Over a year ago, the shareholders of Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd (LCPL) sold the Tally Ho to Kelly and Mike Joiner, marking the end of a successful campaign to secure the future of this much loved part of the community. (The pub had shut down in 2011, but was saved from permanent closure through a community buy out.)

Once the Tally was in the safe hands of Kelly and Mike, there was no longer any need for LCPL to exist. Its mission was complete. Then began the task of de-registering, which included getting the signatures of 75% of the 192 shareholders on the Instrument of Dissolution, filling in many forms for the Financial Conduct Authority, clearing tax with HMRC and then distributing to shareholders 98.4% of their original investment.

On 5th December 2024, we finally received notice from the Financial Conduct Authority that the company had been deregistered. So all that now remains is for shareholders to get together for a party to celebrate a job well done!

After four years of running the pub very successfully as tenants, Kelly and Mike Joiner expressed an interest in buying the business outright. At the Annual Members Meeting of Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd. (LCPL) in June 2022, the majority of shareholders voted to sell the Tally to the Joiners if the future of the pub could be secured in some way. The LCPL committee then sought legal advice on how to allow the Joiners and future landlords to own and operate the Tally without restrictions, yet restrict their ability to sell the pub as anything other than as licenced premises. And also to find a sales agreement that did not hamper the Joiners getting a loan. Not an easy task.

Finally terms were agreed and shareholders voted in April this year to go ahead with the sale on the basis that the Tally would remain a pub for at least 20 years. This covenant would be overseen by Littlehempston Parish Council. On September 11th 2023 everyone breathed a sigh of relief when contracts were exchanged and Kelly and Mike became the new owners of the Tally Ho Inn.

It’s official! We have the best pub in South Devon. The Tally Ho has won the South Devon CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year 2022.

CAMRA judged the Tally Ho on the quality of its beer, food, hospitality and atmosphere, and the award is a fitting tribute to landlords Kelly and Mike Joiner, who took on the tenancy four years ago, and chef Paul Howard. Kelly said, “We feel proud to have received overall pub of the year because it reaffirms the hard work we have put in since we took it over in 2018, and the award is by people who understand the hospitality industry. The Tally Ho is very much a traditional Devon pub used not only by the villagers but by people from all of the surrounding villages plus Totnes, Newton Abbot and the Torbay area. It is as much an award for the people who support and have used us for many years as it is for us, because without their support the pub would not be a success. The pandemic and knock-on lockdowns did affect all pub businesses and the current energy crisis and inflation are still having an effect on the pub trade, but we are determined to come out the other side and still be here offering a great service to our customers for a long time to come.”

Our 14th century inn faced being turned into a private house after it was closed down in 2011, but the local community and those with fond memories of the pub clubbed together to buy the Tally, reopening it as a pub again in 2014. And in 2018, we were very fortunate to have Kelly and Mike Joiner take over the tenancy after selling their pub in New Zealand and moving to the South Hams. Congratulations to them and all the staff who provide such a warm welcome, excellent food and, of course, a fine selection of real ale. We’re very lucky to have you!

The next chapter in our pub’s history has started with the signing of a long term tenancy agreement with Kelly and Mike Joiner, who are now installed in the Tally Ho with their son, Isaac.

We are extremely fortunate that such good tenants have found us – Kelly and Mike were hunting for a community pub to run on their return from New Zealand, when they came across our advert. And they come fully prepared: they’re used to hard work, long hours and the challenge of running a rural community venue, having owned a successful bar and restaurant in a small village called Peel Forest in South Canterbury, with a strong community bias, which locals would travel miles to get to.

They’re bringing this energy and enthusiasm to Devon with a firm commitment to maintain the Tally’s reputation for good food and drink, and also with innovative ideas for entertainment and community involvement to draw in more custom. We can look forward to regular live music shows, featuring many of the very talented singer songwriters that are around Devon and the west country, along with live theatre in the pub and other events along the way.

Working with Tally chef Paul, they have devised a new winter menu that offers both good value and gourmet food, and have already created two Christmas function menus. You can find out more on the Tally Ho website and Facebook, both now run by Kelly and Mike. So please come along and introduce yourself – you’ll be given a very warm welcome from this very friendly couple and can find out more about their plans.

Four great reasons to visit the Tally in July. Four local ladies are going head to head in Littlehempston’s version of Come Dine with Me to add a bit of spice and zest to the menu at the Tally Ho. Every week throughout July, one of their signature dishes will appear on the Specials Board and customers can sample the dishes and give them a rating.

Chef Paul has already selected his favourite four from the many recipes submitted and the chosen chefs will show him how to recreate their dishes. The winner with the most points will receive a meal for two at the Tally!

The competition was launched amongst much good-humoured rivalry at the Tally Ho Pop Up bar at Littlehempston Fete. The first week in July stars Kendal Tredinnick (second left in the photo) who offers an unusual butternut squash dish, followed by Anna Ash (second from the right) who wows with a seafood recipe. Third week, Josephine Ash (far right) is in competition with Kendal to win over the taste buds of vegetarians with an imaginative veggie burger, and the final week is a Touch of Thai with Susie Dorman. Organiser Kate Rudman (far left) wished all the women good luck and suggested they get their knives sharpened!

So tickle your taste buds and Come Dine with Us – book your table by ringing 01803 862316 or use our contact form.

We’ve done it again! We are hugely proud to report that the South Devon branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has voted the Tally Ho as runner up in this year’s Pub of the Year competition.

Bob Southwell, chairman of South Devon CAMRA presented the certificate to Tally manager, Ian Bowers, on Saturday April 7th, surrounded by CAMRA members and Tally supporters. This is the third time we have won the award, which given the Tally has now been open just four years is a great achievement and a credit to all involved – our hard-working staff, the committee behind them, our brilliant bunch of volunteers and the Tally Ho’s owners (over 180 to date).

Pubs are judged not only on the quality of beer – we have some excellent local beers on tap – but also on qualities such as atmosphere, the welcome given, quality of food, the cross section of clientele, value for money and the contribution to the local community.

Only pubs that are included in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide are eligible for the Pub of the Year competition. So this Award also confirms the Tally Ho will be included in the next edition of the guide.

Tally chairman, Rob Clifford said, “We are all absolutely delighted to win this award and it just shows what can be done with a small community pub that produces local beer and good food. We are very grateful to all the CAMRA members who voted for us and CAMRA’s continued support.”

The recent snow brought Littlehempston and the Tally to a halt, but not for long. The pub was cut off all Thursday and manager, Ian, reported seeing nobody for 24 hours – rather relaxing, he confessed. But his peace was soon disturbed, when committee member Anna Ash put out the call: “Let’s keep the pub open! Ian will be serving drinks, so if you fancy putting on your snow shoes and popping round to the pub we could have some fun. Kids welcome! There’s no gas – but we can keep food hot on the electric stoves in the kitchen, so if anyone would like to make a soup or a stew and bring it along to fundraise for the new roof – that would be very welcome.” Locals appeared through the snow with home-cooked food, and £60 was raised for the roof fund from the sales of home-made soup, stews and bread. Comments afterwards included: “Thank you Anna, for organising the pub being open last night and for everyone who helped out and made such wonderful food. It was such a lovely, cosy, feel good evening. ” “Littlehempston rocks, thank you, thank you, great night!” “The Rally round the Tally spirit still lives on.” Can’t wait for the next snow-fall!

We have a new chef! Paul Howard hails from Prescot near Liverpool and has worked as a chef for over 30 years. He started his career in an Italian restaurant up north where he worked for many years before moving to chef at a 3 star hotel in Jersey, where he met and married the hotel manageress, Alison, who hails from Yorkshire. After a stint in the Lake District, where son Thomas was born (now age 13), the couple moved to the Torbay area. Son Oliver, age 9, was born in Torquay. Locally, Paul has worked at the Floating Bridge in Dartmouth and for over 10 years at the Stoke Lodge Hotel in Stoke Fleming. Paul reckons that seafood is probably his favourite type of dish to prepare – and Liverpool is his football team.

Paul loves working at the Tally and welcomes the community aspect. A new menu is in the pipeline and some exciting dishes are already appearing on the Specials Board. The Valentines Day menu proved a big hit with everybody who squeezed in at the pub. But don’t worry – old favourites won’t disappear. There’s a new addition to the end of the menu: “If you have enjoyed a dish in the past and can’t see it on the menu, please ask – chef Paul may be able to oblige!”

There’s a very favourable review in this quarter’s BEER magazine from CAMRA. In an article on community pubs, food writer Susan Nowak praised the selection of ales and range of food. She pointed out that as Littlehempston was so small, the Tally needed to be a “destination pub” drawing in customers from a wide area. Which is exactly what the management committee and Ian and Kim are working on at the moment.

Have a look at the article on our Press cuttings page.

The Tally has been selected by Dartmoor Accommodation for inclusion in their newly launched Dartmoor Real Ale Trail featuring over 35 pubs on and around the moor. Brains behind the trail, Lisa Jenkins, said “We know from people using our website that there is a thirst for information about good beer pubs in the area. Often tucked away off the beaten track, these can be hard to find so we felt a map, or Ale Trail, would be great way of solving this problem. From the dramatic high tors in the north, to the softer more rolling landscape in the south, this Real Ale Trail will help you seek out the delights of traditional real ales and good hostelries in this beautiful area.”