“I’m never afraid to adapt…you either win or learn”

We talk to Mark Fice, Head Chef at the Church House Inn Rattery in Devon to find out how they use local produce, plus he shares why you should never stop experimenting

“We have a mix of locals who want quality, affordable food and customers from further afield who visit for fine dining,” says Head Chef Mark (above, middle back). “Both expect locally sourced produce… some of the beef comes from cows you can see from the top window of the pub.

“Our customers share our passion for provenance. From an ethical sense to keeping carbon footprints down, and a moral one where we want to support people in our community, its growers and producers.

How we’re enticing customers in

“Times are tight for everyone, so we’ve started quiz and special burger or pie and a pint nights in our traditional open fire pub area, as well as a £20 for three courses offer in our elegant and fresh a la carte restaurant space.

“We have local growers for lemongrass, heritage green beans and rhubarb (perfect with a vanilla and white chocolate ganache), local shooters for pheasant and pigeon and smaller suppliers for game. Foraging is big here and we also buy our Devon Ruby Red cows whole, so nothing gets wasted.

Dining room at The Church House Inn Rattery

“Our fishmonger keeps us informed on catch sizes and what’s available and we mix it up, sometimes using better value fish instead of cod.

“As a real ale pub we champion our local Salcombe Brewery and a local cider maker, but if we need alcohol or fruit we can’t find locally, we turn to our wholesalers.

“I like trying new things dependent on availability and freshness and I’m never afraid to adapt… it keeps you and your customers on your toes and you either win or learn.”

Mark's top tips

Talk… and listen

Talk to your suppliers, never stop learning new techniques and watch for new trends. That way, your menu never becomes predictable. Don’t be scared to experiment…some of the best things were made by mistake.

Beef and poultry

Good butchery in-house or from your supplier means you get a variety of cuts and dishes from game or a single cow rather than buying by the kilo. That reduces the cost of the prime meat we use in our Dartmoor Venison suet pudding and keeps us inventive.

Cream of the crop

Butter is expensive so we churn our own from local unpasteurised cream and mix in chilli and garlic or anchovy and pepper for bar snacks with bread. Nothing goes to waste… we even use the buttermilk to make panna cotta.

Something fishy

If your fishmonger says crab is expensive but sprat isn’t, trial it as a nibble, in salads or a side. Fish allows you to have off -the-cuff, economical plates that surprise and delight your customers. Hake is a good seller and more sustainable than cod or haddock.

On The Church House Inn’s bar

1 DRAGON’S BREATH Dartmoor Brewery’s Dragon’s Breath beer is flavoured with black treacle, making it the pub’s big winter seller alongside the sirloin of West Country beef.

2 SALCOMBE ALE We have a great relationship with Salcombe Brewery. Their pale ale, fresh with citrus flavours, sells well with spicy, rich meat and cheese dishes.

3 BULKAMORE We use Bulkamore cider made in Rattery, which is about as local as it can get. The regulars love its crisp sweetness, which also makes a lovely cider gel with potted crab and rye bread.