Pub Awards: Best Inn finalist - The Port Gaverne Hotel, Cornwall

The rustic building and bar houses a modern beating heart, with food a major focus on the operation, backed up by a modern, stylish accommodation offer.

Licensees David and Jackie Barnard have brought their extensive experience in the hospitality trade to bear on this gem of a business, transforming its fortunes since taking it on three years ago.

Brewery

Working hard in partnership with brewery St Austell, the couple have trebled turnover, won a clutch of awards, including being One to Watch in the Top 50 Gastropubs, and built a strong and dynamic team through great leadership and internal training.

The fifteen-room business is based in the picturesque setting of Port Gaverne, a stone’s throw from the beach, and a regular setting for the popular ITV drama Doc Martin, which proves an added draw for fans of the show.

Food is a huge focus of the business and with an experienced and skilled team, backed up by a well invested kitchen, the hotel is already starting to build a strong reputation for its food offer. And with the food being sourced locally, including lobsters pulled from the bay a few feet away, the offer is proving massively attractive with customers.

With such a strong operation, it would be tempting to sit back, but David and Jackie are keen to push the operation forward and are currently working on plans to expand onto nearby land to create an exciting new beach bar and terrace.