welcome to 'The Rusty Bike' website.

Thank you for taking the time to visit us, read on and learn a little bit about what The Fat Pig ltd ethos is.

The Rusty Bike was a creation born  in 2009 off the back of hard work and reputation at 'The Fat Pig', our mother pub in John Street Exeter. From the bare bones of The Eagle Tavern, a run down, shut down, falling down back street boozer, larger than life proprietor Hamish Lothian and his team created a haven of goodness within a stones throw of the university and christened it 'The Rusty Bike' sparing no expense Hamish employed the artistic graphic design talents of his five year old daughter Esme to give us her impression of a rusty bike, we think you'll agree she did a pretty fine job.

We are all about low food mile local produce, which is frankly an easy task when you're surrounded by the rolling green countryside, overflowing rivers and coastline of Devon.  We rear our own herd of pigs and have forged great working relationships with local gamekeepers, fishermen and specialist rare breed farmers. Team all this together with a talented and dedicated team of chefs and friendly hospitable staff out front and its pretty close to our idea of the perfect pub.

We have tried to offer a different experience at 'The Rusty Bike', whereas our mother 'The Fat Pig' offers a rustic and hearty simple menu 'The Rusty Bike' has been turned into a platform for our chefs, lead by Darren Jory, to showcase the fantastic produce available locally and just what you can do with imagination and talent. From full butchery to delicate smoking and curing of our own pork, to selecting Devon ruby red beef on the hoof at Richard Mizzens farm or foraging for wild garlic to adorne there salads and soups, raking cockles on the beaches and shooting game these boys along with Hamish cover the county to bring all this to your plate, as we like to say.... from welly to belly.

lets not forget that we sell booze too.... local beers, our homemade rusty pig cider, continental largers, extensive wine list, 20 different gins, more different whisky and homemade slow gin.......

we hope you'll find something to please everyone and possibly something you've never tried before.

october 2012

HOT OFF THE PRESS

RUSTY BIKE WINS GOLD IN DINING PUB CATEGORY AT THE TASTE OF THE WEST AWARDS 2012

AND

A RECOMMENDATION IN THE 2013 MICHELIN GUIDE

 a big thankyou to all the staff at the rusty for there dedication and hard work in achieving this recognition which is a culmination of 5 years hard work by the fat pig ltd and its local suppliers, game keepers, fishermen, farmers and brewers

many many thanks

hamish lothian

chief cartridge loader, pig feeder and pot wash