The Extra Mile – The Extra Mile

Posted on 20/11/202420/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

BEST FOOD FESTIVALS FOR 2025

(c) eat:Festivals. People browsing local food stall at an eat:festival

THE BEST FOOD FESTIVALS FOR 2025

This blog brings together some of our favourite national and regional food festivals, so that you don’t miss a culinary trick in 2025 when looking for something to do with your foodie friends. Thank you to the organisers of the South West’s multi-award-winning food and drink festival series, eat:Festivals, for the use of their evocative, appetite-whetting imagery, above.

Our guidebooks (The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services; The Farm Shop Guide; and The Coastal Café Guide) have one thing in common with these festivals. Our books encourage people to eat local, buy local, avoid boring big-brand food and the monotony of motorway eats, and instead to support smaller, independent producers. You’ll find many of these festivals featured in our newest book (already a #1 Amazon bestseller), The Farm Shop Guide.

Have we missed any festivals? Let us know, we’ll slip them in.

FOOD FESTIVALS IN/ FROM APRIL 2025

eat:Festivals…Year-round events in 2025 (from 5 April until 13 Dec)

eat:Festivals need a whole website of their own, there is so much going on. With local, regional events plus festive and themed markets (think vegan, Christmas, gate-to-plate), their impressive series of day-long markets begin with eat:Bideford on Sat 5 April 2025. They then continue (through Minehead, Weston-super-Mare, Castle Cary, Nailsea, Exmouth, Tavistock, Taunton, Bedminster, Burnham, Portishead, Axminster, Yeovil, Chipping Sodbury Shaftesbury, Honiton, Totnes, Wellington, Tiverton, and Clevedon) until Sat 13 December 2025, drawing a year of South West food festivals to a close with eat:Dawlish. Come along for everything from cider, organic veggies and smoked fish to chocolate, gelato and local spirits. Street performers and sustainability are high on the list of must-haves for every eat:Festival.

Book or attend your next eat:Festival here.

FOOD FESTIVALS IN MAY 2025

Porthleven Food Festival, Cornwall, 2-4 May 2025

Designed as a toast to Cornish food (while raising awareness of the key issues relating to food and the environment), this event takes over the whole town in a weekend of pasties, chef demos, Bloody Marys, ska bands, and comedy skits. It’s a riot.

Visit the Porthleven Food Festival in Cornwall.

Ludlow Food Festival, Shropshire, 9-11 May 2025

The spring chapter of this famed foodie event (set against the Marches’ iconic castle) has bands, beer, music, and motors. Although more beer-focused than the autumn edition, you’ll find a wealth of artisan food producers ready to show off the region’s best street food. A fab food festival in Shropshire.

Follow Ludlow’s Spring Food Festival, Shropshire

Follow Ludlow’s main Food Festival (12-14 Sep 2025)

North Leeds Food Festival, West Yorkshire, May 10-11 2025

A popular menu of tribute bands, street entertainers, artisan traders, indy bars, and delicious street food make this a popular addition to any self-respecting foodie’s calendar. Kids love the fun fair and inflatables, leaving grown-ups free to enjoy innovative chef demos and samples of local tipples.

Visit the North Leeds Food Festival site

Blenheim Palace Food Festival, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, 24-26 May 2025

In this rather dramatic setting, discover new flavours and be inspired by passionate chefs, food makers and bakers, and esteemed culinary guests. For street food, live music, curated food stalls, kitchen and homeware gifts, Blenheim is the place to be. If you happen to have an Annual or Palace and Play Pass, it’s also completely free (else find tickets online).

Head to the Blenheim Palace Food Festival in 2025.

FOOD FESTIVAL IN JUNE 2025

Taste of London, Regent’s Park, 12-16 June 2025

This five-day ‘food-fuelled garden party’, as the organisers call it, happens in the heart of the capital’s vast Regent’s Park. It features an impressive number of London’s hottest chefs and restaurants, and introduces movers and shakers new to the food scene. Cocktails, desserts, cook schools, and street food await.

Visit Taste of London for festival map, tickets, and info.

FOOD FESTIVALS IN JULY 2025

Great Yorkshire Show, North Yorkshire, July 8-11 2025

A 140,000-strong crowd descends on Harrogate each summer to celebrate British food, countryside, and farming at the Great Yorkshire Show. Staged since 1837, this is one of the UK’s oldest, largest agricultural shows. Marvel at the prize animals in the judging ring, sample fine Yorkshire produce, and enjoy the live music.

For FAQ and tickets, visit the Great Yorkshire Show online.

National Geographic Traveller Food Festival, Business Design Centre, London, 19-20 July 2025,

With a food hall, wine and spirits theatre, workshops, master food photography sessions and more, Nat Geo’s fabulous food fest gives you the chance to ‘taste the world’ in the heart of London. Head to the main stage to see decorated chefs, TV personalities, and cookbook writers, and be inspired by their words, wit, and culinary wisdom.

Global gourmets: get your 2025 tickets to the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival here.

Rock Oyster, Dinham House, North Cornwall, 24-27 July 2025

Alongside an artisanal food extravaganza, Rock Oyster has a stellar lineup of musical treats in 2025, from the Ministry of Sound Classical to Rag’n’Bone Man, UB40 and more. Sea, sand, surf, foodie workshops and sessions, salivating over delicious gourmet goods: Rock Oyster 2025 has it all.

Check out the Rock Oyster 2025 schedule and tickets here.

Feast On, Bristol, 24-27 July 2025

Hosted on Bristol’s iconic Durdham Downs parkland, Feast On offers signature dishes from the city’s top chefs as well as a produce market, open fire cooking demos, live music, and tasting opportunities. Bristol is also home to most of this publisher’s staff (it’s where Printslinger is based) so this Bristol Food Festival is of course a huge favourite. See you there!

Get stuck in to Feast On Bristol in 2025

FOOD FESTIVALS IN AUGUST 2025

PieFest, Melton Mowbray, 3-4 August 2025

Does this food festival speak for itself? To eat all the pies – or to see who makes some of the country’s very finest examples thereof – come to pie-central, Melton Mowbray, in early August. Check the suspension on your car before setting off, boot laden with golden-pastry’d goodness…

Visit PieFest in August 2025.

Glasgow Foodies Festival, 8-10 August 2025

Glasgow’s is one in a cracking series of 14 ‘Foodie’ festivals taking place right across the UK, each celebrating the food of its region. Expect fire-pit cooking, an artisan market, street food, award-winning chefs, and great music. If you’re looking for a food festival in Scotland, look no further.

Visit Glasgow Foodies Festival online for more.

The Big Feastival, the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, 22-24 August 2025

Cross a music festival with a food fest and you have: the Feastival. Hosted at a farm in the Cotswolds, it’s a weekend extravaganza of music, dancing, top-class chefs, finger-licking street food, and family fun.

Get your tickets to Oxfordshire’s Big Feastival here.

FOOD FESTIVALS IN SEPTEMBER 2025

Narberth Food Festival, Pembrokeshire 2025 (date TBC)

West Wales has a burgeoning food scene, and the pretty market town of Narberth celebrates the best of it. Entry is free and the 50-plus stalls are full of creative flavours: perhaps local ferments, whisky, preserved fish, or vegan meals. There’s also a rich menu of music and activities for children. Check online before making any plans, we’re just waiting with everything crossed for the 2025 dates.

Visit Narberth Food Festival in 2025

Abergavenny Food Festival, 20-21 September 2025

The picturesque market town of Abergavenny is the perfect backdrop for one of Britain’s finest food festivals. From inspiring food education to parties in the Dome, meet-the-author events, and every street food and gourmet treat you can imagine, Abergavenny Food Festival really is a treat for all the senses. Full of food? Walk it off with a stroll around the nearby castle or canal.

Visit one of Wales’s best food festivals: Abergavenny 2025.

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, Suffolk, 27-28 September 2025

2025 is the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival’s 20th anniversary: what a year to experience this brilliant event for the first time. it features cooking classes for kids, tractor rides, and over 100 local food and drink producers from across Suffolk. As a not-for-profit outfit, its raison d’être is to reconnect people with the food provided by the nearby landscape, and to champion emerging and established producers. (Exactly what Printslinger guidebooks like to do, too.)

Get your tickets to Aldeburgh’s food festival 2025 here.

FOOD FESTIVALS IN OCTOBER 2025

East Midlands Food Festival, Melton Mowbray, 5-6 October 2025

Rural foodie capital, Melton Mowbray, celebrates its fêted pork pies alongside plentiful artisanal treats every autumn, at this covered food festival. Stalls spill over with farm-fresh produce, while the area’s multicultural flavours wait to be sampled: the Iranian offering is strong. For Pie Fest, you’ll need to be here in August.

Plan your trip to the East Midlands Food Festival 2025 here.

LOVE FOOD? DISCOVER OUR FOODIE TRAVEL GUIDES

If you love local food, and supporting smaller, independent and often family-run food and drinks businesses (and farmers and farm shops), have a look at our three guidebooks on the button below. They’d each make a great gift for your foodie friend, or treat yourself to the trio. Banish forgettable food, and eat better (while buying local) with The Extra Mile, The Coastal Café Guide, or The Farm Shop Guide.

Posted on 16/11/202415/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

FIND THE BEST SEA SAUNA NEAR YOU

Sea saunas in the UK are popping up all over the place: hoorah for sea saunas! They’re great for surfers, sea swimmers, and those who like to stay firmly on shore. Invigorate your senses and boost your wellbeing with a trip to a seaside of coastal sauna: the UK’s hottest trend. It’s perhaps no coincidence that the Finns, inventors of the sauna, are consistently voted the world’s happiest nation…

If you know some who loves a sea sauna after wild swimming, they’ll love our best-selling foodie travel book, The Coastal Café Guide. Take a look and perhaps buy a copy now for their next birthday. They might repay you with a voucher for a sea sauna…

With sea dipping also on the rise, boasting an impressive list of health and wellbeing benefits too, sea saunas are seeing a significant rise in popularity. What better way to warm up after a dip in the surf?

Here are a few of our favourite sea saunas. Grab your cozzies and go get some yourself some Vitamin Sea.

Sea Scrub: the sea sauna in Margate

The first commercial Saunum Cube Sauna in the UK. With bluetooth speakers and adjustable lighting, the Sea Scrub sauna is the best place to enjoy the stunning views of the Margate coast line. Offering private or social sessions, depending on your preference.

Visit Sea Scrub Sauna in Margate

Sea Biscuit: a sea sauna in Aberdeen

Calling sea-swimmers in Scotland (or those who like to stay warm and on shore): here’s your ideal wood-fired horsebox sauna at Aberdeen Beach. Take five friends along to soak up views of the North Sea. Treat yourself to a Sauna Spa Platter with face mask, body scrub, fruit platter, ‘Nosecco’ (booze and saunas don’t mix, kids), flannels, and scented oil for water.

Visit Sea Biscuit Sauna, Aberdeen

For a sea sauna in Worthing: head to Fire Salt Sea

An authentic wood-fired sea sauna on the beach in Worthing with a 200kg wood-fired Estonian stove and Finnish olivine rocks. Enjoy unbroken views out to sea through the full width window. Prices haven’t been increased since 2020 to keep it affordable for all. Perfect for wild swimmers, morning dippers, and those who just love a sea sauna on the Sussex coast.

Visit Fire Salt Sea

For a sea sauna in Padstow or Polzeath: hit up Saunas by the Sea

Two first-rate North Cornwall beaches, two golden sea saunas: you’ll find Saunas by the Sea in arguably two of the most desirable beach destinations in the UK: Polzeath (one sauna’s in the village centre and one’s hidden in Baby Bay, just along the beach) and Padstow. Cosy up in the wood-fired cabins before a plunge in the sea, or warm up after as you catch some waves in the rightly-famous surf. If you’re looking for a sea sauna in Polzeath or Padstow, look no further. The Wild Spa and Wellness Centre (part of the central Polzeath offering) adds outdoor classes, yoga, workshops, and a cold plunge pool to the sauna experience.

Go to Saunas by the Sea

Seek a sea sauna in Poole? Head to The Salt Water Sauna

The Salt Water Sauna invites you to a Nordic bathing experience. It was set up by Arlene, a Finn living in the UK, who wanted to create an authentic sauna experience. Through Tree Era, for every sauna booked a tree is planted, off-setting the wood used to fire the sauna. Aficionados can also check out their winter wellness retreats, hosted in Helsinki.

Go to The Salt Water Sauna, Poole

Looking for a sea sauna in Dover? You need Rebels Sea Sauna

A café and sauna set below the iconic white cliffs of Dover. More than just a sauna, but a community hub, where you can swing by for a sauna session, Tea and Tarot, or an art exhibition – check out their socials for more info on events.

Visit Rebels Sea Sauna in Dover

Need a sea sauna in Bude? Seek out Ocean Soul Sauna

Set right on Crooklets Beach, you can enjoy the views across the wide sandy beach as you invigorate your senses. If you’re looking for a sea sauna experience in Bude, you have come to the right place. Peer through the half-moon window straight out to sea.

Visit Ocean Soul Sauna, Bude

Looking for a sea sauna in Oxwich Bay, Swansea? Try: Ty Sawna

This was Wales’ first beach sauna. Wood-fired and barrel-shaped, this sea sauna is right next to the sea at Oxwich Bay. Enjoy beautiful views of the ocean through the panoramic half moon window.

Visit Ty Sawna, Oxwich Bay

Need a sea sauna in Portsmouth? Visit Southsea Café

An independent bistro café right on the water’s edge in Eastney, the Southsea Beach Café now has a sea sauna. The sea sauna opened at the beginning of March 2024 with daily sessions bookable on their website. Ladies only sessions are often available and are bookable online, check ahead.

Sea sauna at Southsea Beach Café

Sea Sauna, Saunton

Looking for a This Nordic wood-fired sauna on wheels fits up to 12 comfortably. Set right by the water on the North Devon Coast’s renowned Saunton Sands, it allows you to take in the stunning beach in total privacy (its huge window is tinted).

Visit Sea Sauna

A great gift idea for sea swimmers and surfers, our UK coastal café and food guide makes a great gift. So if you have friends who do like to be beside the seaside (all that surfing and sauna-ing works up an appetite) buy The Coastal Café Guide, a best-selling guide to 150 brilliant cafés on the coast and at the beach.

Posted on 14/11/202414/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

PICK YOUR OWN (PYO) CHRISTMAS TREES NEAR YOU

Christmas tree image (c) OlegDoroshin, AdobeStock 459229799

Pick-your-own Christmas trees

Just when you thought Christmas couldn’t get any more magical, here we are with a list of places across the country where you can actually pick your own Christmas tree. To find more festive farm shops offering wintry fun, family Christmas tree picking, and Christmas food and farm experiences this year, order your coy of the #1 bestseller, The Farm Shop Guide, today.

Pick-your-own Christmas tree in Essex at Lathcoats Farm

Apple lovers – look no further. Fifty varieties are grown here at Lathcoats Farm over the growing season, lovingly nurtured since great-grandfather Taylor set up a fruit farm in 1912 to supply London’s Covent Garden. Sample a few in the shop or as a home-pressed apple juice; fermented versions are available for grown-ups. You’ll find them alongside still-warm bread, and a range of products from small, independent businesses across East Anglia: perhaps Suffolk salami, Latchingdon lamb, heritage tomatoes, or thick farm cream. The Bee Shed Café serves simple lunches crafted with the same tasty produce found in the shop. Grab a famous rarebit and – weather permitting – enjoy it out in the ‘Pig Pen’ while the kids visit the animals in the petting farm. The café does takeaway drinks and cakes if you’re short on time. In winter, it’s the ideal place to come to pick your own Christmas tree. Always check ahead for any availability or booking requirements.

Visit Lathcoats online to organise your Christmas farm experience today.

Head to Hawarden Estate Farm Shop for PYO Christmas trees in North Wales

In winter, the Hawarden Estate in Flintshire is the ideal place to cut your own Christmas tree and for solo and family-friendly Christmas experiences. A contagious enthusiasm for sustainability permeates this first-rate Flintshire farm shop, which is just 15 minutes from Chester. Seasonal fruit and veg are grown here and the milk from the machine is produced by the happy Ayrshire cows across the road. The 100-year-old PYO fields offer abundant summer and autumn spoils; September’s pumpkin picking is popular. Visit the airy café to taste the difference that provenance makes to flavour: try an estate-plundered breakfast, smoked trout sandwich, or Welsh rump steak. It is part of the enormous Harwarden Estate which has its own private lake, walled garden, and campsite if you want to soak up the peace of the countryside as you toast marshmallows over the campfire in summer. In winter, it’s the place to go for PYO Christmas trees. Always check ahead for any availability or booking requirements.

Visit the Hawarden Estate website to plan your Christmas experience.

PYO Christmas trees in Dorset at Gullivers Farm, Shop and Kitchen

Family-friendly café and shop, and biodynamic working farm, Gulliver’s is one-of-a-kind. Not for its summer shelves which are laden with seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, artisanal cheeses, zero-waste refills, and organic meats, but for its inclusive ethos. This not-for-profit social enterprise was created by GB Paralympian and silver medallist Bethy Woodward and her husband, retired international athlete, Lee Doran, to help adults with support needs shine. Those companions man the tills, tend the animals and polytunnels (veg, meat, eggs, and milk are produced here), and help ply tables with seasonal delights. It is a Dorset haven that feels worlds away from bustling Bournemouth nearby. Check out Wellness Yurt events and café supper clubs. Make time for the buggy, dementia, and dog-friendly Nature Trail. In winter, it’s a top spot for pick-your-own Christmas trees, as well as warming hot chocolates, delicious cakes, and an unforgettable Christmassy vibe. Always check ahead for any availability or booking requirements.

Visit Gullivers Farm to plan your PYO Christmas tree mission.

Pick your own Christmas tree at Newton Farm Shop and Café

In the picturesque village of Newton St Loe, near Bath, is the cosy Newton Farm Shop. In summer, pass barrows of blooms to find shelves and fridges crammed with local dairy products, charcuterie, and stylish homeware and gifts (the rows of artisanal beers, ciders and wines will seriously impress). This is a family-run farm and fourth-generation farmer, Josh, is passionate about regenerative practices that improve soil quality and capture carbon. He’s busy raising cattle, sheep, and pigs to keep the farm shop butchery counter brimming with home-produced beef, pork, and lamb, alongside local chicken and poultry. There are piglets, goats, wildlife-packed hedgerows, and a gorgeous 1950s tractor to keep children entertained, while you enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat in the excellent café. In winter, it’s just the place for you to come to pick your own Christmas tree. Always check ahead for any availability or booking requirements.

Find Newton Farm Shop and Café online.

Visit Spring Lane Farm Shop in Nottinghamshire to pick your own Christmas tree

Spring Lane’s oak-framed and sometimes flower-wreathed porch (in summer) gives way to a barn of delights. Regulars say their food
is ‘some of the best around’, particularly recommending the ribeye steaks, sausage rolls, freshly squeezed orange juice, and relishes. Sausages are a speciality and bread is baked on site every day, as are the cakes. Warm, friendly staff are on hand to answer any ‘how to cook it’ queries. The Spencer family first tended these fields in 1939. In the 1960s they began selling eggs and spuds from their front door and… we know the rest. Today’s farm shop still stands alongside the family’s mixed working farm, which is home to a herd of cattle, a flock of sheep, and crops of wheat and potatoes. Book a lamb bottle-feeding slot in spring for a joyful, tail-wiggling half hour in the sheep crêche. In winter, come to Spring Lane, a festive farm shop during the winter season, to pick your own Christmas trees as part of a magical, memorable day out.

Visit Spring Lane Farm Shop online.

Want to ‘PYO’ Christmas tree in Aberdeenshire? Head to Westerton Farm

The Gammie family have farmed in the Mearns for over 100 years. In that time, they’ve reared pigs and cattle, and grown flowers, potatoes, and strawberries. The focus now is on hypnotic fields of wheat and barley, with a few hectares for scrumptious, sea-breeze-bathed veggies and pumpkins. The rustic Farm to Table shop has crates of their own vegetables, local produce, and a good refill section.

Fridges of local meats, cheeses, and juices mean you can easily do the weekly shop here. Loitering is encouraged, with a kids’ play area, picnic benches, goats, and alpacas to visit; the barn is often open with kids activities, farmers’ markets, and pop-up shops. The log-burner warmed café is known for its comfy armchairs, hot drinks, toasties, and pastries – as well as serving homemade soups, bakes, and salads. In winter, the show goes on; call ahead to check on availability and opening hours then head over to pick your own Christmas tree at the wonderful Westerton Farm.

Find Westerton Farm online to organise your pick-your-own Christmas tree experience.

Find ‘cut your own Christmas tree’ locations and so much more with The Farm Shop Guide

The Farm Shop Guide (shown below over its fantastic coverage in The Times Weekend, October 2024), is an essential guide for the glovebox or coffee table of anyone who loves seeking out, supporting and celebrating local food, farms, and farm shops and cafés.

From wintry, festive and Christmassy farm experiences to farm shop cafés that can offer memorable moments in the company of your family, your dog, or simply your wonderful self, it’s packed with 165 places that offer something for everyone. Enjoy picking your own Christmas trees across Britain this winter, and use the blue button below to get your copy of the guide. It’s the perfect stocking filler for your foodie friends, and for anyone who cares about where their food comes from.

Posted on 06/11/202412/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

BEST-SELLING FOODIE TRAVEL GUIDES

Best seller image, (c) ibreakstock Adobe Stock 139558768

Bestselling travel guides 2024

We are Printslinger (like mud slinger, only slinging print about the place instead of mud). Home of three best-selling travel guidebooks and counting, we’re not as well known as Lonely Planet and the like. Our foodie travel books have excelled themselves in 2024 however, often beating the ‘big-hitters’ to the top spot when it comes to online book sales. Not bad for a small, independent publisher without the marketing might of the mass publishers. Long live independents!

At Printslinger, we’re driven by a desire to help you avoid boring, big-brand food and motorway services chains. We exist to help you seek out, support, and celebrate British food and Britain’s local food growers and retailers, Britain’s farmers, and independent farm shops, cafés, restaurants, coffee shops, and more. Let’s have a look at what each of our books has been up to in 2024.

The Extra Mile: a 2024 travel guide bestseller

The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services is our flagship title. It was produced annually in 2017, 2018, and 2019. It then had a three-year holiday (and a change of hands, into our hands), and returned with a bang in 2023.

The Extra Mile (ed. 4, 2023), has 275 off-motorway places to eat near motorway junctions. It was an Amazon #1 Bestseller across several food and travel guide categories in 2023 and 2024, and is frequently on the #1 Most Gifted charts. Its return to prominence in 2024 was aided by our publisher Kerry’s appearance on BBC Breakfast in August, discussing how our books help readers find and buy local food from independent cafés and farm shops near them and while on journeys around Britain.

“Is BBC Breakfast a radio show?” asked Kerry. “No, it’s primetime morning TV with an audience of 7m people,” we said. “I’ll wash my hair.”

The Coastal Café Guide: a #1 bestselling food guide in 2024

The Coastal Café Guide was released by Printslinger in July 2024. It is packed with 150 of Britain’s best coastal cafés and places to eat, like restaurants with sea views, top spots for coffee after a surf or a wild swim, and idyllic cafés to visit while walking the coast path. The Coastal Café Guide became an #1 Amazon Hot New Release and #1 Bestseller across several foodie travel guide categories. It is a great gift for people who love the sea, seafood, sea views, and culinary adventures on the coast. It was featured in The Scotsman with a long article, had a double-page feature in The Times Weekend, and was reviewed (favourably!) in The Sun, as well as getting coverage in many local and regional outlets.

Printslinger makes a donation of 1% of book sales to Surfers Against Sewage for every book we sell, managed through the Work for Good platform.

The Farm Shop Guide: a #1 bestselling food and travel guide in 2024

The Farm Shop Guide is the third title from Printslinger to date. It has 165 fantastic farm shops and farm shop cafés and restaurants, alongside info on farmers’ markets, food festivals, and the best PYO places for pick-your-own fruit, vegetables, flowers, pumpkins, and even Christmas trees across Britain. The Farm Shop Guide had a 2.5 page feature in The Times Weekend, a double-page spread in Waitrose Weekend, a review in The Telegraph’s ‘what’s new in food’, mentions in other outlets including Cotswold Life, and a good plug on TV’s BBC Breakfast.

Printslinger makes a donation of 1% of book sales to the Sustainable Food Trust for every book we sell, managed through the Work for Good platform.

Find out more about Printslinger and our best-selling food and travel guides

Printslinger is run by Kerry O’Neill and Laura Collacott. More titles are in the pipeline, with themes broadening out from pure food and travel guides into other realms. Rest assured, they will remain independent books, about memorable places and independent businesses, created by and for independent-minded people. To browse and buy our books, visit our online bookshop (link below). To discuss stocking our current books, marketing partnerships, press, work, your own book ideas, or anything else of interest, please use our contact form, linked to below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Finally, a big thank you from us all to everyone who’s bought and enjoyed our books, shared our books and given them as presents, featured our books in their print and online coverage, actually BEEN in our books, and worked with us. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you. Thank you!

Posted on 06/11/202406/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

THE FARM SHOP GUIDE: SUPPORT BRITISH FOOD AND FARMING

The Farm Shop Guide shown over The Times coverage

Support British Food with The Farm Shop Guide (as seen in The Times, Waitrose Weekend, and The Telegraph)

England, Scotland and Wales (and Ireland of course, but that’s a whole other book) have some incredible farm shops, artisan food producers, and farm shop cafés and restaurants. Printslinger’s new book, The Farm Shop Guide, will help you find them near you or when on your travels. To find local farm shops near you, plus farmers’ markets and foodie festivals, dip into our fresh new farm shop directory today. As Guy Singh-Watson, Riverford Organic Farm veg box pioneer, said, “Proper farm shops – ones that actually grow, rear, or make most of their own produce with love, attention to detail, and a genuine connection to the land – are a beautiful thing. This book will help you find them.”

To make it easier for you to find and support local farms, farmers, food producers, and farm shops, The Farm Shop Guide features over 160 of them. It has organic farm shops, family-friendly farm events, seasonal farm experiences, and dog-friendly cafés on farms around the country. For farm-fresh produce from some of the country’s very best farm shops, get or gift a copy of The Farm Shop Guide today. It’s the ultimate book gift for the foodie in your life.

Highlights of The Farm Shop Guide

165 farm shops and farm shop cafés and restaurants
Seasonal farm events including Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and seasonal activities
Info on pick-your-own (PYO) fruit, PYO vegetable and crops, PYO flowers, food festivals, and farmers markets
Icons to help trip-planners, i.e. dog friendly, family friendly, EV charging, parking, good vegetarian selection
Eight geographic sections, with striking maps and chapters on Scotland and Wales
264 full-colour pages with beautiful photography and maps throughout
15 farming and food-related charities featured: RSPB Fair to Nature, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Community Supported Agriculture, Pasture for Life, Buglife, Permaculture Association, the Biodynamic Association, Better Food Traders, OF&G Organic, the Soil Association, the Sustainable Food Trust, the Royal Countryside Fund, LEAF – Linking Environment and Farming, the Wildlife Trusts, and the Farm Retail Association.
A donation will be made to the Sustainable Food Trust for every book sold.

Support British farming and independent, local food businesses

At Printslinger books, we’re all about seeking out and celebrating smaller food businesses. The ones that go the extra mile for their staff, the owners who genuinely care about you as their customer, and the places that are there for you when the chips are down. Our three current guidebooks are The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services, The Coastal Café Guide, and The Farm Shop Guide. All have been Amazon #1 Bestsellers in 2024 (even The Extra Mile Edition 4, which came out in 2023).

It just goes to show that people love to support the local people, local businesses, and the local cafés and farm shops that our books bring to your attention. For farm-fresh produce, artisanal local food producers, and the best farm shops near you, support British food and farmers and get The Farm Shop Guide today.

To buy all three books at the special bundled price of just £42 (currently better value than you’ll find them for on Amazon), visit our online bookshop today.

Posted on 05/11/202404/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

SURF, TURF, AND TARMAC: THE CAFÉ GUIDEBOOK TRIO WE ALL NEED

The ultimate guidebook trio for foodies

If you’re getting ‘gift-giving anxiety’ about what to buy the discerning, book-loving foodie in your life, look no further than this unique foodie present. Our trio of foodie travel guides covers off-motorway cafés, farm shops, and cafés at the coast, with a total of around 600 memorable places top stop. This makes it the ideal gift for road-trip lovers seeking something different, or those seeking dog-friendly and family-friendly cafés and farm shops while on the road. Not only that, they’ll help you avoid motorway services and boring, big-brand food chains, helping you find, support, and enjoy Britain’s wealth of smaller, independent, local food and drinks businesses instead.

Our three British travel guides for foodies are outlined below. Order today and in a few short days, you could be planning your next road trip avoiding the motorway services, sea-view seafood stop-off, or family-friendly farm-shop experience. Low-food-miles and more ethically minded eateries, here you come. And what’s even better? Buy the trio (which we’re dubbing ‘Surf, Turf, and Tarmac’) and you’ll get the three for cheaper even than Amazon – while supporting a small, independent publisher while you’re at it. Win, win, and thrice win!

The Extra Mile Guide: an Amazon #1 travel bestseller in 2023 and 2024

The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services (4th edition.) is packed with independent cafés. It was one of 2023 and indeed 2024’s best-selling and ‘Most Gifted’ travel guides online, and it featured on BBC Breakfast TV, many BBC Radio channels, and elsewhere in print and online. It’s packed with over 275 delicious places to stop and eat just off junctions and near motorway and A-road junctions, to help you avoid motorway services and avoid chain food and find instead the best food stops on your British road trips. Use the foodie guidebook’s handy maps to find local farm shops near you, cosy cafés near motorway junctions, dog-friendly pubs or unusual places to eat just off junctions, while supporting the local, independent food businesses along your route. Covering areas just off motorway and main road junctions in mainland England, Scotland and Wales, it features:

Over 275 places to eat and drink with times, descriptions, images, contact details
11 motorway-based maps to help you find places to eat just off motorways and junctions
Map showing cafés with EV chargers and restaurants with EV chargers

The Coastal Café Guide: a 2024 Amazon #1 Hot New Release

The Coastal Café Guide is the ideal travel and café guide for anyone who loves food, loves the coast, and wants to find cafés on the coast, coffee at the beach, and seafood near the sea! An Amazon No #1 Hot New Release in July 2024, it’s also been featured in The Times Weekend, The Sun, and The Scotsman. It’s the perfect gift for beach lovers, coast-path walkers, surfers, paddle-boarders, seafood fans, water sports enthusiasts, holidaymakers, and those travelling with families and dogs. It’s perfect to help wild swimmers find a post-swim coffee by the sea, too. Inside The Coastal Café Guide, find:

150 cafés, restaurants, beach bars, seafood cabins, and pubs at the coast
Dog-friendly and family-friendly places to eat at the coast, often with a sea view
10 striking regional maps to help you find a café on the coast near you
Independent, smaller cafés and places to eat on the coast
Features on a dozen marine- and coast-relevant charities including (and with a donation per book to) Surfers Against Sewage
Places in England, Scotland and Wales (inc. Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Isle of Skye)

The Coastal Café Guide also features 12 coastal charities, including the RNLI, the Ramblers, The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), The Marine Stewardship Council (MCS), the Open Seas charity, The John Muir Trust, The Wave Project, the National Trust for Scotland, City to Sea, The Outdoor Swimming Society, and The South West Coast Path Organisation. Not only will you be supporting local food businesses and local communities, you’ll be helping raise the profile (and raising money) for some tireless UK-based charities.

The Farm Shop Guide: as seen in The Times and Waitrose Weekend

This is the ideal food, travel, and farm shop and farm café guide and directory for anyone who loves fresh food, farm-to-fork experiences, and farm-focused events and activities. It became an Amazon #1 bestseller following some fab coverage in The Times Weekend, Waitrose Weekend, The Scotsman, Cotswold Life, and more. If you love farm-fresh food and local flavours and are keen to locate a farm shop, to shop seasonally and avoid flown-in food (while supporting Britain’s farmers and growers), this is the book for you. The Farm Shop Guide will help you find farm-fresh food and independent farm shops and cafés across Britain: perfect places for a weekly shop, an eat-out treat, or a family-friendly or dog-friendly day trip to a farm. In the book you’ll find:

First-rate farm shops, farm shop cafés, and farm restaurants
Farmers’ markets and food festivals
Dog-friendly and family-friendly places to stop, eat and shop
Farm shops with EV chargers for your vehicles
Farms and farm shops offering PYO (pick-your-own) fruit, veg, flowers, Christmas trees, and pumpkin places
Striking full-colour maps and full-page features per farm shop
Spotlights on food, farming, and environmental charities including: Pasture for Life, the Sustainable Food Trust, Buglife, RSPB Fair to Nature, the Permaculture Association, Community Supported Agriculture, and the Soil Association.

For local farm shops, farmers markets, this farm shop directory has all the information you need on Britain’s best farm shops, organic farm shops, artisan food shops, and family-friendly farm experiences.

Buy the ultimate trio of foodie guidebooks today for just £42

If it’s a foodie gift or foodie book you seek, our guidebooks really will put a smile on the most discerning food lover’s face…treat yourself and they’ll have the same effect.

The three guides (either alone or together) make great gifts for gourmets, and those who love to avoid motorway services and big-brand chain food because they prefer farm shops, fresh food, local food, or perhaps food with a view. Our foodie travel guides also make great artisan food gifts for chefs, cooks, and Masterchef fans, who like to go the extra mile themselves when it comes to eating out, entertaining, and cooking.

Support local, smaller food growers, producers and businesses, and easily locate independent cafés and farm shops near you and at the coast, wherever you live and wherever you travel around Britain.

Posted on 04/11/202404/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

THE COASTAL CAFÉ GUIDE: THE IDEAL GIFT FOR SWIMMERS, SURFERS, AND FOODIE BEACH LOVERS

Image of three copies of The Coastal Café Guide

The Coastal Café Guide gathers a huge cross-section of the best coastal cafés in Britain into one brilliant guide. For cafés by the sea, beachside eateries, and restaurants with a sea view, look no further. Upon release this summer, it quickly became an Amazon #1 hot New Release, and then a travel category #1 bestseller. Need a present for the swimmer, surfer, or seafood lover in your life? Voilà!

Who’s the guide for? Packed with surf-friendly and post-swim ready cafés, it’s for anyone looking for a small, local, independent café on the coast. It’s for those who love to stop for a coffee after going wild-swimming at the beach, it’s got cafés that make great stop-offs for coast-path walkers, and it has restaurants offering sustainable seaside dining across the land. Check out a few of our favourite coastal cafés below.

To buy The Coastal Café Guide – it makes a great gift for wild-swimmers, a wonderful Christmas present for surfers, or the perfect gift for someone planning a coast-path walk – visit our online bookshop today for single and great-value book bundle deals.

The Boathouse, Uphill, North Somerset

Gemma and Giulio have revolutionised this nautical and very dog-friendly coastal café near Uphill’s marina, lake, and touring park. A summer hot-spot, it is a short stroll from the southern end of Weston-super-Mare beach so is perfect for those seeking a café near the sea in Weston. The colourful outdoor area has a beach-striped coffee and gelato hut. Here, tropical sorbets, riotously rich gelatos (all homemade on site) and seasonal specials create dilemmas for ice cream aficionados.

The Boathouse is favoured by those with families, dogs, and bikes, as it gives onto the Brean Down Way walking and cycling route. Yachties and rowers from the local gig club also swing by for epic cakes, posh fish finger sandwiches, big breakfasts, and…did we mention the local gelato? Pick up doggie treats before hitting the beach, or climb Uphill Beacon for views across to Glastonbury Tor or the hills of Wales. An ideal café near the coast in Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset.

The Boathouse on Facebook

The Sandy Salt Pig, Studland, Swanage, Dorset

Looking for a café on the coast right next to the sea in Dorset? Look no further. This café is a coast-path walker’s dream. “Not many stories begin with the words “I worked locally as a shepherd for 14 years…” but this one does. The Salt Pig coastal café and kiosk is well loved locally. Its founder, James, worked the coastal fields near Kimmeridge Bay and now brings the region’s distinctive flavours to the fore through The Salt Pig’s farm shops, cafés, and now The Sandy Salt Pig beach cabin: a refreshing sight for coast-path weary eyes. It’s the perfect post-swim café or food stop for beach goers.

At The Salt Pig’s farm, rare-breed pork is reared with landscape, nature, and sustainability in mind. James’s goal is for locals to connect to their landscape, to understand the benefits of farming, and to be proud of local produce. Kick your shoes off at a beachfront bench to devour a homemade sausage roll or a pulled-beef burrito before strolling along Studland’s famed beach with a Purbeck ice cream. If you’ve walked the South West Coast Path or plan to, or seek a gift for someone who’s about to, The Coastal Café Guide is ideal.

The Salt Pig on Facebook

The Beach Café, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Super popular when the sun shines, The Beach Café also has one of West Sussex’s coolest watersports hubs. Vast sea views are included, both from inside the club house and up on the rooftop. Of course we had to include it in our book of epic post-surf cafés and for wild-swimmers seeking a café on the coast.

Whether you’ve come to eat or to kitesurf, swim, paddleboard, windsurf, or wingfoil (ask about lessons and kit hire), this friendly place with its surfy vibe has it all. This coastal café was created as a place to share tales of near-misses and heroic surf saves, all fuelled by great food and drink. It is now the beach hang-out for a community that is keen to enjoy all that the ocean offers. Once off the water, head inside for surfer wraps, vegan breakfasts, stone- baked pizzas, and succulent burgers. Visit the West Beach Nature Reserve or stroll along the river Arun while in town.

The Beach Café on Facebook

The Norfolk Coffee Pedlar, Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk

This is a water’s-edge coffee stop-off with a difference. Sustainable coffee aficionados will love the Norfolk Coffee Pedlar. Many people pivoted in their careers in the wake of Covid…far fewer converted a trike into a mobile coffee shop. Enter Sandy and Dave. Conscious of the environment (and their stunning creek-side location), they serve coffee in beautiful hand-thrown ceramics made by local artists with no disposable cups.

If you want to relax by the shore, or walk the coast path to the beach, you can borrow (or buy) a cup. Taking the boat out to Scolt Head Island? Ferryman John will even drop the cup back for you. Here, locally roasted coffee is served alongside hunks of home-baked cake: the ginger and orange is a firm favourite. Keep your eyes on the skies as, with the Pedlar’s exposed spot, wind and rain can stop play.

The Norfolk Coffee Pedlar on Facebook

The Lookout on the Pier, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

For something a little different in a town you think you might know, head to this fantastic coastal café with its sea view and harbour view tables. Scarborough’s Lookout on the Pier is an integral part of the town’s lively, Grade II-listed working harbour. Evocative boaty sights, sounds, and authentically fishy scents accompany your stroll to this seafood restaurant’s industrial staircase. Head up and into this atmospheric first- floor space, with its striking views across working wharfs and up to the ruins of once-mighty Scarborough Castle. Chef Alex’s house special is the chowder. In fact, ‘all seafood’ is where he excels.

Secure a popular balcony table in fine weather to get involved with plates of criminally fresh oysters or moules marinières, while lobster dishes parade temptingly around on route to eager tables. The seafood platters are show-stopping. This really is an excellent seafood, seaside, sea-view dining experience. End your day with a trip to the Museum of Coastal Heritage and Geology.

The Lookout on the Pier on Facebook

The Beach House, Portobello, Edinburgh

Where to eat on the coast in Scotland? We’ve got a few great coastal cafés in Scotland in our guide, and this beachside eatery is a favourite. In its lifetime, Edinburgh’s Portobello area has made everything from glass and lead to paper and pottery. Today, its prom and award-winning beach attracts a different energy, with events from the Big Beach Busk to triathlon and volleyball meets. Near Portobello’s Sailing and Kayaking Club is The Beach House, a pretty little café with cakes and pastries arriving fresh each day from its own bakery in Leith.

The café prides itself on buying local and organic. Tables have fresh posies and the kitchen garden brims with herbs and fruits. Some end up in the best-selling Porty Smash: Portobello mushrooms, smashed avo, thyme and garlic aioli, balsamic glaze, and pine nuts (topped with an organic poached egg). Try a homemade gelato or summery sorbet, or boost your vitamin C with some local sea buckthorn.

The Beach House on Facebook

Visit our online bookshop now to discover more about The Coastal Café Guide and its 150 coastal cafés, restaurants by the sea, pubs with sea views, and dog- and family-friendly places to eat at the seaside around the coast of Britain. Bestselling foodie travel guide, The Coastal Café Guide, is available now from Printslinger. Also available as at 2024: The Farm Shop Guide, and The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. Buy the three-book bundle for serious savings on this tempting trio.

Posted on 25/10/202405/11/2024 by The Extra Mile

PYO PUMPKINS: 10 OF THE BEST PICK-YOUR-OWN PUMPKIN PATCHES 2024

As autumn arrives, the leaves begin to change, and the night of the spirits and ghouls approaches, there’s no better – or more Instagrammable – way to embrace the season than by visiting a pumpkin patch. From selecting the perfect pumpkin to enjoying crisp autumnal air and enjoying a steaming spiced latte, pumpkin patches offer a delightful experience for families and friends alike.

Here, we’ve collected some of our UK favourites from the newly published Farm Shop Guide, so you can explore some of the best pumpkin patches, right on the farm. And while you’re there, you can fill your basket with a whole selection of harvest-time produce. So grab your wellies and cosy jumper and get ready for a day in the field!

As always, please remember to check websites/socials for booking details and availability before travelling.

1. Maxey’s Farm Shop, Nottinghamshire

Maxey’s P…P…Pick Up A Pumpkin event is one of Nottinghamshire’s best loved pumpkin picking experiences. Visitors can roam through rows of vibrant pumpkins, selecting the perfect ones for carving or cooking. The picturesque setting is ideal for family outings, with ample photo opportunities among the colourful gourds.

Furry friends will have to stay home for this one – they’re not allowed on the farm.

2. Cammas Hall Farm, Hertfordshire

A positive extravaganza of all things pumpkin. This Halloween season, Cammas Hall Farm offers an exciting array of activities, including spooky tunnels, interactive Halloween characters, and the show-stopping giant erupting Pumpcano! Visitors can enjoy seasonal snacks in the patch while exploring a stunning selection of 50 varieties of pumpkins and squash.

On select days, the farm will also feature Tractor Trailer Rides, adding to the festive experience. For those seeking a thrill, Cammas Resurrected invites everyone to brave the patch after dark, where they can navigate the eerie tunnels filled with surprises. Parents should note that the Terror Tunnel will include scare actors at night, making it suitable for guests aged 12 and up. It’s a spooktacular night not to be missed!

3. Manor Farm Catthorpe, Leicestershire

The pumpkin patch is welcoming visitors every day from 10 am to 4 pm until October 31st! With free entry — guests only pay for their pumpkins — there’s no need to book in advance. Families can enjoy a day out with minimal mud, thanks to the hard-standing paths, and have the chance to meet friendly animals and capture memorable photos.

On Saturday 26th October, visitors are invited to showcase their creativity by entering the colouring competition! Completed sheets should be submitted by 2 pm for a chance to win exciting prizes. Sheets are available in the shop. Additionally, a fancy dress competition will take place, so come dressed in your scariest or cutest outfits.

4. Over Farm, Gloucestershire

If you prefer your pumpkins after dark, Over Farm is the place for you. As the sun sets and the stars emerge, the pumpkin patch transforms into a spooktacular adventure, perfect for daring pumpkin hunters of all ages. Pull on your wellies and venture into the patch under the moonlight to capture fabulous snaps among the pumpkincredible displays, or hop a ride on the tractor trailer for a hauntingly hilarious journey around the farm.

After exploring the patch, grab a drink at the bar, toast some marshmallows, and prepare for some sensational fire dancing that will set the mood alight, just in time for a live music set in the roundhouse. With a variety of delicious dishes from carefully selected independent food traders, there’s something for everyone.

In response to last year’s muddy spots, the farm has worked hard to create improved paths in the car park and leading to the pumpkin patch to keep things as dry as possible. However, wellies are aways advised.

5. Kenyon Hall Farm, Cheshire (SOLD OUT – CHECK FOR LAST MINUTE TICKETS)

Discover the ultimate pumpkin picking experience! This autumn, ticket holders can look forward to a fantastic time at the expansive pumpkin patch, featuring thousands of pumpkins grown this year. Whether seasoned pumpkin pickers or first-timers, visitors will find something for everyone to enjoy. There are photo opportunities galore among the unique displays of varied pumpkins and squashes (and family photo shoots available) to create lasting memories.

Tickets are priced at just £2.95 for both adults and children, while infants under 18 months can enter for free. It’s important to note that tickets do not include a pumpkin, allowing guests the freedom to choose their favourites directly from the patch.

6. Drewton’s, Yorkshire

A pumpkin-picking adventure. Spend a day outdoors foraging for the perfect pumpkin in a four-acre field filled with home-grown pumpkins in various sizes and colours. Visitors can choose their ideal pumpkin and then unleash their creativity in the designated pumpkin carving area. The Pumpkin Shack will be serving delicious refreshments and snacks, including the farm’s famous pumpkin soup. For those wanting a sit-down meal, the restaurant is open for brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea, but reservations are recommended to avoid disappointment. In addition to exploring the pumpkin patch, there’s a foraging field where guests can wander and discover hidden treasures. For those who enjoy walking, the estate offers lovely trails through rolling Yorkshire hills, providing a perfect backdrop for wildlife spotting and enjoying the beauty of nature.

Guests are also welcome to bring dogs (on leads and with poo bags handy), making it a fun outing for the whole family. With plenty of great photo opportunities, including backdrops and cut-out boards, you can capture memorable moments throughout the day.

7. Farrington’s, Somerset

Join the fun at Farrington’s annual Pumpkin Picking Festival! Wellies at the ready, grab a wheelbarrow and immerse yourself in a true pumpkin picking experience, with all pumpkins grown right on the farm. From classic orange ‘Cinderella’ pumpkins to unique white ‘ghost’ pumpkins and knobbly ‘knucklehead’ pumpkins, there’s something for everyone. In addition to the pumpkin patch, Farrington’s offers plenty of other activities to enjoy during the visit. Whinny the Witch of Farrington Gurney will be in the Witches Wood, where guests can toast marshmallows in her cauldron for just £2 per stick—just watch out for any spells she might cast! The big carving marquee will also be open, allowing guests to carve their pumpkins into spooky faces while leaving the mess behind.

Make sure you buy your ticket in advance.

8. Forage Farm Shop, Glamorgan

The highly anticipated Forage pumpkin picking experience is back and ready for everyone to enjoy this autumn! With over 25 types of pumpkins planted—including green, orange, white, blue, and even warty varieties—there’s something for everyone. Visitors can expect to find unique pumpkins such as Polar Bear, Wicked, Crown Prince, Lemonade, Baby Boo, Specter, Big Max, and Cauldron, among others.

Families can take aim and splat the villain with the exciting pumpkin catapult, or unleash their children’s imaginations with a variety of fun games, pony rides and face painting. The tractor rides are not to be missed, as guests will hunt for the witches’ belongings along the way. Photography enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities to capture the magic of the day, with perfect picture backdrops scattered throughout the farm. From the enchanting pumpkin carriage to the giant spinning pumpkin, there are countless spots for memorable snapshots.

For thrill-seekers and spooky enthusiasts, the after-dark pumpkin picking experience offers an eerie yet exciting twist to the festivities.

9. Algy’s, Norfolk

he beloved Pumpkin Patch will welcome visitors from October 1st to October 31st, 2024, making it the perfect destination for those looking to pick their ideal pumpkin.

No Booking Required—Just Show Up! Guests don’t need to book in advance; they can simply come along and explore the patch, which features a fantastic selection of pumpkins ranging from weeny to extra large. Whether you’re searching for the perfect pumpkin for carving, decorating, or cooking, there’s something for everyone.

This year, the Pumpkin Patch will also offer a variety of delicious food options to make the experience even more special. Attendees can indulge in freshly made pizza, pulled pork, hog roast, hot dogs, and bacon rolls — ideal for refuelling after a fun day of pumpkin picking. It’s dog friendly too: well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to join in the festivities.

10. Westerton Farmers, Kincardineshire

As Halloween approaches, families are invited to get outdoors and hand-pick the perfect pumpkin at Westerton Farm. This beloved autumn event is back for its sixth year, running daily from October 11th to October 31st. In addition to selecting their ideal pumpkins, families can take on the bale maze and conquer the impressive bale mountain, or run off some steam with the usual range of inflatables and activities inside the barn, no matter what the weather. Join in the Autumnal Festivities.

Pst. It looks like you like your veggies fresh from the field. So do we! Check out our Farm Shop Guide for a run-down of some of the UK’s finest independent, nature-friendly growers and farmers. Click below to buy a copy (it makes a great Christmas gift).

Posted on 08/12/202311/12/2023 by The Extra Mile

TOP GIFTS FOR MOTORISTS

image of The Motorway Card Game (c) Bubblegum Stuff

1. A 'coffee by post' gift subscription

Need to buy a gift for a driver or a present for a motorist? Our top tips will provide all the inspiration you need.

Now, our first suggestion isn’t the most obvious gift for a motorist but it will surely become their instant favourite. Many local roasters (such as Unorthodox Roasters in Kinross, if you’re local to them) provide brilliant ‘coffee grounds by post’ packages. Buy a three, six or 12-month subscription to keep your favourite driver alert when on the road. Join The Extra Mile’s mailing list between 11th and 18th December 2023, to be in with a chance to win a 12-month subscription from Unorthodox Roasters, worth £126.

Explore coffee subscriptions here.

2. Make them a modern-day mix-tape

This is my personal favourite: take advantage of tech to make the driver in your life a modern-day mix-tape. It’s the perfect present for a motorist as they can simply pop it into their USB port to hear your lovingly compiled tunes while driving to see you. Alternatively, make one for them to play on the way home to hasten their journey back to you.

Explore and customise your options on Etsy.

3. Buy The Extra Mile near-motorway café guide

C’mon, of course we were going to recommend our best-selling, ‘most gifted’, indie café-packed guidebook in this list! To be honest, I’m surprised we managed to wait until No. 3. The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services truly is the perfect gift for drivers and motorists who prefer independent cafés and like to find fresh local food when on the move. For those who (inexplicably) love motorway services and know them too well, read on: you’re going to love No. 5.

Support local! Buy The Extra Mile from our online shop.

4. An audiobook subscription

If you haven’t heard of audiobook provider, Audible, we honestly don’t know which soundproof rock you’ve been living under these last years (other audiobook subscription services are available). But what a great gift for a motorist. It’s an easy way to help them while away those long, tedious road-trip hours by listening to their favourite authors, plus if you’ve missed the last post, this can all be sent digitally. Check out the differences between service providers below. There’s even a free audiobook service called Librivox whose strap-line is: acoustical liberation of books in the public domain. Sounds brilliant: here’s to acoustical liberation!

Get your geek on and compare services at TechRadar.

5. The Motorway Services Game

Now, though we might avoid motorway services like the plague (apart from the fantastic, local food focused ones like Gloucester and Tebay, of course), we do love this game. Dubbed ‘The “Pit Stop or S*** Stop” Card Stealing Game’, it really is a great gift for motorists who find themselves on the road a lot. Buy them The Extra Mile first, then pop this one in their stocking or glovebox as a little something extra, too.

Buy The Motorway Services Game.

6. FM Transmitters (for drivers with older cars)

I’m not sure I’ve ever driven a car younger than myself, so ‘in-car tech’ is never a strong point when it comes to my vehicles. If you need a present for a driver with an older car, consider one of these handy little FM transmitter gadgets. Plugged into the lighter socket, it will allow you to broadcast your phone’s audio out via the radio. No idea how: some higher magic is at work. The perfect gift for drivers who are tired of flipping through radio stations to stay interested: choose your own noise.

7. The AA's emergency car kit

This is a genuinely useful gift for drivers who mightn’t be as prepared as they could be. Find everything inside from a folding snow shovel and torch to a hi-vis vest, booster cables and a rain poncho. The perfect present for a new driver, or those driving in remote areas or bad weather (image is indicative, check your chosen version for specific contents).

Dip inside the AA’s emergency car kit: be ready for anything.

8. Travel activity packs for drivers with children

Journeys can seem oh-so-much longer for drivers when there are kids in the back to entertain, too. Browse around or create your own in-car travel activity pack, with anything from stickers and colouring to card games, quiz books and more. Some pre-made examples exist from organisations like Friends of the Earth and the excellently named ‘Keep’em Quiet’ company. Browse their age-banded activity packs which make a great gift for drivers heading off on car holidays ‘en famille’.

Explore the range by Keep’em Quiet.

9. A cup-holder-ready reusable coffee cup

There are many fantastic reusable coffee cups on the market but we love this one (as does The Independent, which has awarded Circular Cup Co. its Best Buy for three years on the trot). Drivers need coffee, and perking up, and gifts. So, for the motorist in your life, this is an excellent choice.

Circular Cup Co. A great gift choice for the driver in your life.

Gifts for motorists: any great ones we've missed?

Here at The Extra Mile, we always love to hear from you, whether it’s with ideas for new farm shops and cafés to go in our guides, or suggestions to add to our ‘listicles’ like this. Do email me if you have any ideas to brighten, enrich or further caffeinate our lives here at Printslinger Publishing HQ. Bye for now; happy holidays and we hope that this list of great gift ideas for drivers and motorists has struck a few road-trip related chords.

Email Kerry today.

Buy The Extra Mile.

Coffee competition: runs 11-18 Dec 2023

Visit this post for info on our Christmas 2023 coffee competition. Simply sign up to our mailing list between 11 Dec and 18 Dec 2023 to be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize from Scotland’s inimitable Unorthodox Roasters, of Kinross.

Visit Unorthodox Roasters here.

Posted on 29/11/202305/12/2023 by The Extra Mile

WIN COFFEE GROUNDS FOR A YEAR

Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross, image of barrista

Win coffee: delivered to your door for a year!

Would you like to wake up and smell the coffee not once, not twice but monthly for a whole year? Join Printslinger’s mailing list from 11th – 18th December 2023 for your chance to win one pouch of coffee grounds per month for a whole year (Jan-Dec 2024) from Scotland’s inimitable Unorthodox Roasters. This is an excellent treat-to-self or we can provide a lovely virtual voucher so you can give this as a gift this Christmas. How to win friends and caffeinate people…

To enter, join our coffee-fuelled newsletter community here. Find out more about Unorthodox Roasters of Kinross (and this offer’s Ts and Cs), below.

Subscribe to enter

Unorthodox Roasters in The Extra Mile

Unorthodox Roasters joined The Extra Mile for our new 2023 edition. One of their founders and chief roasters, Chris, is so happy with being in our guidebook that he’s made an over-the-top-generous offer to supply one of you with free coffee for a year. This is excellent news and we’re going to pretend that we don’t work here so that we can enter ourselves: sssh, don’t tell him.

This is what our 2023 café guide ,The Extra Mile (an online ‘Bestseller’ and ‘Most Gifted’ in its category) has to say about Unorthodox Roasters.

Everything about Unorthodox Roasters is just that: unorthodox. Their beans are roasted and named with humour; each chat with the friendly baristas spirals off in an entertaining direction; and their flavours are punchy and bold.

Chris and Neil started roasting beans at home while saving up to launch their first place. Their Kinross roastery and café is fun, with bronze and bare bulbs against blue and white walls. You’ll be greeted by a V60 brew bar and manual espresso machine: every stage of the process has gravitas here (though it’s all served without pretension and with a smile). Grab and go or settle in for brunch or some home-baking with your expertly crafted drink.

Their best-selling beans are the single origin Wee Stoater, with notes of chocolate, hazelnut and caramel. Other treats include beetroot hot choc; experimental lattes (‘Chai Harder’), and an ethical tea range. Browse the coffee-lovers’ kits and take some pouches of beans to enjoy at home.

If you like who we feature and how we phrase things, why not check the guide out for yourself? It makes a great gift for anyone who drives a lot and likes to eat well. You can buy it at many of the venues featured in the book (such as Unorthodox Roasters if you’re passing) or you can order direct from us here. Get in quick if it’s meant as a gift for 2024.

Like Unorthodox Roasters on Facebook here.
Follow Unorthodox Roasters on Instagram.
Buy their Single Origin coffee for delivery.

Draw Terms and Conditions

One entry per person.
One name will be chosen at random from those who sign up to join our Mailing List between 11th and 18th December 2023 to win this prize.
First name, last name and a correct email address must be included in order to be entered into the draw.
The winner will be contacted via email on 19th Dec. Two attempts at contact will be made within 14 days. If no response with the further information required is received by the original winner within 14 days of the second attempt, we reserve the right to redraw and to contact another person, drawn at random, to receive this coffee subscription. The original winner will forfeit their right to this prize and no alternative prize will be available or offered.
The winner will allow for the prize, or the first instalment thereof, to be delivered by end January 2024.
The winner must provide Printslinger Ltd. with their full name and postal address, to be passed on to Unorthodox Roasters, for them to correctly deliver the coffee.
Unorthodox Roasters will supply the coffee(s) of their choice which will depend on availability and other factors.
Unorthodox Roasters reserve the right to deliver the total weight of coffee in larger packages (i.e. 500g+) if agreed with the winner, to reduce packaging.
This competition is only open to mainland UK-based entrants.
The prize, of 12 x 250g coffee pouches (or the equivalent weight in different weight pouches), includes free delivery to one mainland UK address. A postal surcharge may apply to some Highlands, Islands and other non-standard UK addresses.
The winner’s first name, last name and town/ city of residence, for example Kerry O’Neill from Bristol, may be used across our online and offline channels to publicise the competition once finished.
Further opportunities for the winner to participate in Social Media promotion following their win may be offered; participation is totally optional.
This competition is being run by Printslinger Ltd., with a prize provided by Unorthodox Roasters.
With any questions, please contact The Extra Mile via email.
Printslinger Ltd accepts no liability for any damage, loss, injury, or disappointment suffered by any entrants as a result of participating in the competition or being selected for a prize.
You agree that any personal information that you provide when entering the competition will be used by Printslinger Ltd for the purposes of administering the competition and for the other purposes as specified in our Privacy Policy.
Printslinger Ltd reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to cancel the competition or amend these terms and conditions.

Buy The Extra Mile guide today

Visit The Extra Mile Guide’s online shop to buy your own edition of the guide today (or buy a few to give away – it makes a great gift for your foodie friends).

Posted on 12/07/202312/07/2023 by The Extra Mile

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!

Find and follow The Extra Mile on Facebook
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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!

Posted on 19/06/202327/06/2023 by The Extra Mile

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!