FOR the third consecutive year, two West Devon hotels under the same ownership have picked up four top awards from Taste of the West, the regional organisation which promotes and showcases the best food, drink, retail and hospitality offerings in the South West.

The Two Bridges Hotel on Dartmoor and the Bedford Hotel in Tavistock each received two gold awards — one for their accommodation and one for their food offerings.

Judges made an anonymous visit to each hotel, for a meal and an overnight stay, and were impressed by the quality of the food, the hotels’ emphasis on local sourcing and the consistently high standards of hospitality.

Summing up their visit to the Two Bridges Hotel, the judges said: ‘Everything was perfect. Executive chef Mike Palmer creates the most gorgeous dishes and his passion for the very finest food simply shines through. This is fine dining at its very best. We have throughly enjoyed our stay at Two Bridges Hotel and highly recommend this beautiful hotel as the perfect Dartmoor getaway.’

Following their visit to The Bedford Hotel, the judges said: ‘We have no recommendations for improvement, everything was perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Bedford Hotel. There is a relaxed and welcoming ambience combined with fantastic food and excellent service.’