Finalist in North Devon Business Awards

Finalist in North Devon Business Awards

The Carlton Named Finalist in North Devon Business Awards 

We’re thrilled to be named a finalist in the 2025 North Devon Business Awards for our collaborative 
work with William Pearce & Son Funeral Directors. Together, we’ve created an innovative new 
service—an Alternative Funeral Celebration—right here in Ilfracombe. 
North Devon Business Awards
Award Finalist: Celebrating Innovation in Collaboration 
We’re delighted to share that The Carlton has been shortlisted as a finalist in the North Devon 
Business Awards 2025, under the Innovation category. 
Our nomination recognises a joint initiative with fellow Ilfracombe business, William Pearce & Son 
Funeral Directors. This partnership has introduced a unique and community-focused service to the 
local area, expanding what both businesses offer and how we support our customers. 
North Devon Business Awards
What’s innovative? 
Together, we’ve developed an Alternative Funeral Celebration—a new approach to marking the 
end of life. These gatherings take place at The Carlton, offering families and friends the option of a 
non-traditional, more personal venue to honour their loved ones. 
Each event is thoughtfully tailored, providing a welcoming space outside of religious settings or 
crematoriums. With the nearest crematorium located in Barnstaple, this option has proven valuable to 
local families seeking a closer, more convenient, and meaningful alternative. 
Organised by local funeral director Joel Rutherford of William Pearce & Son, the services have been 
held at the hotel for just over a year and continue to receive positive feedback. 
North Devon Business Awards
Find out more 
For service enquiries, please contact William Pearce & Son, who handle all end-of-life  celebration 
arrangements.
For catering and venue details, please speak to Eliot at The Carlton. 
 
Contact details
William Pearce & Son, 3 Wilder Road, Ilfracombe EX34 8BL
Tel: 01271 862242 
The Carlton Hotel, Runnacleave Road, Ilfracombe EX34 8AR
Tel: 01271 862446 
We’re a North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Business Partner

We’re a North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Business Partner

What is the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere?

The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere is part of a global network of UNESCO biospheres that connects communities around the world to pioneer a positive future for all. Together the network covers 5% of the earth surface and is home to 250 million people.

The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere is an important meeting place of rich natural and cultural heritage in a stunning, diverse landscape. From the red deer of Dartmoor, along our meandering rivers, past historic coastal communities, to the diversity of our marine environment stretching beyond Lundy Island.

The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere provides an open forum for bringing people together to inspire a positive future and aims to connect people to their natural surroundings; to empower them to unlock their potential and using their local and scientific knowledge, to model solutions for sustainable living. Through positive action, it creates practical solutions to realise a low carbon society and address the climate/nature emergency.

 

What is the Biosphere Business Partner scheme?

The Biosphere Business Partner Scheme provides the opportunity for businesses to share that they are proud to be part of the world class area, by being part of a sustainable business network that looks after the very assets that attract 80% of the visitors, as well as each other.

Each signed up business chooses at least 5 commitments to work towards and are then placed into a network of businesses to share knowledge, experience, and develop ideas for the area.

Our commitment:

The Carlton has committed to installing bat boxes on the east facing annex wall, and also planting a small grass and wildflower meadow to the rear, under our exiting apple tree. Follow us for updates as we start these projects this spring.

2021 Travellers’ Choice Award Winners!

2021 Travellers’ Choice Award Winners!

It’s not often we like to blow our own trumpet, especially considering the challenges over the last 15 months, however we are absolutely delighted to have received the 2021 Travellers’ Choice Award for Hotels from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel platform.

This means that our 19th century Ilfracombe hotel has been named among the world’s top 10%, reaffirming that North Devon should be one of the must visit UK destinations for everyone.

Our Restaurant

“Given the background of the last 15 months, it’s challenging to get an award like this. It’s special.”

“I think the fact that this award was due to the reviews of our customers means more in a way. It’s a more direct award because the direct feedback of our customers, many of whom return here, means a lot to us.”

Eliot Seabourn-Wren, co-owner of the Carlton Hotel for five years.

We know we’re a hidden gem, we’re so very happy that so many of our guests feel the exact same way about us, and we honestly cannot wait to see you all return to visit us this year.

We’ve been unable to trade for most of the year so far, so we opened up our Brasserie for food deliveries to local residents, it’s been a hit! Again, we don’t always blow our own trumpet, but our food is rather good.

Food from our Brasserie

“We are having people come in after eating one of our delivery meals and wanting to enjoy the food again in-house. There is a strong, loyal crowd that want to help our local businesses and I feel this award just reinforces that.”

“We are a classic hotel business in that we aren’t just welcoming to visitors, but also to our local customers. When we had Sunday lunch last week, we had a really good crowd and the majority of them were local.”

Eliot Seabourn-Wren

Tripadvisor spokesperson, Hayley Coleman, said: “Congratulations to the Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe for its win in the 2021 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels. The past year has been extremely challenging for the tourism industry but businesses like the Carlton Hotel have adapted to ensure that they continue to deliver a top rate service to their guests.”

“The Travellers’ Choice Awards highlight the places that are consistently excellent – delivering quality experiences time and time again even while navigating changing customer expectations and new ways of working. Based on the quality and quantity of reviews from customers over the past year, this award speaks to the great service that the Carlton Hotel provided guests in the midst of a pandemic,”

“I think everyone is looking forward to a great couple of months. We are looking forward to delivering great service to our regular customers and give them an opportunity to relax after what has been a challenging year.”

Eliot Seabourn-Wren

So, please do come and visit us this year, whether local or from afar, we welcome you to enjoy our gem of a Victorian hotel and fantastic restaurant, in the lovely coastal town of Ilfracombe.

 

Brasserie Brings Something Special To Exmoor Food Fest 2021

January is something of a fallow month for the senses, a time for them to settle down again after the overload of the festive period. Nevertheless after a chaste month, they are fit and ready for February, which is rather convenient because it’s the month the ever popular Exmoor Food Fest launches. Prompted by extenuating circumstances perhaps, it returns for not one, but two months of North Devon culinary delights and discounts.

The Brasserie at The Carlton in Ilfracombe reprises its role as a partner restaurant in this Taste of Exmoor experience and brings its own sumptuous offering to the table in the form of an exclusive menu which celebrates the best of North Devon local produce. The added ingredient of a great deal, in the form of an ExFF201 discount in February and March, will be extra palatable to diners. 

Fans of the Brasserie will be aware of the pride that is taken in the provenance of the food prepared in the kitchen by patron, Eliot Seabourn-Wren. He specialises in simple dishes which accentuate the ingredients without overwhelming them.  “This is our second showing at the Exmoor Food Fest,” says Eliot. “We came in last year for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience so had to return! What we loved about the event is the way it acts as a focus point for all the great things happening with food in the Exmoor region. 

Naturally, great food brings out people who love great food and last year was such an interactive and rewarding experience for The Brasserie, with lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as plates arrived and many wonderful conversations around the appreciation of food.”

While last year was a case of not really knowing what to expect, this year The Brasserie returns with a menu offering that has a clear vision for what it wants to offer diners.  The past few months have seen Eliot and his kitchen team planning a menu that offers depth, flavour and truly represents the diversity of ingredients the region brings to the winter pantry.

“For this year’s Food Fest we really are drawing on the rich resources available to us as a North Devon based kitchen,” says Eliot. “We are genuinely excited about this menu, which combines the best that land and sea has to offer. Our selection of meat comes from local North Devon farms – including Exmoor raised beef – which have been handpicked for quality and high animal welfare standards. The menu also features items which make the most of game, with dishes bringing out the richness of venison and fowl. As for the fish, it doesn’t come much fresher than a catch caught by boats which set off from the town’s harbour!”

Vegetables come with local provenance too, many of them supplied from the Great Field in the village of Braunton, whose fertile ground has been worked since medieval times.  The Carlton Food Fest deals also include superb vegetarian options. Furthermore, explains Eliot, “Aside from vegetarian and gluten free dishes, The Brasserie kitchen has a ‘no fuss’ reputation for adapting its dishes to accommodate diners with allergies.”

A combination of two courses – chosen from starter, mains and dessert menu options – can be enjoyed for a special Exmoor Food Fest rate of £17.50 per person, a dinner deal that is available on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings throughout February and March (and as a lunchtime option by appointment). 

To make the most of this North Devon foodie event, serious diners will be seeking a place to rest those optimised senses (in addition to well filled stomachs!), and The Carlton provides accommodation in the form of first class en suite rooms that emanate style, convenience  and relaxing comfort. Contact The Carlton by phone or email to find out about great off-season room rates, and make the most of the 2021 Exmoor Food Fest experience.