What I want from a pub by the sea is for them to know the fisherman by name. At the Cricket they do. Alan Steer is a third-generation Beesands fisherman who supplies the kitchen with lobster, crab, mackerel, seabass and hand-dived scallops, walked up the shingle and through the door. His father Winkie ran the boat before him and handed it over in 1997. Winkie still has his table in the corner of the bar, with a no-phones sign on it. The pub has stood on the seafront since 1867. It was first awarded an AA Rosette in 2008 and still holds one to this day. The Josper charcoal grill in the kitchen handles the steaks and whole fish; the seafood pancake - cod, prawns, scallops, cream sauce, white crab, parmesan - has been on the menu from the beginning, and is what most regulars come back for. Seven bedrooms upstairs, named after famous cricketers and grounds, five with windows that open straight onto Start Bay and the Start Point lighthouse in the distance.

Which local producers do you source from?

The seafood comes off the boats moored on the beach in front of the pub. Alan Steer, a third-generation Beesands fisherman, supplies lobster, crab, mackerel, seabass and hand-dived scallops, walked up the shingle and delivered direct to the kitchen each morning. Devonia spring water is bottled at source from a meadow near Beeson, the next village along and the empty bottles are collected, washed and reused weekly. Otter Brewery in Honiton supplies the cask beer; the gins behind the bar are local to the South Hams, from Salcombe and Dartmouth distilleries. Creedy Carver chicken, raised in mid-Devon, appears on the current menu.

Do we need to make a reservation? If so how do we do this?

Booking is strongly recommended for both lunch and dinner, especially in summer and at weekends. Even out of season the restaurant fills up. Tables can be booked directly on the website.

Awards and Recognition

The restaurant was first awarded an AA Rosette in 2008 and still holds one. The seven bedrooms upstairs are rated four Gold Stars by the AA. In the AA's current guide, the inspector describes the place as a historic inn known for its seafood, with sliding doors that open onto the seafront in summer.

Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecricketinn/

Check availability and book

Check via their website at: https://www.thecricketinn.com/

Signature dishes or seasonal menu highlights

The signature seafood pancake (cod, prawns and queen scallops in a cream sauce, finished with white crab and parmesan) has been on the menu since the pub started serving food. Beesands scallops, served with crab bisque, blood orange and a fennel salad, lean on Alan Steer's hand-dived catch. Beer-battered cod and chunky chips remain the long-standing fish-and-chip option. The Josper grill turns out steaks, whole fish and the wagyu burger; Creedy Carver chicken comes with morel mushrooms and wild garlic in spring.

Our sourcing story

The Cricket buys what it can from where it stands. Alan Steer's boat fishes the same waters his father Winkie fished and his grandfather before that. The Steers have been bringing crab, lobster and scallops up onto Beesands beach for three generations and into this kitchen for most of that time. Winkie taught Alan the trade and handed over the boat in 1997. Alan fishes sustainably, returning undersized catch and observing pot limits. The water on the table is bottled half a mile away in Beeson, with bottles collected, washed and refilled weekly. The cask ale comes from Otter Brewery in Honiton; the gins from Salcombe and Dartmouth distilleries. Much of what arrives at the kitchen door has travelled in metres, not miles.

Website

https://www.thecricketinn.com/

Address Summary

Beesands, Kingsbridge, Devon