Review
Occombe Farm Café, Paignton

It’s always a pleasure to walk into an eaterie that’s spacious and filled with natural light. Occombe Farm Café does all that with views across the South Hams from its huge windows to boot.

My dinner guest, Julia, treated herself to a glass of Australian Chardonnay and I opted for one of my favourites, a Luscombe Sicilian lemonade. I’m always thrilled when soft drinks of this quality are available for the drivers.

This isn’t somewhere to dine if you’re in a rush. Each plate is freshly prepared by the chef and the wait is well worth it. We both plumped for scallops to start – and plump was the order of the day for these delicious Brixham-caught shellfish. Julia was impressed that the coral had been left on, and jolly tasty it was too, especially with a smidgen of the delicious pea purée.

Julia ordered the steak for her main, my choice was the mushroom risotto. Julia was very taken by the vine tomatoes accompanying her meal, which are grown on the farm. Both plates were piled high, and despite our protestations that we needed to leave room for dessert, we couldn’t stop eating.

Eton mess won out for me. The luscious strawberries were another home-grown ingredient, and I particularly liked the addition of blackcurrants for tartness. Although too early in the season for those to come from the farm, it won’t be long before Occombe-grown blackcurrants make an appearance in the café.

A relaxed service from Sue and Leanne helped to make our experience all the more enjoyable. The café only opens in the evening on a Friday and the menu changes weekly – upcoming menus promise panko squid rings, cranberry and brie Wellington, and pistachio frangipane. I’ll see you there!