Philip and Karen Burgess
Philip and Karen Burgess took over the Dartmoor Inn in Devon five years ago with spectacularly bad timing. It was just before foot-and-mouth disease was to hit Britain's agriculture and tourism industries with devastating results. The pub was run-down, with only a jukebox, four deep-fat fryers and eight microwaves to its name.
Undaunted, the couple set about transforming it into one of the most talked-about country inns, something the judges applauded when awarding the title of Pub and Bar Operator of the Year.
The 16th-century pub, on the west side of Dartmoor, now trades as an informal restaurant and pub, offering innovative British menus, stylish decor and ingredients carefully sourced from local suppliers.
Hard work and imagination from the couple saw the
Dartmoor through the troubles many businesses succumbed to after the foot-and-mouth crisis, and from the beginning they were keen to support local business.
Their passion for locally sourced produce means the names of all the pub's main suppliers are listed on the menus, as well as key members of staff.
The pub has gone on to win numerous accolades over the years, collecting the Good Food Restaurant of the Year 2000, plus Les Routiers Newcomer of the Year 2000. It has since garnered two AA rosettes, Devon Dining Pub of the Year 2003, and Les Routiers Restaurant of the Year 2001, plus an entry in the Michelin Red Guide 2003.
Andrew Pern, owner of the Star Inn, judge, and winner of the award in 2002, said the Dartmoor Inn was a model for other pubs. He praised the couple's ability to keep it as a traditional drinking pub for locals as well as its excellence in food.
"It's a traditional local pub, serving great food to the local community and visitors alike. It's what I want our place to be and is what other pub owners should aspire to," he said.
Another judge, Steven Doherty, chef-patron of the Punch Bowl Inn, agreed that the
Dartmoor had set a benchmark for others to follow. "I think the
Dartmoor sends out all the right signals for people who are aspiring to follow in our footsteps. It's all part of the food and pub industry revolution people want to be part of."