![Simon in Branscombe](/sites/www.simonjupp.org.uk/files/styles/gallery_large/public/news-gallery/449436915_870099131603558_522034648389078139_n.jpg?itok=tuJ1WwDX)
The Masons Arms, Branscombe is a brilliant pub run by a superb team, adding to the village’s beauty with its thatched roof and cosy interior.
It was great to meet the Chief Operating Officer of St Austell’s Brewery, Andrew Turner, for a chinwag earlier on at the Masons – one of the company’s pubs in the South West which has had a £2 million refurbishment.
We spoke about the challenges and opportunities in running rural pubs, and their importance in being the backbone of so many local communities.
After years of working with the industry as Chair of the Hospitality & Tourism APPG, I want to keep standing up for the fantastic pubs we have in our part of Devon and help others reopen like The George Inn in Chardstock.