Top 50 Gastropubs

John Hooker

Enthusiastic husband and wife duo John and Emma Hooker

Biography

John Hooker is one of the south’s top chefs, having won three AA rosettes working at Lewtrenchard Manor in Devon.

He also appeared on BBC2’s Great British Menu after his cooking at Browns Hotel in Tavistock in 2010 turned heads.

But his heart lay away from the world of fine dining and starched tablecloths.

John and his wife Emma took on the Cornish Arms in 2014 and set to work on turning into not just a great dining destination but a proper local boozer for the community.

Key dishes

  • Smoked haddock omelette
  • Braised ox cheek with horseradish
  • Cornish turbot roasted on the bone