Carveries aren’t just reserved for Sundays at the Williams Arms in Braunton. This is a fantastic place for a roast whenever you find yourself in the mood for a British classic.

Why it’s on my list

There’s lots to love about carveries – the delicious joints of meat, the variety of side dishes and the ability to pile your plate high are, I imagine, the best things about carveries for many people. There are a few renowned carvery spots in North Devon, the Williams Arms in Braunton being one of them. Here, a carvery is not just a Sunday treat – it’s available every day for both lunch and dinner. We went one Saturday afternoon after a long walk to work up our appetites.

Restaurant Information

Website: www.williamsarms.co.uk

Location: Wrafton, Braunton. It’s the thatched pub on the main road, you can’t miss it.

Opening times: Monday to Saturday, 8.30am-11pm (carvery 12 noon – 2pm, 6pm-9pm); Sunday 8.30am-11pm (carvery 12 noon – 3pm, 5pm-8.30pm)

To book: call 01271 812360

Overall verdict

What an amazing carvery, this really could be the best carvery in North Devon. I could not fault a single thing. I’m so glad that the carvery is available every day, because food this good shouldn’t just be available 52 times a year.

What I had

They had a selection of three carvery meats – turkey, pork and beef. I went for the pork and beef, and they were kind enough to give me extra crackling, which I absolutely love.

As for the side dishes, I had roast potatoes, tiny little crispy potatoes, cauliflower cheese, cheesy leeks, red cabbage, tiny delicious caramelised onions, carrots, peas, broccoli, stuffing balls, a Yorkshire pud, some apple sauce and of course lashings of gravy.

The best

Every bit was delicious, but the things that really stood out for me where the pork and beef, which were cooked perfectly, and the pork crackling was crunchy and salty, everything you want crackling to be.

The tiny caramelised onions were sweet and moreish, and the roast potatoes were just delicious, far better than any I’ve ever made at home.

I suppose the best thing about it all was that I got to enjoy so many delicious things, all for just £8.95. The carvery is a little more expensive at dinner time and on Sundays (£11.50).

Not the best

Saturday lunch service finished at 2pm, and we started to queue up for the carvery about 1.45pm. This meant that there was a little of each meat left, and I think our group finished up the pork, sadly for the people behind us. The chefs did however bring out a whole new turkey joint, which was amazing! If you don’t want to risk them running out, it would be better to go a little earlier during service.

The venue

The Williams Arms is a 16th century thatched pub, so you can imagine it has some lovely features, including oak beams and an open fire.

They have worked hard to keep it modern and comfortable, so there is nice comfy seating, plush carpet and air conditioning, should it get a bit hot. It feels very relaxed, and there is a bit of a lounge area in addition to the main restaurant, which would work well if you want to watch sport or fancy somewhere a little more cosy. There is good wheelchair access too.

Top tip

Want to try something else on the menu, but don’t want to sacrifice the carvery sides? Never fear – my friend had the chicken tarragon and replaced the chips and peas with carvery sides instead, yum! I also found out you can go up as many times as you like for the sides, so don’t worry about piling your play too high, you can go back.