Access Statement
Introduction
The Start Bay Inn is situated on the seafront at Torcross, a small village on the A379 half way between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge. Torcross is a wonderful seaside village with very good level seaside access. A flat pedestrianized walk way is located immediately behind the sea defence which is approximately 500m long. The Start Bay Inn seaside patio is accessible from this walk way.
Pre Arrival
Any questions please call us. We are very happy to help.
We are currently taking table bookings through the winter but will pause them for the Christmas holidays.
For directions on how to reach us please refer to the location page of our website.
The nearest railway station is Totnes which is 15 miles away. Taxis are available at the station. If you require an accessible taxi these can be booked in advance with happycabbytaxis.co.uk or on 01803 559 292
We are on the number 3 bus route. It runs from Plymouth to Dartmouth via Kingsbridge. We have a raised accessible bus stop 100m away. The timetable can be found on firstgroup.com
There is a wheelchair access ramp to the pub through the car park entrance.
We are breastfeeding friendly.
We allow guide dogs.
On Arrival
We have a free carpark for the use of our customers
There is good lighting provided at night.
We offer full table service.
There are 4 tables in the family room which can accommodate wheelchairs.
The patio area has a small kerb but can seat wheelchair users at most benches. It is well paved and flat throughout. Drinks and food can be ordered and served at the outside tables on request.
There is background music inside the pub.
We do our best to cater for any dietary requirements; please contact us in advance with any specific requests.
If assistance is needed with menu and specials content this can be arranged on arrival.
Customer Toilets
Customer toilets are for ladies and gents in the entrance hall from the car park. Both are situated down 3 steps. A disabled toilet is provided in the public toilets situated 50 yards from the pub. If assistance is needed accessing the disabled toilet this can be arranged with staff.
Additional Information
All our staff receive disability awareness training.
We have a set of evacuation procedures. Should you require assistance, someone will help you with the evacuation out of the building.
We welcome dogs inside the pub where there are no carpets. They are also very welcome on the seafront patio.
The nearest A and E is Derriford Plymouth which is 30 miles away. The nearest doctor is at Chillington Health Centre which is 2.5 miles away The phone number is 01548 580 214.
Free limited wifi is available in the pub.
Sustainability
We make a huge effort to make our business as sustainable as possible.
We have stopped using sachets for sauce on the tables and offer biodegradable pots for takeaways as a greener option
We use energy saving light bulbs throughout the pub.
We recycle all our cardboard, glass, plastic and tins.
We use only biodegradable take away containers.
Takeaway cutlery is now all recyclable.
We have fitted taps which switch off automatically as we found people kept leaving them running.
We have changed our loo roll and soap dispensers so use less single use plastic in our bathrooms.
We are changing to hand eco hand driers to limit the use of paper towels in our bathrooms.
Our fish suppliers know we do not except any polystyrene.
We have all our cooking oil collected by our supplier who uses it to power their delivery fleet.
Our energy supplier is 100% sustainable.
We have changed our salad portions in the hope to cut down on a mountain of waste.
We use many local businesses to source our products, some of which drop goods off on their way home meaning zero food miles!
Sharpham Vineyard
Otter Brewery
Dartmoor Brewery
Westcountry Veg
Durrants Butchers, Stokely Farm Shop; to name a few..
Some of our fish travels metres by foot, from the beach directly infront of the pub straight to our kitchens, therefore having zero food miles
We support our local beach clean by offering a free ice-cream or cup of tea. Check the FSC website or follow our Facebook page to find out when one is happening.
We ensure all of our scallops are diver caught, never dredged.
We buy from sustainably sourced fish stocks and farms.
Sustainably Sourced Fish
We are proud to offer more sustainable choices of fish species. If you see something on the specials board you haven’t heard of please try it and support the fishermen trying to catch the less well known species.
Cod.
Cod is caught in the cold waters of the atlantic. It is a large round fish with an olive-brown back with yellow and brown spots, and a white underside. The flesh is firm white and chunky with a mild and characteristic flavour. We serve this fish filleted and deep fried in batter.
Haddock.
Haddock is abundant in the North Sea. It is a round fish of the cod family with grey skin and a line along both flanks. The flesh is firm creamy and delicate, slightly drier than cod and with more flavour. We serve this fish filleted and deep fried in batter.
Plaice.
Plaice is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a flat fish, creamy white on the underside and grey-brown with orange spots on the upper side. The flesh is delicate and white with a distinct flavour. We serve this fish whole on the bone which we serve grilled, filleted and deep fried in a batter.
Monkfish.
Monkfish is caught in and around the Start Bay. The monkfish are a large headed ugly brown fish, for which reason only the tail is sold. Its flesh is very chunky and white and is generally cut into strips for cooking. the flavour is light and delicate. We serve this fish deep fried in batter or pan fried in garlic butter.
Witch Sole.
Dover Sole is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a flat fish with an elongated to oval body with olive-brown skin on the upper side and creamy white skin on the underside. The flesh is finely textured with a moist quality. We serve this fish whole on the bone or filleted, both of which are grilled.
John Dory.
John Dory is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a flat fish with a comparatively large head which makes it appear quite ugly, its skin is yellow brown and gold and on either side of the body is a black spot. Its flesh is firm white and chunky. Very delicate in taste, and a little similar to lobster or crayfish. We serve this fish whole on the bone which is grilled or filleted which is deep fried in batter or grilled.
Gurnard
Gurnard is bought at Brixham fish market. It is a bottom feeder fish. It is a slightly oily fish with meaty flesh similar to a bass however with a less dry and more delicate flavour. We sell this fish whole on the bone and sometimes filleted and grilled.
Red Mullet.
Red Mullet bought from Brixham fish market. It is a small pinky red round fish. It is an oily fish with delicate white flesh and a distinct however delicate flavour. We serve this fish whole and grilled.
Bass.
Bass is caught in and around the Start Bay. Some of our stock is caught by Paul the retired landlord, who enjoys fishing with live sand eels just off Torcross beach. It is a round silvery fish with a greyish-blue back and white underside, it is known as the salmon of the sea. Its flesh is chunky with slightly pink flakes, it is rich with a very full flavour. We serve this fish whole on the bone or filleted both of which are grilled.
Brill.
Brill is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a flat fish similar to turbot. It has a brown upper side and a cream speckled underside. It has a chunky and firm white flesh with a delicate texture and flavour. We serve this fish whole on the bone or filleted, both of which are grilled.
Smoked Mackerel.
Smoked mackerel is bought from Plymouth fish markets. It is made in Severn and Wye and is the most sustainable fish you can buy. The tastiest too.
Ray.
So many species of ray are now endangered we stopped buying all of them. The wings with prominent bones are sold, the rest of the body is discarded. Its flesh is pink and sweet, string like flakes fall off the soft bones. It is unlike any other type of fish. We miss it but can’t sell endangered species with a clear conscience.
Lemon Sole.
Lemon Sole is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a flat fish of the plaice family. It has light brown skin with dark brown spots on the upper side and a creamy white underside. The flesh is white and extremely delicate and moist with a light and fresh flavour. We serve this fish whole on the bone which we grill or fillet and deep fry in batter. We are buying less and less Lemon Sole as it is always a very high price due to its overfishing and popularity.
Whiting.
Whiting is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a similar flakey white fish like cod and haddock. It is a more sustainable choice than cod and haddock as it is less popular but just as nice battered or grilled. We serve this fish whole or filleted and battered or grilled.
Hake.
Is bought from Brixham fish market. It is a meatier version of a flakey white fish and very nice battered. It is a more sustainable choice than cod and haddock as it is less well known and less popular. It is delicious and great in batter.
Mussels.
Mussels are bought from Brixham fish market. They are farmed in Fowey in Cornwall and are delivered live to our door. We cook them fresh in Westcountry cider with some fresh parsley and a little garlic. A very sustainable choice as they are farmed specifically for the UK market so allowing wild stocks to be unharmed.
Prawns.
We serve both peeled and shell on prawns, from Greenland they are sustainably caught and are big and juicy and delicious.
We make our own marie rose sauce for your enjoyment.
Crab.
Our crab is sourced in Devon and is hand picked. The white and brown crab is served separately so that the different delicate flavours can be appreciated. If you order a crab sandwich the brown crab meat will be used instead of butter and a generous portion of undressed white crab as the filling. Please ask if you would like mayonnaise to be served on the side.
Fish cakes.
Our fish cakes are made in Newton Abbot using U.K sourced sustainable fish. They are so tasty we haven’t tried to beat their efforts and make our own.
Scampi.
Our scampi is caught off the coast of Ireland and processed in Kilhorne Bay.
Calamari.
Our lightly dusted calamari is caught and processed in Myanmar.
Our non fish meals are sourced locally and sustainably using local suppliers whenever possible. We hope you appreciate the thought that goes into what we offer on our menu.
It's not only about the fish
Durrants Steaks and burgers.
Our steaks are sourced from our very local butcher just up the road at Stokeley. Go and see Paul to stock up your freezer or for the best BBQ items you can get.
Pies.
Our pies are lovingly made in Somerset using Westcountry produce. We love them as they are full of the best sauce and gravy we can find.
Chicken.
Our chicken chunks and burgers are from the U.K. Not as straight forward as you would think to get these from our shores.
Seasonal Salad.
Our salads change from summer to winter so that we can make the most of the produce grown in the Westcountry. In the summer we offer leaves with carrot and cress and radish and cucumber with a home made dressing. In the winter the celery and cucumbers are replaced with roasted beetroot quinoa and lightly pickled cauliflower.
Crisps.
We are proud to support Two Farmers crisps who use non plastic packaging which bio-degrades doing our bit to cut down single use plastics.
Desserts.
Our desserts are made near Exeter and delivered 3 times a week to ensure a varied fresh offering. Remember you can always take a box home with you if, like a lot of customers find, our generous portions don’t leave space for dessert!
