Where irresistible dining options meet spectacular coastal landscapes, England’s south-western county is an essential foodie haven
With its twin coastlines and two national parks, the vast green expanse of rural Devon is the epitome of the British countryside at its productive best – so it’s no wonder that England’s third largest county is rapidly winning a name for itself as one of the nation’s premier zones for food and drink.
As well as admiring Devon’s picturesque 1.6 million acres, visitors have no difficulty in finding wonderful places where they can purchase anything from a carton of the county’s world-famous clotted cream to a multi-course Michelin-starred meal. And the huge influx of visitors to Devon each year has no problem in finding fabulous restaurants, pubs and eateries dotted right across this huge county.
The county caters for all budgets, you don’t have to go high-end to find impressive food and views. For example, The Bucket & Spade at Shaldon offers some of the most spectacular panoramas of the South Devon coast from its sun-soaked terrace. The talented team of chefs use the best local fresh ingredients to create wonderful dishes.
Then there are the gastropubs such as the Cary Arms at Babbacombe just around the coastal corner from the English Riviera, or foodie heavens at The Salutation Inn, Topsham on the Exe Estuary and last year’s Food Drink Devon’s ‘Eatery of the Year’, The Globe Inn at Beaford.
Sea views and flavour sensations
Fabulous Devon hotels include the wonderful Thurlestone Hotel with its impressive sea views down in the scenic South Hams, or Paschoe House situated in the heart of the county near Crediton, or the lovely Soar Mill Cove Hotel with yet more sea views in a remote part of the south coast.
Foodies can also have fun driving through the scenic winding lanes looking for unusual but delicious artisan fare. Take Rare & Pasture as an example – an artisan, organic charcuterie and smokery making award-winning smoked and cured meat products near Dartmoor. Granny Gothards produces luxurious ice cream in a range of eclectic flavours such as Salted Honey and Whiskey & Marmalade, while Luscombe Drinks is well known across the county and country for their fabulous organic fruit juices, crushes, bubblies, sparkling waters, tonic waters and mixers.
Devon is a vast county, so this is merely the smallest of snapshots when it comes to the food on offer. But those 1.6 million acres are so scenic, the act of hunting down fabulous places in which to eat and drink is all part of the pleasure.
Further information
www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk