Licensed dining in the far west

During our recent visit to the west country we were able to sample the food in a number of hostelries, in which category I include, at a stretch, a monastery. Institutions which did , I believe, once offer bed & breakfast to deserving travellers, at a time when there was not much else on offer.

First up was the 'Old Inn' in Hawkchurch, near Axminster, a very old house, I think, now run by the local community, which probably accounted for the absence of any kind of warm beer, which would have been a problem for me in the past. Commercial tenants were, presumably, unable to make the place pay, along with thousands of other tenants up and down the country.

I took garlic bread, entirely satisfactory as to both quality and quantity, followed by roast chicken - probably called 'chicken supreme', which seems to tie in with the sort of thing which Bing turns up. Fortunately, they went easy on the sauce and it did come with quite a decent portion of green vegetables, unusual in English eateries in general, never mind public houses.

The snap above was needed to jog the memory: I had forgotten about the mushrooms and the sauce, although I had remembered about the supreme.

Others took fish and chips and they too appeared quite happy with what they got.

Next was the 'Twisted Oak' on the south western outskirts of Exeter, just across the Alphin Brook from the A30. The green spot marks the spot, Ordnance Survey not seeing fit to mark this particular house - with the form now being a half empty blue beer mug rather than the traditional letters 'PH'. The now purely recreational ship canal visible right, the presence of which probably had something to do with Exeter docks being badly bombed during the war. The weekly sewage boat was the last regular user, in the bad old days when such stuff was just dumped out at sea.

A much more serious operation than the one at Hawkchurch, one which I imagine is very busy on fine weekends, although quiet enough when we were there. And very pleasant it was too in the glazed extension with a selection of young children running around the tables outside. Food satisfactory, although I thought my portions of garlic bread and lasagne were on the mean side for the money. Read all about it at reference 1.

No twisted oak that I saw, although there were quite a few trees about, including this rather battered one in the lane outside. I think that my Microsoft telephone would have done rather better with bright light, without my needing me to do anything about it - but with the catch there being that you could not see the screen.

Next was the 'Rock Inn' of Yelverton, to be found at reference 2, a place where (unusually) I have taken rabbit in the past. On this occasion I took the smoked haddock: a decent portion of haddock - bigger than is usual - with decent accompaniments, arranged in a sort of pile in a sea of some kind of white sauce - sauce was which all very well in itself, but which should have been supplied on the side. And, speaking for myself, I shall be glad when the cooks in these places move on from piles.

Rounded out with a decent lemon meringue pie, even if the chef - or perhaps the kitchen hand - could not resist playing with the brown goo.

A useful establishment, one which was busy this Monday lunchtime, mainly with groups of pensioners like ourselves. One of the stones at nearby Crapstone - our actual destination - snapped above.

Next was the 'Sea Trout Inn' of Staverton, a Palmers house, for which see references 3 and 4. It would be interesting to know if the rather international menu was the standard Palmers offering or whether they allow their tenants to free-range. 

My brother-in-law and I both went for the pie, which came on top of the aforesaid pile, underpinned by quite a decent portion of slivered, lightly cooked cabbage flavoured with cumin. I thought the cabbage was rather good, but my brother-in-law was not at all impressed by any of it, spending a lot of time spearing suspicious morsels on his fork for closer inspection. Not at all up to the proper pie and chips which he might have had in a proper chipper - had there been one to hand. All a bit unfortunate as he had been fine with the fish and chips he had taken in this very place in the past, possibly on two previous occasions.

Luckily, he was much happier when he had got his sugar fix down, a confection of toffee, brownie, ice cream and chocolate. Note also the arty crockery and my festive sparkling water, visible right.

Next, the cafeteria at Buckfast Abbey of reference 5. An abbey with a modest number of monks, but a considerable operation nonetheless, catering for large numbers of visitors and producing the famous Tonic Wine, well known to the winos of Glasgow. An operation which includes a very pleasant and reasonably priced cafeteria. Lots of pies and pasties, but I went for the chicken pasta bake, topped up with a couple of their cheese scones. Nothing special, but entirely serviceable.

Next, the Riverford Field Kitchen. A rather special establishment which will get its own, rather special notice.

Next, the 'Duchess of Cornwall' at Poundbury, this one run by Hall & Woodhouse, another west country brewer and pubco. A rather grand establishment which we have stayed at several times before.

Dinner was another pie, another pile. A pile which came with gravy on the side, which was good, but which was very mean with vegetables, other than mashed potatoes. A pie which was a little rich for my taste: maybe these west country pie-men should pay a visit to Barrow-in-Furness, where they take their meat pies very seriously indeed, but usually cutting the meat with some potato.

Tried chocolate mousse or something of the sort for dessert. Again, a little rich for my taste. Nowhere near as good as a decent tiramisu - which they generally are in London.

Wine a serviceable white rioja from the people at reference 7. The sort of thing that might cost a tenner in a supermarket.

Breakfast was a bacon bap, not bad at all. And the white toast to follow was pretty good too. While the tinned peach halves which I had started with were very good - even if I did take two of the four intended for all of us. Maybe they refilled when I wasn't looking.

Nearly last was the 'George' at Lacock, a little way outside Chippenham, not far from our new queen's country pad. A place which claims to be a pub of very long standing. A Wadworth's house, people whose bitter I once used to like. To be found at reference 8.

I opted for the roast beef lunch, thinking that that ought to be OK, given that it was one of the Sunday roasts. But the beef was rather dry and overcooked - if plentiful - and it had probably arrived at the pub in the form of a shrink wrapped, square cylinder of beef - no question of properly moist roast beef on the bone or anything like that. And they were a bit mean with the vegetables. Furthermore, the cabbage, such as it was, was nearer raw than I cared for.

On the other hand, the chocolate mousse tart, served with mango ice cream, was rather better than the mousse at Poundbury.

All washed down with some more sparkling water.

With just a breakfast at the 'Angel' of Chippenham to follow, now a Best Western. A limited buffet, not unlike that offered by Travelodge, and perfectly satisfactory. Including one of those conveyor belt toasters which, for once, had been set up properly and delivered white toast which was the right colour. But maybe it had taken them a while to get it right as there was a plaintive little sign asking us not to adjust it!

All in all, not too bad. But it was good to get back to home cooking, involving, inter alia, a proper supply of green vegetables and an absence of both goo and gravy.

PS 1: I got the display above while trying to access a famous pie shop in Barrow. Not sure what, if anything, I should do about it. I think - hope - that I declined for the moment.

PS 2: while nearer home, TB (aka (the) Blenheim, a one time Derby winner), has now reopened. Maybe we will be resuming our occasional lunchtime visits - but I will need to check it out in person as their online presence is a bit thin just presently. The new team have not yet percolated through to the list of houses provided at the Greene King website, if indeed that is where they are headed. Hopefully BH will be able to rise above the rather unappetising lumps of salmon she was presented with on our last visit.

References

Reference 1: https://thetwistedoak.co.uk/.

Reference 2: http://therockinnyelverton.pub/.

Reference 3: https://www.seatroutinn.co.uk/.

Reference 4: https://palmersbrewery.com/.

Reference 5: https://www.buckfast.org.uk/.

Reference 6: https://www.duchessofcornwall.co.uk/.

Reference 7: https://www.elcoto.com/.

Reference 8: https://www.georgeinnlacock.co.uk/.

Reference 9: https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/.