In complete contest to the glamour of London last week I started my Sunday with an early wake up call and a trip to the car boot sale! I met up with two friends Chloe and Sarah as we all had some bits and bobs we wanted to get rid of.

We went armed with flasks of tea, homemade ginger Cake and ameretti biscuits to keep us going throughout the morning. Despite the mega early start we were in good spirits and laughter was the top of our agenda. We had so much fun. Plus, because of the early start it seemed acceptable to have cake for breakfast!

On Tuesday I headed over to what is fast becoming my favourite foodie destination. The PIG at Combe is about a 30 minute drive from Exeter but also accessible by bus (the No4 Stagecoach service from Exeter) and by train to Honiton with a short taxi drive. The hotel itself is nestled in beautiful grounds with a walled kitchen garden behind. Their 25 mile radius food ethos utilises the kitchen garden with the chef picking seasonal vegetables everyday for their “literally picked this morning” menu. For a full review of a previous visit click here.

I was gifted a bottle of home produced “summer red” wine by a friends dad to sample. I can’t wait to pop the cork and give it a try. Thanks Roy!

On Thursday I met my friend Amber at St Davids station to catch a train to Bath. We had planned our trip months ago and the day had finally arrived. I love Bath as a city. Firstly because of its beauty and secondly because it has a fine independent foodie scene.

Amber and I arrived around midday and started our explorations of the city. We wondered the winding backstreets, visited the beautiful abbey and built up an appetite for lunch.

My blogger friend Sus, from Rough Measures who lives in Bath had recommended a vegan restaurant called Beyond The Kale. Never letting me down with previous recommendations I was excited to see what Beyond The Kale had to offer. Delicious juices, smoothies, salads, burgers and wraps to set you up for the rest of the day are on offer alongside some wonderful looking gluten free and refined sugar free cakes.

Amber and I made our choices and decided to share the hummus with sourdough bread for dipping plus a mixed salad plate. To drink we both opted for freshly pressed green juices. The meal cost us £9.00 each and was absolutely delicious. Beyond The Kale is definitely somewhere I would visit again and if you ever find yourself in Bath then check it out for yourself.

After more mooching we felt the urge for tea and cake so headed to the Society Cafe. A bustling cafe nestled just off the beaten track in the centre of Bath. I opted for a slice of the vegan banana and fruit loaf plus a loose leaf jasmine tea. Amber had a slice of lemon polenta cake with a pot of lapsang souchong.

On Friday I got out and about in the warm spring sunshine. I visited Topsham in the morning and then took my daily walk along the river Exe in the afternoon. It was the first day in a long time that I had actually felt warmth on my skin. Blissful!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about what I have been up to this week. Next week I have a day trip to Bristol to visit my friend Alex for lunch in the diary as well as a breakfast date with Emma Jaulin to plan our first collaboration. There are very exciting times ahead in Tara’s Busy Kitchen. I can’t wait to share it all with you. 

In the meantime don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram and Twitter for all my daily news and recipes.

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