First time eat: Festivals traders receive Thatchers Cider bursary for eat: Tiverton

Thatchers Cider bursary recipients will be trading for the first time at eat:Tiverton on 26th September.

The bursary allows first-time traders to take their first step into the eat:Festivals family, the award-winning food and drink festivals that take place throughout the West Country.

PiQi, Vic's Little Kitchen, Bennetts Kombucha and I am Cultured will all be trading for the first time at eat:Tiverton.

Exeter based Victoria Brown formed Vic’s Little Kitchen during lockdown makes luxury baked goods and artisan deli, using environmentally friendly packaging.

She says, “I'm all about everything being made with hand selected natural quality ingredients. Everything is made by myself from scratch using my own unique recipes that are designed to test your taste buds like no other. I do not believe in wasting food so have a compost heap in my garden and give any left-over products to my local Food Bank here in Exeter. 

“I am absolutely delighted that Thatchers Cider is supporting Vic's little Kitchen with a bursary for the eat:Tiverton.” 

Neil Bennett is a recipient of the bursary, running Woodbury based Bennetts Kombucha.

“It's great to know that there is a welcoming community both as a food and drinks tribe and also as a business community to help share and promote local products and help us.  Booch thanks to Thatchers Cider and for Bev & Sarah @ eat:Festivals.”

Fermented food and drink start up I am Cultured was formed earlier this year by Bideford based Tracey Benton out of a passion for fermented foods and the positive impact they can have on gut health. Her produced includes sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha, using fresh, local ingredients.

“I came to fermented foods after reading about their health benefits, particularly the link between gut health and mental health and wellbeing. Fresh and local is best so I work with my local supplier to ensure that I am using the best local and seasonal vegetables in my ferments. As a result my recipes will vary throughout the seasons depending on what is available.

“I was thrilled to have been accepted to trade by the eat:Festivals team but to also win The Bursary, sponsored by Thatchers Cider, is a double whammy of good fortune for me and my business.”

First time trader Aksana Fitzpatrick has founded PiQi, producing small batch fermented, non-dairy sparkling water kefir, containing billions of live cultures.

Aksana says, “We're so thrilled to be joining the eat:Festivals family and wanted to thank the organisers Bev and Sarah, and Thatchers Cider for supporting us and other small food startups in the South West!”

Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cider maker at the family run producer, says, “The range and quality of first-time traders at eat:Festivals continues to impress and reinforces the fact that the West Country is a hive of food and drink talent. In particular we’re delighted to support those who have started their businesses over the last 18 months. Establishing a new business is hard at the best of times, but to do this during a pandemic deserves much praise.”

Bev Milner Simonds, eat:Festivals, adds

"Supporting new businesses is a vital part of keeping the food & drink sector flourishing in the southwest  - we are really pleased to have the backing and support of Thatchers Cider for these excellent new producers."

Thatchers Cider will be taking its Land Rover cider truck to eat:Tiverton, serving its popular Somerset ciders to visitors.