The north Devon pub is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to a refurb and an ambitious chef, discovers Selena Young
It takes guts to move beyond traditional fare when launching a dining pub in a village. It takes even more gumption to move counties, take over a rundown rural inn and reinvent it as a creative dining spot at a time when the hospitality industry is as changeable as the occupant of 10 Downing Street.
So hats off to chef-patron Tom Mackins and head of hospitality Katie Hoyland, who’ve done exactly that by taking over The Ebrington Arms. Breathing life into an old boozer, the pair have created something novel for the area while retaining its charm as a village local.
Tom and Katie got their hands on the keys last December, began renovations in January and were welcoming guests just a few weeks later. Some of the credit is due to the residents of Knowle, who rolled up their sleeves to help bring the project into existence. What’s a village without its local, after all?
Now, the pub strikes the balance between rustic charm and contemporary comfort. The paintwork has been refreshed and the tables no longer have their pint-ring marks, while original beams, exposed brickwork and soft lighting create an inviting atmosphere. It’s laidback enough for Sunday-roast feasting in a Finisterre fleece, yet also smart enough to justify a crisp shirt for the tasting menu. On our visit, we opted for the latter to do justice to Tom’s cooking style, which is best described as flavourmaxxing.
Flavourmaxxing moments
The chef was born in Wiltshire but takes inspiration from all over. His formative professional years were spent in Cornwall, where he ran his own ventures as well as working with notable chefs such as Kevin Viner. But he’s also lived in the Middle East, which he credits with shaping his playful approach to bold flavours. At The Ebrington Arms, seasonal ingredients from nearby farmers and fishermen, along with pickings from his kitchen garden, influence his seasonal menus.
Dishes are regularly tweaked and refined to keep both the chef and his regulars entertained. ‛I’d change the menu every day if I could,’ he says.
We eased into a feast with bite-size morsels of Cornish Blue cheese with pickled walnut, followed by a down-in-one delight of oyster mushroom parfait with aged soy, sandwiched between shards of crisp chicken skin.
A plate of cured north-coast mackerel with slices of apple and a nose-tickling wasabi and kohlrabi sauce refreshed the palate before the next dish. The Dartmoor beef tartare with gherkin, egg yolk, chicken skin and black garlic delivered a scrumptious whack of contrasting tastes and textures.
Palate punctuation
However, it was the flame-cooked brill with mussels that punctuated the meal with an exclamation mark. The mussels were, uniquely, treated to a dose of fragrant lavender, while the smoky brill was perfectly paired with celeriac, grape and crème fraîche.
We also tried rich Exmoor lamb on a bed of broad beans in lamb-fat XO, served with a quenelle of sheep’s milk ricotta. Presented in two ways, the lamb dish comprised rosy, medium-rare slivers with salt-crusted layers of crisp fat, alongside low-and-slow braised shoulder.
A refreshing palate cleanser of crème fraîche with peach puree and roasted white chocolate preceded a showstopping confection of silky 80 per cent dark chocolate with peanut crumb, cooling sea buckthorn sorbet and spears of crisp sesame brittle.
Having grafted to help bring the pub back to life, the locals are now reaping the rewards in the form of some delicious dividends. Lucky things.
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