Rusty Pig Devon

Feasting at Rusty Pig in Ottery St Mary involves a blind menu, a guessing game and plenty of communal fun. Known for championing ethical, seasonal and locally sourced produce, the indie restaurant has a Feasting House downstairs which is solely dedicated to social dining. Guests arrive for drinks (particularly popular is the Rusty Pig Fizz pressed from grapes grown at vineyards in the next village) and, once everyone is seated, the chefs send out the first course. Supper consists of tasting courses based around the likes of game, whole roast goose, locally reared Dexter beef, pork, and line‑caught fish from the Devon coast. Everyone is fed the same menu, allowing guests to discuss each dish. At the end of the feast, chef owner Robin Rea addresses the assembled diners to chat about each course: what it was, how it was cooked and where the produce was sourced.

‘This way of dining makes us a zero‑waste restaurant and it also means our guests get to try ingredients they might not usually order,’ says Robin.

‘They enjoy the surprise element and say they like the fact they don't have to make difficult choices. It's fun for them to decipher what's in each dish and it's sometimes quite remarkable what some people think they've just eaten.’