THE MAN who started the Horn of Plenty restaurant at Gulworthy has died at the age of 92.

Patrick Stevenson began his working life as a cadet on the Southern Railway. He volunteered to join the army in 1940 as a Royal Engineer and saw active service in India and France.

At the end of the war, having achieved the rank of captain, he returned home to Fareham, Hampshire. Finding no jobs on the railways, he began a career as an opera singer which saw him perform around the world and at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with such singers as Beniamino Gigli.

During this time he met Sonia Cox, a young violinist 20 years his junior, whom he married in 1956.

The couple had two sons, Toby and Sinclair, and moved to Devon in 1966 to open a new restaurant called the Horn Of Plenty. The business rapidly established itself as a major culinary landmark, going on to be named Restaurant Of The Year in 1977 by Egon Ronay.

After 24 years of running the restaurant, Sonia and Patrick sold the business in 1990 and eventually moved near to Liskeard.

Mr Stevenson died peacefully at home after a short illness. With him to the end was Sonia, to whom he had been married for more than 50 years.

The funeral will be at Menheniot Church tomorrow (Friday) at 2pm.