Media Release

Mitch Tonks and Nathan Outlaw battle it out to be " King of South Devon crab" at Festival Street Party

Two of the UK's leading seafood chefs, Mitch Tonks and Nathan Outlaw will be putting their crab cracking skills to the test this weekend at the final event of the South Devon Crab Festival - the Dartmouth Crab Street Party on Sunday 5 August.(12.00pm-4pm)

www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/crabfestival

South Devon has been going "crab crazy" all week with a series of events involving the area's top celebrity chefs, crab experts, fishermen, award-winning hotels, restaurants and cafes. Festival Advocate celebrity seafood chef Mitch Tonks will be battling it out with the Michelin star chef Nathan Outlaw in the crab cracking contest to see who can crack a crab the quickest and retrieve the most meat. The chef challenge will take place at 1.30pm and then visitors at the street party will be able to have a go at crab cracking at 2pm.

A carnival atmosphere is promised at the street party with, celeb chefs, live music, bunting and trestle tables heaving with delicious South Devon crab to feed a crowd of around 400 people who are expected to attend the event on the South Embankment by the River Dart.

Mitch Tonks helped launch the South Devon crab campaign in 2010 and has played a leading role in promoting the sustainability of South Devon crab as well as the festival.

http://www.seahorserestaurant.co.ukhttp://www.rockfishdevon.co.uk

The Marketing Manager of Visit South Devon Stephanie Cherrett says that she is delighted by the support the festival has attracted; " We are very grateful to all the businesses who have taken part in this year's event which has helped the festival to grow and bring South Devon crab to a much wider audience across the area. It has been wonderful to have so many events taking place at attractions and restaurants and to have the continued support and commitment from festival advocate Mitch Tonks as well as new festival supporters such as Monty Halls and sponsors First Great Western and Blue Chip Holidays."

Some of the new events and highlights of the 2012 South Devon Crab Festival week:

2 Thursday August Monty Halls talks crab at the Royal Castle in Dartmouth 6.00- 7.30pm

TV Presenter and Explorer Monty Halls talks about the sustainability of crab and the importance of it to our community as Monty explains:"Having worked for eight months as a crab fisherman out of Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall for the BBC series "Fisherman's Apprentice" I will be talking to the audience about my experiences of sustainable fishing, and what it takes to get the crab on to our plates. I will also be speaking about potential ways forward for the fishing industry, of the American model of creating Community Supported Fisheries that allows local people to support their local fleet. The talk will also be illustrated by images and footage from the series."

3 Friday August - The Great South Devon Crab Fete on Dawlish Warren Seafront 11am-3pm

A day of FREE family fun crabby activities in the beautiful resort of Dawlish Warren. Take part in crab races as part of a traditional sports day with a crabby twist, wander around the craft stalls and take part in sea themed arts workshops, be a part of fun activities such as crab cracking competitions plus many more activities to get your claws into.

About Visit South Devon

Visit South Devon is the area tourism partnership responsible for promoting South Devon to national and regional audiences. The main aim of the company is to increase the number of visitors to South Devon for the benefit of the local tourism economy. Visit South Devon works with Visit Devon the Destination Management Organization for Devon.

Visit South Devon is a Community Interest Company existing solely for the benefit of the local tourism community. It is a public-private company limited by guarantee and not for profit - ensuring all revenue is put back into marketing initiatives for the area. The company operates a membership scheme for local tourism businesses who want to gain national exposure.

Visit South Devon is funded through membership and South Hams and Teignbridge District Councils but aims to be fully self-financing within 5 years.

For more information about Visit South Devon, go towww.visitsouthdevon.co.ukor contact Marketing Manager, Stephanie Cherrett Tel: 01803 864 894.

For further press information please contact:

Jane Adkins T/: 01935 813114

M/: 07960 698089

E/:jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

Gail Livingstone T/: 01823 252415

M/:07767 055595

E/:gail@aheadforpr.co.uk

About First Great Western

First Great Western provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, carrying more than 90 million passengers every year across the Greater Western rail franchise area, which includes South Wales, the Westcountry, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England.

For further information contact James Davis at the First Great Westernpress office on 0845 410 4444.

About Blue Chip Holidays

Blue Chip Holidays, which was established in 2000, manages more than 800 individually selected high-end self-catering properties across the West Country, Wales and the Isle of Wight

Each property has been chosen for its stunning location, high spec interior, amazing coastal views or rural vistas. The majority of its properties are four and five-star and are individually reviewed to ensure they meet the high standard set not only by Blue Chip Holidays, but also by VisitEngland.

Ranging from Devon cottages and Cornish cottages to luxury self-catering coastal houses, luxury apartments and barn conversions, Blue Chip Holidays aims to provide a wide selection of stunning self-catering properties to suit all tastes. 

For bookings call0844 7044987or visit www.bluechipholidays.co.uk

July (VSD 27)