Where to Find the Best Sunday Roast in the South Hams
A proper Sunday roast in the South Hams is a serious commitment of time, appetite, and ideally a designated driver. The good pubs here use local beef and lamb, make their own gravy, raise their Yorkshire puddings properly, and serve in dining rooms that have been doing this kind of cooking for several centuries. These are the roasts worth booking ahead for.
The Sea Trout Inn, Staverton
The Sea Trout sits in the village of Staverton just outside Totnes, a 15th-century coaching inn with a heritage stop on the South Devon Railway practically at its door. Sunday lunch covers all the bases: Devon beef, slow-roasted pork belly, free-range turkey crown, and a generous mushroom and cranberry nut roast for the non-meat eaters. Yorkshire puddings are properly tall, the gravy is dark and made in the kitchen, and the dining room is the kind of low-beamed space that puts everyone in the right mood from the moment they sit down. The garden is a draw in summer, with the river just a few steps away.
The Old Inn, Halwell
The Old Inn at Halwell sits in deep South Hams countryside between Totnes, Kingsbridge, and Dartmouth, making it a fair candidate for the area’s most strategically placed Sunday pub. Sunday roasts are the day’s main event, and the kitchen sources locally and cooks honestly. Pop in for a drink first to take in the view, then move to a table for the main feast. Booking is essential at weekends, particularly in school holidays. The pub recently refurbished its dining areas without losing the country pub character that draws people back week after week.
The Tradesman’s Arms, Stokenham
The Tradesman’s Arms is a thatched 14th-century pub in Stokenham, between Kingsbridge and Start Bay, that holds an AA Rosette for its food. Sunday lunch keeps it tight, usually offering pork or lamb, with vegetables and pudding done with care. The dining room is small enough that booking is sensible, and the atmosphere on a winter Sunday with the fire lit is hard to beat. The pub also has rooms for an overnight stay, which is the right move if you plan to do justice to the wine list.
What to look for in a great roast
Real local meat is the foundation. Then proper roasting potatoes, vegetables that taste of the garden rather than the freezer, a Yorkshire pudding that has actually risen, and gravy made from the pan rather than a packet. The pubs above hit all four.
Church House Inn, Marldon
The Church House Inn in Marldon, just outside Paignton on the edge of the South Hams, was the first pub in Devon to be listed in the Michelin Pub Guide and has been voted Devon’s Best Country Pub by Devon Life readers. Sunday lunch here is properly traditional, with a quality of cooking that justifies the drive. The building dates from around 1400 and looks the part. Booking is essential. The wine list is unusually strong for a country pub, with bottles chosen to actually match the food rather than impress the eye.
Church House Inn, Stokenham
Confusingly there is a second Church House Inn nearby, this one in Stokenham village near Slapton Sands. It is a different operation and a separate booking, but worth knowing about for the same reason: a roast in a real village pub with a fire, a proper bar, and locals at the next table. Pair it with a walk on Slapton Sands or the South West Coast Path for a perfect Sunday. The Sunday menu has a strong local supplier line, with vegetables from nearby market gardens and meat from South Hams farms.
The Pig and Whistle, Littlehempston
The Pig and Whistle Inn sits just outside Totnes in Littlehempston village and styles its weekend offer around the simple promise of a roast dinner. Sunday lunch is generous, classic, and reasonably priced, with a country pub atmosphere and a decent garden in summer. Easy to reach from Totnes, easier still by booking ahead. The pub is properly child-friendly, which makes it a good choice for family Sundays where the kids need space to run between courses.
Booking and timing tips
Most South Hams pubs serve Sunday lunch in two sittings, often around 12.30 and 2.30. Booking is essential for the first sitting in particular, and a week or two ahead in summer is sensible. Aim to arrive a little early for a pint or a glass of Devon cider at the bar before sitting down.
Beyond the pubs
Some of the South Hams’ best Sunday lunches are also served at small hotels and dining rooms, including a handful of country house restaurants on the lanes between Totnes and Dartmouth. Look out for places using South Devon beef, Aune Valley lamb, and Riverford or Ben’s Farm Shop produce. The provenance line on the menu is the giveaway that the kitchen is taking the meal seriously. Vegetarians and vegans are usually well looked after at these places too, with proper plant-based mains rather than the apologetic nut roast of years gone by.
For visitors, a Sunday lunch in this part of Devon is more than a meal. It is a long, slow, properly British afternoon of good cooking, good ale, and good walks before and after. Pick a pub above, book ahead, and clear the rest of the day for what is genuinely one of the great pleasures of country living in the South Hams.