Pub’s a must-go Inn

A glorious sunny Sunday lunch at the New Inn in Stoke Abbott was definitely one of the latter.

We’d been on a visit to a friend that took longer than planned and so an impromptu decision to find somewhere in the area for a bite to eat turned into one of those occasions when all the planets lined up: the weather was glorious, we had no pressing reason to get home, the garden had a table free in dappled sunlight and the food was to die for.

Being unashamedly fussy there are not many places I find where I really could have happily chosen anything on the menu but it was definitely true here.

I knew it was a good choice when I saw the pub had its own salad garden.

We shared a starter of Panko breaded deep fried Somerset Capricorn goats cheese with salad and lightly spiced fig chutney. It was delicious, with the coating beautifully crispy and the lightly dressed salad a perfect foil, as was the chutney.

The chef was also very accommodating giving us the choice of having salmon three ways (which was on the starter menu) in either a main or starter size.

My friend chose the starter size and I thought she might regret that but with lovely fresh bread and butter and home-cured Gravadlax with a dill mayonnaise, smoked salmon scotch quails egg with curried mayonnaise and salmon tartare it was more than enough.

I chose the Greek salad New Inn style with feta baked with chilli, lemon, spring onion and coriander. The barman explained the pub’s version of this salad came with Mediterranean vegetables but when I asked to have the feta with more of their homegrown salad leaves they were perfectly happy to do this.

If the standard of these three dishes is anything to go by the other choices of mussels steamed Thai style, chicken and chorizo brochette with chickpea and artichoke compot with tzatziki, garden pea and mint risotto with mascapone and fresh Parmesan shavings would all have been equally satisfying.

A must-go destination for good food.