Close-knit village rallies round to save TV chef’s favourite pub

The late TV chef was a regular visitor to the Grade II-listed Tally Ho Inn and once described it as the business he “always wanted to buy”.

But more than 600 years after it started out life as a church building the historic watering hole was shuttered in 2011 to make way for new housing.

However developers soon found the close-knit community of tiny Littlehempston in Devon – population 207 – were not going to give up their 14th century boozer without a fight.

Villagers rallied around to block the sale using new “Localism” laws which gives residents first refusal on the sale of “Assets of Community Value”.

They then found nearly 100 people willing to buy shares in the Tally Ho, eventually raising the £300,000 needed to purchase and run it as a co-operative.

Residents have also donated their time to clean and renovate the historic stone and timber pub ready for a grand reopening next month.

Campaign chairman Mike Thomas said: “When the planning application to turn it into a house was published, people really got geared up in opposition. They thought we simply cannot let this happen without a fight and that’s how the campaign started.”

Mr Webley said an army of volunteers had been helping to spruce the pub up ready for a private relaunch this Friday.

He said: “It’s a historic place and the only pub around here. The villagers didn’t think it was right turning it into a house so, all credit to them, they did something to stop it.”