13-04-2025
Restaurant in Cornwall bookings rise 444 per cent as popular TV drama returns
A waterfront restaurant in Cornwall saw bookings rise by 444 per cent during the first episode of the latest BBC One series of Beyond Paradise.
The Sardine Factory, owned by chef and Great British Menu series 19 contestant Ben Palmer in Looe, was heavily featured in the episode, prompting an online rush to book at the harbourfront venue.
The online restaurant booking system saw 245 bookings made last Friday evening, compared to 45 on the previous Friday – a whopping increase of 444%.
The restaurant, which has a Michelin Bib Gourmand, was a central focus of the first episode in series three, where DI Humphrey Goodman's partner, Martha Lloyd (played by Sally Bretton), opens up her new venue of business venture Ten Mile Kitchen.
The exterior of the restaurant during filming (Image: BBC) Cornish fans of the show were tickled by a traditional Devon versus Cornwall scone stand-off during one of the scenes, where two police detectives from either side of the border are seen to be battling it out while layering on jam and cream in opposite orders – the Cornish officer naturally going jam first.
There was further drama in the restaurant during the season opener, when Martha's mum Anne (played by Barbara Flynn) has a fall in the kitchen, prompting Chef Ben to call out humorously to his chefs on social media: 'Who forgot to mop up the spill guys?!'
The series, which is headed up by Kris Marshall as DI Humprey Goodman, is showcasing areas of Cornwall and Devon to a wider audience on national television, with much of the series filmed in Looe.
Palmer, who also owns Traditional Greek Restaurant YAMAS on the other side of the water, said: 'It was so exciting to be approached by the BBC and asked if they could use the restaurant for filming.
'The team have done an incredible job of shining a spotlight on Looe and surrounding areas and now we are seeing an uplift in bookings a direct result. We are over the moon.
'And we will definitely be checking the kitchen floor more thoroughly for spills in the future after Anne's little slip!'
READ MORE:
Everything to know for Beyond Paradise Series 3 starring Kris Marshall
Visit to Looe, Cornwall, where Beyond Paradise is filmed
Ben, who won the starter course of last year's Great British Menu, taking his Firefly dish all the way to Paris for the banquet, recently saw two of his recipes featured in the Great British Menu 20th anniversary recipe book which was published in January.
Season 3 of Beyond Paradise continues tonight (Friday) on BBC One at 8pm.
