Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 85

FOOD & DRINK

life

In 43 years of cooking this
was the first time I have
been recognised.
Winners of: Dining Pub of the Year 2007 The Pointer Inn
It was an emotional moment
when Paul Clark of the Pointer
Inn in Newchurch accepted
his Island Life Dining Pub
of the Year Award. “This is
the first award I’ve received
in 43 years in the industry,”
he said in his speech.
What makes him particularly
elated is that it was his
customers who voted for him.
“I’ve never put myself forward
for an award. I’ve always just
got on with what I do,” he says.
Paul, with his son Nathan,
who is the bar manager, have
run the Pointer Inn for four
years. Since he and his wife
Christine took it over, its
reputation as somewhere to
get a good meal has grown
immeasurably. “We could
have followed everyone else
who takes over a pub. We
could have bought in frozen
microwaveable meals, heated
them up and served them up to
customers. But we wanted to
cook good quality fresh food,
using Isle of Wight produce
where we could,” says Paul.

He has lived on the Island
for 26 years, and earned his
chef stripes working at the
Westridge Leisure Centre. “It
had a large dining room and
banqueting suite,” he recalls.
By contrast he later worked
on the water, taking a job
with P&O cross-channel
ferries. There he was a
chef in their prestigious
Langham’s Restaurant.
Back on dry land he did,
he said “odd bits”, before
coming to Newchurch. He
clearly enjoys having his own
business. Having his family
working alongside is a boon
too. “Christine looks after
the flowers, making sure the
place looks good all over,
and Nathan’s wife Brenda,
who originates from New
Zealand, is a teacher but helps
out when she can,” he says.
Having Nathan at the helm
of the cellar and bar keeps
everything comfortably in
the family. “Nathan is a
trained chef, but loves the
bar side of things. Being a

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net

Photo: Left - Nathan with his father Paul Clark
Fullers pub we stock natural
beers, and they take a lot
of looking after. Nathan is
aiming, eventually, to go for
the Quality Cellar award.”
Apart from the family
Paul and Christine employ
three full-time staff and two
part timers. And everyone,
clearly, works hard to satisfy
Paul’s philosophy: which is
simply to serve customers
with a good meal.
“People come here because
they are hungry and they
want to be entertained,” he
says. “I want them to go home
happy. It’s as simple as that.
I don’t want anyone to come

away and raid the fridge for a
snack when they get home.”
His style of food, he says,
is “wholesome. So customers
are well satisfied.”
Judging from the public
votes for his Inn, it’s a
fair guess that they are.
The Pointer Inn, Newchurch
01983 865202

85