British internet tycoon, 48, who made £650m by selling social network Bebo to AOL restores a dilapidated country pub he used to visit with his grandmother to its former glory ‘with a few unexpected surprises’
- Michael Birch OBE made £650million ($850 million) when he sold Bebo to Internet giant AOL a decade ago
- Was saddened to see The Farmer’s Arms in Woolsery, Devon, close as he often visited the village as a child
- Dream to bring the pub ‘back to life’ with the help of villagers has now been achieved, with a brand new look
A mega-rich British internet tycoon has transformed a dilapidated English country ale house he used to visit as a child into a dream gastro pub.
Michael Birch OBE, who made £650million ($850 million) when he sold Bebo to AOL a decade ago, was saddened to see The Farmer’s Arms in Woolsery, Devon, closed.
The San Francisco-based Brit, 48, would often visit the village as a child due to links to his grandmother.
The Farmer’s Arms in Woolsery, Devon, before the conversation. The dilapidated building up a tarpaulin over its thatched roof – which had already been covered with moss due to a lack of maintenance
Michael Birch OBE, (seen on the right with his wife, Xochi, who made £650million ($850 million) when he sold Bebo to AOL a decade ago, oversaw a dramatic conversion of The Farmer’s Arms into a pub and restaurant (left). Images undated
The San Francisco-based Brit, 48, would often visit the village as a child due to links to his grandmother, and was delighted to make it into a community hub once again
The interior includes plenty of snug seating next to roaring fires. Mr Birch said after the conversion: ‘We really want this village to thrive’
The low-ceilinged bar opens up into this spacious dining area, where some of the tables are lined up along a leather bench
Old portraits, a roaring log fire and plenty of exposed stonework offer a glimpse into how the pub looked decades ago before it fell into disrepair
Mr Birch and wife Xochi have also bought the manor house in the village, which they plan on turning into a hotel, and the fish and chip shop, which they reopened in 2016. Pictured: The eating area of the redeveloped pub
Mr Birch described the new pub and restaurant (pictured) as inspired by British traditions of hospitality but ‘with a few new surprises’
The pub has been kitted out with a replica horse’s head on the wall and modernist furnishings, including this chandelier
He stepped in and bought the inn with the plan of restoring it to its former glory after seeing a campaign by villagers to save the pub.
His dream to bring the pub ‘back to life’ has now been achieved, with a brand new look.
The historic building had suffered neglect for many years, but has now been sensitively reimagined, the fallen through roof re-thatched, the walls rebuilt, and reclaimed oak floors laid.
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Mr Birch said: ‘We really want this village to thrive and our long-term goals are to preserve the historical architecture of the village, bring back its energy and vitality and in turn create employment opportunities.
‘We’re extremely excited to open The Farmer’s Arms, offering a warm and friendly pub celebrating the best of British pub tradition with a few unexpected surprises.’
Mr Birch and wife Xochi have also bought the manor house in the village, which they plan on turning into a hotel, and the fish and chip shop, which they reopened in 2016.
The pub combines traditional furnishings (left) with designer touches, such as this window which looks onto a pile of stones (right)
A close-up of the decaying thatched roof – which had plants sprouting out of it – prior to being redeveloped by Mr Birch
Another fireplace inside the more traditional part of the pub, where the floors are lined with large stone tiles
One of the bars in the newly redeveloped pub – where the low ceilings and exposed timber beams give a glimpse of its long history
The same room viewed from the opposite angle, and showing one of the old building’s many stone fireplaces
The pub has now been sensitively reimagined, the fallen through roof re-thatched, the walls rebuilt, and reclaimed oak floors laid. Pictured is the snug area by the bar (left) and one of the dining areas
The historic building had suffered neglect for many years. It is pictured from the street outside before the redevelopment
A sign on the wall of The Farmer’s Arms when it was still dilapidated and waiting for someone to redevelop it
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