The story
In the quiet village of Knowstone on the edge of Exmoor, a 13th-century thatched inn houses one of Devon’s most accomplished restaurants. The Masons Arms is the work of Mark and Sarah Dodson, who arrived in 2005 with a simple idea and a blackboard for a menu. Within six months, they had earned a Michelin star – an award they have held ever since.
Mark Dodson’s cooking is rooted in the classic French techniques he honed over 18 years with Michel Roux, 13 of them as head chef at the three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in Bray. At The Masons Arms, he translates that precision into unfussy, seasonal dishes built around the best local produce. The result is food that Michel Roux has described as “classic modern but with a little free interpretation… he just wants to cook and make people happy.”
The lunch set menu, available Wednesday to Friday, offers three courses for £39.50 and changes with the seasons. A sample might begin with cured salmon and gooseberry dressing, move to loin of venison with black pudding gnocchi and juniper jus, and finish with a mango parfait. The à la carte and a thoughtfully curated wine list – with choices by the glass and bottle, from a crisp Picpoul de Pinet to a Meursault Vieilles Vignes – complete the picture.
The setting is as appealing as the food. The Masons Arms is a proper village pub, with a traditional bar serving real ale and Champagne by the glass, alongside a first-class restaurant. It is, as the team puts it, “truly two experiences in one.” The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, the service warm and professional.
After 21 years at the helm, Mark and Sarah have announced their retirement, with their last service on 20 June 2026. A new chapter for the inn will follow under new owners. For now, The Masons Arms remains a singular place: a thatched country pub where the cooking has drawn a Michelin star for two decades, and where the welcome is as genuine as the ingredients.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Snuggled away in a slip of a village on the southern edge of Exmoor, Mark and Sarah Dodson's thatched 13th-century inn is comfortingly remote. Inside, the low-ceilinged rooms emphasise the feeling of being enveloped, while the dining room (housed in an extension) offers views of the surrounding farmland. Mark's menus deal in local materials treated sensitively, presented with more than a little contemporary dash. Dishes such as seared scallops with celeriac, apple and hazelnut dukkah or prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with oyster mushrooms, crushed new potatoes, orange and balsamic sauce belie the landlocked location, before we return to it in the form of Exmoor beef fillet and cheek with beetroot purée, field mushrooms and lardons in a hearty port jus. Alternatively, you might find some seasonal game in the shape of, say, loin of venison in juniper jus or partridge breast ‘en crépinette’ with burnt apple purée, Brussels sprouts and parsnip. Farmhouse cheeses constitute a tour of the West Country's finest, or there might be something sweet such as mirabelle soufflé with honeycomb ice cream; otherwise, spoon your way through the four-strong 'taste of British desserts'. And if you decide to call in for the set lunch, you'll be treated to recipes from Mark's debut cookbook This Is Mine. A fairly priced wine list opens with bottles from £22.
High quality cooking
Location
Facebook
Instagram
X