South Devon CAMRA

Welcome to the South Devon CAMRA Website

- South Devon CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008 -

Bay Horse Inn, Totnes - Winner 2008
There are around 350 pubs in the South Devon CAMRA branch area and each winter a short list is drawn up of suitable candidates for pub of the year. It's a very difficult task as there are so many excellent pubs in our area. This is whittled down to a short list of four pubs in January which are each visited anonymously by many of the active branch members. At our March branch meeting votes are cast and the four pubs reduced to two. Each member then rates these pubs on a number of criteria: the quality of the beer (obviously the most important!), the atmosphere, quality of service, clientele, sympathy with CAMRA aims and whether the pub offers good value for the area.

For 2008 we are pleased to announce that the Bay Horse Inn, Totnes is our branch pub of the year! Congratulations to all at the pub! The award was presented to landlord and landlady Will and Gina Coles by South Devon CAMRA Branch Chairman and CAMRA Regional Director Ian Packham at a reception at the pub on Friday 28th March 2008. The photo below shows (from left to right) Totnes Deputy Mayor Cllr Pam Barnes, the Lady Mayoress and Totnes Town Mayor Cllr David Horsburgh, Gina and Will Coles, and Ian Packham.

The photo below shows Gina and Will Coles, with Ian Packham behind the bar of the Bay Horse Inn.

Presentation of the South Devon CAMRA Pub of the Year Award 2007 to the Royal Oak, South Brent

South Devon CAMRA members were particularly impressed that Will and Gina had turned the fortunes of this 15th century pub around completely in just 18 months since taking over at the pub. The Bay Horse Inn will now go forward to the SW Regional Pub of the Year competition and we wish them the very best of luck!

About the Bay Horse Inn - This 15th Century coaching inn is rumoured to have ghosts from the same era; it was also a 19th century smugglers' haunt. Now a traditional, roomy town pub, popular with locals and visitors alike, it has an old-fashioned snug and a surprisingly spacious garden with a heated patio. Irish folk music plays on Tuesday evening and jazz on the last Sunday of the month. Good home-made food and quality B&B are available. Their impressive real ale range includes Everards Old Original,; Otter Bitter; Princetown Jail Ale and a regularly changing guest beer.
Opening Times: 12-2pm Mon - Sat Summer only; 6-11:30pm Mon-Wed; 5-11:30pm Thu-Sat; 12-3pm & 7-11:30pm Sun.
Telephone: (01803) 862088.
Website: http://www.bayhorsetotnes.com/
Address: Bay Horse Inn, 8 Cistern St, Totnes, TQ9 5SP.

If you'd like to become more involved in CAMRA and help us select next year's Branch Pub of the Year, if you're not already a member why not join CAMRA, and then come along to one of our monthly branch meetings.

© Campaign for Real Ale & Ant Veal 2007. Designed & compiled for South Devon CAMRA by Ant Veal.
This page was last updated on 05-Apr-2008