Having won fans aplenty with the Vanilla Pod (first in Torquay, then at The Cridford Inn in Trusham, in the Teign valley), Ian and Tracey Nixon opened The Phoenix in February 2014 on the site of the former Old Coaching House on Chudleigh’s Fore Street, which had succumbed to fire in 2011.

The dining room and bar share a big, open space that has a warm atmosphere. There’s a happy mix of generations in evidence, something that Ian is keen to encourage. “I develop my menus to suit all taste buds, so there’s a lot of variation.” he says. “I’ve also catered for a younger audience, so that they are able to come out and eat with their parents and it won’t break the bank.”