Tom Cobley Tavern is Pub of the Year

February 17, 2007: The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has named the Tom Cobley Tavern, at Spreyton, Devon, as its National Pub of the Year 2006.

Judges were bowled over by the warm welcome, fantastic service, wonderful home-cooked food and high quality real ale to be found at the Tom Cobley Tavern.

This 16th century village inn has been run by Roger and Carol Cudlip for the last four years. In that time they have turned the Tom Cobley Tavern into the epitome of a community pub, acting as an indispensable meeting place for local groups, sports teams and residents.

Roger said: “I am absolutely over the moon. This is the highest accolade CAMRA can give to a pub and naturally we could not be more delighted that it has been given to us.

“Our success is down to the support of the villagers. We look after them and they look after us in exchange. The Tom Cobley Tavern is a proper rural pub and every night we have a great clientele mix of young and old. The key is to get involved and be part of the life of the community.”

The presentation of the award took place yesterday at pub to mark the beginning of CAMRA’s inaugural Community Pubs Week, a campaign to highlight the vital role pubs play in the lives of local communities.

Bob Stukins, CAMRA’s pubs director and one of the final judges, said: “Every one of the judges was extremely impressed by the standard of the Tom Cobley Tavern. It is a fantastic example of a true community pub, welcoming new customers like old friends and being a hub for the lives of the people it serves.

“Finalists in the Pub of the Year competition are judged on the quality of the real ale, atmospheres, décor, service, clientele mix and value. On all of these points the Tom Cobley Tavern scored exceptionally and is therefore an extremely worthy winner of this accolade.”

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2007 says of the pub: “The Tom Cobley offers an exceptional beer range with eight regular ales; altogether, there are usually four on handpump and up to 10 on gravity. A thriving village pub, with a modest bar and a spacious dining room at the rear, it is popular for food as well as beer with locals and others in the know.”