Award-winning Paternoster Farm restaurant to close, blaming council for ‘exhausting’ uncertainty

Award-winning Pembrokeshire restaurant Paternoster Farm is to close by the end of April, with owner Michelle Evans blaming “exhausting and emotionally draining” uncertainty over the farm’s tenancy with Pembrokeshire County Council.

The team will relocate their acclaimed hospitality operation to The Old Point House pub in Angle, just six miles away, and have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the move.

Paternoster Farm, set in a former milking parlour in Hundleton, gained national recognition for its sustainable ethos and daily-changing set menu, earning praise from The Times and a place in the Good Food Guide for three consecutive years.

However, the future of the restaurant was thrown into doubt after Pembrokeshire County Council gave notice that it would not extend the farm tenancy. According to owner Michelle Evans, a former solicitor, the council’s subsequent actions have made staying impossible.

“Twelve months have elapsed since the Authority advised our tenancy would not be extended,” Evans said in a statement. “We were given hope when a full council meeting unanimously voted to uphold our petition and, in doing so, accepted that the County Farm Policy was not fit for purpose. An urgent policy review was agreed, yet almost eight months later that review has not begun. It has become apparent we are looking at years, not months, before a longer-term decision is made.”

She described the past year as “exhausting and emotionally draining for our whole family and our team.”

The opportunity to take over The Old Point House in Angle offered long-term security. The move is also a personal one for Evans, who grew up in the village. “This peninsula is home,” she said.

The new venue will feature a pub menu with handmade classics like pies and Scotch eggs, alongside an evening restaurant menu in the same style that won Paternoster Farm its loyal following. A new bakehouse will also be created.

The team has launched a public Kickstarter to help fund the move, offering rewards including opening night tickets and private hire packages. The last day of service at the current Paternoster Farm location will be Friday, 17th April, with a closing party planned for the 18th.

Petition over Paternoster Farm eviction triggers council debate on future of county farm policy

The petition was launched by tenants of Paternoster Farm, near Hundleton, who are facing eviction at the end of their 10-year tenancy. The farm is home to a Good Food Guide-accredited restaurant, run by former solicitor Michelle Evans, which has earned national acclaim for its seasonal set menu and community-focused ethos.

The restaurant, located in the farm’s old milking shed, has featured in the Good Food Guide for the past three years and holds a 4.5-star rating on Tripadvisor. It was recently described by the Sunday Times as “a rural gem reinventing Welsh dining.” Dishes are crafted from ingredients grown on the farm or sourced from local producers, with a £58 set menu of sharing plates that reflect the seasons.

Michelle Evans, who runs the restaurant, said: “It is bittersweet that the week we are reviewed by the Sunday Times, we share with you the news that we will be closing the restaurant later this year.”

She confirmed that the family’s tenancy will not be renewed by Pembrokeshire County Council, and that the farm has already been offered to a new tenant. “This is not just our business, it’s our home too,” she added. “Opening a restaurant is hard enough, without having to start over again after only four years of trading.”

Supporters of the farm have been encouraged to write to the council’s County Farm Estates department, with Michelle highlighting the wider impact of the business on local suppliers, holiday lets and community life.

The petition, submitted by Leum Evans, calls for:

• A motion of no confidence in the county farm policy and estate department
• An independent review of farm policy
• A debate on the future of the county farm estate
• Exploration of how public procurement could link county farms to school meals

It argues that current policy fails to support farm diversification, community integration, or local food networks. “If county farm policy does not support and encourage our type of farming enterprise… then it cannot possibly be said to be fit for purpose,” the petition states.

In response, Pembrokeshire County Council defended its approach, stating that the farm estate exists to provide a pathway into farming for newcomers. A council spokesperson said: “Tenancies are not for life but are for a fixed term, to enable tenants to ‘move on’ to larger farm holdings. The 10-year lease entered into with Michelle and her family reflected this policy, and they have now been offered a tenancy at a larger council farm holding.”

Under council rules, any petition that receives 500 or more signatures qualifies for a full council debate. The Paternoster Farm petition closed with 1,822 signatures, ensuring it will be discussed at a future meeting.

The public debate is expected to reignite questions about the role of council-owned farms in supporting sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and community-led enterprise.

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