Famous cider bar landlord dies after long illness

TRIBUTES have been paid to the larger-than-life landlord Richard Knibbs, who made Newton Abbot’s unique Cider Bar one of South Devon’s best-known hostelries.

Mr Knibbs has died having been ill for some time. One Cider Bar visitor wrote on social media: “Sad news indeed, a good oldfashioned landlord with a hidden heart of gold, and like the cider a very dry sense of humour.”

Another added: “The Legend that was Knibbsy – a man whose word was Law in the Cider Bar.”

Mr Knibbs took on the Cider Bar in East Street in the early 1970s and ran it until the lease changed hands in 2015. It was famed for selling only ciders, perrys, wines and soft drinks.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) once chose the bar as its National Cider and Perry Pub of the Year, praising its ‘friendly and knowledgeable’ staff, ‘formidable’ cider heritage and ‘impressive’ range of produce.

Mr Knibbs said he had been ‘blown away’ by the accolade.

CAMRA described the bar as a rare example of a traditional cider house which harked back to a bygone era but still welcomed people of all ages, locals and visitors alike.