping limp chips and queues in sterile food halls.

From artisan bakeries off the M5 to coastal cafés just beyond the A30, there’s a better alternative waiting just off your route.

Find your next ‘new favourite’ food stop

The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services is your glovebox guide to over 275 independent, welcoming venues across Britain, including cafés, pubs, farm shops, and delis that are well worth a small detour.

If you’re ready to swap the service station sandwich for something made with love, order your copy of The Extra Mile and discover the tastier side of travel. Extra Mile Books now also publishes The Farm Shop Guide and The Coastal Café Guide, so you can branch out and continue enjoying adventures in local food from the heart of rural Britain to the salty edges of our island.

Posted on 19/05/202519/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Eye-Opening ‘Ultra-Processed Food’ and Sugar Films

Food Inc. 2: back for seconds. The documentary image featuring a cow with a barcode.

10 food films to make you think twice...

We produce books about cafés and farm shops to help you eat fresh, local food while travelling. Our guides aren’t purely about supporting local businesses though: ultra-processed and sugar-rich foods are bad news for our own health, and that of society at large (and getting larger).

Check out our top ten eye-opening films and documentaries below about the global food and sugar industry. You’ll probably want to buy our book, The Farm Shop Guide, instantly, to bring more unadulterated, farm-fresh goodness into your lives, so find some handy links at the bottom. Let’s start with the most recent film first…

1. Food, Inc. 2 (2024)

A sequel to the acclaimed 2008 film, this documentary delves into how ultra-processed foods dominate modern diets, highlighting their manipulation by the food industry and the decline of fresh, whole foods.

2. Ultra-Processed: How Food Tech Consumed the American Diet (2024)

This CBS documentary explores how ultra-processed foods have infiltrated American diets, linking them to chronic diseases and questioning our reliance on convenience. The UK trails behind The States in terms of food habits but the pattern is clear and we’re heading in a similar direction. Forewarned is fore-armed…

3. Ultra-Processed Food: A Recipe for Ill Health? (2024)

An investigative documentary examining the chemicals in ultra-processed foods and the weak regulations allowing their widespread use, raising concerns about health impacts. Watch it here on Daily Motion.

4. What Are We Feeding Our Kids? (2021)

Dr. Chris van Tulleken’s month-long diet of ultra-processed foods leads to alarming health effects, highlighting the dangers of these convenient but harmful products. Watch it now on Daily Motion.

5. Eating Our Way to Extinction (2021)

Narrated by Kate Winslet, this film exposes the devastating impact of industrial meat production on the planet and advocates for more sustainable dietary choices. Watch it here.

6. That Sugar Film (2014)

This eye-opening documentary follows Damon Gameau as he consumes a high-sugar diet of ‘healthy’ processed foods (including the everyday Australian’s amount of sugar each week). It reveals the harmful effects of hidden sugars on the body, alongside the shockingly short amount of time it takes for the negative effects to kick in.

7. Super Size Me (2004)

In this ground-breaking documentary, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock embarks on a 30-day experiment consuming only McDonald’s food. The film highlights the drastic effects of fast food on physical and mental health. It sparked widespread discussions about nutrition and the fast-food industry. A ‘Supersize Me 2’ is also now out, see next… Find ways to watch it here.

8. Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

A follow-up to the original, Spurlock investigates the fast-food industry’s marketing tactics by opening his own chicken restaurant. The film exposes how terms like ‘free-range’ and ‘natural’ can be misleading, while revealing the complexities behind food labelling and consumer perception. Find info on IMDB here.

9. Fed Up (2014)

Narrated by Katie Couric, this documentary examines the role of sugar in the obesity epidemic, particularly among children. It critiques the food industry’s influence on dietary guidelines and the government’s failure to regulate sugar consumption effectively. Watch the trailer here on YouTube.

10. Sugar Coated (2015)

This Canadian film delves into the sugar industry’s history of down-playing health risks associated with sugar consumption. It draws parallels to tactics used by the tobacco industry, shedding light on corporate influence over public health narratives. Find more info here on IMDb.

Depressing, right? Here's an antidote...

These films may make you angry with the industry or with government, or determined to do better for yourself (or both in equal measures). While we can’t arrive at your house to cook you sugar-free, health-first meals every day, we can definitely help you find farm-fresh, local, lower-food-miles food to help you make a start on eating seasonally and more healthily.

Check out our three best-selling foodie guidebooks below, with The Farm Shop Guide being the best suited to spring-boarding your diet in a healthier direction. Good luck and bon appetit.

Posted on 07/05/202507/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Wild Beauty: 10 Evocative Coastal Films

Crop of The Salt Path official movie image

10 Films That Capture the Spirit of Britain’s Coastline

There’s something timeless and evocative about Britain’s coastline — dramatic cliffs, windswept beaches, hidden coves, and the quiet charm of seaside towns. It’s no wonder filmmakers return time and again to the shore to tell stories of freedom, escape, longing, and wild beauty.

Whether you’re planning a coastal road trip or just want to soak up some sea air from your sofa, these ten films capture the spirit of Britain’s shoreline in all its rugged, romantic, and windswept glory. Let’s start with the most recent first (so new it’s pending!):

1. The Salt Path (2025)

🎥 South West Coast Path, England

This film of the book of the same name tells the story of how Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth, set out to walk the South West Coast Path — one of the most stunning coastal routes in the UK — after being faced with homelessness and Moth’s terminal diagnosis.
Find The Salt Path on IMDB here.

2. The Outrun (2024)

🎥 Orkney Islands, Scotland

Based on Amy Liptrot’s moving memoir, this intimate drama follows a woman returning to her native Orkney to recover from addiction. With breathtaking shots of cliffs, seabirds, and moody skies, The Outrun captures the wild, healing pull of remote coastal life. This reminds us, if you enjoy remote Scottish island tales, the BBC’s Shetland TV series is an absolute must-watch, too. Find The Outrun on IMDB.

3. Summerland (2020)

🎥 East Sussex coast, England

A wartime story of grief and imagination, set on the chalky cliffs and stormy shores of southern England. The cinematography embraces the raw, windswept beauty of the sea — a perfect metaphor for the film’s emotional tides. Find it on IMDB here.

4. Bait (2019)

🎥 Cornwall, England

A bold, hand-processed 16mm film about a Cornish fisherman clashing with incoming tourists. Visually gritty and culturally sharp, Bait feels as raw and salt-stung as the sea itself — a standout of contemporary British cinema. Find details on IMDB.

5. Fisherman’s Friends (2019)

🎥 Port Isaac, Cornwall

This feel-good tale of sea shanty-singing fishermen turned pop stars celebrates community, tradition, and the charm of Cornish harbours. Heartwarming and wave-lapped. Find details for Fisherman’s Friends on IMDB here.

6. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

🎥 Devon and Cornwall stand in for the Channel Islands…

A gentle post-war drama set on an island shaped by the sea, with cobbled streets, craggy coastlines, and the comfort of books and baking. It’s a love letter to island life and resilience. Find The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society here on IMDB.

7. On Chesil Beach (2017)

🎥 Dorset, England

This adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel explores love, repression, and regret — all set against the striking backdrop of Chesil Beach’s shingle spit. Quiet, haunting, and emotionally charged, it captures the melancholy beauty of the English coast. Find information for On Chesil Beach on IMDB here.

8. Mr Turner (2014)

🎥 Margate and the Thames Estuary

Mike Leigh’s biopic of the great seascape painter revels in golden light, crashing waves, and brooding skies. You can almost smell the salt in the air as it recreates the scenes that inspired Turner’s most famous works. Intrigued? Find out more about Mr Turner on IMDB.

9. Bhaji on the Beach (1993)

🎥 Blackpool, England

This British comedy-drama is set in the seaside town of Blackpool and follows a group of British Asian women who embark on a day trip to the beach. The film touches on themes of identity, culture, and the complex relationships within the community. Find it on IMDB here.

10. The Edge of the World (1937)

A poetic early classic depicting the evacuation of a remote island. Wind-beaten cliffs, crashing surf, and the tension between tradition and modernity still resonate. It’s a time capsule of wild beauty. Find further info on this 1937 classic on IMDB.

That’s all folks, except…

If these films have stirred a longing for sea air, hidden coves, and slow days by the shore, why not chart your own journey along Britain’s breathtaking coastline? Our lovingly curated travel guides are the perfect companions for slower, more soulful adventures. Browse our guides and start planning a journey that’s as much about the journey as the destination.

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