Review
Lunch at Home Farm Café

We’re hardwired to take a picnic whenever we visit Parke in Bovey Tracey. I usually end up carrying it for the entire walk around the National Trust estate before we eventually eat it on a bench beside the carpark and I wonder why I didn’t just leave it in the boot. Well, I’ve just found a solution to this problem – ditch the picnic and eat at Home Farm Café.

Serving food that’s local, seasonal and made with love, this independently owned café has just what you want at the end (or the start) of a satisfying stroll through the 250 acres of historic parkland.

Everyone – including kids, grandparents and dogs – can be well fed here from a carefully selected seasonal menu of comfort brunches, lunches, cakes, cream teas and dinner options.

It was a bright blue sky day with a chill when we visited, so we wanted something warming. We ordered a delicious selection from the lunch menu. The Lurcombe Farm beef brisket bolognese, with crispy onions, parmesan and garlic sourdough, inspired us to look at this teatime classic in a new way. Bolognese, in a takeaway pot, with brisket and bread – for lunch. Why hadn’t we thought of this before? It was rich, tomatoey and perfect for bread-dipping.

We shared a tasty leek and potato soup, as well as a shredded Dartmoor ham, cheddar and tomato chutney baguette. I love a soup and sandwich combo – this one worked exceptionally well on a sweet-to-salty ratio.

The team here prides itself on supporting local producers and most of the ingredients on the menu come from just a few miles away. The same is true for many of Home Farm’s customers. Locals love this place. We bumped into a friend of ours who lives nearby. She was with her parents, plus dogs, and they were enjoying smoked back bacon with tomato chutney baguettes. Another regular I know has been here for dinner recently and told me how amazing it is.

Back at our lunch table, cups of decent tea and coffee completed our meal. Picnics at Parke are great and everything, but I might prefer to let Home Farm Café take care of lunch in future.