Is it cream before jam, or jam before cream? This weighty matter is the subject of great debate when it comes to deciding the correct way to prepare your scones for the traditional clotted cream tea, much loved in the South West. Aficionados tell us that in Cornwall it is the jam before the cream, whilst in Devon the clotted cream is spread liberally before being topped off with luscious strawberry jam. At the end of the day we suggest you pile it on just as you like and simply enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

The Westcountry is home to a wealth of fabulous food far beyond the simple cream tea. Nick Coombes, our head chef at the TLH Toorak Hotel makes sure that his menus use as much of the best local produce available. This includes fresh fish from Ocean Fleet in Paignton, locally reared meat from family owned Totnes butcher, RML Meats and locally grown seasonal vegetables.

Taste of the Westcountry Breaks at the TLH Toorak

Our Taste of the Westcountry Breaks taking place next spring are the perfect showcase for Nick’s delicious menus which feature starters like Cornish goats’ cheese, grapefruit and cranberry, served on a garlic crouton with glazed leaves. A favourite main course is grilled fillet of Exmouth cod with a Yeo Vale wine and pink shrimp cream sauce served with glazed sugar snap peas and local new potatoes. Or if you’re a vegetarian you can try a Dorset mushroom and pancake gateau with white onion and basil cream, served with a side salad. Still got room for dessert? Then I really recommend that you try his special Devonshire Coupe which is homemade flapjack with raisins, apple, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. Absolutely gorgeous.

What’s Included in Your Break?

• 4 nights dinner, bed & breakfast at the TLH Toorak Hotel
• Monday evening – a welcome drinks reception
• Tuesday afternoon – Devonshire cream tea
• Wednesday – a visit to Torre Abbey
• Thursday afternoon – a cider and Sharpham’s cheese tasting

To make even more of your break here are a couple of suggestions you might like to try.

Darts Farm

Darts Farm is just a short drive off the M5 motorway at Topsham and the farm has been featured in BBC Good Food Magazine as one of the top 10 destination farm shops in the country. As well as the farm shop, there are animals to visit, pick-your-own fruit and vegetables, fishing ponds, a bird hide, the Maize Maze and a farm walk that will take you around the beautiful vegetable fields.

Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink

If you book to stay on the April break, we’d like to suggest you extend your stay to take in the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink  which takes place 22-24 April 2016. Held in the courtyard of Exeter Castle and the surrounding Northernhay Gardens in the centre of Exeter, visitors can wander around 2 food pavilions where over 100 individual producers will be selling a mouth-watering array of food and drink. Plus there will be cookery demonstrations, national TV celebrity chefs, workshops and much more.

To get a taste of the Westcountry for yourself call 01803 400500 to book one of our Spring Breaks at the TLH Toorak Hotel.