Restaurant at Home Farm Hotel

Home Farm is one of those delightful Devon farmhouses that for one reason or another has re-invented itself as a place to stay, eat and enjoy, and in this case has done it very well. Dating from the 16th century, the surrounding buildings have also been incorporated, but the dining room is in the house with the inglenook fireplace taking centre stage.

Located on the A35 only minutes from Axminster and Honiton, Home Farm is easy to find and makes a good place to stop for lunch, or to use as base for a holiday in this most favoured county.

Head Chef Lee Villiers has been in charge of the kitchens for most of his 13 years at Home Farm where he has gained a reputation for successfully championing local produce through largely British cuisine. A light and airy dining room is a delight.

Working from an a la carte menu, a choice of five dishes could include home made soup of the day with a mini Welsh rarebit and herb oil, salmon sausages poached in white wine and served on braised leeks with herb butter or devilled kidneys in spicy lamb stock with diced tomato on an English muffin.

Slow roasted belly pork with baked Somerset apple, pickled red cabbage and mash provides a good filling dish with the baked apple nicely off-setting the red cabbage and apple. A West Country sirloin steak coated with mustard and brown sugar is always welcome, competing with pan-fried Devon duck breast that has been glazed with honey, served with that old favourite bubble and squeak, and bramble sauce.
Vegetarians are not forgotten and a medley of mushrooms and garlic is leavened with cayenne pepper and double cream and baked with a savoury oat crumble.

Devon? Fish? do I hear you cry? But of course, think fillet of brill, pan-fried and topped with crab butter and Tarragon sauce, or the ever popular deep fried haddock with luscious handcut chips and tartare sauce. Honiton may not have the sea lapping at its boundaries but spare a thought for that classic dish the whole lemon sole, grilled on the bone and served with just the right amount of parsley butter.

Desserts resort to the refreshingly traditional with Trinity burnt cream, Eton mess and spotted dick, not forgetting a brilliant steamed syrup sponge, and the old favourite, an English apple pie.

Sunday lunch is a major event at Home Farm, with the customary carvery supported by a number of mainly lighter options such as a smoked salmon and prawns salad, or Cornish pasty with a mixed salad and new potatoes.

The wine list bears all the hallmarks of a well travelled approach with house wine at £10.75 or by the glass at £2.75. Home Farm is well set up to deal with family and business functions, conferences and special events such as their food and wine evenings.

To find out more a quick click on their informative Website will tell you all you need to know.