New landlord for historic Cornish pub

February 19, 2005: Andrew Tregunna has returned to his home village of Tregony, Cornwall, to take over the reins of the King's Arms. And among those taking a keen interest in his new project will be St Austell brewer Roger Ryman who is a regular at the pub.

Andrew, who has lived in various parts of mid Cornwall including Veryan, Ladock and Tresillian, has built a solid reputation with punters and the Brewery as tenant at The Ship Inn at nearby Portloe, which he will continue to run in addition to The Kings Arms.

The Kings Arms has been at the heart of the community for hundreds of years. Between 1451 and 1651 the pub was called the Old Kings Arms, before it acquired its present title. It's a matter of fate that the Kings Arms has survived for so long as in 1630 Cornwall Assizes Court sitting in Launceston ruled that at 36 there were too many pubs in the borough of Tregony and directed local burgesses to reduce the number. Fortunately the Kings Arms survived any purge and remains an important part of village life.

St Austell Brewery's estates director Adam Luck said: "We're extremely delighted to award Andrew the tenancy for this popular pub and we know he will make his mark as he has done a superb job at The Ship.

"The Kings Arms is a classic illustration of what St Austell Brewery is about, and that is a family-orientated business in the heart of the community."