Beyond Paradise restaurant Ten Mile Kitchen owner says the show ‘isn’t all good news’
Chef Ben Palmer tells how locals really feel about his restaurant becoming a TV tourism attraction
Beyond Paradise stars Sally Bretton and Kris Humphrey(Image: BBC)
Following the triumph of the BBC’s tropical murder mystery series, Death in Paradise, its British counterpart, Beyond Paradise, debuted in 2023, with scenes shot in Looe – and is back on our screens once again.
Kris Marshall reprises his role as Humphrey Goodman from the original programme, leading a team of detectives as they investigate crimes in the fictional village of Shipton Abbott.
The popular show also explores his relationship with fiancée Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton), who has recently launched her restaurant, The Ten Mile Kitchen. In reality, the venue used for filming belongs to renowned Chef Ben Palmer, winner of the 2024 Great British Menu series.
The chef discussed how his establishment, The Sardine Factory, has become a destination for devoted fans and revealed local residents’ reactions to its newfound fame.
After featuring in the third series of Beyond Paradise, best chef winner Chef Ben witnessed a dramatic surge in bookings, with the restaurant’s system recording 245 reservations in the week following broadcast, compared to just 45 the previous week – a remarkable 444 per cent increase.
While this represented a considerable achievement for the proprietor, he acknowledged that some local residents have expressed concerns about the influx of visitors flocking to the newly popular tourist attraction.
Cornwall chef Ben Palmer(Image: BBC)
He told the Express: “You know you get a lot of kickback from a lot of locals saying, we don’t want more people coming to town, but you know what it’s so important to bring tourism to the restaurant business, we rely on it.”
Despite facing some criticism, Ben disclosed that many residents have welcomed the attraction, saying: “As locals, we were all really proud when we saw our beautiful kind of hometown on the telly, it was really kind of cool, and everybody was kind of asking, ‘where is this beautiful place?’.”
He added: “You know, we’re incredibly lucky. It kind of gives you a sense of feeling like we’re really proud that this is our hometown, and it just showcases it, making you realise how beautiful it is as well.
“It’s a lovely place, but then when you come to see it, you think, ‘my God, it is actually,’ we’re very lucky. It’s a very beautiful place, and then everybody wants to come and visit where they saw on TV, which was really cool.”
Beyond Paradise’s Ten Mile Kitchen takes place in The Sardine Factory(Image: BBC)
Ben also confessed he hadn’t anticipated the popularity of Beyond Paradise. He revealed: “I never kind of really watched it, and then obviously I thought, you know, it’s in my own town and stuff, you might catch a glimpse of someone you know. I started to watch it and, you know what? It’s pretty good.”
Ben first launched the restaurant in 2018 as part of a town regeneration scheme, which also included the creation of a local museum. The Sardine Factory takes its name from the building’s former use as an old sardine processing facility.
Beyond Paradise is back on our screens now for season four and available on BBC iPlayer
