Beautiful views and locally sourced produce on the menu in new restaurant

Part of our recent relocation project was to create a light and bright restaurant with a relaxed and welcoming feel, able to cater for more people than was possible at the smaller premises of the old honey farm. As at the previous site, the shop and restaurant are free to enter and moving closer to the A361 North Devon Link Road means we are able to attract passers-by as well as visitors to the tourist attraction. This new opportunity saw us look at ways to improve the offering in the restaurant by creating new menus, updating the equipment, décor and furniture and welcoming new staff into the fold.

Named ‘The Nectary’ after the part of the flower that produces the nectar, or food, for the bees, the new restaurant enjoys triple aspect views over the Nectar Gardens, woodland and surrounding countryside. It also has the unique feature of beehives situated outside the end windows, including a glass sided hive, allowing visitors the chance to see honeybees at work in complete safety while enjoying a cuppa.

The new menu features a range of homemade meals to suit all tastes and diets with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options as well as a children’s menu. Care has been taken to source ingredients locally where possible, including Exmoor Beef for the steak and ale pie and locally grown potatoes for the jacket potato menu. Perhaps the most local product used is the honey itself with our own honey being used in the salad dressing, the honey glazed sausages, on tea cakes and toast, as a sweetener for tea and coffee, and more.

Be sure to try a slice of our award-winning Honey Cake from the National Honey Show 2018, made with our Devon Flower Clear Honey. Another unique offering is the Four Season’s Honey Cream Tea with apple or ginger scones topped with our four seasonal honeys; Dandelion (Spring), Devon Flower Honey (summer), Exmoor Heather Honey (late summer/autumn) and Ivy (winter).

The restaurant is headed up by Restaurant Manager Pam Shepherd with new chefs Michael Stone and John Hamilton, and a team of dedicated staff serving customers and working in the kitchen.

Pam Shepherd has been with Quince Honey Farm for 28 years, managing the café at the previous farm and has been a key part of developing the new restaurant. She loves to bake cakes and is the creator of many of the cakes on offer here. ‘I have always had a passion for cooking’, said Pam, ‘and having this much larger kitchen and restaurant with beautiful views is so exciting. I hope to build it up to become a very successful part of Quince Honey Farm and to wow people with our menu.’

Michael Stone joined the team in March 2019 as Head Chef, just as the relocation was in full swing, and helped to progress the restaurant and introduce new items to the menu. Michael has worked in the catering business since he was 16 and enjoys designing and creating new dishes. He said, ‘I’m particularly keen to find more ways to incorporate Quince’s honey into our dishes. Being able to join at the start of the new restaurant’s journey is incredibly exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing it grow into a very popular and enjoyable destination.’

John Hamilton joined the team as Chef in June 2019 and will be bringing his wealth of experience to the table and continue to develop the offering in the Restaurant. He has worked in the catering trade for 42 years to include positions at hotels, golf clubs and opening his own restaurants. He said, ‘I’m very excited about the future of Quince Honey Farm. I love the vision and passion my colleagues have for taking the new business further, and I’m looking forward to contributing my experience towards this new venture.’

Free to enter, The Nectary is open daily between 10am and 6pm and there is ample free parking on site. Be sure to visit soon and make it your go-to spot for a cooked breakfast, relaxed homemade lunch or coffee and cake stop with family and friends.

We’ll see you soon!