The White Thorn Inn

The White Thorn sits at the heart of Shaugh Prior village on the south west of Dartmoor and services the needs of hikers, visitors and locals alike. A traditional and recently refurbished pub, it has so much to offer: great parking, a pirate ship play area for kids, two cute goats and, of course, live music.

Visiting on St George’s Day meant that the pub was afl utter with preparations for the evening celebrations, which were set to include Morris dancers and a live band. The bar boasts a range of superb ale and a fine array of lager, wine, soft drinks and spirits. I enjoyed a refreshing pint of local Dartmoor Brewery Jail Ale. Thirst quenched, we were delighted to find that the menu offered the perfect balance of pub classics and fresh vegan and gluten-free options. We started with beer-battered Cornish Yarg with chilli jam and dressed leaves, also opting to share creamy garlic mushrooms with crusty bread – both of which were divine. For the main event I plumped for butternut squash and sweet potato tagine with fluffy rice, while my partner couldn’t resist hunter’s chicken with chips and coleslaw. The tagine was flavoured with a wealth of comforting spices and the chicken was grilled to perfection and layered with bacon from a nearby butcher’s, melted local cheese and barbecue sauce. When it came to dessert, we were lucky enough to be able to take recommendations from the chef, so we simply had to try the mango and passion fruit cheesecake and the homemade blood orange sorbet. Both were presented beautifully and packed with flavour. The White Thorn is well worth a visit for anyone in search of great food, friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere.