FOR 18 years, farmer's wife Angela Dallyn has been offering her bed and breakfast clients a true taste of Devon.

The eggs come from their own Wellsummer hens, the sausages are made from their herd of Aberdeen Angus and – it almost goes without saying – jams and marmalade are all home-made and cooked on the family Aga. When it comes to porridge toppings, guests are spoilt for choice – molasses sugar, maple syrup, runny toffee or chocolate, even a small jug of Bailey's – all stand ready to subvert the strongest will.

Now Mrs Dallyn from Bulleigh Park Farm, Ipplepen, has been shortlisted from 4,000 bed and breakfasts for the AA Landlady of the Year Award. The winner from 20 finalists will be announced at Tylney Hall, Basingstoke, on May 17.

'I am jolly pleased. It means I am in the top one per cent,' she said. This is a well-deserved reward for Mrs Dallyn's attention to detail. Guests are greeted with home-made cakes and a complimentary hamper of local produce, even bookmarks printed with her own jam recipes. What guests get is a unique flavour of farming life. Devon's 'basket of eggs' hills open out from the dining room windows.

Rows of rosettes won by the family flock of Devon Closewool sheep are pinned along the mantlepiece and photos of impressively proportioned prize bulls stare down from the walls. Guests are encouraged to help out if they want, collecting eggs, feeding the animals – they've even been known to lend a hand with calving.

Their first customers to occupy one of two self-catering units built 12 years ago (there are also two bedrooms in the main house) have returned every year since.

'Always the same week. They always come for the Devon Show,' she said. There, they are likely to come across the Dallyn family – five generations have been showing cattle and sheep and scooping up the prizes. Last year, daughter Sarah won her first championship for a Devon Shortwool. In 2004, husband Phil won Ewe Breed Champion and Reserve at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh.

In 2004, Bulleigh Park was the first working farm to win a gold environmental green tourism award. It has its own environmental policy, touching issues such as eco-friendly products and a pledge to buy local. Guests are encouraged to help with energy conservation and recycling. Recently Mrs Dallyn was asked to give a presentation on the green business scheme to a group of farmers near Taunton.

'I took my cleaning bucket, which is a recycled lamp powder container, vinegar, e-cloth (a recycled face flannel) a lemon and a nearly empty bottle of port.'

Vinegar apparently makes a great cleaning product being a disinfectent, an anti-bacterial and cheap into the bargain. A tip for cleaning a microwave – put a slice of lemon in a glass of water into the microwave for a minute or two. The steam loosens any baked on food and the lemon gets rid of nasty smells.

And the port? 'Port is very good for you. It's an anti-bacterial and good for the heart. I finished the bottle and then put it into my recycling basket. I think it went down well,' she laughed.