Dartmoor Devon B&B Hotels Self-catering Camping & Youth Hostels and camping barns

The Horn of Plenty Hotel Food review

Wednesday 18th November Food review for The Horn of Plenty Gulworthy, Devon. website Tel 01822 832528

I think the easiest way of giving you a review of our trip to the Horn Of Plenty is just to show you all the pictures.
From start to finish the whole visit was excellent. Right from the waitress coming out of the hotel to greet us "So
glad you made it. Come inside into the warm" to the genuinely warm goodbyes from the head waiter when we left.

Settled comfortably into the lounge adjacent to the dining room, with pre lunch drinks, before we know it we are
treated to freshly made hors d'oeuvres, my favourite being the tiny rabbit tarts. (Pic at top of page.) A great way to get the appetite started up, in time to be invited to the white tablecloth and napkins dining room with the staggering view
down into the the Tamar Valley. It's worth asking for a table by the window as I did when I placed the booking.

As companions today we have taken pals George and Linda. Both of them are even more foodie than I am in that George cooks for a living and is an utter perfectionist when it comes to the finished article. I had misguidely invited them to
join us on a visit to an old thatched restaurant (so called) just off the south of the Moor earlier this year and the food
was less than poor. From start to finish we felt as though we had walked into the set of a third rate movie, and at the
end of one poor course following another, the 'home-made' ice cream was made from far too much gelatine and fat,
so much so that it never actually melted during the whole time it was on our table which we timed was for over 28

minutes !! The owner curiously, was nowhere to be seen when it came to settling the bill despite the fact that we had
been invited to dine. As I don't announce my visit and certainly never expect freebies, when I was invited, I had
suggested that we two have a free dinner but we bring along 2 full paying guests(so half price for the four of us)..
....we paid in full for four and never did receive the payment back and I'm still smarting from paying way over the
odds for below par food in a restaurant with CCTV cameras, a locked door at the entrance and a so called wine
waiter who hadn't tasted the wine but thought it was good ! Needless to say I never honoured it with a write up.

No such fears at the Horn of Plenty. We relax as the uniformed staff fuss around us with just the right level
of attention. As soon as we're seated, in comes a tiny complimentary cup and saucer of crab soup which was
almost worth the journey on it's own for. And just when I'm thinking, I wonder how I can blag my way into getting
a second helping of this loveliness the waitress arrives with our yummy starters. Scallops for me, with delicious
cauliflower tempura and curry oil. This is the start of a brilliant lunch.

It would take me all day to write about all courses and the wonderful tastes to every dish, so forgive me if I just
show you the photos and say that we all fully enjoyed our meals. Food at the Horn of Plenty already has a good
reputation without me adding my fourpennoth, but if you haven't come across this hotel yet, then it is well worth
making the journey off the Moor in order to find it in the country lanes around Gulworthy. Peter Gorton is the
executive chef and Stuart Downie the head chef. They deserve all praise.

Lunch was at a set price of £26.50 per head to include tea or coffee petits fours. What with the warm freshly baked
seedy rolls at the start of the meal, and the best ever creme caramel I had for pudding, I was completely full and just couldn't manage the petit four truffles. The bill for our meal came to £116.50 and in George's words "that was spot on".

We took our coffee in the sitting room next to the dining room, and here I offer the only smallest comment on the one
discordant note. I didn't take pictures in it, as it was empty, the painted floorboards slightly echoey and it lacked
much in the way of character. The waitress sensed our hesitation and suggested the sitting room on the opposite side
of the entrance hall, but when Linda and I glanced in it looked choc-a-bloc with folk, so we backpedalled and finished
off our time in the big room without much softness, no fire lit and seemingly little in the way of comfy furniture.

On our way out feeling thoroughly relaxed, we noticed that the opposite sitting room was now vacant, so we
stepped in. What a difference. A glowing fire, warm as you like, soft furnishings in every possible space, coffee
tables here and there, magazines, armchairs at every turn, fresh flowers,the day's newspapers aplenty.....
Now you can say that this is a food review and that matters furnishing might not be anything to do with me,
but I think that some of the books and one or two of the armchairs need to make their way over the
hallway to improve the balance.
That being said, if I did carry a clipboard around with me awarding points for food, then the Horn of Plenty
would be marks of Plenty. Every bit as good as our February lunch at Gidleigh Park Hotel and just
as enjoyable as our trip to the excellent Rick Stein's in January.

Would we go again ? What do you think ? Take a look at their special offers page.
Home Page. See my food reviews 2010 page.The Horn of Plenty has a mention on our Tavistock Page