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It's not all about lace and tar barrels - the Honiton and Ottery St Mary area also showcases some fabulous foodie finds.
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Also in the area: Sublyme Coffee Bar and Cafe
11 Miltons Yard, West Street, Axminster.
Tel. 01297 631936. sublymecoffee.co.uk |
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Not only does coffee supplier Sublyme now have its very own Aussie-style coffee shop, but it also supplies coffee to other cafés in the area. Its arabica beans are slow roasted locally providing a mellow flavour and are all fairtrade and organic. "All our produce, such as our brownies and muffins, are freshly made and we always use local where possible," says owner Danny Parfitt. Visit for a wide selection of breakfasts in modern, vibrant surroundings. The café is also a school for Sublyme barista training, open to all, where budding coffee aficionados can learn in a professional environment.
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Locatelli
The Old Dairy, 19 New Street, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 45812. locatelli.co.uk |
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Relative new-comers to the scene, Locatelli is a welcome addition to deli-dining, providing a fantastic Italian-inspired shop and restaurant. As members of the Guild of Fine Food Retailers, it's no surprise that its stone-baked pizza sauce is made from scratch with sweet plum tomatoes, or that the Romano cheese is freshly grated, and the bread, pizza dough and pastries are freshly baked daily. Fresh pizza and pasta feature heavily but you might want to also try fish casserole Marsellais of local fish and shellfish in a langoustine sauce, or poulet Provençal cooked with chorizo, black olives and vine-ripe tomatoes served with basil mash. If you don't have time to sit in, order a pizza, anti pasti, fresh salads and pasta to take away. Handmade picnics and outside catering are also available.
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Montgomery's
21 High Street, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 44666. |
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A gourmet coffee shop with a cosy, modern décor, slick service and homemade food. Alongside the fine cakes and light lunches on offer (all made on the premises) there is some truly great coffee - Montgomery's own blend, roasted locally - which is 100% arabica, Columbian, fair trade and organic. It's the perfect spot to unwind and people watch. As a sign of its success, the staff have been busy lately opening a new Montgomery's in the Somerset foodie town of Wellington - one to visit.
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The Holt
178 High Street, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 47707. theholt-honiton.com |
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A contemporary yet homely restaurant and bar with comfy sofas, Otter Brewery ales, tapas and tasty meals. Try goats' cheese and pesto tartlet with tomato pickle and salad leaves or pan-fried pork belly with chorizo potatoes, caramelised apple and sherry vinegar sauce.
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Champers
7 New Street, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 42589. |
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Did you know you can now have a bite to eat at Champers as well as doing your shopping? This Aladdin's cave of West Country delights utilises the larder on its shelves (chutneys, pâtés, local cheeses, biscuits, wines and European deli treats) to put together snacks to eat in or out. There's a full license now too so you have a glass of Lyme Bay fruit wine or local ale with your meal. Also on the menu are home-made soups, a few dishes incorporating Champers' own home-cooked ham, and platters with a West Country or Spanish theme (if you're feeling continental). Champers is also working in conjunction with Wine World on the High Street to offer a selection of recommended wines.
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Dine at Home
Feniton.
Tel. 01404 850234. dineathome.co.uk |
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Dine at Home offers a personal chef service, leaving you free to play host or hostess. Chef Trevor Bayfield has great credentials, having previously run his own restaurant on the Trelowarren Estate in Cornwall. Cooking classes are also available, starting at just £12 an hour.
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Also in the area: The Jack in the Green
Rockbeare. Tel. 01404 822240. jackinthegreen.uk.com |
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This restaurant and free house has long been one of Devon’s best, and has gained two AA rosettes and a run of gold Taste of The West Food & Drink Awards, as well as chef Matthew Mason's most recent accolade of Devon Chef of the Year. Totally Devon options are returning to the menu in January - dishes such as braised belly pork with spinach, apple and black pudding, or boned and rolled skate wing with cockles and parsley - which are sourced entirely from within the county, and which cost £25 for three courses. Matthew also works closely with the local primary school, teaching the kids about the importance of local food.
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The Drewe Arms
Broadhembury. Tel. 01404 841267. |
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The Drewe Arms is a much-loved pub of the thatched roof, nooks and crannies variety. Owners the Burges make their own gravadlax (Kerstin is Swedish) and dishes like the 'Gangplank' make full use of it along with other smoked fish, cheese and salad. Otter Brewery at Luppitt does the honours with the ales.
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Combe House Hotel and Restaurant
Gittisham. Tel. 01404 540400. thishotel.com |
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With a driveway that's over a mile long, there’s plenty of time to take in the charms of this 3,500-acre estate before arriving at the Elizabethan manor house that is Combe House. Being the UK and Ireland’s Country Hotel of the Year 2007 and having won a gold medal at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards this year, you know you’re in for a treat. Food's the special draw here and Master Chefs of Great Britain Hadleigh Barrett and Stuart Brown provide a divine dining experience, using the very best local produce. Having gained a rising star from Michelin last year, they are on the up and up. Stay over in one of the 16 sumptuous bedrooms or really push the boat out and hide away in the newly restored, delightful Combe Thatch Cottage.
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Home Farm Hotel
Wilmington. Tel. 01404 831278. thatchedhotel.co.uk |
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Just outside Hontion, you'll find the 16th century thatched farmhouse that is Home Farm. There's no olde worlde tweeness here though, interiors have been modernised to reflect the menu. A typical starter would be locally smoked salmon platter with horseradish cream and crisp local lettuce, while mains include pan-fried free range Devon duck breast with caramelised apple, finished with a West Country cider glaze.
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Honiton Fishmonger's
11 New Street, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 43464. |
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This long-established seafood retailer is a family-run business and provides an array of gleaming fresh fish in a traditional blue and white tiled interior. Regular features are lobster and crab from Beer, scallops from Lyme Bay and local, line-caught sea bass and pollock, plaice, lemon sole and monkfish from day boats at Brixham. Look out for the homemade pâtés and special seafood platters available to order.
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Combe Farm Shop
Hayne Farm, Gittisham.
Tel. 01404 45576. reddevonbeef.co.uk |
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Combe Estate's wonderful ruby red beef is now available to buy at the new shop at Hayne Farm. With origins dating back to 1904, Combe Estate's cattle produce beef used by restaurants around the county including nearby Combe House Hotel and Restaurant. The herd was re-established by the current estate owner Richard Marker and has built up a loyal following due to its marbling and downright tastiness. Customers can get steaks, beef sausages, beef burgers, roasting joints, meat boxes and lean flavourful mince at the farm shop or the estate via its website. Watch this space regarding plans for a larger shop with café.
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Joshua's Harvest Store
Gosford Road, Ottery St Mary.
Tel. 01404 815473. joshuasharveststore.co.uk |
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One of our food favourites in the area, Joshua's Harvest Store has been very busy lately, getting mentions in the Times Magazine for its Hunting Fishing Shooting cake (named as one of the six kitchen greats), adding new lines to its recently launched online shop, expanding its frozen fish section and launching a breakfast menu in the on-site café, Joshua's Table.Joshua's is a beacon for good food with organic veg, on-site baked breads, specialist products for diabetics, gluten-free products, award-winning homemade ready meals with all the nasties left out, a big selection of West Country cheeses and off-license section. There are craft and gift items too.
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Christopher Piper Wines
1 Silver Street, Ottery St Mary.
Tel. 01404 814139. christopherpiperwines.co.uk |
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As 2007 South West Wine Merchant of the Year at the International Wine Challenge, Christopher Piper knows a thing or two about a good bottle of wine. Established in 1979 after Chris spent time as a
wine-maker in Brouilly, the business supplies to both trade and public via the mail-order online service and the retail shop in Ottery St Mary. Chris still manages to make wine in Brouilly every year at Chateau du Pavé and you can get hold of the fruit of his labours in the shop. Just ask for the 'Chairman's Plonk'...
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Georgie Porgie's Puddings
Finnimore Trading Estate,
Ottery St Mary. Tel. 01404 815561. georgieporgiespuddings.co.uk |
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You might be Christmas puddinged out by now but don't let that stop you seeking out Georgie Porgie's other fine puds. Try lemon and Pimms, orange and Cointreau or cider and apple flavours. Made by George Hollywood, they have some famous fans including HRH The Queen and Prince Charles.
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Honiton and Ottery St Mary Farmers' Markets
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Honiton market recently celebrated its 750th birthday (the anniversary of the market being granted its license by Henry III in 1257) and features quality produce such as Hazelcombe goats's cheese, Gilly's Bakery and exotic Goan Delights. Ottery St Mary farmers' market runs on the first Friday of the month (except January when traders have a holiday) and Honiton farmers' market is on the third Thursday.
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Tracey Mill and Trout Farm
Tracey Road, Honiton.
Tel. 01404 45114. traceymill.co.uk |
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Visit Tracey Mill and Trout Farm to see one of the few remaining working mills in Devon - there used to be over 50 working water mills in the Otter Valley. The mill is fed by the River Otter, the perfect environment in which trout flourish, making Tracey Mill one of the South West’s best known trout producers. Fish can be ordered there and then and are prepared for you on the spot. Alternatively, visit the Tracey Mill stall at farmers' markets in the east Devon area.
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Also in the area: Hollies Trout Farm and Fishery
Slade Lane, Sheldon.
Tel. 01404 841428. holliestroutfarm.co.uk |
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Hollies Fish Farm supplies restaurants, pubs and cafés in the area, as well as offering the full fish experience from catching your own to simply enjoying its own range of fresh and smoked trout. Open all year for fishing and gate sales.
This feature first appeared in the Jan-Feb '08 issue of Devon food magazine.
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