The Cornish Arms, owned by St Austell Brewery and run by husband and wife duo John and Emma Hooker, has scooped second place in the prestigious Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub list.
The pub which is set on the foothills of Dartmoor in the stannary town of Tavistock has continued to move up the rankings over the years for its delicious food and top-quality dishes.
On the pub, the Estrella Damm listing states: “The Cornish Arms is a gastropub that serves the simplest of food crafted with the highest care. The pub serves unpretentious, mouth-watering dishes, featuring superb local produce which has bumped them all the way up to number two [on the list] in the UK.”
Since opening in 2013 the pub has gone from strength to strength, having been placed as one of the top 50 Gastro Pubs in the UK within six months of opening. In 2014 the pub gained a Michelin Bib Gourmand which has been retained to date. 2015 saw the pub win Food Pub of the Year at the annual St Austell estate award and John was named Chef of the Year in the Coveted Trencherman’s awards. At the start of 2016 at the annual St Austell estate awards The Cornish Arms was named Customer Service Pub of the Year. 2023 the pub won the food magazine readers award for best dining pub.
John has 25 years of experience as a chef, having held 3AA Rosettes, featured in the Good Food Guide, competing on BBC 2’s Great British Menu in 2010 and 2011. He makes the most of the best ingredients from the South West cooked with the seasons produce and using classic combinations with big hearty flavours.
On placing second on the respected list, John said: “We’re buzzing – it’s a phenomenal achievement. For us, we cook for our customers first and make sure we have a commercially viable business – particularly in this current climate – but to get the accolades is the icing on the cake. When Emma and I first took on the Cornish Arms 10 years ago we thought it was going to be us taking on a great pub in our hometown that we would want to go and visit ourselves, but it’s turned into this gastronomic destination now which is amazing. It’s mind-blowing really.”
The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs has been running since 2009 with the purpose of recognising the best in the gastropubs industry. The list is voted on by 100 industry professionals, with judges coming from leading pub businesses, editors of media brands and food writers across the UK.
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