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First time traders receive Thatchers bursary for eat:Weston and eat:Tiverton

Six bursary recipients will be trading for the first time at eat:Weston and eat:Tiverton this month.

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.

At eat:Weston on 25th September, start-ups Haverslice and T’ease Kitchen will be making their debut.

The following day in Devon, at eat:Tiverton will be PiQi, Vic’s Little Kitchen, Bennetts Kombucha and I am Cultured.

George Havercroft, founder of Burnham on Sea based Haverslice pizza, says:

“We are very humbled and joyous to receive a Thatchers bursary at eat:Weston to support us on our journey of growth. Haverslice was established in the Havercroft household during the lockdowns of 2020 and has bought a new and fresh choice of pizzas to the Burnham on Sea and Brean community with the recent conversions of two horseboxes further enhancing the offer with a mobile service.”

Tom Brown, from T’ease Kitchen based in Banwell, produces hot pithiviers, and puff pastry pies. He says, “We’re absolutely thrilled to be supported by eat:Festivals and Thatchers, one is exceptional in the deliverance of local high end food and drink, the other the most recognisable brand in cider, thanks again.”

At eat:Tiverton four more local traders will be making their debut:

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 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.

“I came to fermented foods after reading about their health benefits, particularly the link between gut health and mental health and wellbeing. 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!”

Two further first-time traders received a bursary earlier in the year at eat:Clevedon, Kinetic Kitchen and Bee Sweet.

Martin Thatcher 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.”

 

We will be taking our Land Rover cider truck to eat:Tiverton, serving our Somerset ciders to visitors.

 

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