Rowdey Cow

Lower Farm, Devizes Road, Rowde, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2LX | Tel: 01380 829666 | e: info@rowdeycow.co.uk

Parking: Free car park

Disabled access: Yes

Gazette Ratings

Food: 8/10

Choice: 7/10

Decor: 7/10

Customer service: 8/10

Main course price from: £6.95 to £9.25

Trip Advisor rating: 4.5 stars

WHEN choosing a lunchtime venue it is usually mainly about the food and perhaps the atmosphere but at the Rowdey Cow on the outskirts of Devizes there is so much more on offer than just eating.

The cafe and ice cream parlour was opened in Rowde in 2012 when farmer Adrian White was looking to diversify from just keeping cows. He and his daughter Sue Thompson came up with the idea of using their own milk to make ice cream and it has proved a big winner.

People now come from all over the county to sample the gelato, Italian-style ice cream is made by hand using the milk produced by Mr White’s dairy herd.

It comes in weird and wonderful as well as traditional flavours that are always changing. The cafe also makes the most of its incredible views across the Wiltshire countryside and there are animals of all shapes and sizes to keep both adult and smaller guests amused.

On a sunny day it is a treat to sit outside and contemplate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful county full of family businesses offering food made from local produce.

I visited on a warm Saturday with two other adults and we were a little worried that the place might be rather noisy as it is an obvious choice for families with young children.

But thanks to amount of outside space it was possible for little ones to race around, use the play equipment and say hello to the animals while adults could sit, chat and eat.

The menu includes a range of sandwiches plus a number of hot options and specials. I went for the most expensive item on the menu which was a homemade beef burger with red onion chutney, mustard mayo, salad and chips for £9.25 while a friend had Wiltshire ham, poached eggs and chips for £7.95. Hollandaise sauce was optional with this.

The third member of our party had a goats cheese and red onion tartlett with roasted beetroot and salad for £6.95.

All of food was presented well and for the quality was good value for money. The only downside is that ordering on a busy day can take a while as you have to queue up at the counter and there can also be a bit of a delay for the food to come out.

A trip to Rowdey Cow cannot be complete without sampling the ice cream which costs £1.75 for one scoop in a cone or tub, £2.90 for two scoops and £3.50 for three.

We all went for the two scoop option and despite already being full from the main course my traditional choice of vanilla and chocolate slipped down very easily indeed.

The cafe has won many accolades in the Taste of the West Trip awards and has also received a Trip Advisor Certificate for excellence. Our bill for three with drinks came in under £40 but the trip was much more than just a lunch.