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Top London Chef Savours South Devon Culinary Delights 29/02/2012
Top London Chef Henry Harris took advantage of a late school half-term holiday to swap chef whites for a more adventurous uniform as he indulged in two of his greatest passions; motorcycling and fine, rustic french cuisine.

The owner of famed Knightsbridge restaurant, Racine, spent two days at Wheeldon Off-Road Centre at Halwell getting to grips with the art of off-road riding before serving up a splendid three-course meal based upon local produce, with Henry’s trademark French twist.

With a brand new fleet of motorcycles in the Wheeldon stable, Henry swapped his favoured BMW K1200 for the latest Husqvarna TE250 off-road motorcycle and under the expert tuition and guidance of Wheeldon’s Jim Savery, traversed the beautiful scenic South Hams in his quest to source local ingredients for a culinary delight to be served to the Wheeldon staff.

“Devon is a most sumptuous county.” Commented Henry Harris. “Ancient rolling hills, great produce and first class local restaurants. The Devon produce we collected came from small producers (Avon Mill deli, Aune Valley Meat and South Devon Chilli Farm), who take great pride in their products and this shows in the excellent quality. That just makes the cooking so much easier and all the more enjoyable.”

“Henry being an off-road virgin took to it like a duck to water, which he nearly became on the river crossing!” Said Jim Savery. “It was fun and different for me, going via motorcycles to local producers with the pleasure of having Henry prepare a delightful meal that all the staff at Wheeldon enjoyed that evening.”

Whilst the quartet of riders headed off for a gentle ride on the trails, Henry's 16 year old son, Noah learnt the basic skills of riding a motorcycle for the first time on Europe's only indoor, all-weather off-road facility, under the expert tutelage of James' brother, and co-owner Andrew.

The proud father beamed, “My son, Noah had been expressing an interest in learning to ride a motorbike as his 17th birthday approaches. The opportunity for him to receive expert one-to-one instruction in a controlled environment with the usual hazards associated with biking removed was very attractive. Additionally I had always wanted to do some off-roading and Wheeldon offers the opportunity to be able to do that in quite a few different settings.”

Andrew Savery concluded, “I had a great time teaching Noah. I think he wished that he could have gone out trail riding with his dad. But as he is 16, our renowned junior training has given him a great footing for riding in the future.”

Menu:
Entree - Melted raclette with cornichons, baby potatoes and local charcuterie. A mix of France using some good local salamis.
Main - Grilled rib of beef, red onion and chipotle relish
Dessert - Apple and ginger jellies, poached rhubarb and Devon cream


 
 
 
Wheeldon Teams Up With Husqvarna and Troy Corser 05/11/2011
Wheeldon Off-Road Centre is pleased to announce the signing of a new two-year partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycles. The official announcement was made today at the International Dirt Bike Show 2011 (5 November 2011).

Husqvarna will provide an all-encompassing range of off-road motorcycles that will perfectly suit the varied training courses at Wheeldon, catering for the complete novice, experienced green laner, junior riders from 7 years old, right through to the competition race licence holder.

The move to Husqvarna will also usher in another new partnership at Wheeldon. With the recent announcement of Troy Corser's retirement from the World Superbike paddock, the double world champion has taken onboard an ambassadorial role with BMW and Husqvarna. This will allow him to become more involved in Wheeldon. Troy has been a regular visitor to the South Devon training facility over the past few years, with both of his children - Kalani and Kelisa - undertaking the excellent Junior Training courses.

Having started his illustrious racing career as an off-road rider, Troy is a staunch advocate of the benefits that off-road riding can bring to riders from all genres. Troy himself was an Australian schoolboy motocross champion, and has used the discipline throughout his career as both a form of training and leisure, transferring his skills from the dirt to the racetrack with unparalleled success.

Troy and his wife Sam will bring great value to the business with their wealth of existing contacts and industry knowledge, and will be instrumental in building future partnerships with other key partners as Wheeldon continues to strive forward as a centre of off-road excellence.

The move to Husqvarna will begin with immediate effect and signifies a number of key partner changes at Wheeldon Off-Road Centre. New clothing and protection suppliers in the guise of Alpinestars and Nitro helmets will ensure that all riders are fully protected throughout their training courses. Racebikebitz will be supplying Samco hoses for all Centre bikes, while Sdoc100 will keep the new range of customer Nitro helmets clean.

In preparation for the new partnership, the main indoor arena has been revamped and extended and a new viewing area installed. For more information on Wheeldon Off-Road Centre and our range of off-road training courses, please click on www.wheeldontwo.co.uk

Andrew Savery, co-owner Wheeldon Off-Road Centre: "This is a fantastic opportunity for us. Husqvarna is a premium motorcycle brand that we feel boasts an excellent range of off-road bikes that will offer something to everyone that comes to Wheeldon. We are also honoured that Troy Corser has chosen Wheeldon as part of his future plans. He and wife Sam will be working alongside us and their association will help to increase our profile."

Jim Savery, co-owner Wheeldon Off-Road Centre: "The partnership with Husqvarna signifies an exciting new era for Wheeldon. However, we would like to thank Suzuki GB for the relationship over the past three years."

Troy Corser: “With all my racing, I’ve made so much out of it and made lots of friends. I’ve seen how motorcycling can bring people together, especially the young kids who get out here and interact, it doesn’t matter where they come from or what language they speak they all get in there and have a good laugh and play with each other. I really want to give something back to motorcycling now that I’ve more or less finished my racing days out there in the World Superbike Championship. I’d like to encourage kids and teach kids properly how to ride motorbikes so we can keep bringing them on and keep motorcycling strong.”

Massimo Granata, General Manager, HVUK Ltd, representing Husqvarna Motorcycles in the UK: "We are delighted to be involved with Wheeldon and it is great news that Troy is joining this already highly regarded and professional team. It is an exciting time for Husqvarna and we see this partnership to be an important step in bringing our products to a wider audience, in a fun and safe environment, for all riders of all abilities. We wish the new team at Wheeldon every success.” 
 
 
 
Indoor Arena Revamp 03/10/2011
Work has been completed on the new indoor arena circuit layout. We closed Wheeldon Off-Road Centre for the week to undertake the work, which included the removal of the in-track viewing area. After eight days of back-breaking work, Andrew, Jim, Mark and Dave finally finished the alterations and the circuit is now re-open.

The first Adult opportunity to ride the awesome new layout takes place this coming Saturday, 8 October, on the Off-Road Skills Academy. Call Steve on 01548 821 784 to book your place now!

     
 
 
 
Stars Get On at Wheeldon 04/05/2011
Wheeldon Off-Road Centre played host to four of the stars taking part in the Riders for Health charity challenge in Lesotho, South Africa .

Gethin Jones, Darren Gough, Shobna Gulati, Jill Halfpenny and Oliver Mellor cut their teeth in the field of off-road riding ahead of their adventure of a lifetime in Lesotho. The brains behind the event was the Get On campaign - the motorcycle industry’s campaign that promotes the benefits of life on two wheels. The stars themselves were specifically chosen for their lack of previous motorcycle experience. Over the past few months, each celebrity has been put through a rigorous training process to pass the CBT test before heading down to Wheeldon to learn the final set of riding skills ahead of the challenge - off-road riding.

Over five days, Gethin, Shobna, Jill and Oliver were under the expert tutelage of Andrew and Jim at Wheeldon, learning the art of off-road riding on the indoor circuits, outdoor MX track and a variety of challenging non-tarmac surfaces.

“The idea was to teach them all the basics of off-road riding and to ensure that each rider had the knowledge and skills to negotiate all types of terrain and obstacles that they may face on the trip,” commented Jim Savery, co-owner. “All four progressed really well throughout their training at Wheeldon and will have no problems during the ride in Lesotho. Both Andrew and I wish them all the best of luck on this worthwhile adventure.”

Strictly Come Dancing star, Jill Halfpenny, was the first to take to the red Devon mud, “The training took place at Wheeldon Off-Road Centre and was run by two lovely brothers called Jim and Andrew. It was one of the most exhilarating and most enjoyable experiences I have had and I would recommend everyone to give it a go. I was given some amazing tips and techniques for our South African trip and it was done in the most beautiful surroundings.”

Jill was joined by Shobna who is widely known as Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street. The girls shared some nervous laughs at the enormity of the challenge ahead and, with little riding experience between them, the training came in very useful. Shobna observed, “I am going to experience first-hand the difference two wheels can make in remote communities in need of support and vital health care. Everyone should get on a bike and learn to ride. I had a fantastic time at Wheeldon.”

Oliver and Gethin spent a few days training together and sharing riding tips ahead of the ‘Get On Africa’ trip with Riders For Health. Wet weather struck during their stay but the all-weather indoor riding facilities at Wheeldon ensured a dry experience for Gethin as he completed his initial bike familiarisation. It wasn’t long before the skies cleared and the outdoor circuit came into play for additional hill start and descent training.

“I’m already planning my next visit to Wheeldon! I didn’t think I could have so much fun on a bike. The local does a great pint too! Thanks to everyone at Wheeldon.” said Oliver Mellor, AKA Coronation Street’s Dr. Matt Carter. “I feel very proud to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity and also I find it very rewarding to be able to help others less fortunate and to highlight the incredible work Riders For Heath do in these communities.” The actor added.

The stars flew out to Lesotho on April 4, where they teamed up with charity Riders for Health. The group then spent five days riding out to clinics that support some of the most isolated and poorest communities in Africa, while also joining local health workers in delivering the vital supplies in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis.

Every step of the expedition was captured at www.geton.co.uk/africa, and contains all the regular blog updates, images and videos from the trip.

Visit the Gallery to see how the stars got on at Wheeldon...

 
 
 
Father & Son Day 17/03/2011
4 September 2010
Fantastic weather swamped South Devon last Saturday as Wheeldon hosted another superb Father & Son Day. All riders had a brilliant time getting to grips with both the awesome indoor circuit and the rather hilly outdoor track.
 
Check out the Gallery for images from the day, or click on the image to watch a video!
 
Make sure you don't miss out on the next one by contacting Steve in the Wheeldon office on 01548 821 784!
 
 
 
Red Arrows Target Wheeldon 17/03/2011
29 August 2010
The world-famous RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team learnt a whole new meaning for the term 'air time' over the August Bank Holiday weekend, as they landed at Wheeldon for a spot of R&R on the off-road circuits.
 
 
 
 
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