Church Farm Guest House

In the peaceful little village of Wrockwardine, next to the church, Mel and Martin Board's converted Georgian farmhouse is essentially a large family home, with four guest rooms and a light, airy dining room named Basil's (after the resident Staffordshire bull terrier, a placid creature who knows how to charm). The place is run without any recourse to airs and graces, and when the restaurant is full, you might well find yourself sitting at something like an improvised chef's table in the kitchen. The weekly-changing menu is replete with regional produce, supplemented by fish from the Brixham boats. Seasonality is all, as when new season's asparagus wrapped in ham, served with a poached egg and hollandaise, opens a spring meal in fine style. Choose from fish or meat, or both, to follow on. The former perhaps grey mullet and scallops with curried cauliflower and black pudding in pink grapefruit dressing. A dessert trio of summer pudding, raspberry and elderflower jelly and raspberry and vanilla parfait is an exuberant way to conclude proceedings.