DEVON Air Ambulance has been given a 'two-grand' boost thanks to the success of a tasty fundraising event.
The money for the vital charity was raised at a cream teas week held at some of the county's top farm accommodation.
Organised by Devon Farms, a co-operative of more than 100 working family farms which offer bed and breakfast and self-catering holidays, the cream tea week ran from May 4 to 12.
It was the brainchild of Devon Farms chairman Jackie Payne, and was organised using funds provided by the South West Regional Development Agency.
She said: 'The general feeling from members was that it was tremendous fun with guests joining in to make the event very special.
'No-one had any idea of numbers so some farms suddenly found the local bowling club turning up or mothers and their children dropping in by the dozen, having picked their offspring up from school.'
Three of the cream tea venues were in West Devon — at one of them, Little Bidlake Farm at Bridestowe, Jo Down and helpers served cream teas to 180 visitors, including a group from Inwardleigh WI.
Other venues that attracted visitors in West Devon were Jenny King's Higher Cadham Farmhouse at Jacobstowe, and Jane Pyle's Lower Nichols Nymet Farm at North Tawton, where live music added to the fun of the day.
In total, the event drew more than a thousand visitors to 14 farms in the county and raised more than £2,000 for the air ambulance as well as £1,300 for many local charities.
The cheque was presented to Devon Air Ambulance at Little Bidlake last Wednesday.
The ceremony also saw the drawing of the winning ticket for a £250 voucher towards a stay on one of the 100 farms listed in the Devon Farms brochure. — the winner was Des Shadrick, of Holsworthy.
The cream tea week was sponsored by local cream and jam producers, including Dunns Dairy, Torridge Vale, Peninsula Milk, North Horridge Farm, Honiton Dairy and jam specialists Thursday Cottage Ltd.