Need to find good restuarant in Devon & Somerset

[KezUK]

...we'll be spending a week in Devon and another in Somerset, and we'd like to find exclusively vegetarian restaurants (or even better vegan) which have a good range of vegan dishes. We're a family of 6, so in can't be too expensive, but we don't like meals which taste healthy, and lentilly, and basically unimaginative. We like puddings, cakes, burgers, lasagnes, shepherds pies, etc. etc. not lentil soup, or dry falafal. You get what I mean don't you?

Anyway, I'd really really appreciate any recommendations. Also, if there's any nice places for a vegan family to visit, such as animal sanctuaries, or a vegan sweet factory - just dreaming!

Thanks, Kez.

[lavender]

There is Cranks restaurant in Devon

http://www.cranks.co.uk/dartington.html

which is vegetarian, but should provide vegan food , as there was a meet up there recently after a sponsored walk for Greyhound Rescue , and the organisers are both Vegan, maybe ring to check menus beforehand :) I couldnt attend it was too far for me, but they say its very good there.

Somerset.. well the best place is Glastonbury for restaurants :) we stayed there at the beginning of the summer, there is a great little wholefood shop as well in the high street. You have to climb to the Tor, its absolutely my most favourite place in the world :)

Ferne animal Sanctuary is nice which is in Chard , somerset. There will be lots of place advertised when you get there, but be wary as most are wildlife/zoo type places.

A cool family place to visit was Wookey Hole caves, the tour of the caves is lovely, the park bit is well cheezly , the valley of the dinosaurs etc, and the fairy gardens, but the kids loved it. They also liked the papermill there, and got to handmake their own paper from cotton. We took a picnic out with us most days, so shopped in Glastonbury for our supplies.

[Mr Flibble]

For some reason Cranks never label their products that are in shops as vegan. Their sandwiches (http://www.cranks.co.uk/stock-iists.html) generally have approx 50 zillion ingredients, which often sound vegan till you get 3/4 of the way down the essay to find milk powder (after reading several soya milk references) and could so easily be made vegan if they wanted. They've just started selling pasta sauces (available in tesco) that carry the vegetarian society logo but no mention of vegan. For vegetarian company they're remarkably crap.

As for visiting the tor, my advice from the past couple of times i've been is to park on a residential road to the south of hill. There's then a footpath that goes from it up the steep side. It's hard work (unless you then just walk round to the main steps), but there's no faffing around with park and ride involved.

[lavender]

Dont worry , the cows will catch you if you fall of the side :D

[cedarblue]

try the happy cow site

http://www.happycow.net/europe/england/index.html

[KezUK]

Thanks guys! Cranks sounds great as we're hoping to stay near Totnes. We'll definately be visiting Glastonbury as I love their health food shop, although I don't remember many vege restaurants there except for one in the assembly hall I think it was, but after looking at the happycow website (thanks cedarblue) we'll have to try and find the Raindows End, it sounds pretty good. So on my list now is Cranks at Dartington, Plant Cafe at Exeter, Rainbows End at Glastonbury and Cafe Kino at Bristol. Are there any others we should try?

I love Wookey Hole, we'll either go there or Cheddar caves.

Lavender, what's Ferne Animal Sanctuary like? I'm going to sound really touristy now, and I know the main reason for going should be to donate money, but what kind of animals do they have there? I noticed on their website that they have lots of cats, but we can see rescued cats at our own house!

I think we'll probably climb Glastonbury Tor too, thanks Mr. Flibble for the parking recomendation, it's always a pain trying to park round there.

The reason we're going to be staying in Devon and Somerset is because we're planning to move house, and we're not sure where to move to. I'd love to know where your favourite place is. I keep asking everyone I know this question! A lot of people have said Totnes. We'd need to be relatively near to Bristol or inbetween Exeter and Plymouth as this is where my husband would be mainly working.

[lavender]

There is also Heavens Gate Animal Welfare Trust in Langport http://www.nawt.org.uk/heavengate.htm to visit. Ferne was nice, we enjoyed it, but I guess it depends on what you expect out of a sanctuary.

There was also a Badger/wildlife rescue which you could visit, Im racking my brains to remember where it was., it was called Secret World, open at the weekend or when there was special events on.

[snaffler]

Here are some somerset ones for you.

First Demuth Bath (which is now part of Somerset)
http://www.demuths.co.uk/
The vegan choc fudge cake ever

The Rainbows End, Glastonbury High Street not been myslelf but I hear its good

or The Garden Cafe Frome, this is a more a veggie place but their are always vegan options, I give the garden cafe Meze (vegan version) the thumbs up.

All drinks vegan, sometimes vegan cakes mainly veggie though.

[KezUK]

Thanks Lavender. I've found the Secret World one you were talking about, but unfortuntaly the last open weekend was in August. But we'll definately visit the Heavens Gate sanctuary that looks lovely.

Snaffler, that Demuth's restaurant looks wonderful, reminds me of a restaurant in Brighton we used to visit occasionally. I'd love to go there for a special occasion, but with the children it would be pretty pricey. It certainly got my mouth watering for those puddings! I want lots and lots of puddings! Choc-free though, as I'm allergic to chocolate :(

[snaffler]

Oh hell choc allergy sorry :eek: to mention that one.
Me n Sooz go to Demuths on our Aniversary two weeks to go looking forward to it nice place yep expensive and special occasions only but I can say it is worth every pound.

[KezUK]

It's the caffeinne I'm allergic to, it gives me migraines, but I've recently found out that I can have vegan white chocolate! :D I bought the expensive white chocolate crispy rice cakes from Veganstore and I was fine with them, and today I received the Dr. Hadwen brochure and in it is large bars of white vegan chocolate - yippeeeeee!!!! It does get annoying when the best vegan puds at restaurants always seem to be chocolately. Carob's o.k. when it's not on it's own, but it can never match chocolate.

[helen]

Not sure if it's too late but Willow in Totnes is a great veggie restaurant, open at lunch but not every evening.

My favourite is Herbies in Exeter, they do a great vegan lasagne and the best puddings. Big portions and good value for money. Yum.

I find The Plant Cafe in Exeter good but a little pricy, I guess the location (on the Cathedral green) is responsible for that.