Tom Cobley and all toast Camra award

Drinkers in the Devon village of Spreyton are toasting the success of their local, the Tom Cobley Tavern, after it was named Campaign For Real Ale National Pub of the Year.

The award is a personal triumph for licensees Roger and Carol Cudlip, who have developed their freehouse into a true community real-ale pub since taking on the business four years ago.

"This is a fantastic achievement," said Cudlip. "It's a real feather in our cap - the whole village is raving about it."

"We bought the business in 2002 with a definite game plan to build real-ale sales on the back of good home- cooked food and a community trading spirit. We could not be more thrilled about the award," he added.

The Cudlips inherited a business with flat trade and which catered for only a small clique of local customers.

"We have put in a lot of hard work and investment into the pub but we are proud of what we have achieved," he said.

When the couple arrived, the pub was barely turning over £1,500 per week but today the average weekly take exceeds £6,500.

"We sell 17 real ales, mainly sourced from West Country breweries, but we have also developed a good food trade.

"The wet:dry split is running at 50:50 so we have managed to develop a good mixed trading format and income from four letting bedrooms, with plans in the pipeline for three more," said ex-butcher Cudlip.

The pub has become an invaluable meeting place for local groups and a focal point for village community life.

"We treat all our customers as friends, which is something you can't say about many other pubs," he added. "The phone hasn't stopped ringing since the announcement and more visitors are already coming through the door," he revealed.

The Tom Cobley Tavern triumphed in a shortlist of national finalists which included Failford Inn, Failford, Ayrshire; West Riding Refreshment Rooms, Dewsbury Station, West Yorkshire and Dove Street Inn, Ipswich, Suffolk.