The community of Portloe and invited guests with long standing connections to the village’s pub joined landlord Mark Swannell recently to celebrate the Ship Inn’s 100 year anniversary as a
St Austell Brewery pub.

Staff from the past and present along with individuals with three or more generations of links with the pub were brought together to swap stories and photographs, as well as rekindle old friendships and start new ones, at an event to mark the Ship Inn’s special anniversary.

Mark Swannell, who took over the pub two years ago, explained how the event came about: “The Ship Inn holds a special place in the hearts of many people who live in the village and its 100^th anniversary as a St Austell Brewery pub seemed like a great opportunity to celebrate the strong sense of community in Portloe and thank locals for their custom.

“It was great to see wonderful old photos of some of the celebrations that have taken place in the pub over several generations and looking into the pub’s history took weeks of research and the census records provided a fascinating window on the past.  My partner Janet did a great job at making the preparations for the event and I was pleased to bring together so many old friends of the Ship Inn for a memorable evening.”

To mark the anniversary Mark Swannell and Portloe resident and St Austell Brewery Company Secretary Colin Stratton unveiled a commemorative Delabole slate plaque.

Marc Bishop, Trade Marketing Manager at St Austell Brewery, said: “Throughout Cornwall, St Austell Brewery pubs are always at the heart of the communities they serve and it’s wonderful to see a significant milestone of brewery ownership being marked in such a fitting way as a true celebration of village life.”