ottery st mary

The Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary was thrilled to learn the Western Storm Twenty20 team won the Women’s Super League Finals.

The pub had been delivering catering to the team whilst they were training at Exeter University’s Topsham Sports Ground over the summer.

Volunteer landlady and head cook Jacqui Down carried out a trial meal for the team in June and started the contract in July.

Jacqui said: “We were delivering nutritionally balanced food to the training ground.

“Meals included curries, tacos, chilli con carne and lasagnes, all designed to meet...

Ottery St Mary’s new all-weather synthetic pitch, which is owned by East Devon District Council and run by operators LED Leisure Management Ltd, is now officially open.

Representatives from all the groups involved in the project gathered to watch International British field hockey player Giselle Ansley, who comes originally from Kingsbridge, Devon, cut the ribbon to open the pitch.

The main users of the pitch are pupils of The King’s School Ottery St Mary, the local community and Sidmouth & Ottery Hockey Club.

Thanks to a £113,000 grant from Sport England,...

A defunct bodyshop on the Finnimore Estate in Ottery St Mary has been transformed into state of the art offices after a major refurbishment programme.

Local entrepreneur Stuart Phillips and his team have given the old Alansway building a new lease of life, and it is now an impressive head office for four businesses; Coverstructures Commercial, RMC Build, Tickety-Boo Retail and Coverstructures Property.

Stuart, who lives in the town with his family, took possession of the building in January before renovating it into spacious, open plan offices and meeting rooms.

He...

Diners at Rusty Pig in Ottery St Mary will have the opportunity to dine al fresco, with the introduction of an outdoor dining area.

The balcony at the back of the restaurant, which is also the location where Rusty Pig’s charcuterie range is air dried, overlooks the rooftops of Ottery across to St Mary’s Church.

Owner, Robin Rea said: “We are very much into natural ingredients – and what could be more natural than sitting outside to dine?

“We have also included seating for customers who just want to enjoy a drink in the sunshine.”

Rusty Pig offers an eclectic...

Ottery St Mary coffee shop and children’s play kingdom Tickety-Boo is to support Honeylands Children’s Charity over the coming year.

This is the first charity partnership for the venture, which opened in August 2016.

Front of House Manager, Zoe Blackmore said: “We particularly wanted to find a charity that was both local and relevant to children.

“After some research, we came across Honeylands. It was an apt choice - since deciding to work with the charity, we have discovered connections between some of our customers and the centre.”

Honeylands Children’s...

Otter Garden Centres has stepped up once again to be headline sponsor for the Ottery St Mary Food & Families Festival on June 3.

This is the third year running that the family-run garden centre agreed to sponsor the festival, now in its fifth year.

Marketing Manager, Sabine Taylor said: “We are always delighted to be involved with the event, which provides a real boost to the town by bringing in visitors from the local area and further afield, too.

“This is a real family day out with lots to do, taste and watch - for adults and children alike. As a family...

History of much loved East Devon parks and gardens will be captured for posterity thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund award of £9,500

Interpretation panels for each of East Devon District Council’s eight parks and gardens are currently being developed by the council using information provided by local museums and local community members/groups. East Devon’s in-house design team are currently producing these ready for installation this spring.

The panels and a trail leaflet for this project have been made possible thanks to a £9,500 grant, which East Devon District Council...

Jacqui and Mike Down, owners of the Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary, are celebrating a successful first five years at the pub.

The couple, who took on the Volunteer with a view to revitalising it as a traditional town centre pub, first opened the doors as landlords in March 2012.

Jacqui said: “So much has changed since we decided to give the Volunteer a new lease of life; from a rather rundown location the pub has turned into a vibrant meeting place for people from all walks of life.

“Some customers just want a pint and a chat, others come for a meal with friends...