The Ionian Farm Shop and Kitchen

The Ionian, a small place with a big heart, is an island of Mediterranean goodness in an unlikely spot just off the A38. Greek-Italian Elena steers this family-run smallholding and kitchen, which exists to keep the local community and visitors happy with homely food, fast-flowing conversation and local art.

As your nose will attest, everything is cooked over charcoal in a traditional oven for that signature smoky edge. Ingredients are selected from the polytunnel next door, with weekly specials to keep regulars alert. Try an Ortolana pizza (courgette, aubergine, pepper, feta and olive) or a pasture-fed lamb gyro from the farm served with oregano fries. Eat inside the canvas-topped building (where wood burners crackle in the cold), or dine outside to watch lambs cavort in spring.

Crafty creations from The Artist Emporium fill a few tabletops alongside organic veggies for sale (when there's a surplus), and tree planting and other events happen regularly.