The Vanilla Pod, Lynton

19/10/2026

A Slavic Christmas Feast

Thursday 19 November 2026 | Parracombe Village Hall

I'm really looking forward to something a little different this November!

I'm joining forces with Liz Puttick to create a special evening of Slavic Christmas food at Parracombe Village Hall.

We'll be preparing a three-course feast inspired by traditional Christmas dishes and flavours from across Eastern Europe, bringing together some of the food, traditions and ingredients that make this time of year so special.

We'd love you to join us.

Thursday 19 November, from 6pm
Parracombe Village Hall
£35 per person, including a welcome drink and three courses.

The evening is for adults aged 18 and over, and advance booking is essential.

To book your place, please email Liz at [email protected]

I hope to see some familiar faces from The Vanilla Pod, and perhaps meet a few new ones too!

Dasha x

10/08/2026

A new special from my Blackboard.

Butterfly bream with freekeh and chickpea pilaf, muhammara, green tomatillo and coriander salsa.

Freekeh is a roasted green wheat with a lovely nutty flavour and a little bite, which works really well with the chickpeas underneath the fish.

Muhammara is a rich red pepper and walnut dip, originally from the Levant, with a gentle sweetness, a little warmth and plenty of depth.

Then there’s the green tomatillo and coriander salsa — fresh, sharp and herby, to lift everything and keep the dish bright.

The bream is cooked whole and butterflied, so you get plenty of crisp skin and soft, delicate fish.

Lots of texture, lots of contrast, and one of those dishes where every part has a reason to be there.

Available now at The Vanilla Pod, while it lasts.

Dasha x

03/08/2026

The new Lamb Kleftiko Sharing Board at the Vanilla Pod.

Oregano and cinnamon marinated leg of lamb, slow-roasted with whole garlic bulbs with waxy potatoes, peppers and tomatoes.

The lamb is served in generous pulled pieces over tzatziki, topped with feta, and comes with shredded pickled red cabbage and beetroot, garden salad and warm pitta.

It's rich and fragrant, and perfect for sharing.

Dasha x

29/07/2026

Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and avocado on toast.

A classic breakfast, and one of those combinations that works so well for a reason — soft scrambled eggs, rich smoked salmon, creamy avocado and lightly toasted bread.

Finished with roasted tomatoes, greens and a little lemon to keep everything bright and fresh.

Full of flavour, full of goodness, and a lovely way to start the day at The Vanilla Pod.

Dasha x

25/07/2026

A new dish on Dasha's Blackboard.

Ras el hanout spiced grey mullet, chickpea masabacha, courgette baba ganoush, confit cherry tomatoes, and preserved lemon & coriander salsa.

I love creating dishes where different textures and flavours come together — smoky, creamy, fresh and gently spiced.

This one brings together some of the flavours I enjoy cooking with.
Ras el hanout is a North African spice blend. The name means “top of the shop”, traditionally referring to a blend made using the finest spices available. Every blend is different, but it often includes warming spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric, creating depth and aroma rather than simply adding heat.

Masabacha is a style of hummus from the Levant, made with chickpeas and tahini, but with whole chickpeas folded through rather than blended completely smooth. I love the extra texture it brings to the dish.

Baba ganoush is a smoky aubergine dip, traditionally made by charring aubergines and mixing them with tahini, lemon and seasoning. For this dish I’ve created my own version using courgette, keeping that soft, smoky character.

The grey mullet is finished with confit cherry tomatoes, preserved lemon and coriander salsa to bring brightness and freshness to the plate.

A little bit smoky, a little bit creamy, a little bit fresh — and full of flavour.

Dasha x

23/07/2026

Our Big Mezze Breakfast is a deliciously different way to start the day.

Served to the table for everyone to share, it brings together a generous selection of small dishes: breads, olives, home-pickled seasonal vegetables, silky houmous, whipped feta with za’atar, smashed cucumber, tahini and harissa salad, rose petal and strawberry jam, Greek yoghurt with homemade ashura cereal, and seasonal fruit compote.

It is served until 12.30pm and is available for a minimum of two people.

And, of course, we have plenty of traditional breakfast options too.

Dasha x

22/07/2026

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner throughout the Summer ...

> Monday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm
> Tuesday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm
> Wednesday: CLOSED
> Thursday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm
> Friday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm
> Saturday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm
> Sunday: 9am - 4pm and 6pm - 9pm

And you can check out our breakfast, lunch and dinner menus on our new website, along with a sample of our daily blackboard specials.

Breakfast, coffee, mezze, cream teas, w**e and evening dining by Dasha Moughton at The Vanilla Pod in Lynton.

18/07/2026

Creamy burrata with pork speck and pistachio pesto. One of our latest specials at The Vanilla Pod.

Burrata is a soft Italian cheese made from mozzarella, with a rich centre of cream and delicate curds. It looks quite simple on the plate, but once you cut into it, the middle is soft, fresh and beautifully creamy.

Speck is a lightly smoked and cured pork from the Alpine regions of northern Italy. It has the savoury depth of prosciutto, but with a little more character from the gentle smoking.

The pistachio pesto brings everything together. It is nutty, fresh and slightly sweet, with good olive oil and herbs, and works especially well against the richness of the burrata and the saltiness of the speck.

A simple starter, but one with plenty going on.

Dasha x

15/07/2026

Breakfast at The Vanilla Pod this summer.

"I love breakfast because it can be very simple, or it can be full of flavour — it depends on what kind of morning you are having."

We have the familiar favourites, the easy things done properly, and a few dishes that bring in more of my own cooking, including our Middle Eastern breakfast.

So whether you want something traditional, something fresh, or something a little different before heading out for the day, breakfast is here.

Have a look at the breakfast menu:
https://thevanillapodlynton.uk/food/

Dasha x

07/07/2026

Smoked salmon, tangy homemade labneh, sumac and baby leaves, served on white or granary local bloomer.

Labneh comes from the food traditions of the Levant and the wider Middle East. It is made by straining yoghurt until thick, creamy and gently sharp. That freshness works beautifully with the richness of smoked salmon.

Sumac has been used for centuries across Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean cooking. Made from dried, ground sumac berries, it has a bright, lemony flavour without the acidity of fresh lemon.

Simple ingredients, deliciously balanced.