A PUB in a village near St Austell is competing for the title of National Pub and Bar of the Year.
The Barley Sheaf at Gorran has already been chosen as a county winner in the 2024 National Pub and Bar Awards and is now going for the national crown.
The owners and staff at the pub will find out if they have been successful at an upcoming ceremony being held in London on June 26.
The pub has been owned by Tim and Terri Kendall, who also have the Rising Sun at Altarnun, since 2020.
Chef Tim began his career at Rick Stein’s Seaford Restaurant in Padstow before going on to work for Marcus Wareing in London and then with Michel Roux Junior.
Since his return to Cornwall, Tim has picked up a number of awards. The Barley Sheaf has been a pub of the year in the Cornwall Tourism Awards and also gained a listing in the 2023 Michelin Guide.
With a background in fine dining, Tim likes to take a hands-on approach and to be involved in the community. Terri looks after the financial and HR side of the business.
Head chef Dan Hyams, who also has a fine dining background, said the kitchen staff at the Barley Sheaf, including Kaythryn Lane and Simon Osmond, like to put their own stamp on classic pub dishes.
He said: “We want to stand out. We are adaptable and innovative, and have monthly changes to the menu. We like our ingredients to be as local as possible and sustainably caught. We also forage for food and grow our own in an allotment behind the pub.”
Dan said the pub’s success was down to a team effort, with other members of the core team being Hollie Dennis and Aidan Aldridge.
Tim and Dan are planning to travel to London for the grand final to see how the pub fares against more than 90 other pubs and bars from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.