The urban guide to the countryside -

Well, hello!

I'm Lisa, editor of Muddy Devon, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

Our curated A-Z of the grooviest local businesses

Superflashy newsflashTwo sexbombs and a woolly mammoth - and no, I'm not making it up just get your attention. Read on for this month's totally fake-news-free Muddy goss.
Is it getting hot in here?Apply a cold compress and loosen that corset! It's historical hunk time in film and telly (well, hello, Rufus Sewell!), with three new sizzling period dramas to look forward to.
And the Top 50 Gastropubs 2020 are…The gongs have been bonged and a whopping NINE of the Top 50 Gastropubs according to the 2020 Estrella Damm Awards are in the West Country - four in Devon. Time for a slap-up dinner, methinks!
Win £2000 to kickstart your business dreamsHave a brilliant business that needs a helping hand? We’ve teamed up with business banking alternative, Tide, to offer a whopping two grand (yes, you read it right) to give you the boost you need. Win it here.
This girl can!Juggling motherhood, jiggly bits and the barriers to exercising, This Girl Can is back with its brand new campaign and we *love* it!

Fri 14 – Sun 16 Feb

Mon 10 – Sun 16 Feb

FEB 2020

The latest handpicked businesses we think you’ll love

Fancy a Rendezvous?

Date night on the cards, drinks with the girls or planning a working lunch? Say bonjour to Rendezvous, Exeter’s go-to for lunchtime pow-wows and after-work quaffing.
- And the Top 50 Gastropubs 2020 are…
  
  Whose tripled-cooked chips got them into the gastropub hall of fame? Roomy pants on, let's tuck in – NINE of the West Country's foodie pubs made the grade.
- Happy Veganuary!
  
  Running out of home-cooking inspo for the month of meatlessness? Tuck into Muddy's pick of 12 plant-based eateries across the county.
- Three of the best mocktails
  
  Still on the wagon for Dry January? Get your chops around these local mocktails - all the thrill of a cocktail, none of the hangover.
- Let the bells ring out…
  
  ...for The Five Bells at Clyst Hydon! Muddy cosies up to an award-winning 16th century thatched pub near Exeter. (Oh, I wish I could eat here every day-ay!)

Our honest reviews of the UK’s best schools

Making plans? Find your perfect Pub, Inn, Hotel, Café, Restaurant or Bar across the Muddy counties.

Muddy stays: Watergate Bay Hotel

Gagging for a super-stylish spa stay right on the beach? You got it! Muddy’s Cornwall editor gives us the lowdown on Watergate Bay Hotel.
- Holiday planning? 10 European-style staycations
  
  Love a continental jaunt but staying in Blighty this year? These 10 UK holiday spots have a distinctly European feel.
- 10 Wellbeing escapes in Devon and beyond
  
  Wanna escape the daily grind? Book on to one of these gorgeous wellbeing holidays (including 2 in Devon) for some much needed R&R.

4 new season trends to try (and one to avoid)

The high street is awash with new spring/summer goodies. Overwhelmed? Here’s our pick of the new trends worth exploring – and how to wear them.
- 3 new online bridal collections
  
  Here comes the bride... and she's got next-day delivery! First time collections from the likes of Matches, Kitri and even the recently revitalised Warehouse.
- Dotty about polka dots
  
  We're going dotty over the return of an old favourite print - welcome back, polka dot!

Heaven must be missing an angel

Because it’s here in Devon and getting a lot of love from the locals! Muddy caught up with Woodbury artist, Brendan Rawlings, to find out why his cherub has captured the county’s hearts.
- The five best books for February
  
  Muddy's pro bookworm Kerry Potter has got five Feb fancies for your delectation. Read all about 'em - and then win the lot!
- Review: The Book of Mormon
  
  Tamer than expected, despite its South Park credentials, this is still a first class musical with great gags – and, of course, rude words aplenty.
- This month’s best new reads
  
  What kind of insaniac leaves the house in January? Retire to the sofa pronto and get stuck into one of pro bookworm Kerry Potter's enthralling new literary picks.
- Book now! The 2020 cultural picks you must not miss
  
  There's a ridiculous amount of amazing art, books, film, TV, music and theatre landing this year. Muddy's culture vulture Kerry Potter picks out the best of the bunch.

Win £2000 to kickstart your business dreams

Have a brilliant business that needs a helping hand? We’ve teamed up with business banking alternative, Tide, to offer a whopping two grand (yes, you read it right) to give you the boost you need. Win it here.
Kids
- J’adore/ J’abhor
  
  Parlez-vous teen slang? The language barrier has always been a problem when it comes to parent/child communications. Do you find the way your little darlings speak totally basic or, like, lit?
- The best children books of the year!
  
  From toddlers to teens, Muddy's edit should give you ample inspiration for small people’s Christmas presents. Bookmark this pronto!

Muddy meets Shazia Mirza

The Brummy comedian on why she’s not scared to shake things up, her new tour Coconut and where all the real eyebrows have gone.
- Muddy meets Melissa Hemsley
  
  Yay, turns out the real food queen has cooking disasters too! She spills the beans (then whips them up into a tasty frittata) on her new book Eat Green, wasting less food and how she always manages to look so damn glowy.
- Muddy meets Josie Long
  
  The most positive comedian in the biz on Celebrity Masterchef, being a new mum, and her new tour, Tender, coming to North Devon in February.
- Exclusive interview! Muddy meets…. Laurence Fox
  
  The actor-turned-singer has been front page news since an incendiary appearance on Question Time last week. In this exclusive interview, he talks midlife crises, death threats and groupies with Muddy's Kerry Potter.
- Hey Ms DJ!
  
  Sarah Gosling, Radio Devon's answer to Simon Cowell, has her finger on the pulse of our music scene and it's pumping! The BBC Introducing presenter on life as a DJ, what's on her playlist and how she discovers new talent. (Now where did I put my harmonica?)