Things are hotting up for the Powderham Food Festival

'The Incredible Spice Men' - otherwise known as Tony Singh and Cyrus Todiwala - will be putting in a much anticipated appearance at Powderham Castle this Saturday at the Powderham Food Festival. Award-winning chefs and currently starring on our television screens on BBC2 (Monday nights) to popular acclaim, the lively duo will be bringing their unique take on British food to Exeter. So watch out foodies, be prepared to have your taste buds tickled and tantalized and just a little bit surprised. 

The two old friends believe that Britain has some of the best produce in the world, but think we are missing a trick when it comes to cooking with spices. And so they are quite simply on a mission - to convince Britain to wake up to the versatility of spices and exotic ingredients, using them not just on special occasions, but every day.

The Exeter Daily caught up with Cyrus and Tony just before they were due to head to the South West for their first official appearance in Devon at the Powderham Food Festival (5 October). The pair were both very enthusiastic at the thought of coming to Devon, with its reputation for top quality local produce. Tony said, "I'm really looking forward to sampling the local food and drink… cream tea, scrumpy and especially the cheese. I love cheese, so am on the hunt for a good Devon Blue from a local dairy, which will go brilliantly with one of Cyrus's wonderful chutneys. I will also be keeping my eyes open for hog's pudding, which I have heard is Devon and Cornwall's version of black pudding and haggis, and white pudding if it's available."

Tony's answer is not surprising, as he grew up in Scotland, with food that was "Good, honest peasant food, but fantastic. My biggest food influence growing up was home cooking by my Mum and Aunties - who cooked haggis, stovies and simple but flavoursome food which over time has taken in many different influences and spices to culminate in a unique Scottish cuisine."

Cyrus told The Exeter Daily, "I really love any kind of game, and it lends itself perfectly to using all kinds of wonderful spices. You have to be careful though, as a game bird such as pheasant has a mild flavour and needs subtler spicing, whereas for the stronger tasting pigeon you can go heavier on the chillies. In Rajasthan there is a big emphasis on cooking wild game, such as grouse and pheasant, which has featured in Indian cuisine for centuries."

So what do the Food Festival audience have to look forward to? If one thing's for sure, it will be entertaining, as even over the telephone the pair exude bundles of energy and personality. Cyrus said: "We'll be cooking very traditional English food, such as a classic cream tea and Victoria sponge, but there'll be a big twist somewhere that you won't be expecting. We'll also be doing a spiced gammon and pulled pork.

"Indian cuisine usually features a sweet followed by savoury and then finished with another sweet, so maybe we'll go down that route. And I haven't quite decided which flavours of my chutney I will be bringing with me… maybe pear and apple chutney or English Braeburn and Mango or even my Cheltenham beetroot chutney, which is very special. You'll have to just have to come along and find out."

Old friends Singh and Todiwala love Britain and its food. Between them they have cooked the Queen’s Jubilee dinner, been awarded an OBE and won Chef of the Year. Their knowledge of spices is extraordinary and comes not just from training in world-class restaurants, but is handed down through generations of their Indian families.

From "chef of genius" to "creator of the classiest curries in London", Bombay-born Parsee chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL has been called all manner of good things, but the Chef Patron of Cafe Spice Namaste, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen and The Park Café in Victoria Park East still has his feet very much on the ground… running!

He cooks, teaches, runs three successful restaurants and does more than his fair bit for charity and the community, but Cyrus’s restless, entrepreneurial soul means he’s never going to stand still. And he’s never said no to a challenge, whether it’s leaving a secure Executive Chef role in the Taj Group of Hotels in Goa 21 years ago to start all over in the UK, or bravely daring to combine flavours, spices and ingredients in ways no other Indian chef has done before.

Meanwhile the Leith-born Tony Singh has established himself as a leading force on the Scottish restaurant scene and has run three of his own restaurants, Oloroso, Tony's Table and Roti with great critical acclaim.

For over 25 years, Tony has pushed the boundaries of culinary innovation, combining his Sikh upbringing with his love of Scottish produce. His distinctive style soon developed and made him hot property in restaurant circles and helped him secure membership of the country's leading bodies including the Academy of Culinary Arts, the Craft Guild of Chefs, the Scottish Chefs association and the Master Chefs of Great Britain. Visit Scotland recently named Tony as one of the chosen few "Real Scots".

He is now an ambassador for Scotland and all things Scottish. Not one to rest on his laurels, Tony is on the hunt for a new restaurant, which he would ideally like to open in Edinburgh. However, having long worked in the fast-paced restaurant scene and with family high on his list of priorities, he is now looking to find an establishment that fits with his lifestyle and not the other way around.

In the meantime, however, he also runs a restaurant consultancy business to guide others in the mistakes not to make. His top advice for anyone considering opening a food establishment is to understand what your customers need (and want) and also your suppliers. He said, "The biggest mistake anyone can make is underestimating the amount of time it takes to set up exactly the type of establishment to suit those customers. The magic lies in the training, but also in recognizing the need to make a profit - accountants make the best restaurateurs! My advice would be to set an achievable menu that can be produced within you or your staff's skills set and then build on that. Too many start out with over-complicated menus and don't have the talent to pull them off."

As both Cyrus and Tony seem keen on adventure, we asked them what was the most adventurous thing they had ever eaten? The question was partly inspired by a story that Cyrus had eaten python before, but no, his answer was fermented tarantula spider! He also confesses to undertaking a dare to eat boiled Brussell sprouts - 24 hours after they had been cooked. Hmm, don't think we'll be trying either of those suggestions (and neither will he again).

Tony's answer was slightly less dramatic, but clearly it left him with a sour taste in his mouth nonetheless, as he recalls finding out that he was eating chocolate with argan oil truffle - we will leave it up to you to find out how this is produced, but let's just say it is not for the faint-hearted.

But enough of that, as we are certain that every morsel of food to be sampled at Powderham Food Festival will be fabulous, fresh and delicious and made with love by some of the most incredible local producers.

Helen Hayes, PR manager of Helpful Holidays, the key sponsor of the Powderham Food Festival, is looking forward to the event “We are happy to sponsor this wonderful festival. Fabulous West Country food is very much a part of our guests’ self-catering holiday experience and we can’t wait to celebrate a second year at this tasty and engaging event.”

Powderham Food Festival Opening Times and Tickets
10.30am – 5pm
Tickets will be available to purchase on the door on the day.
Ticket prices are £5.00 and under 16s go free.

For more information about the various events at the show and how to get there visit http://www.powderhamfoodfestival.com

‘The Incredible Spice Men by Cyrus Todiwala and Tony Singh is published by BBC Books, £20. Photography by Haarala Hamilton.’