Black Friars Distillery - Plymouth

Black Friars Distillery is one of the oldest buildings in Plymouth and one of the city’s heritage buildings. Its Refectory Room – a medieval hall with a hull-shaped timber roof was built in 1431.  Since 1793, Black Friars Distillery has been home to the Plymouth Gin and is England’s oldest working distillery.

Black Friars Distillery

The Black Friars Distillery buildings have an interesting history, having been used for various purposes in the past. Originally a monastery, this Plymouth gin distillery takes its name from the Black Friars who used to live in the monastery.

At the time of the Reformation, and with the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 , the building was used for various purposes. It was thought to have been the town’s first Guildhall at a point in time. It was also used as a debtor’s prison and a camp for the Huguenot refugees from France.

It is also believed to be the place where the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night in Plymouth before they sailed on the Mayflower for America in 1620. The Mayflower appears on the front of the Plymouth Gin bottles.

Plymouth Gin Navy Strength

Plymouth Gin has had a long association with the Royal Navy and owes its early success to the British Royal Navy. With the Navy taking copious amounts of Plymouth Gin to all corners of the world, it soon became the world’s largest volume gin brand. There is even a Plymouth Navy Strength brand. This is a reference to the level of alcohol. At 57% abv, or higher, spirits can be spilt onto gunpowder without impairing its ability to explode.

Plymouth Gin Navy Strength

For nearly two centuries, no navy ship left port without a bottle of Navy Strength Plymouth Gin.

These days Plymouth Gin is no longer British-owned – it is being distributed by the Greek subsidiary of the giant French Pernod Ricard Group.  However, Black Friars still follows the traditional distilling processes for its Plymouth Original, Navy Strength and Plymouth Sloe Gin.

If Gin is your drink of choice, there are guided Plymouth Gin tours and tastings available all year round.  But even if you’re not a gin drinker, a visit to this heritage Plymouth building is interesting.

Address:

Black Friars Distillery
60 Southside Street
Plymouth PL1 2LQ
Tel: +44(0) 1752 665 292

Blas burger - St Ives

Blas Burgerworks is a small and very popular organic fast food restaurant in St. Ives that specializes in burgers. From the queue of people lining up to dine there, it appears that they must be good so we joined in the queue one evening.

Booking in Person at Blas Burgerworks

It was after 8:00 p.m. and looking at the number of people in the line and the fact that there were a few diners leaving, we assumed we wouldn’t have to wait too long before seats became available. This was when we discovered that although they don’t take phone reservations, they work on a waiting list system. You had to be there in person to put your name on the list and if the queue is long, you then come back at a time indicated by them. There were people on the list before us and we were told that we could be accommodated at 9 p.m.

An Eco-friendly St. Ives Restaurant

Blas is an eco-friendly restaurant which recycles everything it uses, such as boxes, glass, plastic, vegetable scraps, etc. They use organic and local produce and as far as possible they make use of seasonal foods.

The menu at Blas Burgerworks is creative and interesting, but the burgers are not cheap, approximately £9.50 for the gourmet burgers.  The burgers are quite substantial though so one burger will fill you up.

I ordered the black bean burger with fiery chilli sauce and Tony had the fishburger which included mackerel fillets. Both were topped with salad and were very tasty, although I didn’t think that the chilli was particularly fiery. I asked if they had any jalapenos or other chillis but all they had was sweet chilli sauce. As we do not eat meat, we’re not able to comment on their Cornish beefburgers.

At Blas, diners sit at communal tables which gives the place a cozy and friendly feel. They have had good reviews from The Telegraph and The Times and been included in the Good Food Guide, which explains the queue at the restaurant each night.

We enjoyed our meal here and had we stayed longer in St. Ives we probably would have dined here again.

Address:

Blas Burgerworks
The Warren, St. Ives
Cornwall TR26 2EA
Phone:  01736 79 72 72

See St Ives photos at Travel Signposts photo gallery HERE.

Map of St. Ives:

Admiral Benbow - Penzance

At the recommendation of our guest house owner, we came in search of the Admiral Benbow Inn in Penzance. Mike knew that we were on the look-out for interesting places and experiences and he described the Admiral Benbow as a unique and rather interesting pub with amazing interior decor. He has lived in St. Ives for decades and had only recently visited this Penzance pub himself.

Admiral Benbow’s Decorations

When we stepped into the Admiral Benbow, our eyes grew wide open with amazement. Admiral Benbow’s interior is richly decorated with anchors, mugs, lamps and all kinds of maritime artifacts and memorabilia.

Before our brains could absorb what our eyes were seeing, the barman barked “drink or meal”, as if to warn us that sightseers are not welcomed. His mannerism was a bit off-putting, but Tony orders a Guinness so that we could sit in the corner and quietly take in the place.

The couple at the next table were chatting to a lady who seemed to know a lot about the pub so Tony approached her and asked if she is the owner. And, this was how we came to meet Trish, one of the owners of Admiral Benbow.

Reminiscent of The Pirates of Penzance

The Captain's Cabin Restaurant

We commented to Trish that the bar area looked like the set from the Pirates of the Caribbean and this was where she amazed us even further by telling us that all the decorations in the pub are genuine maritime artifacts that have been salvaged from various shipwrecked vessels along the Cornish coast over the past 400 years. The collection of treasures and fixtures and fittings in the Admiral Benbow are truly fascinating and they are cleverly built into the interior design of the building, such as the Captain’s Cabin restaurant with its fine woodwork from a Portuguese Man O’ War.

In the Lady Hamilton Lounge and Wreck Bar upstairs there is a magnificent cannon and some ship figureheads. From the upstairs bars one can enjoy extensive views over Penzance harbour towards St Michael’s Mount.

Trish was busy helping some friends celebrate a birthday and she wasn’t able to spend much time with us, but she kindly allowed us a free run of the place and to take whatever snaps we wanted.

One of the Oldest Penzance Pubs

Admiral Benbow is like a fascinating maritime museum and it would be nice to have some reference material on all the treasures in the place. Understandably, Trish and Alan are not keen on having the stress of having to manage a website on top of their busy pub business.

Admiral Benbow, Penzance

The Admiral Benbow is one of the oldest pubs in Penzance and it is believed to have been in existence since the 17th century. No doubt there are many interesting stories here about shipwrecks, pirates, smugglers, illegal booties and the people who drank at the pub.  Before you enter the Admiral Benbow, take a look at its roof where you’ll see a smuggler who is believed to be shooting at the excise man.

The atmosphere of the pub is certainly set by its interior decoration. There’s a jukebox where you can select music from the golden oldies. Famous visitors to the pub have included Gregory Peck, the Rolling Stones and the lead singer from Madness.

The Admiral Benbow serves a wide variety of beers, wines and spirits including an large selection of real ales and fine wines.  The restaurant has a full a la carte menu offering a huge variety of dishes including local seafood. They cater for vegetarians as well. We didn’t have time for lunch so do not have experience of its food.

If you like interesting pubs, it’s certainly worthwhile visiting Admiral Benbow, one of the most unique we’ve seen on our travels.

Address:

46 Chapel Street
Penzance TR18 4AF, England
Phone :  +44(0) 1736 363448

See more photos of Admiral Benbow in Travelsignpost Penzance album HERE.

Ploughman's Lunch

Torquay has many pubs around the waterfront, but the one that took our fancy is the Hole-in-the-Wall, Torquay’s oldest inn.

Built in 1540, the Hole-in-the-Wall is tucked away in Park Lane, a little side street off the Strand, the restaurant district. From the front entrance, the pub looks small, but it actually has a 70-seater restaurant which opens for dinner. There’s also live music on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

It’s lunchtime and Tony is sold on the ploughman’s lunch and traditional pumped beers.

For the ploughman’s lunch the menu indicates that you have a choice of three different cheeses – cheese, Stilton or Stilton and cheese.  Tony fancied some Stilton and assumed that the ploughman’s lunch will come with a mixture of cheddar and Stilton.  Instead, he gets the cheese ploughman’s, which is two slabs of cheddar.  He tells  the waitress that Stilton is cheese, but she said not and that cheese is cheddar!  So here’s the trick – if you don’t specify that you want Stilton, you get cheese which is cheddar only. The salad is surprisingly nice as well.

I order the soup of the day, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any. So seeing that jacket potatoes is advertised at all fast food outlets in town, I give this a try.

The Hole-in-the-Wall is a very nicely decorated pub and the food that we had is good quality pub food.  Their brochure claims that they have been serving smugglers, men of the sea, businessmen, locals and visitors for hundeds of years.  They didn’t ask us if we were smugglers or not, but I suppose from their years of experience, they know a smuggler when they see one!

If you’re looking for a Torquay pub with character and atmosphere,  the Hole-in-the-Wall Pub fits the bill.

Seafood Cafe, St. Ives

It’s always good when a local provides you with recommendations on places to eat, especially in St. Ives, Cornwall where there is a huge number of restaurants and cafes offering all different cuisine types. Mike, our guest house host is a pretty knowledgeable guy and amongst the few places that he suggested we may like to dine at during our short stay, the Seafood Cafe was one of them. The Seafood Cafe according to Mike does seafood with a little ‘flare’.

The Seafood Cafe is a very popular cafe and if you wish to dine at a particular time, especially earlier in the evening, a booking is necessary.

On entering the Cafe, you are shown to your seat and a waitress comes and takes your drink order. You are then invited to the bar area where a glass-enclosed chiller cabinet contains the range of seafood that are available for the day. They do serve meat dishes as well. You choose your fish and the sauce that you would like with your fish. If you can’t decide, a staff member is on hand to give you advice as to what goes best with which fish. Your main meal comes with a side dish and here again you can choose whether you’d like a salad, fries or mash potatoes.

We order a seafood platter for two and Ben, the very helpful bar attendant, suggested that we should have an entree with that so we order the moule marinier.

What We Thought of the Food

The mussels were excellent, like those we had in Torquay. Whilst the size of the mussel shell is not large, the mussel meat within fills the whole shell and is plump and juicy and cooked just right.

The seafood platter for two consists of six prawns and four scallops (chargrilled), two crab cakes and two pieces of nicely cooked monk fish, our chosen fish. There are three pots of sauces, a garlic aoli to go with the prawns, a tomato salsa for the crab cake and the garlic brown butter sauce to go with the monk fish.  So eager were we to try our food that we forgot to take a picture of this dish.

We are quite full after our meal and didn’t have any desert, but those ordered by the people at the next table looked quite delicious.

Whilst called a cafe, and the place looks like a cafe, the food served at the Seafood Cafe is of fine dining standard. If you’re looking for an interesting seafood experience during your St. Ives holiday, the Seafood Cafe at 45-47 Fore Street is one of the places that’s definitely worth trying.

No. 7 Seafood Bistro - Torquay

On our way from Torquay Railway Station to the Imperial Hotel, we ask our friendly taxi driver if she could recommend a fish restaurant.  Without hesitation, she points us to No. 7, a seafood bistro on Park Hill Road.  It’s on the road to our hotel, which makes it very convenient.

It’s Sunday, and a notice on the front door of the restaurant says that except for a few tables, they are quite full.  We decide to chance it and call in at 8 pm and got a table.  Two other couples call in after us, without booking, and they too were lucky to get tables, but by this time, the restaurant is quite full.

No. 7 is a seafood bistro and the walls of the restaurant are artistically decorated with fish themes.  There are several black boards with the extensive fish dishes to choose from.  A nice touch is that the restaurant manager comes around with a tray of the different fishes that they have available and explains how each is prepared.  If you manage not to be confused by the end of his rapid recital, you’re ahead.

As we’re in Devon, famous for its Devon crabs, it’s appropriate that we sample Devon’s famous seafood in a restaurant that specializes in fish.  We decide to share half a dozen oysters at GBP 8.50, the seafood platter with half a crab which costs GBP 26.50 and their special 3-fish plate which costs $21.50, and a mixed salad.

The oysters are served swimming in the shell full of salt water.  We think that this way of serving oysters spoils its flavour as one tends to taste the salt more than the delicate flavour of the oysters. Five out of the six oysters are large – the sixth is a somewhat shrivelled oyster, which should not have been served as it’s sub-standard.

The cold seafood platter comprises 2 large prawns, a bowl of mussels and half a crab.  The prawns are sweet, the crab meat is very different to what we’re used to in Singapore.  The meat is not as tender and breaks out in shreds, rather than chunks of meat.  It’s hard work getting the meat out of the shell. The best part of the seafood platter is the bowl of steamed mussels.  The mussels are smallish, only about 1-1/2″ in length, but the mussels fill the whole shell and are plump and succulent.

The three-fish special comprises portions of three different fishes, each one cooked differently. This is served with a bowl of salad and chips. The idea is interesting, but the fish flavours are a little bland for our liking. The chips however are excellent.

No. 7 is a serious seafood restaurant and prices are on the high side.  The only thing that makes us hesitate about coming back to this place is the restaurant manager who is a little uptight in his execution and he does not appear to appreciate being asked about the restaurant’s cooking styles.

Fresh Vegetables

With its rich and fertile rural land, the South Devon region produces plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, fine free-range meats and outstanding dairy produce, not to mention the abundance of seafood.

When visiting this region, a stop at one of the farmers’ markets offers the opportunity to taste the delights of local foods, see what’s in season and what the locals are buying and perhaps have a natter with members of the local community.

In each town, the local farmers’ market usually operates on a certain day of the week and the timing and location can change. If you intend visiting any of the Farmers’ Market on your South Devon holidays, they advise that you contact them in advance to double check times and location.

Here are some of the local farmers’ markets in South Devon:

Bovey Tracey Farmers’ Market

Held on alternate Saturdays, the farmers’ market sells local produce and delicacies. Opening Times: 08:30 – 13:30.

Location:
Town Square
Union Street
Bovey Tracey
Devon
Tel: 01626 835363

Buckfastleigh Farmers’ Market

Buckfastleigh market occurs every Thursday and offers a huge range of produce, including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy produce, preserves, craft items, organic bread and a range of organic and fair trade products. Here you can sample Westcountry’s famous cheeses including goat and sheep’s milk cheeses. Opening times: 09:00 – 13:00.

Location:
Town Hall
Bossel Road
Buckfastleigh
Devon
TQ11 0DD
Tel: +44 01803 762764

Dartmouth Farmers’ Market

Dartmouth Farmers’ Market occurs every second Saturday of the month at The Old Market. Opening times: 09:00 – 13:00.

Location:
The Old Market
Dartmouth
Devon
Tel: +44 01803 861202

Kingsbridge Farmers’ Market

Kingsbridge Farmers’ Market is held on the first and third Saturdays of each month in the town square. Seasonal vegetables and fruit are on offer along with freshly baked delicacies, cheeses, smoked goods, chillies, chocolates and hampers filled with local produce. Opening times: 9.00 – 13.00.

Location:
Towns Square
Kingsbridge
TQ14 8UU
Tel: +44 01803 861202

Newton Abbot Farmers’ Market

Newton Abbot’s Farmers’ Market runs every Tuesday and can be found in Courtenay Street, a pedestrianised street in the town centre, This market prides itself of its reputation for product quality and a variety of fresh produce and here you’ll find eggs, cheese, bread, pasties, pork, fruit and vegetables, chutneys, jams and preserves. Opening times: 09:00 – 15:00.

Location:
Courtenay Street
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 2QN
Tel: +44 01626 353 567

Teignmouth Local Producers Market

Teighmouth Market occurs on Saturdays and offers a range of local produce from South Devon. Opening times: 09:00 – 13:00.

Location:
The Triangle
Teignmouth
Devon
TQ14 8BE
Tel: +44 01626 215609

Your Devon Hotel choices  >

Devonshire Cream Tea

Devonshire cream teas are a specialty of Devon, however this dish is world-famous, especially in the Commonwealth countries.  With their delicious scones thickly spread with fresh butter, fruity strawberry jam and topped with thick Devon clotted cream, the best are still to be found in the south-west of England.

So, on any holiday in Devon and Cornwall, one of the must-do’s is to indulge in some Devonshire cream teas. Be warned though that addiction to this food can be a danger to the waistline.

My personal belief is that if I’m going to be piling on calories from any food, I’d want those calories to come from the best quality of that food type.  So, if we’re having cream teas, we might as well enjoy them from the Top 10 places for cream teas in Devon and Cornwall, a list which was compiled by Dorling Kindersley.

Masons Arms, Devon

When it comes to favourite drinking holes, everyone has their own preferences. Serious drinkers would say that only the ale counts, others might set their criteria based on the ambience in the pub, the location and setting or, in my case, it’s got to have good food!

It’s great that pubs these days have their own website so you can always check it out before making your way there.

So if you are looking for a place to eat and drink during your Devon holiday, give these Devon pubs a go and see what you think.

The Mason’s Arms Inn
Knowstone
Devon EX36 4RY
Tel: 01398 341231

Open: Tue-Sat 12:00 – 15:00 and 18:00 – 23:00 (Sun 12:00 – 15:00)
Food: Tue-Sat 12:00 – 14:00 and 19:00 – 20:30 (Sun 12:00 – 14:00)

The Masons Arms is a picturesque, thatched 13th Century Inn situated in the village of Knowstone on the Devon and Somerset border. Chef-proprietor Mark Dodson worked alongside Michel Roux at The Waterside Inn for 18 years and was head chef for 13 years. Masons Arms opened in 2005 and already has one Michelin star. This is my kind of place.

The Turf
Exminster
Devon
Tel: 01392 833128

Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Sun until 10.30pm)
Food: 12:00 – 14:30 (weekends until 3pm) and 18:00 – 21:00 (except Sun)

At the intersection of Exeter Ship canal and Exe estuary, EX6 8EE, The Turf is one of the few pubs in the country that’s not accessible by road. The pub’s in a protected area and walking, cycling and boating are the only ways of reaching them. So maybe this could be an attraction.

The Victoria Inn
Fore Street
Salcombe
Devon TQ8 8BU
Tel: 01548 842604

Open: 11.30 – 23:00 (midnight in summer)
Food: 12.00 – 14:30 and 18:00 – 21:30

Salcombe is in South Devon, a popular destination for family holidays and the sailing. Victoria Inn is in the middle of the high street and just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge.

The Warren House Inn
Dartmoor
Devon
Tel: 01822 880208

Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Sun 12:00 – 22:30)
Food: 12:00 – 21:00 (Sun 20:30)

The Warren House Inn sits at the very centre of Dartmoor between Moretonhampstead and Princetown on the B3212. Set amid miles of Dartmoor wilderness, this rustic inn is popular with thirsty walkers.

Award winning Blisland Inn, Cornwall

Cornwall’s spectacular coastline is a favourite holiday destination for those seeking sun, surf and sailing. And where there’s sun and sea, there are also good Watering Holes, some of the finest of which are listed below.

Cornwall is also a favourite holiday destination for people who enjoy walking and what better place to end a walk than at a nice pub!

Popular Cornish Pubs

Blisland Inn
Blisland, Bodmin
Cornwall
Tel: 01208 850739

Open: Mon – Sat 11.30 – 23:30 (Sun 12:00 – 22:30)
Food: 12:00 – 14:00 and 18:30 – 21:00

Set on the north-western edge of Bodmin moor, Blisland Inn has won many CAMRA pub of the year awards, as you’ll see on the front of the building. The proprietor claims to have served more than 2,550 varieties of beer … and counting.

Blue Peter Inn
Polperro
Cornwall
Tel: 01503 272743

Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Sun 12:00 – 22:30)
Food: 12:00 – 14:30 and 18:30 – 20:30

The Blue Peter, overlooking both the sea and the picturesque harbour, is situated on the quay side in the beautiful Cornish fishing village of Polperro. It’s often referred to as “the last pub before France” or as simply as “The Blue”. Well, you definitely can’t leave for France without a last drink.

The Gurnard’s Head
Nr Zennor, St. Ives TR26 3DE
Cornwall
Tel: 01736 796928

Open: 08:30 – 24:00
Food: 12:00 – 15:00 and 18:00 – 22:00

The Gunnard’s Head is a restaurant and pub with rooms to let. It’s near Zennor on West Cornwall‘s Atlantic coast.

St Kew Inn
St Kew
Cornwall
Tel: 01208 841259

Open: 11:00 – 15:00 and 18:00 – 23:00 (all day Jul – Sep)
Food: 12:00 – 14:00 and 18:30 – 21:00

This beautiful 15th century village pub is located in St Kew Churchtown (near Bodmin and Wadebridge) in north Cornwall. Looks really cosy and cute.

The Pandora Inn
Mylor Bridge
Cornwall
Tel: 01326 372678

Open: 11:00 – 23:00
Food: Mon-Fri 12:00 – 21:00, Fri-Sat 12:00 – 21:30

Pandora Inn is one of Cornwall’s best-known inns. The thatched, 13th-century building is set in a scenic location and enjoys panoramic water views.

The Rashleigh Inn
Polkerris
Cornwall PL24 2TL
Tel: 01726 813991

Open: 11:00 – 23:00
Food: 12:00 – 14:00 and 18:00 – 21:00

The Rashleigh Inn sits on the beach between the seaside village of Par and the historic town of Fowey. Polkerris is located on the east of St. Austell Bay and is accessed by a typically ‘Cornish lane’ that leads to a large public car park. The Inn also has a car park so if you continue down the hill – just before you get to the sand – make a right turn.

The Watering Hole
Perranporth
Cornwall
Off the B3285, TR6 0JL

Open: Mon-Fri 9:00 – 23:00 (Sat until midnight)
Food: 09:00 – 20:30

The Watering Hole is in the middle of one of the best beaches in Cornwall and looks very much like a surfie’s hangout. It’s only accessible by walking across the beach. Robert Job, the owner, took a snack shack and transformed it into this cool looking pub with a great menu.

More Pubs in Cornwall, Click Here.