Refusing to call time on Pyworthy’s pub, a determined husband and wife team has turned around the fortunes of The Molesworth Arms. Sharon Goble stayed overnight to find out more
Kit and Monique Hepple never intended to run a pub. They never intended to buy a pub. So, what did they go and do...?
When they came across The Molesworth Arms in 2015, it was looking more than a little sorry for itself: closed up, boarded up and no longer at the heart of village life. But they could see the potential of this abandoned watering hole and took a calculated gamble. Their decision changed their lives and the pub’s fortunes.
Fast forward more than seven years to a warm and welcoming hostelry with an eclectic, revamped interior, serving top-notch home-cooked food, much of it grown organically by Monique in a nearby polytunnel. New Zealander Monique is a landscape gardener and her horticultural skills are also evident in the pub’s courtyard beer garden. Here, she’s created a subtle planting scheme and added interesting touches, like putting small collections of rusty tools within old picture frames to make inexpensive wall art.
Monique and Kit had no previous experience running a hospitality business, but you’d never know from their friendly and relaxed manner. They are natural hosts, inventive cooks and convivial company. If you’re seeking the standard fare served in pub kitchens up and down the country, The Molesworth Arms is not for you. If you’re looking for a menu that’s a bit different and food that’s lovingly prepared on the premises using fresh, seasonal ingredients, you won’t be disappointed.
My husband and I had a delicious meal, complemented by a lovely Italian red wine (Appassimento from Casa Vinironia). Kit suggested we try the ‘special’ of stuffed courgette flowers, picked that day in the polytunnel. Cooked in light tempura batter and stuffed with ricotta, lemon zest, Parmesan, chilli flakes and red pepper, they came with a colourful side salad including nasturtiums - a lovely start to our meal.
The Moroccan lamb shoulder with spiced chickpea and tomato sauce, sprinkled with toasted almonds was tender and aromatic and the spiced aubergine goulash topped with fried wild rocket, was another great choice. We rounded off dinner with a perfect combo of sticky toffee pudding and salted caramel ice cream - to die for!
The pub interior has been cleverly refurbished to make a more useable and attractive space, lightening up the walls and paintwork and upcycling the original furnishings wherever possible. The old slate floor and dark overhead beams retain a sense of history, but (thankfully) the dated horse brasses over the bar are no more and, overall, it has a contemporary rustic feel befitting a village pub. A word of warning: they don’t accept dogs, but the friendly village cat is often to be found on the premises!
There are two comfortable and charming ensuite rooms upstairs. We stayed in the recently finished one-bedroom garden flat with a fully-fitted kitchen diner, living space and shower room. As we were only staying one night, Kit and Monique made us breakfast, served upstairs in a new rooftop dining room adjoining their own living accommodation. Again, the decor was stylish and reflected Monique’s love of plants with a botanical-inspired feature wall. Breakfast was beautifully set out: fresh juice, a choice of cereals with fruit and yoghurt, followed by a satisfying cooked breakfast - before we hit the road.
It’s evident that sustainability and reducing waste are important to Kit and Monique. They grow as much as they can, source their meat and fish from local suppliers and employ a small team of local helpers. Kit is a parish councillor so the pub and its owners are now very much at the heart of this small rural community.
Pay a visit
The pub’s winter opening hours are Thursday to Saturday from 6pm for evening meals and Sunday roasts from 12.30 to 4pm. Thursday evening is Pie Night. Booking ahead is highly advised due to a limited number of covers.
The pub offers self-catering culinary breaks in its self-contained one-bedroom flat (two nights minimum). The garden flat attached to the back of the pub has its own semi-covered courtyard area, complete with an outdoor kettle BBQ/smoker and a wood-fired pizza oven. Kit and Monique offer guidance on pizza making and a starter ‘pizza pack’ for guests to conjure up a unique al fresco cooking experience.
