Since Beyond Paradise first aired in 2023 as a spin-off of Death in Paradise, viewers have been drawn to its beautiful filming locations. Many fans have visited Cornwall to explore the fictional town of Shipton Abbott and walk in the footsteps of their favorite characters.
One popular location is the Ten Mile Kitchen, the cafe opened by Martha Lloyd (played by Sally Bretton) in the show. This is actually filmed at The Sardine Factory, a real restaurant run by Chef Ben Palmer.
After the show aired, fans flocked to the restaurant, and online bookings shot up—rising from just 45 in one week to a massive 444% increase in April after season three began in March.
Read More: Looe in Cornwall Sees Tourism Surge Thanks to Beyond Paradise
Despite this big success, Chef Ben told the Express that not everyone in the local community has been happy with the sudden rush of new visitors.
You get a lot of kickback from a lot of locals saying, ‘we don’t want more people coming to town.’
The 2024 Great British Menu champion said
But the truth is, tourism is really important for restaurants. We depend on visitors coming in, enjoying a meal, and having a great time with us.
And then the busier we are, the more jobs we’re creating for people to come in and get into the industry. We’re creating jobs for the younger generation, we’re busy enough to put them through college and keep apprenticeships, so it’s all a big kind of knock-on effect
the restaurateur added
Ben started the restaurant in 2018 as part of a larger project to revitalize the area, which also included the construction of a museum in the town.
The beautiful scenes of Looe’s beach and harbour are shown throughout season three, helping to make this seaside town a top holiday spot in the UK and turning The Sardine Factory into a popular place for tourists.
The restaurant’s menu—featuring dishes like smoked haddock scotch egg, oysters, seaweed butter, and traditional fish and chips—shows its connection to the Cornish fishing town. It focuses on local, seasonal ingredients and offers plenty of sustainable fish options.
Source: Express.co.uk