THE KESTOR INN

James

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Born local to the area in Bovey Tracey, James grew up spending plenty of time with his Grandparents at Wingstone Farm in Manaton. A local Dartmoor lad, he lived many years in Moretonhampstead, then working as the Bar Manager at the Old Inn at

Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Latterly, he spent five years at the Cromwell Arms in Bovey Tracey as Gary and Julie's Bar Manager before becoming joint owner of the Kestor.

 

"I've loved coming back to my roots and living on Dartmoor again". 

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Gary & Julie

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Having fallen in the love with Devon, Gary and Julie moved to the area in 2008 to become tenants of the Cromwell Arms in Bovey Tracey. Winning tenants of the year numerous times, were featured in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for many of those years there, and then won Great British Pub of the Year (South West) in 2014, meaning they were the national award finalists.

Julie persuaded Gary to have a look at the Kestor in the Spring of 2019, purchased it with James in the autumn of that year and so the Kestor's new story began.

Gary comes from a distinguished lineage of pub landlords; his parents owned the same pub for over 30 years, the Golden Ball at Whiston, South Yorkshire, with his Grandparents owning the Saddle on West Street, Sheffield for many years. Julie and her family are from a financial background, with both sides of her great grandparents having small businesses themselves. Her great-grandfather was the co founder of Francis Barnett Motorcycles, Arthur Barnett.