The Farmers Arms, Combe Florey, Taunton

Reopened in 2018 after a devastating fire, this village pub is now an outstanding village pub with excellent food. It is approached via a tiny and easily-missed side road off the Minehead road, across a hump-backed bridge. There is a good sized car park and a large garden which has its own servery and barbecue area, plus a pizza oven. Inside, the bar ha slargely been restored to its pre-fire state, some of the exposed oak timbers replaced with new oak, other features such as the inglenook fireplace cleaned up and put back into service. The décor is comfortable and homely, and there are no electronic distractions. There is a dining room upstairs. The staff are friendly and welcoming, though their patience was stretched by a large group of rude grockels who demanded a a complex menu order in short timescales. The ales are also excellent – Exmoor Beast, Gold and Ale, Sunraker, White Horse’s Moon Stallion, Quantock Railhead and Nine Standards No1 Golden Ale, plus some ciders. Definitely worth stopping.

We usually call in here for lunch when travelling to Minehead and it has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. A very warm welcome and we were served both ales and food in a very efficient and friendly manner. The St Austell's HSD was in fine condition and the food was very good although the menu is a little pedestrian for a pub that is trying to be a restaurant. Rating any pub 10/10 (see below) is just bloody silly as the perfect pub can only exist in my imagination, but it's a good 8.