The Volunteer Inn

The Volunteer Inn is a traditional town pub in Ottery St Mary, East Devon, in the United Kingdom. It occupies a site on Mill Street that has been part of the town's history since 1810, when it opened as a dwelling, hostelry and recruitment centre during the Napoleonic War. It was first registered under the name the Volunteer Inn in 1831, and it has traded as a public house in the centuries since, drawing both passing trade and a loyal local crowd. The pub is independently owned and operated rather than being part of a large pub company or brewery estate. Its current hosts are Mike and Jacqui Down, who became proprietors in February 2012. Since taking over, they have carried out significant refurbishment intended to modernise the facilities while retaining the building's essential character. Improvements have included an open bar, a contemporary restaurant area, a roof terrace and modern indoor facilities, with further work planned that is expected to include a beer garden. The Volunteer Inn positions itself as a proper local with a heart. Its offer centres on good, honest pub food cooked freshly in the kitchen from high-quality ingredients, supported by a drinks list that includes a strong real ale selection with weekly guest beers from local breweries, as well as cocktails and weekly and seasonal specials. The pub also hosts a darts team, a euchre team and ladies' nights out, and it serves a broad mix of customers ranging from real ale drinkers and local workers to genteel regulars. Community involvement is central to the pub's identity. The Volunteer Inn takes an active part in the life of Ottery St Mary, supporting events such as the Ottery Tar Barrels and the Ottery St Mary Food & Families Festival, and running fundraising events for charities including CLIC Sargent. The pub also offers bar hire and catering, gift vouchers, and maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram. In 2026 it was featured in The Telegraph's Best Pubs Guide, which lists 650 public houses from across Great Britain that have been tried and tested.

The Volunteer Inn occupies a site on Mill Street in Ottery St Mary, East Devon, that has been part of the town's history since 1810. It opened that year as a dwelling, hostelry and recruitment centre for the Napoleonic War. It was first registered under the name the Volunteer Inn in 1831. Over the following two centuries the building continued to operate as a public house, becoming a familiar landmark on Mill Street and a draw for both passing trade and a friendly crowd of regulars. By the early 2010s the pub was taken on by Mike and Jacqui Down, who became its proud proprietors in February 2012. Their stated aim was to revive it as a local with a heart. They undertook extensive refurbishment, bringing the facilities up to date while retaining the essential character of the establishment. The works included an open bar, a contemporary restaurant area, a roof terrace and modern indoor facilities. Refurbishment was set to continue, with plans that would eventually include the creation of a beer garden. Under the Downs' ownership the pub has cultivated a broad and mixed customer base. It hosts a darts team, a euchre team and ladies' nights out, and welcomes real ale drinkers, local workers and genteel regulars alike. The kitchen produces good, honest pub food cooked freshly to order using high-quality ingredients, while the bar offers a strong real ale selection with weekly guest beers from local breweries, alongside cocktails and weekly and seasonal specials. The Volunteer Inn is closely involved in the vibrant community of Ottery St Mary. It supports the Ottery Tar Barrels and the Ottery St Mary Food & Families Festival, and runs fundraising events for charities including CLIC Sargent. Jacqui Down is noted as a senior lady roller in the Tar Barrels. The pub also offers bar hire and catering and gift vouchers, and maintains an active presence on Facebook and Instagram. In 2026 it was included in The Telegraph's Best Pubs Guide, which features 650 tried-and-tested public houses from across Great Britain.

• 2026

  Featured in The Telegraph Best Pubs Guide 2026, listing 650 of the best public houses across Great Britain.

• 2012

  Mike and Jacqui Down became proprietors in February 2012.

• 2012

  Significant refurbishment began, including an open bar, contemporary restaurant area, roof terrace and modern indoor facilities.

• 1831

  First registered under the name the Volunteer Inn.

• 1810

  The site opened as a dwelling, hostelry and recruitment centre for the Napoleonic War.

A traditional town pub with traditional values, offering quality food and a community atmosphere from the heart of Devon.

• Pub food menu

  Good, honest pub food cooked freshly in the kitchen using high-quality ingredients.

• Real ale and guest beers

  A great choice of real ale with weekly guest beers from local breweries.

• Cocktails

  Cocktails offered alongside the drinks list.

• Weekly and seasonal specials

  Rotating weekly and seasonal specials.

• Bar hire and catering

  Bar hire and catering available for events.

1. 1Volunteer Innvolunteerinnottery.co.uk
2. 2Volunteer Inn | Aboutvolunteerinnottery.co.uk
3. 3The Volunteer Innwikidata.org