I’d heard many good things from various friends about The Royal Oak Inn. Strangely in every conversation the same words kept cropping up: ‘generous’, ‘warm’ and ‘fun’. Some were impressed by the location of the pub overlooking a charming village green, rubbing shoulders with the parish church of St Peter, a stone’s throw from Burrator Reservoir and Drakes Trail and residing on National Cycle Route No 27. Some commended the way in which the pub had strictly retained essences of its past as a former 15th-century church house inn with flagstone floors, low-beamed ceilings and a large open fireplace, not to mention the old pews used for seating drawn from the adjacent church.

Some recalled fond memories of chocolate fountains, skittles, fire engines and face painting from Meavy Oak Fair, a long-running event held every June, with which the pub has been long involved. Some spoke of live music events, Morris dancing, curry clubs, quiz nights and fish and chip suppers. Others waxed lyrical about wholesome dishes and belly-bursting portions. ‘I’m forever getting told off by friends for serving huge dishes,’ smiled owner and chef Stephen Earp, ‘but I like being generous – people come back as they know they get great value for money!’

In just under two seriously hard-working years, married couple Stephen and Julie Earp, under the keen eye of Burrator Parish Council, have ensured that the pub has enjoyed continued success. The Royal Oak is unusual in that it is a free house owned by Burrator Parish Council, as Stephen explained: ‘I answer to the Council and there’s an Inn Committee that meets monthly. We have the lease to run the business as we see fit, and they are the custodians looking after the pub for future generations. The money we pay as the tenant goes back into the village. The village supports the pub because the pub supports the village.’

Undoubtedly, such positive community spirit and tradition are abundant in Meavy. The pub overlooks the well-tended village green, which hosts a magnificent split oak tree that takes centre stage. As the name suggests, The Royal Oak Inn is inextricably linked to the tree, which is believed to have been planted in the reign of King John (1166–1216). History has it (or rather tale tells) that King Charles once found himself in a bit of a pickle due to the advances of ferocious pursuers. However fate and the oak tree were on his side that day when he hid in the split in the base of the tree until all was clear. Thus, the tree is said to have saved the King, the country and – more importantly – Meavy and the pub from ruin with the name The ‘Royal Oak’ Inn being born! Such stories are all part of the pub’s charm, with ghost stories playing their part too. ‘A well-known clairvoyant popped in recently and had a couple of coffees. Suddenly she went weird and starting waving her arms about. I asked if the coffee was OK, she said yes, the problem was she could sense a lady with heavy perfume standing on the landing upstairs! I told the clairvoyant to tell her I’d be up in a minute and mine was second on the left!’ laughed Stephen.

Such jokes are also the norm. There seems an unmentioned code that as long as everyone plays their part, the pub can be enjoyed by everyone – staff and customers alike. ‘I was once told by a local that the pub has all the right ingredients to run itself; a beautiful location, great food, great customers and caring staff, so you can’t help feeling happy here, fun is an integral part of daily life,’ added Stephen.That said, there is a serious side to Stephen and Julie: they seriously know about the pub trade. Stephen has been in the business for 20 years and together they have been running pubs for 15. It therefore doesn’t come as a surprise that they illustrate an innate understanding of the pub and its place in the community. However, such is their presence in the village with their children Matthew (13), Rebecca (11) and Imogen (3), it does come as a surprise when you realise they have only been running the pub for just under two years. ‘We feel a natural part of the community. We fell in love with the pub when we first saw it and we applied to run it without a second thought. It’s a dream come true for all the family!’