Devon LivingIssue #01
Seasonal, sensational
We catch up with Donna and Paul Berry, owners of The Swan in Bampton, and find out more about their incredible string of success.
An AA Four Star Gold classic English country inn and the oldest pub in Bampton, The Swan offers the finest dishes using local, seasonal ingredients, all seasoned with top-notch customer service.
“I get very, very excited when we get something different from our fish suppliers. I’m a bit like a kid in a candy shop when the delivery van doors open!”
Among its many awards, the pub has two AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence and, in both 2017 and this year, was named as an Estrella Damn top 50 Gastropub!
Husband and wife team Paul and Donna Berry have been working in hospitality for more than 11 years in the heart of Devon, and both are talented, award-winning, industry–acclaimed chefs, having gained a reputation for creating some of the region’s tastiest dishes, while serving up the warmest of welcomes.
Donna has always been passionate about good food and often used to dream about owning and running her own pub, so she pestered Paul to do it. They started out at The Quarryman’s Rest, but took on The Swan in 2011. Since, they haven’t once looked back!
“I’m really lucky to be able to do the thing I love as a job, and on my days off you’ll still find me in the kitchen. I can’t get enough of it! We close for food on Mondays, which allows us to recharge our batteries, but on these days I still spend my time inventing new dishes.”
Donna’s big love is seafood and she tells us: “I get very, very excited when we get something different from our fish suppliers. I’m a bit like a kid in a candy shop when the delivery van doors open!”
In January this year, the pub was named, for the second year running, as one of the country’s top 50 gastropubs at an industry-wide awards ceremony in York. “We polled 28 this year and received a special award as the highest climber in the list, as in 2017 we were positioned just inside the top 50.”
So, if you fancy sampling what one of the UK’s top 50 gastropubs has to offer, be sure to book a table at The Swan!
THE SWAN
Station Road, Bampton, Tiverton EX16 9NG
01398 332248
"I get very, very excited when we get something different from our fish suppliers. I’m a bit like a kid in a candy shop when the delivery van doors open!”