Unfortunately for the couple, 1989 was the start of a deep country-wide recession, which saw interest rates soar to 18%. But that didn’t stop the couple from pushing forward with their plan; it was a difficult purchase, but they were determined to make it happen.
And, with that determination, the Lodge was signed over on 9th January 1990. That said, living in such a prime location came with its own set of realities – they couldn’t afford to keep Lewinnick Lodge as a private residence. It needed to become a business.
With Jacqui’s background in hotel and restaurant management (she’d been successfully running Rumours Hotel Restaurant in Newquay since 1973) came the idea of turning Lewinnick Lodge into a licensed pub.
Yet, securing a pub license in such a remote and unconventional location proved to be anything but easy. An on-site meeting with the licensing officer took place. He sat in the bay window of the cottage (which viewed a steep drop on the cliff edge) and stated, “You will never get a licence in this location.”
For Pete and Jacqui, this was not the end – it was a challenge.
Back then, new licenses were rarely granted, and the process required support from multiple bodies, police, council, magistrates, and even local residents. But with Jacqui’s reputation as a competent businesswoman in the community, and the help of a close friend and solicitor, Gareth, they managed to find a loophole to speed up the process.
In the meantime, the Lodge opened as ‘Rumours Tea Rooms’, offering food only, and saw the place bustling with people from that very first hour of opening. With only basic facilities, Pete found himself improvising in the kitchen – learning the hard way that eggs don’t cook well in a microwave!
