ONE of West Devon?s best loved eateries received a timely boost last week when it was featured on Westcountry Television?s culinary challenge show ?Taste of the West?.
The Elephant?s Nest at Horndon, near Mary Tavy, changed hands recently when owner Peter Wolfit sold up to return to his childhood home in Buckinghamshire.
He said: ?It was a great accolade to be chosen ? we didn?t approach Westcountry, they called us out of the blue and asked us to take part.?
Chef Sheila Jean White created a delicious looking three cheese tartlet and meringue for judges Chef Laureate Sonia Stevenson, home economist Portia Spooner and food writer Simon Parkes.
Although she didn?t realise it at the time Sheila?s dish would be the only vegetarian dish on the show, netting the Elephant?s Nest a tasty 82% overall.
Peter said: ?Sadly, by the time the show is aired I shall have moved but Sheila will still be there, and it will be a nice welcome for Hugh Cook who is taking over from me.?
Taste of the West is presented by Sue King who said: ?The challenge is to create food that?s mouth-watering and imaginative, using only the finest, tastiest ingredients produced in the South West.
?The series is about where we live and what we eat and is a search for wonderful dishes, cooked with expertise and imagination by local chefs ? I?m very lucky because I get to try them all.?
Despite not reaching the final, The Elephant?s Nest had clearly packed the right trunk for the occasion, and stood ten points clear of its nearest rival by the end of the show.