The Volunteer Inn in South Somerset

Had a tasty cod, chips and peas dinner at the Naval Volunteer Inn, Seavington St Michael on Saturday. I think it was both cooked and served by the landlady who was very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed a new beer (to me): a galss of Tornado from The Windy Brewing Company

Popped into The Volunteer on way to visit friends in the area as we usually do. It's a traditional English pub with a homely atmosphere and a good selection of hone brewed craft beers. While the food menu is not extensive it is home cooked and the portions are hearty. Excellent deserts. Will definitely visit again.

Not many pubs do home cooked food well, but this one does . Cosy setting with a warm welcome and dog friendly Good home brewed beer

Whenever we come to Somerset (which is often) we always make sure to pop into The Volunteer Inn. The owners are warm and friendly and as we’ve now been coming in for years we are even greeted on a first name basis! The food is homecooked and delicious and the Tornado bitter (brewed on the premises) is a taste of heaven! A proper village pub with a fireplace and pub dogs…one of my happy places when escaping London!

Just had a lovely meal at the Royal Oak in Over Stratton and talked family members into popping into their local pub to give it a try on the way home. Firstly asked for a pint of cider, only to be told there's cans of thatchers(shocked in Somerset and nothing on draft). Then asked about the wine and was barked at the very minimal choice which was one white and one red. I ordered a pint of their own beer which was poured(and the one sip I had was very nice) and then the barmaid(think she might be the landlady which is more disappointing) disappeared off to pour the wine and then started talking to her friends. Then I had to pop my head round the corner and ask when the wine was coming to which she brought it round and said 'DO YOU WANT THIS' at which this point I said no and we walked out. From what I understand a local pub should be welcoming and not like we felt, an inconvenience. I know I will never frequent this pub again when I visit and am sure that this is why the locals choose not to drink here. As you can see the image I posted of the sign behind the bar it speaks volumes!! A village needs a good pub and unfortunately this village doesn't have it!

As a local we walked in to very unwelcoming greeting, only a couple of people in but thought the barmaid was very rude, clearly runs the pub just for herself and the dogs as she was totally rude and had better things to do than serve us! We had just had dinner in another pub a couple of minutes up the road where the service was impeccable and the ambiance was lovely, so to walk into The Volunteer and to be greeted and treated like that was disgusting!!! I think the village community deserves so much better!

Such a gem, with everything needed for a great experience: locally brewed beers, fresh home made cooking, traditional decor, friendly and helpful service, absence of intrusive ambient music, and in a quiet rural location. Who could wish for more?

Visited this pub with my family and it was absolutely amazing. To start, the pub was very clean and I felt very safe visiting here with Covid precautions in place. Service was great, very attentive and friendly. Now let’s talk about the food! It was THE BEST!! I had chicken and Leek pie and it came with all the trimmings (veg / potatoes). The roast potatoes were the best I’ve ever had and that’s saying something as I have had a lot of roast potatoes! You could tell the pastry on the pie was homemade and absolutely delicious! For pudding I had Lemon and White Chocolate bread and butter pudding. You could tell this was a good home made hearty pudding. I would highly recommend this pub for food or even just a drink if you are in the area. I know I will definitely be returning.

It's another beamed, low-ceilinged pub, with a mutifuel burner & a resident labrador. The surprise was that they brew their own beer, which he tasted & was good. I had half of Old Rosie cider. Having had some large pub meals recently I opted for a Greek salad & meat tapas, which were very colourful, and tasty. The salad had cucumber, tomato, feta, green olives & a vinaigrette dressing. The tapas included chorizo, herby meatballs in tomato sauce, stuffed red pepper. Himself chose the liver & onions which came accompanied by bacon, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, beans. A real plateful that he struggled to finish but was excellent. I have noticed that there have been some poor reviews lately (viewed after I wrote first draft). As we didn't use the toilets etc we can't comment but found the staff ?owners/tenants? very pleasant & we really enjoyed the lunch. As one reviewer noted, it is more 'spit & sawdust' than modern chic but it takes all tastes.

Leaking and very durty. food not home prepared just frozen reheated..landlord unwelcoming. Toilet disgusting.

This pub was recommended to us by some friends. We were warned that it was ' a bit spit & sawdust ' - but the food was very good indeed

Walked in the dirty, sticky door to reveal a grotty looking place with a dirty dog bed, dirty floors and a general air of neglect. A dirty rag lay across the top of the pumps. Didn’t wait to order so can’t comment about the food except to say that I wouldn’t eat anything that came out of that kitchen.

What a shame such a nice village but very poor pub. Leaks a d towels on floor all over, dirty surfaces. Toiles dirty...would not want to see the kitchen.. Claimed to service home battered fish but it was like a firmer fillet from Iceland. Wont be going back ..arrogant scruffy landlord,

Journeyed to the Volunteer impressed by the ciders available, as listed on "whatpub". My friend had their own brew beer, which he was impressed with. Only one of the 3 ciders listed (Old Rosie) was stocked, plus one by Lyme Bay. I was surprised, given they clearly have expertise, that the cider was only available chilled, and heavily so. Thus spoiling the flavour and making it slow to drink. Explanation given was that it goes off otherwise. Well, if they serve it like that, they won't sell much. At room temperature, as it should be served, it would be truly enjoyable, and they would sell enough quickly enough. Other pubs selling real cider don't seem to have this "going off" issue. Food wise, I had the beef and tomato soup, which was very nice, but strangely expensive at £5.25 given how reasonable their main courses were. The mushroom and cheese risotto was again very nice, and plenty of it. The surprise came with the bill. My friend paid for the first round, yet this was added to the bill presented to me. Furthermore the half pint of cider I ordered was stated and charged as a pint. These "errors" added some £9 to the bill. The bill was readily corrected. Yet it wasn't. My half of cider ended up being billed as a pint of beer, hence I paid £3.40 for something that should have been billed at £1.85. These may of course have been genuine errors, but logically, that appears unlikely. They weren't busy, only one other customer; and he had left before my bill was presented.Won't be returning.

We just love this pub - Ruth the landlady is lovely and so accommodating. We stayed the night after a wedding locally and Ruth could not have made us more welcome. We were also made very welcome by all the locals in the bar and had a very pleasant end to our day in the bar before retiring to a lovely comfortable room for a good night's sleep. We were welcomed in the morning by the aroma of our cooking breakfast, which certainly lived up to the expectation - delicious! Our only regret is that the 'Volly' isn't our local!!

House hunting in the area and dropped into the Volunteer for a fortifying snack. The landlady was extremely welcoming and went out of her way to be helpful and informative. Food was unfussy, delicious and served quickly. The mixed salad was yummy! Exactly what was required.

We decided to stop for a coffee on our journey home from the ferry at Poole. A couple of stops en route meant it was now lunchtime, so, seeing the simple, home made food on offer decided to have some lunch. I chose an old favourite of mine, cold cuts with bubble and squeak; and really enjoyed it. Proper homemade bubble and squeak, not the second rate mass produced stuff you sometimes see. Nice beef and Turkey too. My wife who prefers dessert to savoury opted for a bread and butter pudding, which looked delicious. I noticed a good range of Beers, brewed locally, but decided to have a Cider from Lyme Regis, which I enjoyed, though when I realised the brewery was on site, felt I should have probably tried that. My wife who took care of the car keys, had coffee. An enjoyable stop.

We stopped here 'while passing' for coffee and decided to have a bite to eat too. We got a friendly welcome from the few regulars in the bar and from Ruth the landlady. We just wanted a snack and ordered the Tapas to share between us and coffee. The tapas was delicious and if it is an indication of the quality of the rest of the menu then I would have to recommend. The Volunteer is a small pub in a small village but it has a big heart and we will certainly pop in again next time we are 'driving past'

The Volunteer is a welcoming, traditional country pub, with a fabulous roaring fire and friendly locals. We enjoyed a lovely Sunday roast, a perfect tonic for a rainy, windswept autumn day. An added bonus is the wonderful selection of local ciders and ales.

This is a traditional village pub popular with locals. It is home to the Windy microbrewery producing a fine range of ales named after weather conditions like Tornado, El Nino, etc. Four are usually available and there is real cider as well. The food menu is headed 'Proper Nosh' which is exactly what it is, great pub food. Good value, too! Add a warm welcome, good service and a real fire in the winter..... what's not to like?

Get to know these guys there real lovely people..Our lady here cook like no other extraordinary to be honest ..If you like heathly food veg etc ...look no further you will have a job to beat it for the cost of meal .

We stayed at the Volunteer Inn for a sad occasion - we were in Somerset for a family funeral - but enjoyed every second of our time at our accommodation.

Monday Lunch for three. The welcome was OK. The service was OK. The food pretty much gave the impression of being leftovers from the day before, and therefore not worth the prices charged. The cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Entrance filthy, windows dirty, window sills full of dead bugs, toilets terrible. My sister used the ladies and reported that she had never seen a toilet so dirty. Sorry owners, guess we caught you on a bad day.

Have been to The Volunteer twice now and have a family party booked there for next weekend.

Been here a couple of times now, really warm welcome, lovely food, huge portions, dog friendly, good cider selection... oh, and they brew their own beer too which is available as takeaway. Really recommend this lovely pub

My family visited the Volunteer for Sunday roast lunch a few weeks ago and we had a really great meal. There were 4 choices for roast meats and several other dishes available too. We all enjoyed our meal enormously, and my kids ate every bit with relish, especially the yummy Yorkshire puddings. This is a lovely pub that is warm, welcoming and happy for you to bring your well behaved dogs. I highly recommend the Volunteer if you're looking for a proper British pub with an excellent selection of local ales and really good food.

Has it's own micro brewery and a good selection of beers,very much a locals pub no airs n graces ,helpful and friendly service and made sandwiches to order,bit run down but ok for snack

Went here for drinks only . A little bit run down but quirky. Has its own micro brewery will some good ales. It appears to be a locals pub which is great but didn't feel very welcoming. Don't think I would hurry back .

Usamos Tripadvisor para planificar las comidas mientras se aloja en el hotel en Ilminster. De los 3 pubs comimos en (OTRO 2 eran las armas y la taberna Eagle Tytherleigh cerca de Axminster), esta fue la mejor en todos los aspectos. El personal no podría haber sido más amable, la comida era muy buena y no demasiado cara y son perros. Había un fuego y un perro. El Martes noches puedes servirte de queso, galletas y pan casero. ¿qué no? !

Fui con algunos amigos para disfrutar de una noche de comida de inspiración francesa.

This is really good village pub they brew there own beer which is really good It is a really great pub which the village should be very pleased and proud of

Paramos en este pub en el tiempo casa era casi 2 horas. Pregunté si me estaban haciendo comida y eran un perro pub amable.

Quedarnos sólo una noche apareció en la zona, por una pinta y estaba encantado de descubrir que la cerveza elaborada en el edificio! Tres diferentes and bitters" disponibles y muestras de cada una nos ofrecieron y acepté. Me decidí por el Nino, IPA, que era delicioso. Obviamente la clientela regular eran todos muy amables y un interludio más agradable tenía.

Comida excelente, la noche era un "pradera y temático sea". El menú y la comida era increíble y todas caseras. Plato principal consistía en Moussaka, pollo envuelto en Jamon Iberico, cerdo, salmón y atún espinacas tarta de queso feta y kebabs. Había una variedad de 6 pudines caseros. El pub estaba lleno y el ambiente era champán, Colin y Ruth celebró 10 años de carrera del pub.. Esperamos que la próxima 10!!!

Really good value home cooking.

We dropped in to ask for directions to the B&B, and went back to eat - a real local village pub, with a warm welcoming local clientele - obviously a good community spirit in the village - the food and the beer and cider were excellent. Highly recommended - if you are passing, call in!

Me and my partner had kept saying we would pop in, as we drive past it very occasionally. And finally, we did! We weren't disappointed. Friendly approachable people everywhere. The food was delicious and very filling. Will most definitely go back and try more of the lovely sounding food they have to offer

popped in here a couple of weeks ago. very friendly staff and had a lovely meal with the family. Next time we are passing, will call here again

We booked for a meal last night and were very impressed with the welcome we received. A limited menu but beautiful home cooked food and a nice selection of craft beers. Definitely will be returning. Thank you.

We visited while staying in the area. We'd booked a table to be on the safe side and they kindly kept us one by the fire, welcome on a chilly evening! The staff and locals were all really friendly and helpful, especially when my husband was trying to decide which of their own brew to try - he was given samples to try until he found the one he liked the best. We had heard about Ruth's pies, so my husband ordered one with veg - a decent wedge of pie in delicious pastry appeared on a huge plate with chips and about four different types of freshly cooked veg! Proper gravy was also offered. I opted for the pea and ham soup, which was also a generous portion, served with thick white bread. There was no way we were going to manage puddings, tempting though they sounded!If you like good pub food, real ale (brewed on the premises) and a welcome as warm as the fire, this pub is gir you! Even the dogs came over to us to say hello!

Nice little pub midway along the old road from South Petherton to Ilminster, a Sunday lunchtime sort of pub. A place to walk the dog. The food is OK. The beer - Windy Ales - is brewed on the premises, and not without interest. I seem to remember that at one time the pub boasted of its cycling history, home, I think, to Britain's first road racing champion. Something of that sort. Yet I have seen no reference to it on recent visits.Given that there is huge interest locally and nationally in cycling, perhaps the present owners should wheel it out again.

We went there..3 of us for an early evening meal. Got there as they opened, so had to wait awhile for our order to be taken while Ruth stoked up the fire, but.....when we did put in our order it was done with care for what we wanted. The tapas was excellent. I am a frequent visitor to Spain and it was just as you'd expect in Spain . The bodegas was lovely and so was the bacalao. Could've ordered double for my main course. Others in the party were very happy with the meal. Whitebait good and so was the liver and bacon. Well done Ruth and co, we will be back soon.

Called in after walking the dog nearby we were made welcome and the food was well cooked, sensibly priced and served quickly. It was very tasty I had risotto. The beer, Flurry, was excellent and I would certainly go again.

Colleague had pheasant casserole, I ate venison. Fab food; home cooked vegetables; chunky chips - very generous portions. Too full for pudding but looked great.

Good local pub - serving a decent selection of local beers (they brew their own on site) and ciders. A nice atmosphere - when we were there there were Morris Men dancing outside and live music inside later on.

This pub does excellent food ,if you go you should try the landladies pies the pastry is great,also the sizzling chicken.The landlord brews his own beer so people who like real ale are in for a treat