Ottery’s Volunteer Inn has featured in a national TV news report about the post-Covid regeneration of small towns. 

On Wednesday, January 4, BBC Breakfast reported that with more people working from home, city centres are now much quieter, while smaller towns have become busier. 

Journalist David Sillitoe visited Budleigh Salterton and then Ottery, where he focused on the Volunteer Inn, run by Mike and Jacqui Down. 

His report featured Jacqui describing how the lunchtime trade is much busier now than in 2019, before the Covid outbreak.

Mike said: “He wanted to speak to a vibrant pub and he’d read all our reviews so he approached us for an interview. 

“They came in and they loved the place, obviously because we’d had all the refurbs, they’d read all the information about it. We didn’t sit back during Covid, we did all the work, so what with the story being about the smaller towns being more vibrant than the big city centres we fitted their bill quite nicely.  

“A lot of our regulars were here when the BBC were filming so it was interesting for them as well. 

“It’s a big positive for us because of all the work we put in through Covid, it’s a big thumbs-up for us I think.”