You will see Ashburton crop up on here pretty regularly from this point on. It’s my new go-to destination in Devon for a foodie fix.

This town nestled on the edge of the moors has to be the most happening spot for independent eateries in Devon right now. I find I am on the bus most weekends seeking out what Ashburton has to offer.

I am starting my homage with Creamo’s. I love this place. You can’t sit inside but there is a table and chairs set up right outside or you just perch kerbside or tucked up on the windowsill.

Creamo’s Ice Cream Club began as a monthly subscription for the Ashburton locals where Matai, one-half of the husband and wife duo behind the business would send out poetic texts to subscribers to spark interest in the unusual flavour combinations. Matai would then deliver the tubs to their doorsteps via an ice box in the boot of his car!

The best part of the story in my opinion is that the excellent name Creamo belonged to Matai’s great great grandfather! Rumour has it he had dairy connections. It’s his face that appears in their logo. It’s like it was always meant to be.

The original ice cream machine was given to Matai when he worked as a chef at Duncan Walker’s restaurant 22 Mill Street in Chagford. I am told that Matai learnt how to make ice cream there and with his natural flair for unusual flavour combinations the small business gained its legs and ran.

Creamo’s source all of its ingredients locally and roll with the seasons. Summer brings its bounty of fruit and in the winter the richer flavours unfold. They have a long-standing relationship with Vince at BDF in Bovey Tracey but also take on local people’s garden fruit gluts which is a beautiful way to get the community involved.

They also use smaller local producers for all of their herbs and more unusual fruits like The Husbandry School and Ruby and Red Earth Herbs. These amazing local producers definitely inspire Matai with his flavour combinations.

The little stone building that is now the home of Creamo’s in Ashburton came up for rent in 2019 and Matai with his wife Rachael jumped at the chance to take it on as a permanent base. It’s from here you can grab a coffee to go, a buttery pastry or an ice cream cone.

Rachael used to manage the coffee roastery, Voyager in Buckfastleigh and makes the best darn flat white I think I have ever tasted with their coffee. The combination of the rich Riverford milk and the Voyager Coffee Nomad blend works like magic and Rachael puts that magic to work with her extensive background in the business.

Alongside the wonderful ice cream and sorbets, Matai also makes spectacular laminated pastries. He honed his skills at The Almond Thief in Totnes and introduced baked goods into the mix in their second year of trading. The perfect accompaniment to that amazing coffee! People travel far and wide for their buttery pastry fix, myself included, they really are superb. In fact, if I lived closer I reckon I would be the size of a house because there is no way I couldn’t visit each day they open for some kind of ice cream/pastry/coffee combo.

Creamo’s are currently open Fridays and Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 12pm-5pm (July 2022). You can always message them through Instagram for more up-to-date information.