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The Abbey Inn at Buckfastleigh

Food review The Abbey Inn, Buckfastleigh, Dartmoor. June 2nd 2009 Tel 01364 642343 website
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One thing that no-one can dispute is that The Abbey Inn at Buckfastleigh has the most perfect riverside
setting of any pub on Dartmoor. Sitting on the terrace in the early afternoon, the sun disappears around to the
front of the pub leaving the outside eating space in welcome shade. Drinks in hand are cool too. Rob is happily

clutching a half of Dartmoor Best Bitter and we are sharing lunch with Julia and Martin from the nearby Kilbury
Manor. We have been taking photos of their charming Bed and Breakfast all morning, and Julia apologises for
not having anything in, but would we all like to nip down to their local for a spot of lunch ? It's not a pub we

knew, so you can imagine, yes, I was keen to review another Dartmoor pub ... "Let's go !".
Good size easy access car park, and sloping path down to the pub. Large bar interior with an even larger dining
room leading from it, both overlooking the River Dart running by at close quarters. We bag a free table and order.
The lad at the bar is friendly and folks around us are obvious holidaymakers. As there is more work to be done we all decide that sandwiches with a plateful of chips will just fill the bill. The menu looks full of interest, deep fried
camembert served with red onion marmalade and fresh salad garnish £3.95, Pan fried pigeon breast with celariac

puree £4.95... on the starters list, along with crab and prawn Timbale £5.50. Whole Sea bass at £12.95 and
Chicken breast filled with cheddar cheese and wrapped in bacon, served with a red wine and shallot sauce
at £9.95 for one of the mains, and all the usuals plus Lemon Posset showing on the deserts list....
"Hhmm, sounds promising."and we make a mental note that this might be worth a nip down to sample the much mentioned Sunday lunchtime Carvery (£7.95 large and £5.95 small) later on in the year to give it a shot...

But despite the anticipation, when the food is served - by a very friendly lady who told us she used to work at the
nearby National Trust Buckfast Abbey, the lunch is disappointing. The chips arrive in a cold serving dish, the
salad garnish is as dull as ditchwater and the coleslaw is undeniably mass catering shop bought pap. I don't
understand that about some food outlets. Making coleslaw is so easy, it tastes magical, and it's one of those
things that can so improve a meal. It doesn't take a few seconds to dress a salad garnish with say, paper fine yellow
pepper slices, grapes, at least two dozen choices of fresh fruit at most times of the year, 3 or 4 walnut halves,
a sprinkle of fine chives, but time after time we get some non special lettuce, in this case, with a piece of red
lettuce, 2 slices of cucumber, and one oh so generous quarter of a standard supermarket tomato put -
no other word for it - just put onto the plate. What a wasted opportunity.
The sandwiches and baguettes would have passed muster, although the prawns had not been properly
stirred into the Marie Rose sauce, check the picture .....and then, take another close look at the photos....
no butter in sight. NO BUTTER ON A SANDWICH ??? What's that all about ?
The ham on my sandwich was really tasty and tender, absolutely yummy, but at the first bite I opened it up to
double check, great ham served on dry bread ! What a disappointment ! Now some of you will say,
Well we know you Jill, why didn't you send it back ? and I have to say that as Julia had said "our treat" it was
not my shout. The white baguette was no more appetising. I think it was one of those that you open a packet and
finish it off in the oven maybe. And this one was only just under the wire in the cooking stakes.
Anaemic and again no butter....
Now I know that this might well have been just a one off day when the boss of the kitchen was taking a day off, we
might have got a day when they were short of staff. So to be fair, I plan to visit again, and this time to take a proper
meal, maybe during the Autumn, combining the trip with a walk up this beautiful River Dart.
The Sunday Carvery does sound good and there's mention of home made gravy. Regulars know I maintain that a
true foody can spot real gravy from 40 yards away....
It's a funny thing but the credit crunch has meant that more people are eating out than ever. The theory is that folks
are having to stint on holidays, but still treating themselves to day trips and meals out. Certainly sitting at the side of
this Dartmoor Inn as the river flows by below is one of the most relaxing venues I can think of to do just that.

Will get back to you with the food review of the next visit.