Meet Penventon’s
Bar Manager:
Wes Arthur
Wes started with us in November 2018, and in January 2026 he was promoted to Penventon’s Bar Manager. Wes brings a passion for creativity, and a vibrant positivity that completely transforms the atmosphere of our bar in Cornwall.
Discover the story behind his journey.
What has been your journey to becoming Penventon’s bar manager?
“So I started here eight years ago and I actually started in the restaurant. About three or four years into that, I asked to swap over to the bar where I worked for a few years before being promoted to Bar Supervisor. I was in that position for a year, and then I got given the opportunity to be the Bar Manager. I’ve had the role for a very short amount of time, I’m still learning a lot with it, but so far it’s been a great journey.”
When designing a new cocktail, where do you usually begin – Is it the flavour, the season, or the story?
“It’s a bit of all three, but normally I’d say seasonal. If you take inspiration from the seasons, you can focus on your fruit flavours. For example, in spring we focus on the sweeter and more floral flavours, like lychee and rose, whereas in winter you’re looking at dark cherry and chocolate.“
What was your favourite cocktail collection created for our Quiz Nights?
“I’m sure you already know the answer, but my ‘Star Wars’ inspired cocktails are probably my greatest ones so far. Star Wars is one of my favourite franchises ever, but they’re also the cocktails I got the most positive feedback on from our guests. I also can’t forget our ‘Holly jolly’, that is probably the best one I’ve ever done, working alongside Holly. We’ve had that one for four Christmases in a row now, it’s part of the Christmas magic at Penventon.“
What would you say makes our copper bar so unique?
“I think probably the fact that it was hand crafted by Michael from The Copper Works Newlyn, it’s so unique to us. You won’t find another copper bar like ours anywhere else in Cornwall. But I also think the atmosphere of the bar fits in with the aesthetic of the hotel, the artisanal, Venetian, old story style we have.“
What makes a great bar team, in your opinion?
“We all put in the same amount of hard work, and we all work together very, very well. I’m very lucky to have the team that I have here, because before I was the manager, I was a supervisor here, so I got to know them all on a different level. And so now I’ve got a managerial position, they all know that there’s nothing that I would ask them to do that I’ve not done myself. We’re all on a very good mutual respect level.“
“Not only that, my team just constantly wants to learn. Whether it’s wine knowledge, cocktail knowledge, or even food knowledge, we’re all learning it together.”
Who is your dream guest in the hotel?
“If it was a footballer, I’d probably say Wayne Rooney. If it was an actor, it would have to be Ewan McGregor, he is my hero, or any of the Marvel cast like RDJ and Chris Hemsworth. Or if it is a musician, it would be Eminem.”
What’s your favourite spirit to work with, and why?
“I’d probably say my favourite spirit is rum, but the best one to work with is vodka, because you can put it with nearly anything. It makes it a lot easier to be creative with other flavours.“
What’s your favourite film franchise?
“If I can only pick one, it would probably have to be Marvel. As much as I love Star Wars, Marvel is so much bigger.“
Which fictional character are you most like?
“There was a book when I was a kid called Wide Awake Wesley, and my mum used to read to me, and I’d probably say that’s probably the closest character I have to me in real life. It’s literally just a book all about this kid called Wesley that couldn’t sleep at night, which is me.”
Which drink would you recommend for someone celebrating something special at the bar?
“100% it would be Moët Champagne. It is such a classy drink, perfect for any special occasion.”
What’s the most memorable night that you’ve worked so far?
“It has to be my first ever New Year’s Eve here, which was absolutely crazy. It was a surreal experience where this whole place was completely buzzing. I remember, it was an absolutely lively night, but it was one of the best New Year’s ever. I remember just thinking, if this place does this every year, it’s going to be open forever… that’s why I am so excited for what we have planned this year…[2026].”
If someone says they don’t know anything about wine, Where do you usually start with them?
“Normally, I’ll base my recommendation on the mood of the evening and their preferences. If they’re dining with us I’ll ask them what dish they’re having and help pair their wine with that. My knowledge in wine is currently growing, I’ve been given opportunities to help me progress through things like wine tastings and events. And I’m about to go to do my WSET Level 2 in Wines to further enhance my knowledge.”
We’ve had some new introductions to our draught. What are you most excited about?
“I am most excited about the Ripe, it’s a lovely introduction to lager because it is fruit infused. But I’m also very, very happy to have Madri, because there’s a reason it’s such a popular brand, and so far it’s been our best seller.“
If you could create a cocktail inspired by Penventon itself, what would it taste and look like?
“I think it would taste authentically Italian. I’d imagine citrus and lemon notes, probably including limoncello, and I would try to involve Mrs. P’s jam. Because Mrs P’s jam is completely individual to Penventon. And I would be garnish it with Mrs. Ps hand picked edible flowers from her garden.”
If you’re choosing Where To Drink in Cornwall, what’s your go to bar?
“I ironically don’t really go out and drink, but whenever I’m in Truro, we go to The Lounge. But if you’re looking for a great bar in Cornwall… the Penventon’s pretty good.”
What’s something guests would be surprised to learn about bar life?
“I mean, we’re not just a bar team. We help with functions, events, weddings, room service and almost every area of the hotel. I’ve got training and experience in kitchen, restaurant and the bar, so if anything ever happened, I could go into any of those, and a lot of my bar team have good restaurant front of house knowledge, so we help everywhere we can.“
What’s something you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?
“So we’ve just launched our new wine menu. I’m very happy as I got to sit down with the lovely people over at LWC, and so they were able to go through a lot of the wines and give us a lot of information on each of them. They’ve brought us samples, they’ve gone through tasting notes, and now a lot of our team, myself included, are about to do the WSET Level 2. So I’m very excited to learn and extend our knowledge, so we can give our guests the most information we can.“
As our Bar Manager, what’s one drink you’d love every guest to try when they visit us?
“An Espresso Martini. It’s great for everything. You can have it in the morning, lunch, and dinner. You can have so many different variations as well, salted caramel, chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut, which is something we are exploring at the moment for a very exciting project that will be launching very soon.“
Experience Our Copper Bar In Cornwall – Book Your Stay
Hollie Davies is part of the marketing team at Penventon Park Hotel. She loves all things seasonal, from crisp autumn mornings to twinkling Christmas nights. She never skips her morning coffee and finds magic in the little things that stick with you, all too well.
