If you are heading down to South Devon, there are two culinary delights I would like to recommend. Firstly, I suggest stopping at the Riverford Field Kitchen near Buckfastleigh. Make sure you arrive in time for their seasonal set lunch (there is only one sitting and booking ahead is essential as they only cook what is needed so not to have any unnecessary waste). Packed with organically grown goodies from their farm next door, you will are treated to a deliciously healthy meal for a very reasonable £23.50pp.
I popped in recently on a Friday (fish speciality day) and enjoyed the following in succession (food comes as it is ready not as a strict starter/main but don’t worry, there is plenty): cannellini beans on toast, beetroot, pear, blue cheese & walnut salad, pointed cabbage, peas & kefir cream, pollock with saffron courgettes, carrots with pumpkin seed agresto (salsa) and lemon & thyme potatoes. Dishes are placed along the tables for you to share with fellow diners, all in a wide open room beautifully decorated with bunches of homegrown dried flowers. When it comes to the dessert, you are invited to their kitchen to choose from a wide variety of tempting options. I opted for the warm cherry clafoutis with a lemony yoghurt posset on the side. This meal, direct from mother nature, was the perfect start to my holiday.
Motto – Fresh from our farm to your fork
If you’re heading south, I would also suggest popping in to the South Devon Chilli Farm in Loddiswell. Here you will find everything and more to do with those little hotties called ‘chillies’. You can visit their show tunnel full of every variety of chilli under the sun, children can play in their chilli themed playground, and you can explore the farm shop for everything from chilli jelly to chilli shaped fairy lights together with chilli chocolate & chilli chutney, both of the latter available for you to sample at a heat level to suit you.
Whilst there, I bought presents for my chilli loving friends and couldn’t resist popping into their cafe for the soup of the day, Tomato & Basil, but interestingly no chilli was added. I followed this with a hot chocolate with chilli, which came with a complimentary chilli chocolate, of course! So, if you are feeling hot, hot, hot this summer – cool down at this chilli treasure trove and crank up the heat!
Farm motto – We are …. everything Chilli, from Seed to Sauce!
……not forgetting our chilli chocolates, of course!
