A WEST Devon pub has been named best in Britain. The Tom Cobley Tavern at Spreyton received the national accolade at an awards ceremony on Friday from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The 16th century inn is run by Roger and Carol Cudlip. Roger, a butcher in nearby North Tawton for almost 40 years, took over the pub with his wife four years ago. Since then he has turned it into a community treasure, which acts as a valuable meeting place for villagers, clubs, and sports teams. Mr Cudlip had tears in his eyes as he was presented with a shield in front of a pub packed with locals, press, and members of the North and West Devon branches of CAMRA. He put his success down to friendliness and running 'a real pub'. He said: 'We don't have any video screens or one arm bandits here. We offer a nice atmosphere and a personal service. We've built up our reputation on that. 'The secret is listening to everyone's troubles and being able to tell a good story — being involved. I also think it helps that I'm a local man.' The awards ceremony marked the start of CAMRA's inaugural Community Pubs Week, a campaign to highlight the vital role pubs play in the lives of local communities. CAMRA research reveals that community pubs are under severe threat, with an average of 56 closing nationwide every month — almost two a day. A total of 60,000 pubs were eligible to enter this year's CAMRA competition. The society's pubs director Bob Stukins said: 'Every one of the judges was extremely impressed by the standard of the Tom Cobley Tavern. It is a fantastic example of a true community pub.' Regulars who attended the award presentation agreed. Carl Wholey from Yeoford, who drinks in the pub every weekend, said: 'It's a real pub. It's hard to tell who does the serving in here sometimes. The pub serves the locals but the locals serve the pub.' Spreyton regular Lee Shipley agreed: 'So many pubs aren't proper pubs any more, but Roger's brilliant.' The pub's range of real ales came in for praise — it usually has up to 14 on offer. And its food also received accolades from CAMRA. Lee Shipley added: 'Being a butcher, Roger really knows what he's buying when it comes to meat. You'll notice there are no steak knives in this pub. That's because the steaks are so good they just melt without one.' The Tom Cobley was voted top pub in Devon earlier in the year — putting it through to the national final, where it competed against eleven other esteemed inns from around the country. This is the first time ever that a Devon pub has won the national title. Spreyton is the final resting place of Tom Cobley — the folk-song character famed for his journey to Widecombe Fair. His grave is just yards from the Tom Cobley Tavern, although some say it is the grave of the nephew of the 'real' Tom Cobley whose grave is unmarked.
