Cornish Guardian (St. Austell & Fowey)
Dan and Viki determined to keep ‘proper family feel’ at riverside inn
APUB on the banks of the River Tamar close to the historic Mount Edgcumbe estate has reopened after new landlords took over.
The Edgcumbe Arms, in Cremyll, has been closed since October while St Austell Brewery sought a new business partner to take it on.
Dan Cocks and Viki Roberts are no strangers to the pub industry, having run the White Horse in Launceston for a year. They’re now taking on the 18th-century Edgcumbe Arms, and say they’re keen to engage with the customers and community to offer a new range of food, drinks and events.
“We like a challenge, and when St Austell Brewery showed us this pub, it was like, ‘Wow’; it was a nobrainer”, Dan said.
The pub is undergoing some freshening up over the next few weeks with beers, hot drinks and grab-and-go food such as pasties on offer for the time being.
It has three dining areas and once it’s fully up and running, Dan and Viki, say there’ll be a new menu on offer, as well as a Sunday carvery.
The pub also has six rooms for guest accommodation, some of which are also undergoing a revamp.
“We wanted to work with St Austell Brewery; the quality association is there and you know you’re getting good places and beer with them”, Dan said.
“The business has a proper family feel and it was something we wanted to be a part of.
“The location, the history, the beauty of Edgcumbe is what drew us to the pub. You’re so close to Plymouth, too; the Cremyll ferry’s right outside and in five minutes you’re in the city, with everything at your fingertips. Then in five minutes here, it’s a completely different place; it’s like you’re on an island.”
Dan and Viki have brought over five staff from their previous pub.
Viki said: “There’s massive seasonal trade and plenty of visitors but we know there’s a community here which we want to be part of; that’s really important to us.
“This won’t be a faceless business; it’ll be Dan and Viki’s pub, with the team. We’re hoping to integrate into the community, listen and do what people want.”