Join the next edition of A Taste of the West Country
Bringing together award-winning producers and chefs to celebrate the very best food and drink from the South West
Created in partnership with Taste of the West, A Taste of the West Country is a premium recipe book celebrating the people, products and passion behind the South West’s award-winning food and drink businesses.
Whether you’re joining as a producer or a chef, you’ll become part of a beautifully produced publication featuring professional photography, original recipes and editorial that can continue promoting your business long after publication.
Participation closes on 26 August.
Choose how you’d like to take part
Are you joining as a producer or a chef? Choose the option below to discover how the project works for you.
I'm a Producer
You’ll be paired with two award-winning chefs, each creating an original recipe using your award-winning product.
You are invited to choose one product to be included in the book.
The product you choose will be given to two chefs, who will each include it in a fantastic recipe. Each recipe will be featured as double-page-spread in the book and will consist of:
- A full page recipe.
- A full page photo of the finished dish.
Your product will also feature in a double-page-spread. This will consist of:
- A full page product photograph.
- A full page of text to tell the story behind your product.
Also included:
- A photo of you with one of the chefs.
- An entry in the 'Our West Country' map, encouraging readers to visit you (if you have a physical shop) or a link to your website if you sell online.
- A quote from a Taste of the West awards judge endorsing your business.
In total, this equates to at least seven pages of professionally written, photographed and designed coverage.
Everything is professionally photographed, written, designed and managed from start to finish by our experienced publishing team.
Places are limited to one producer per product category (one gin producer, one beef producer, one cheese producer, etc.). Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend reserving your place as early as possible.
Participation Fee: £625 + VAT
Professional photography
All photos are taken by award-winning food photographer Guy Harrop.
Participants receive high-quality photographs of their products, recipes and portraits, creating a valuable collection of marketing assets that can be used across websites, brochures, social media, advertising and press coverage long after the book has been published.
For many participants, the photography becomes one of the most valuable benefits of taking part.
“For us, one of the most tangible benefits is access to the book’s photography. The imagery is exceptional, and being able to use those high-resolution files across our own graphics, print materials and promotional content saves us significantly on what we’d otherwise spend on original photography.” Mike Anderson, Director of Taste of the West
More than just a recipe book
A Taste of the West Country continues to promote participating businesses long after publication.
Over the past year, the book has been showcased at events including Source, the Taste of the West Roadshow, Expowest Cornwall and the Devon County Show. Copies have also been shared with leading Spar buyers.
Beyond the book itself, a selection of recipes are featured on the Taste Buds website, which attracts around 500,000 page views each year.
Content from previous editions has also appeared in regional and national press. Most recently, photography from the book was used in a feature in The Guardian, while recipes have also been published in Western Morning News, Devon Life, Cornwall Life and Dorset Magazine.
“A Taste of the West Country is a fantastic chance for our award winners to put their talent in front of a wider audience.” Lily Lawton, Awards Programme Manager, Taste of the West
No publishing experience? No problem.
You don’t need any publishing experience to take part.
You’re the expert in food and drink. Photography, writing and publishing is where we come in.
With more than 25 years’ publishing experience and this being the tenth edition of A Taste of the West Country, Jennie and I will guide you through every stage of the project.
Discounted copies for participants
As well as promoting your business, participating in A Taste of the West Country gives you the opportunity to purchase additional copies of the book at the exclusive participant price of £4.95 (RRP £17.99).
You can purchase as many or as few copies as you wish. Many participants buy books:
- As a keepsake for themselves and their team.
- To give to valued customers and suppliers.
- As corporate gifts.
- To sell through their shop, restaurant or visitor centre.
If you have a retail outlet, selling around 50 copies at the recommended retail price would recover the cost of participating. Selling 60 copies would generate a profit of approximately 20% on your original investment.
For some businesses, this provides an additional revenue opportunity. For others, it’s simply another way to share their story and celebrate their success with customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Photography takes place between 1–16 October. Photoshoots will take place Monday to Friday, with sessions beginning at 10:00am and 2:00pm. Each session is expected to last approximately three hours.
If there is anything that may influence the pairing, please let us know when you book.
Every producer taking part is a Taste of the West award winner, so you can be confident that whichever products you’re paired with will be of an exceptional standard. Many chefs enjoy the challenge of creating recipes with ingredients they may not have worked with before.
Ready to take part?
Participation closes on Wednesday 26 August, with places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Only one producer will be accepted for each product category.
If you’d like to join the next edition of A Taste of the West Country, we’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.
Participation Fee: £625 + VAT
Email: jeff@wemakemedia.co.uk
Call: 01626 871161