Berrynarbor pub venture turns seafood dream into reality

Turning a passion into a business is a dream many people have – and for Joe Keating from Ilfracombe it’s become a reality.

Joe and his wife Jacqueline have opened ‘JnJ’s Seafood and Grill’ restaurant at Ye Olde Globe public house in the historic award-winning North Devon village of Berrynarbor.

“In today’s fiercely-competitive hospitality market, customers expect pubs to provide good quality food and this is a perfect match,” Jenny Cannon-Smith, the landlady who re-opened the pub in 2022, told the North Devon Gazette.

“Working independently, our two businesses complement each other, with Joe taking full responsibility for the kitchen and food sales, while I run the bar side of the pub.”

Introducing the new arrangement, Jenny has re-launched the village pub, unveiling a sympathetic modern blue and white-themed interior make-over, complementing the age of the property that dates back to the 13th Century.

Joe, passionate about seafood, from line fishing as a boy to preparing high-quality speciality seafood dishes, was initially self-taught as a chef under the guidance of his parents, who share their son’s love of ‘all things fish’. In recent years, Joe gained further experience as a chef locally.

“With the sea on our doorstep, people expect to find restaurants specialising in seafood, yet other than local fish-and-chip shops, there are few, if any, locally,” explained Joe. “Initially we started with the idea of providing pre-prepared barbeque fish meals for locals and self-catering holidaymakers from a professional kitchen I was creating at home. When the opportunity of taking over the fully-equipped established kitchen at the Globe arose, we grabbed it; it just all made sense.”

Initially serving food at the Globe on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday lunch ahead of the holiday season, the menus also include meat and vegetarian dishes, with all fresh produce sourced locally.

Additionally, the barbeque takeaway fish meals will be available from Easter. On other nights, the Globe will host ‘Street Food’ vendors offering a variety of food styles.