'Good value, local produce that's our ethos'

LEWIS CLARKE talks to Mark Dodson about his restaurant memories and how he hopes to see The Masons Arms thrive into its next chapter

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WHEN Mark and Sarah Dodson took over The Masons Arms in the small North Devon village of Knowstone, their ambitions were modest. “There was no million-pound refurb,’ Mark says. “We took the keys on a Tuesday and opened on the Thursday”.

What followed was nothing short of remarkable: a Michelin star within six months, twenty years of continuous acclaim, and a quietly steadfast commitment to excellence that’s earned them a loyal following and national recognition.

Now, as they look to retirement, the couple reflect on two decades of running one of the UK’s most respected restaurants - and the grit, resilience, and sheer hard graft it took to get there.

FROM WATERSIDE INN TO WEST COUNTRY GEM

Before Knowstone, there was Bray. Mark spent 18 years at the Waterside Inn, 12 of those as head chef under Michel Roux. It was a training ground like no other. “It was lunch, dinner, lunch, dinner - 25 chefs in the kitchen, working for the same cause,’ he recalls. It was during that time that the restaurant earned its coveted third Michelin star.

But despite the pedigree, Mark reached a turning point. “At Cliveden, I was doing more management than cooking,” he says of his stint as executive chef at a five-star Berkshire hotel. “It was time to spread our wings.” The goal was simple: a place where the family could live and work - and cook. The Masons Arms, with its tired charm and ready-to-go layout, fit the bill.

“I came here with Sarah, a chef and my cousin, a decorator,” Mark says. “At night we were painting and tidying up. It was a soft opening, a blackboard menu, no PR.”

A MICHELIN STAR AND THE GASTROPUB WAVE

What happened next took even Mark by surprise. A glowing Telegraph review landed just weeks after opening, thanks in part to his reputation. “That really kick-started us,’ he says. A Michelin inspector visited shortly after, and then the editor. “If the editor comes, you never know what's going to happen.”