It had fallen on hard times before being taken over by a Silicon Valley multi-millionaire
17:57, 07 Jun 2025Updated 17:57, 07 Jun 2025
The Farmers Arms(Image: Google)
A pub in a Devon village owned by Silicon Valley millionaires has been named best in the UK. The Farmers Arms in Woolfardisworthy, North Devon, was bought by millionaires Michael and Xochi Birch in 2015.
The extraordinary story of how the couple decided to inject some of their vast fortune into a Devon passion project is well documented. Michael, who made his fortune founding social media sites including Bebo, has ancestral ties to the area and with money to spare after selling the social networking site for £627 million ($850 million) in 2008 decided to get back to his roots.
Now the couple’s work is starting to show some reward with Visit Britain bestowing the title of Pub of the Year 2025. The Grade-II listed Michelin-starred spot was founded on an ethos of locally-sourced produce and farm-to-table service, with ingredients grown on a 90-acre estate also bought by Michael and Xochi around a decade ago.
The San Francisco-based couple have spent years on a renovation project that also includes the local fish and chip shop, village shop and post office.
The hefty investments into local businesses have helped to inject new life into the village, which has a population of just over 1,000 – although locals had mixed feelings when a dilapidated village shop was given a posh makeover two years ago, reports The Express.
Michael’s great-great grandfather built the Woolfardisworthy – also known as Woolsery – village shop decades before, and it remained in the family for over 50 years until it was sold in 1961. He now lives in San Francisco but can trace his links to Devon back to the 1700s.
His relatives are buried in the small graveyard there and his grandmother was even born above the village shop.
Xochi and Michael Birch at home in San Francisco(Image: North Devon Journal)
As well as scooping the top prize at Visit England’s hospitality excellence awards for 2025, The Farmers Arms has proved a hit with locals and holidaymakers alike, and has a 4.7-star TripAdvisor rating to prove it.
Its menu, which ranges in price from £10 to £36, includes Birch Farm Scotch Egg, Exmoor Roast Beef sandwiches and Nettle and Ramson Dumplings with egg, asparagus and madeira.
One recent visitor said they had enjoyed “the best Sunday lunch we have ever had” at the spot, describing each course as “immaculate … beautifully sourced, perfectly cooked food”.
Another added: “We were utterly charmed by the cosy, relaxed atmosphere, stylish decor, attentive and friendly staff who went above and beyond to provide an exceptional experience and outstanding, home-cooked food.”
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