flavia cacace jimi mistry
Former Strictly Come Dancing star, Flavia Cacace-Mistry says moving to the South Hams to run a smallholding was a “leap of faith” for her and husband Jimi Mistry.
The professional dancer and the ex-EastEnders star, who met when they were partnered on the show in 2010, swapped their bungalow in Guildford for a seven-acre smallholding near Blackawton in January.
Quitting fame for the good life, the pair say they are “very happy” here even though the move was scary at first.
They now live in a converted barn, sell eggs from their flock of hens, keep three rare breed sheep – Enzo, Freddy and Flash - and grow their own fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, artichokes, aubergines, melons, grapes, onions, beetroot, beans, apples, pears and cherries.
“We decided to live on a smallholding because we took the leap of faith,” Flavia, 42, said.
“We wanted to be near nature and live a more sustainable life.
“It was a bit scary but it was something we both needed.
“The only animals we had before were our two boys, Pablo and Zak who are both cockapoos, and as far as plants – well, we used to tell people not to buy us any as we were never at home!
“It’s all totally new to us but it’s amazing what you can achieve.
“We bought a book on chicken keeping and a manual for smallholders, plus we did lots of research online which all helps - but it’s when you get hands on that you really learn.
A typical day on the farm starts at 6am and sees the pair clean out the chickens, check the sheep and walk the dogs all before 9am.
Before lunch they also make bread, water the plants, harvest and prune the vegetables in their polytunnel and green houses and catch up on paperwork and emails.
In the afternoon the couple take Pablo and Zak for another walk before resuming renovation work on their barn or garden projects, then collect eggs, feed the chickens and sheep, settle the animals for the evening and reply to any outstanding emails.
After dinner, the last job is to shut the polytunnel and greenhouses and check the chickens are all in for the night.
The professional dancer, who starred on Strictly for eight years, has set up Instagram and Facebook accounts ‘Our Life At The Barn’ which document their dream lifestyle journey.
But what made the couple choose the South Hams to start their new life?
Flavia explained: “To be honest, it was a bit of a wild card. We used to spend a lot of time in north Cornwall, however, it felt a little too far to live there and so this area was perfect.”
The pair haven’t put all their eggs in one basket though – Flavia continues to run dance classes in Surrey as well as locally in Blackawton, while Jimi, 48, who quit acting to retrain as a chef, enjoys cooking with their fresh home-grown produce.
“I’m now running classes locally which we are both very excited about as Jimi will be assisting me for the beginners’ couples classes, so he’ll have his dance shoes back on too,” said Flavia.
“I also go back once a month to teach in Surrey, plus I offer workshops and appearances all over the UK, so I have the best of both worlds now.
“Jimi stopped acting a few years ago and retrained as a chef at Leith's School, so with all the fresh produce we are growing and our own eggs, it’s perfect for him.”
Italian born Flavia moved to the UK with her family when she was four-years-old.
She began ballroom dancing at the age of six, met Vincent Simone when she was 16 and has been dancing with him ever since.
In 2007 they were asked to take part in Strictly as professional dancers partnering with celebrities, and in 2012 Flavia won the Strictly Glitterball with Olympic gymnast, Louis Smith.
“Strictly was a big part of my life, I loved performing to the live music acts - but the Saturday nights were also great,” she said.
“I’m hoping to be on Strictly It Takes Two for the choreography corner this year, and I’ll certainly be catching up with the televised show when I can if I miss the live shows.”
Husband Jimi Mistry is best known for his roles in East Is East, The Guru and Blood Diamond along with TV roles in EastEnders, Coronation Street and The Syndicate.
The pair met when Jimi partnered with Flavia in Strictly in 2010, and married in 2013.
Ten months into their new lifestyle, the couple don’t regret making the move to Devon. Jimi said: “We haven’t looked back once.
“The ambience, the feeling, the energy that has been created here has made us feel so much calmer and better about life.”
Flavia added: “We feel calm and stress-free and our old life feels alien.
“We did it for years but it’s amazing when you come out of it and realise you can finally breathe.
“We love it here, there are some great footpaths and walks but we are also central to Dartmouth, Totnes and Kingsbridge so it’s perfect for us, and for Pablo and Zak who simply love the countryside and the beach.
“We’ve only had a few visits from family and friends due to Covid restrictions earlier in the year, but the three towns are always on the list of places to take them.
“We love the independent cafes and shops and, being Italian, on a sunny day Dartmouth really looks like you are in the Mediterranean.”
Flavia and Jimi have totally settled into local life and are looking forward to the future in their new home.
“We hope to continue with being as self-sustainable as possible and learning how to grow things successfully all year round, and we hope to get more animals over time as well,” Flavia said.
“We also hope to soon launch our accommodation so people can come and stay in this beautiful area - whether it be for dance breaks, to enjoy our produce or simply relax and enjoy the beautiful countryside and coast.
“There are lots of exciting things ahead.”
Anyone interested in Flavia’s dance/fitness classes can email her at info@flaviacacace.com
This interview first appeared in By The Dart Magazine in October 2021.
