We went along to try out a charming and intimate Devon town pub in the heart of Ottery St Mary this week, and was blown away by the friendly service, as well as its diverse menu. The Volunteer Inn, on Mill Street, is a popular pub amongst residents, and serves up locally-sourced dishes on the menu.
As you go through the entrance of the pub, you are greeted by a spacious bar and seating area. We visited and there was a great atmosphere as it was busy with punters enjoying a pint and some food. Despite it being busy, we managed to get a table at the back of the pub and felt very welcomed by its radiant staff and their beaming smiles.
As we sat down to look at the menu, we were taken back by the amount of options, making it hard to choose just one of them. I decided to go for the home cooked local ham, egg and chips, a classic, from its 'old favourites' section and I have to say, the chips were to die for.
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The menu included toasties, starters, loaded fries (which looked amazing), sides, grill items and it even had vegan options. Our waiter, Zoey, was really helpful when it came to ordering and made us feel at home. She even endured and went along with my grandpa's terrible dad jokes. With the hospitality industry under extreme pressure, I thought her customer service was truly admirable.
As we waited for our food, I decided to have a little look around and really liked it's original signs dotted around the pub. It is a really lovely touch. There is a small and intimate outside area with tables and chairs where customers can enjoy a drink, or two. There was a perfectly placed sign which read 'men to the left because women are always right' between the bathrooms, which I thought was both humorous and apt.
Within 20 minutes, the food was at our table and we were ready to tuck in, before a quick photo, of course. The presentation of both my dish and my grandparents locally caught fish and chips, which was on a newspaper clipping, was mouth-watering. My eggs and ham looked inviting and the chips were piping hot, I couldn't wait to dive in.
The ham tasted fresh, juicy and divine, and paired with the double egg and runny yolk, I was in heaven. It has to be some of the best pub grub I've ever had. The chips were the perfect balance between crispy and soft and disappeared very quickly. The portion size was a lot more than I can usually manage, but on this occasion, I couldn't not finish it because of how good it tasted.
What really topped off the experience was the great atmosphere, music and liveliness of the pub. With all the plates clean, we were asked whether we could fit in a dessert and although I was tempted, I couldn't eat another thing. We were given the bill which came with handmade bitesize fudge, and yes I did say I couldn't eat anything else, but how can one resist.
I thought this was a lovely touch, and the perfect way to finish off what was a great evening. If you are looking for some local pub grub, or somewhere for a quiet drink, then I highly recommend this pub which has a great atmosphere, staff and food.
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