This month, Naturalmat turns 25 years old! To celebrate this milestone, we wanted to showcase 25 of our favourite businesses in Devon, from places to eat, drink and stay, to sustainable shopping and activity options - all insider tips from our Devon-based team. This week, we’re highlighting five of our favourite places to eat and drink locally, including a few where you can stay overnight on a Naturalmat mattress.
Glebe House
Glebe is a guest house, restaurant and 15-acre smallholding in the heart of East Devon. It follows the Italian concept of ‘agroturismo’; working farms with accommodation and restaurants showcasing artisan products from that particular farm. Glebe features a vegetable garden with a polytunnel, cutting gardens, an on-site bakery and temperature controlled ageing room for salumi production. This means that, in addition to providing gorgeous rooms which feature our natural mattresses, they also have an amazing farm-to-table restaurant which serves absolutely astonishing local food. Inspired by their time in Italy, Glebe have combined artisan techniques with nose-to-tail cooking and Devon-based seasonality to offer an ever-changing menu - all set in a jaw-dropping backdrop of Devonshire hills.
The Bull Inn
The Bull Inn is an organic, ethical pub situated in Totnes, a thriving market town with a lively independent shop and cafe scene, where they take full advantage of being surrounded by some of the best organic food producers in the UK. Their operations are governed by their ‘No Bull Rules’, resulting in menus featuring organic beer, wine and food. At The Bull you will find veg-first meals complimented by meat, using whole animals and thought-through fish dishes, including legal by-catch. In addition to their deliciously responsible food & drink offering, they also have nine beautiful rooms and a self-catered, four bed apartment across the road - all of which feature our mattresses.
The River Exe Cafe
Opened from the 1st April until the 30th September each year, The River Exe Café is a seasonal family and dog-friendly restaurant which floats on a custom-built barge in the Exe Estuary. Accessible only by boat, and open only in the sunnier months, the Cafe is quite a special way to appreciate locally sourced food and drink, surrounded by amazing Devon views. Just like Naturalmat, the café was born from a family love of boating and a life-long companionship with the River Exe. Each of their dishes is unique and built to showcase the quality ingredients we have at our doorstep.
Book a table at the River Exe Cafe.
Emilia
Created by the owners of Ducksoup in Soho and Little Duck in Hackney, Emilia is their version of an Italian Osteria set in the Devonshire countryside. They serve seasonal, everyday Italian-inspired dishes using locally grown ingredients, which can be enjoyed alongside their great selection of natural wines. The menu changes daily and is chalked on the door of the old vault of the former bank in which the restaurant now lives. Emilia is located in Ashburton, the largest town within Devon’s stunning Dartmoor National Park.
The Pig At Combe
The Pig is a homely, informal, and deeply comfortable restaurant serving unpretentious but delicious home-grown food. Their offering is described by them as “simple food done well”, and it is done well indeed. Their beating heart is their Kitchen Garden, where they grow a lot of their produce themselves. What they can’t grow, they source locally, committing to a 25-mile menu to ensure a reduction in environmental impact. The results are simple and delicious dishes created through a partnership between their Kitchen Gardeners and Chefs.
Coombeshead Farm (Cornwall Neighbour Bonus)
Although it’s set in Cornwall, not Devon, we couldn’t help but include Coombeshead Farm, a guesthouse, bakery and working farm offering glorious isolation and farmhouse comforts in the heart of Cornwall’s rural countryside. It is also inspired by the idea of ‘agroturismo’, with a menu built around animals and vegetables grown and raised with respect to our land. A lot of the food is cooked over a wood fire, you can expect lots of locally-picked greens, and their bread is made in the old stable block across the courtyard from the restaurant. The result is a delicious, inventive homely meal accompanied by gorgeous wines and ciders. If you visit Devon, don’t let county borders stop you from experiencing this heartwarming spot.
Book a table at Coombeshead Farm.
