The Tradesman's Arms at Scorriton
Food review The Tradesman's Arms near Buckfastleigh, Dartmoor. 26th August.Tel 01364 642343
Back to the Food Page. Home Page
Three different people had recommended The Tradesman's Arms at Scorriton before we got chance to nip down and
try it out with the new mine hosts installed. We did know it of old and I had written a food review for the Dartmoor magazine in I think 2006 when the landlady and the food portions had both been ample and homely.
From the outside approach it looks pretty much the same but from the steps up into the pub the impression is much improved. Bright, clean and contemporary, as if a new broom has moved it on 20 years. Quality furnishings sitting
on a plush new carpet right up to the bright new bar with smiling faces behind it... The welcome was instant.
Hello what can I get you ? 3 choices of gin including my favourite Plymouth, and would you possibly add a dash
of lime cordial to that ? No problem, would you like ice and lemon. No fuss. No rush. Where would you like to sit ?
Good range of food on the menu which offered local ingredients. Daily specials blackboard offered a chicken in sweet ginger of which I really enjoyed every mouthful. The vegetables were cooked to perfection, leeks in white sauce, flavoursome carrots and good red cabbage well cooked and presented in a piping hot dish. Funny how red hot serving dishes makesuch an impression on me. Not many things annoy me more than being served good quality vegetables in a
lukewarm dish. A good cook wants everything to be right; and this certainly was. Rob chose the pie of the day which
was well filled and topped with impressive puff pasty done to a turn. Marilyn's trio of fishcakes were as you can see, to write home about. She left a clean plate, as did Mike who chose the Madras curry, which he declared to be good..
The chaps took puddings - tart au citron for Mike and fruit crumble topped with a cape gooseberry, physalis to those
in the know, for Rob. The pretty young waitress patiently waited whilst they made up their minds on the custard versus ice cream or clotted cream debate, helpfully pointing out that the clotted cream couldn't be more local as it was made
on her parent's farm right next door, just outside the window. What a sweet kid. I did take a picture of her with plates
in hand, but she moved so quickly, it came out a bit of a blur... here she is carrying the puddings to the table, and
here is me looking at least 100 years older than her sampling the pudding, just for research you understand...
I love what they have done to the pub, it's bright and trendy plus quality. Whoever is in the kitchen knows how
to cook and to present well. It was midweek, a lunchtime, with dreary and wet weather, but we and 20 or more
other diners all enjoyed the food - I know that because I overheard others praising it too.
Prices ? Chicken in spicy Ginger was £9.95 Chicken and ham pie £8.95 Curry of the day £8.95 and Fishcakes £9.95.
With drinks and 2 puds, coffees and one pot of tea the bill came to £68 exactly.
Question being..... Would we go back again ? Answer: Yes and soon I hope.
