A holidaymakers’ paradise, Devon is home to two national parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor), and is lined by rugged, windswept beaches along its north coast and dotted with seaside resorts like Torquay, Paignton and Brixham to the south. With two bustling cities in Exeter and Plymouth, rolling hills and a UNESCO Jurassic Coast stretch to boot, it’s no wonder millions of visitors make the trip down the M5 every year. With demand comes supply, and Devon has become a county packed with cosy inns, beachside spots, fine dining restaurants (including five Michelin stars), fish and chips shops and, it goes without saying, plenty of places for a traditional cream tea.

Its rural vistas and iconic red soils mean there's also a steady supply of fantastic produce, from Red Ruby cattle and sweet Devon crab to amber cider, and no shortage of chefs willing to celebrate it. Ask locals to name some of the area’s most cherished local producers and you’ll no doubt hear the likes of Rolys Fudge, Salcombe Dairy, Exeter Gin and Ventons Devon Cyder mentioned – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as we discovered.

In 2005, Sarah and Mark Dodson first moved to Knowstone, in the North Devon foothills of Exmoor, to take on thirteenth century inn The Masons Arms, earning a Michelin star within just a year and holding onto it ever since. Their menu celebrates the local larder, with Mark's deft, thoughtful cooking letting everything from daily catches of fresh fish and shellfish to local beef, usually from Red Ruby cattle, a Devonshire breed named after its rich hue, shine. Then there's the game – their wild venison comes from just fifteen miles down the road – local cheese, Creedy Carver poultry and apples and cider from neighbouring Somerset. A rich bounty indeed. ‘The produce here is excellent,’ Mark agrees. ‘As a chef, I don’t like to overcomplicate things – I’d prefer half a dozen ingredients on the plate that are all working in harmony, and you can do that easily here because of the quality of it all.’ 

Hog’s pudding (a type of sausage from Devon and Cornwall often flavoured with basil, garlic, cumin and black pepper), comforting pasties, fudge and scones and cream are among the most distinctively Devon dishes as far as Mark is concerned, and when it comes to scones, he's cream first – the Devon way. He's long been a champion of the area's delicacies, having been involved in food festivals since the family relocated to Devon (he was previously head chef at Bray's three-star The Waterside Inn). And though we might hear rumours of rivalries between Devon and its neighbour Cornwall, Mark says that doesn't translate to the restaurant world. ‘I think because we are on the peninsula everybody sticks together,’ he says. ‘I don’t feel any rivalry between other restaurants, we all pull together. There are people like Michael Caines and The Trencherman’s Guide [which showcases South West dining] who work for the area – everybody turns up and everybody gets on.’ But though Mark and The Masons Arms have become a huge part of the county's culinary scene, their eighteen-year Devon chapter is coming to a close. At the start of 2024, he and Sarah announced they were putting the restaurant up for sale to retire and move closer to family. ‘We will miss the area, but we’ll be back,' he says. 'There’ll always be a connection there for us.'

It might be one county, but Devon's landscape is diverse enough to make it feel like more. Rugged North Devon draws in those seeking adventure with a stunning backdrop, from cycling and hiking to wild camping and surfing. Head to the south, meanwhile, and you'll find families making a beeline for its vibrant resorts and sandiest stretches. With its rolling hills, peaceful valleys, hidden coves and – sometimes very – narrow roads, there's tons to explore and it's easy to miss hidden gems. Getting recommendations from those in the know is key; locals, for example, love the Barricane Beach café in North Devon, which transforms into a Sri Lankan restaurant in the evening. In the east of the county there's local treasure Krispies, which is known for its secret recipe battered chips, as well as agriturismo-inspired food retreat Glebe House (pictured above), where the menus are shaped around the meat, fish and poultry on the doorstep (we spoke to its head chef Sam Lomas here). Looking for dinner with a view? Nearby The Pea Green Boat is all about relaxed seaside dining overlooking the jurassic coast.

Mark says they've watched the local restaurant scene flourish over almost two decades, growing to offer more choice. He points to the likes of Scott Paton’s Àclèaf in Plymouth (which earned its first star in the 2023 guide), Michael’s one-star Lympstone Manor and Simon Hulstone’s one-star The Elephant in Torquay as examples of the brilliance Devon has to offer for fine dining lovers. But his favourites also include New Coast Kitchen, a modern British restaurant near the popular Croyde Beach, The Grove Inn in Kings Nympton and Spelt Bampton, a relaxed, sharing plates spot which he says is reflective of the excellent home-style cooking that can be found in Devon.

Though its origins are up for debate, historians in West Devon believe the tradition of eating bread with cream and jam can be traced all the way back to the eleventh century at Tavistock Abbey. Wherever its roots really lie, cream tea has long been big business in Devon and remains an essential part of a south-west coast holiday. Clotted cream has been made in Devon for centuries and production of the distinctively thick cream is a key part of the local dairy industry. 

Cream tea (a somewhat stripped back version of the more elaborate afternoon tea) can be found everywhere from high-end hotels to family-run tearooms. And though they are in many ways the same, we know there is one key difference between the cream teas found in Devon and Cornwall; in the former, scones are split in two and topped first with cream, before jam. In Cornwall, it's the other way around, with jam being spread on first. And though scones are usually the base of choice, both counties are home to what's known as a 'split', a slightly sweetened bread roll which can be used instead. However you prefer it, there's no shortage of spots for an indulgent cream tea in Devon, from historic watermill Hele Corn Mill in the north of the county to Darts Farm near Exeter. 

Devon is ideal for a trip where it's all about the food. Tour local orchards to get a taste of cider from the south-west, book a table at one of its Michelin-starred restaurants, wander down the beach with a pasty in hand and spin by a tearoom on the way home for an authentic cream tea.