What food is Devon famous for? Discover Devon’s signature dishes, produce and drinks
With two coastlines, rich farmland, traditional orchards and a thriving community of independent producers, Devon's food and drink scene is shaped by its landscape. From coast to countryside, there is a strong emphasis on quality, sustainability and provenance, and on knowing where your food comes from.
But what food is Devon famous for? The Devon cream tea may be the county’s best-known culinary calling card, but it is only the beginning. Devon is also celebrated for clotted cream, cider, fresh seafood, artisan cheese, locally reared meat and an abundance of seasonal produce.
The Devon cream tea: cream first, of course
Few foods are more closely associated with Devon than a proper cream tea: freshly baked, fluffy scones, generous spoonfuls of clotted cream, topped with strawberry jam, and served with a pot of tea.
Across the county, Food Drink Devon members keep this much-loved tradition alive. Two Bridges Hotel, in the heart of Dartmoor, serves Devon cream teas throughout the day, making it a suitably scenic place to enjoy one of the county’s most famous treats.
Clotted cream, dairy and artisan Devon cheese
Devon’s green pastures and farming traditions have made dairy an important part of the county’s food story. Clotted cream is undoubtedly the star (see cream tea section above!) but local milk is also transformed into butter, yoghurt, ice cream and a wonderful range of artisan cheeses.
Sharpham Cheese, made near Totnes, is a great example. Its cheesemakers produce a range of handmade soft and semi-hard cheeses using Jersey cow’s milk alongside cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk sourced from local farms.
Pair Devon cheese with locally made bread, chutney and preserves for a cheeseboard with a real sense of place.
Fresh Devon seafood from coast to plate
With coastlines to the north and south, fresh seafood is woven into Devon’s food culture
Fresh fish and shellfish are landed around the county, with working harbours and fishing communities supplying restaurants, pubs, fishmongers and independent retailers. Depending on the season and catch, you might find crab, lobster, mussels, scallops and a changing selection of locally landed fish.
At The Crab Shed in Salcombe, the connection between sea and plate couldn’t be closer. Located on Fish Quay, this award-winning seafood restaurant serves locally landed fish against a backdrop of the very waters it came from.
Whether it is fish and chips by the sea, a crab sandwich or a dish centred around the day’s catch, Devon seafood offers a direct taste of the county’s coastline.
Locally reared meat and seasonal Devon produce
Head inland and Devon’s farming landscape shapes another important part of the county’s food identity.
Farms across Devon rear beef, lamb, pork and poultry, while growers produce fruit, vegetables, salad leaves and herbs that change with the seasons.
In the South Hams, Aune Valley Meat combines traditional butchery with a strong focus on provenance and traceability, with much of its beef reared on the family’s own farms.
Elsewhere, farm shops such as Darts Farm grow and sell their own vegetables alongside locally reared Ruby Red Devon Beef, artisan cheeses, bread, preserves and other local produce, giving shoppers an opportunity to bring together ingredients from producers across the county.
It is this connection between producer and plate that sits at the heart of Devon food: shoppers know exactly where ingredients come from, who produced them and what is in season.
Devon cider, wine and locally crafted drinks
If there is one drink particularly associated with Devon, it has to be cider.
Traditional orchards have been part of the landscape for generations and cider making remains an important local craft. Hunts Cider in Stoke Gabriel has a family cider-making heritage stretching back more than 200 years and uses locally grown cider apples, while Mid Devon’s Ridge & Furrow Cider produces small-batch cider from apples grown in its own historic orchard.
Devon’s drinks scene extends well beyond cider though. Vineyards are now another part of the county’s food and drink landscape. Sandridge Barton, on the banks of the River Dart, produces still and sparkling English wines from its South Devon estate.
Independent producers across the county also create beer, spirits, juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee, adding even more variety to Devon’s drinks cupboard.
Sweet treats, preserves and Devon pantry favourites
Devon has plenty to offer those with a sweet tooth too.
Roly’s Fudge Pantry, which originated in Devon, makes delicious fudge using traditional methods. You can even watch it being made in their shops. Try the classic clotted cream flavour for a true taste of Devon.
For something savoury, Otter Vale in Collumpton, produces small-batch chutneys, preserves, jellies and condiments, exactly the sort of pantry staples that sit happily alongside Devon cheese, meat and bread.
Look out too for local honey, jams, marmalades, sauces, artisan bread, cakes and confectionery. They make excellent gifts, or a tempting way to take a taste of Devon home.
Where can you discover the best of Devon food and drink?
Food Drink Devon brings together producers, retailers and hospitality businesses from across the county, united by a commitment to quality, sustainability and provenance.
Explore our members to discover local food producers, places to eat, farm shops, retailers and food and drink experiences throughout Devon.