Highly regarded Pembrokeshire smallholding restaurant Paternoster Farm will this summer transfer its operations to a remote waterside pub on the western tip of Wales.
The outfit was launched by former divorce lawyer Michelle Evans and her husband Leum during the Covid pandemic as a farm shop selling home-reared meat and pastries from their milking parlour in Hundleton. It developed into a successful restaurant serving a daily-changing set menu, but last year Pembrokeshire County Council announced the farm’s tenancy would not be renewed.
That decision was put on hold, but the Evanses have now decided to move to the Old Point House in Angle, six miles away – an old inn reputedly frequented by smugglers and pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries, and described by its previous landlord Jonathon Williams as “the best pub in the world” .
Michelle explains, “Paternoster Farm began as a small farm shop during the lockdowns – a way to sell what we were producing – and grew organically into something far bigger than we ever imagined. But over the past year, the ongoing uncertainty around our tenancy has been exhausting and emotionally draining for our whole family and our team.
“Twelve months have elapsed since the Authority advised our tenancy would not be extended. We were given hope when a full council meeting unanimously voted to uphold our petition and, in doing so, accepted that the County Farm Policy was not fit for purpose. An urgent policy review was agreed, yet almost eight months later that review has not begun. It has become apparent we are looking at years, not months, before a longer-term decision is made.
“When The Old Point House opportunity arose, we gave it a lot of thought. Ultimately it felt like such a good fit that we couldn’t turn it down; not least because it offers long-term security for the hospitality side of what we do.
“It’s also personal: I grew up here. This peninsula is home,” she adds: her grandparents farmed just across the bay and her parents still live in the village.
Plans for the new site include a cosier, more inviting interior, improved bar space and seating, a menu of bar snacks and handmade classics (including pies and Scotch eggs), and an evening restaurant menu in the same style as Paternoster Farm. There will be a dedicated bakehouse to make bread, pies, bar snacks, takeaway sandwiches and salads for the busy summer months, with the possibility of adding covered outdoor seating.
Michelle says: “We’ll be putting our own stamp on the place and making it warmer, cosier and more inviting, with a pub offer built around brilliant local produce and drinks – but with the same kind of food and welcome people associate with Paternoster, with the same great team.”
The last day Paternoster Farm is taking bookings is Friday 17 April, with a ticket-only closing party on Saturday 18 April. Tickets are available via Kickstarter as part of a fund-raising drive, with the Old Point House aiming to open in May.