The Otter Brewery

Up in the Blackdown Hills above Honiton, a thatched farmhouse dating to 1806 sits at the heart of a brewery run by a family who describe beer as being in the DNA. Water comes straight from the head springs of the River Otter, which is about as local as a brewing ingredient gets, and the malting barley is sourced from the UK's finest maltsters, including Warminster, where malting still happens on the floor.

The core range covers Otter Bitter, Ale, Bright, Amber, Head and Black, plus Tarka Pure and Tarka Four, and there is an alcohol-free Otter Zero for those sitting it out. Cases of bottles and cans, gift packs and a sample box are available direct, alongside glassware, bar towels, clothing and New Moon Gin. Brewery tours are bookable, and worth it if you want to see where the spring water goes in.