Culm Valley Inn

I recently visited this pub with a group of friends. We had our table booked in advance for 12:30, had ordered within 10 minutes, and did not receive our sunday lunch until 3:30. There was no explanation or apology offered by the staff or landlord for this delay. The food was ok when we finally got it, but we got the impression that we were less important than the locals who arrived later and were served sooner. I'm from Devon myself and we have so many great pubs but this unfortunately isn't one of them. I won't visit again, if you do maybe take a packed lunch to keep you going!

first and last visit for me i'm afraid.
i asked for a vodka and diet coke , i got cheap vodka and the coke came out of a 2 litre plastic bottle. the menu was very restricted for me as i don't eat meat , so opted for lemon sole.
oh dear , disaster !
when it was placed in front of me i noticed that the top was a bit pink , i thought it was because i'd
asked for the head to be taken off.
when i went to cut into it a load of pink slime came oozing out !!!
this i was told was the eggs , like caviar .
i asked for fish , not caviar or roe.
not too keen on the dogs wandering around the dining area and begging at the tables either.
and the highlight had to be being faced with the cat licking it's bits while i was trying to eat the only edible
thing on the plate that was the veg !!

Found this inn 2 years ago having got lost taking a detour. It was warm and inviting with a log fire burning so we decided to have a meal. The steak was superb and my partner enjoyed bream. Since this first encounter we have been back many times and enjoyed every meal. I'm fussy with fish and never order it when eating out but I make an exception here as i find it eceptional. The service is always good. I hope to be going back for many years to come.

I went to the Culm Valley Inn today for lunch with some girlfriends. We had a selection of dishes (all seafood) from the extensive menu. My scallops in a sweet chilli sauce were delicious. However, so were the choices of my friends. Such was my envy of their beautiful food that I took my husband back there this evening. Again, the food was stunning and, despite the restaurant being extremely busy, our dishes were all served with a friendly smile from both our host, Richard, and his ladies.
I can't quite put my finger on Richard's formula for success; whether it's the excellent ingredients, the quality of the dishes, the freshness or the good service. But, whatever it is, it works, and works extremely well! Can't wait for our next visit. Would it be rude to go there three times in two days??

My wife and I stayed here on 24/05/10 quite by chance in order to break a journey, when we arrived at 6pm we were greeted by the pub dogs and the landlord all of whom were welcoming and amusing,we had a smashing supper followed by a chat with locals at the bar and further amusement and genuine bonhomie from the host. The selection and condition of the beers was excellent. We spent a restful night upstairs in a bedroom that is best described as spotlessly clean but perhaps not at the cutting edge with facilities accross the hall but again it was honest and very good value.The breakfast was excellent with little touches that went beyond what one could reasonably expect for the price. On our return home I looked at the reviews on this site and was at first a bit surprised at some of the comments however on reflection I can see that it could be a bit of a ‘marmite’ kind of place,we would not hessitate to give it our recommendation,but we enjoy the hard to define qualities that are to be found by the bucket load at The Culm Valley. There is a beer festival this comming weekend and as we left the landlord was preparing a whole pig to be made into sausages for the festivities, oh how we would love to be there!

This is a slightly scruffy rambling pub with lots of smallish rooms filled with an eclectic mix of stuff and locals. We had made a significant detour to eat here (Friday lunchtime 21 May 2010) encouraged by the glowing reports in the Good Pub Guide but were very disappointed by the quality of the food. We both chose fish: Turbot and Monkfish at £16 each, both of which were overcooked. The Monkfish came with a red pepper and saffron sauce, which I expected to be cream based, but instead it was rather like, and tasted like, a thinish ketchup, served separately in a little dish. The Monkfish still had its membrane attached which was cooked until crisp and while not unpleasant I feel it's a lazy way to treat this usually delicious fish. The accompanying vegetables were pedestrian – purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbage and a few thin asparagus served plain, so the whole dish was rather dry, as was my husband's Turbot. The ‘new’ potatoes were unappetizing with very thick skins and lots of black bits/eyes (I like potato skins but I do like them cleaned first). The tapas starter was poor (£12 shared), consisting of a couple of slices of basic chorizo and salami, a couple of slices of flabby tortilla, some odd asparagus pickle and a couple of not very generously filled fishy tarts; the green and black olives were OK. We went without a pudding as half the list was unavailable although we had arrived early. Service was slow and elusive despite not very many people there and more flies than I feel comfortable with. The staff were pleasant enough but their insistance on not taking ANY plastic whatsoever is a bit off-putting; the Good Pub Guide had mentioned this but we had forgotten by the time we'd arrived so, without a cheque book, we had to be careful with our choices. Menu pricing on the chalkboard not very clear – everything in round pounds, i.e. 7/11 denoting small size at £7 and large plate at £11 or 12/16/24 for small, medium and large plates in the case of the Tapas. The lack of any printed menus was an irritant as everyone had to crowd into a small space to make their choice from a rather difficult to read board. On the plus side, it had some interesting wines by the glass and it is very dog friendly, also there's the bonus of a pleasant footpath across the road. All in all though not anything to write home about. We are really surprised this has been voted Devon dining pub of the year and whilst we accept all chefs have their off days we certainly wouldn't want to go back.

bags of character – bit of an overused phrase but i‘ve struggled to find pubs like this in the mid devon area so full marks to them. they don't make ‘em like this anymore – long may they continue

In Reply to Edward C's Comment.
Thanks for the glowing report of my pub.
Sorry if you were unable to read a very clearly written board.
Sorry if our home preped treble cooked chips didn't come up to scratch.
Prehaps you were not looking for a propper pub??
Sorry, my dogs are part of pub life.
Prehaps you should change to the Guardian, Times or Independent.

Three friends and I went to this pub as a result of a rave review in The Telegraph. We thought we would be in for a real treat with excellent food and friendly welcoming service. What a disappointment! The blackboard menu was crammed with indecipherable writing, and the prices seemed to be expensive for a pub meal.
Nevertheless we ordered. The two ladies ordering confit of duck, and the men ordering fish and chips.
The food, when served, was badly cooked. Batter on the fish was soggy, pale and insipid; the chips were nothing special, and for the price one might have expected at least a few peas. The confit of duck was dry to the taste and not enjoyable.
Whenever we wanted something, we had to go searching about the place to find somebody. The service was cool and offhand. For this reason, we did not stay for a dessert, choosing to find another establishment to do so. Even when mentioning that we were not completely pleased upon paying the bill, the management seemed unconcerned.
Finally, while being aware that some people have no objection to dogs wandering about one's dining table, others find it disagreeable.

S Taylor, Cullompton
We just love this pub! The atmosphere is old, untouched, much loved. Food is outsanding. I think everyone had a sample of the first ‘home, cold smoked salmon’ last Sunday and if this is a taste of summer to come, then I can't wait! Once visited, it is hard to not keep returning.

I may have been an exception but …

On 17th November I took a guest for lunch and was advised to book. We arrived, ordered and were seated – the place soon filled – and I ordered our drinks. My guest received a medium-sweet white wine, despite my having specified a dry one when offered a choice of three bottles…

We waited about 45 minutes for our order to arrive, As later arrivals had already been served, i asked when our meals would be served.. They appeared about 10 minutes later but my guest's fish was luke-warm and overcooked while my venison (a lovely looking piece of meat) was completely raw and cold. I sent it back and it was returned a further 10 minutes later – warm but still raw – and i was unimpressed by the quality, quantity or choice of the accompanying vegetables.

Walking our dog afterwards – a decided plus-point for the pub, though there were many of them in the restaurant – we met another diner who expressed surprise at the state of our food but agreed that poor service was not unusual.

I cancelled my cheque but later relented and sent another, with a covering note which resulted in a very apologetic message from the landlord on my answering machine. I returned his call but received a very dismissive response.

Would I go back? No. The restaurant does have a good reputation and a pleasant rural atmosphere, but most of the other diners seemed to be regular and local. As I am neither, I would look elsewhere – there are plenty of pubs in the West Country serving good food .

You will either love it or hate it. If you are a Health and Safety addict, dislike dogs, worry about a speck of dust on the firegrate or a smear on the window, this is not the place for you. But if you can relax a bit, let go of anal anxieties and go with the flow, you will find food beyond compare, excellent wine, a wide range of local beers, friendly, well informed staff, a one-off patron/chef and as much atmosphere as you could wish for. And to make it a perfect evening, you can stay the night in the pleasant but unfussy rooms upstairs. There is one problem. This place is gaining the reputation it richly deserves, which means you need to book ahead, for both food and bed. Even mid week in the winter. But it is well worth the effort : you won't regret it. Unless of course you throw a wobbly at rubbing shoulders with the locals.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon to be greeted by the cook who kindly showed us to our room! (with a degree of help from Spoof, the small round black dog, and Lady, the older more refined Deerhound/Greyhound cross). Definately an unusual start, and set the tone for the four days we were there. The purpose of our visit to this beautiful part of Devon was as exhibitors at the Fibrefest show in Uffacombe, and so it was very important to us that our evening haunt was relaxing, well catered and above all had some quality drink on offer. I am pleased to say that it ticked all the boxes.
We were joined on Friday night by friends who stayed with us until Sunday and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences we have had (and we do shows together all over the country).
There were 6 or 7 local ales on tap at any one time, and these changed over the days we were there, and it was evident that the locals had a keen interest in keeping the barrels turning, which is always a good sign. We found a white wine that will definately fine it's way into our wine rack at home, and if you fancied living it up a little Justin was on hand to get the cocktails flowing.
The food was exceptional – we ate extensively from the menu during our stay. The Tapas and Prawns we had for starters were perfect. Main courses varied from steak, duck and sausages, though a wide selection of fish, and some excellent curries and vegetarian dishes – an exceptionally varied menu and everything we had was 10/10. Where there was room for desserts the toffee pudding, pavlova etc didn't disappoint.
In the morning the breakfast was uncomplicated, organised around us, and the bacon & sausages were something special.
I would highly recommend the Culm Valley Inn to anyone who has an eye for good food & liquour, and has a bit of joie de vie – it's not the Ritz but in my opinion its better! I have never reviewed before but I felt inspired to do so as I feel that people need to know how good this place is. I would also recommend that you book as well, as it was very popular – we certainly will and we've already planned to return in January to see the roaring fires in action!

The patron truely understands real local “slow” food. The menus are inventive, seasonal and delicious. The local fish is particulary worthy of mention as are the dishes with worldwide I inflence and local interpretation. The beer is excellent and the wine list surprising. A fantastic asset to the area. Deserves a lot of support. When “foodie” friends from London visit they cannot believe how lucky we are!