Eating at Dartmouth Apprentice is an experience steeped in history – the history of an 178 year old church, St Barnabas. The Church had originally been built as an alternative to the winter crossing of Warfleet Creek to get to St Petrox Church. By the late 1960’s however, the building was falling into disrepair and by 1973, St Barnabas had closed. Its last vicar, the Reverend Harvey Phillips, said “I cannot say more of the future use of St Barnabas. We all hope for a most worthy service to the community in whatever role it may be.” We hope he would have approved of its new role.

Abandoned for several years thereafter, many thought St Barnabas was destined to be demolished. Then, in 1979, Bob Trevatt took the church over. He first used it as a workshop producing furniture and became known as a man who could help others in difficult personal circumstances. Most recently he used the Church to sell second hand books using the proceeds to support homeless people using the Church as a temporary refuge.

However, the upkeep of the building became increasingly difficult. In 2003, the South Hams District Council and Spectrum Housing (formerly Signpost Housing Group) came together to seek to develop the Church as a community facility with supported accommodation. Training For Life was approached by them in 2006 with a view to converting the Church into the planned flats for homeless people but now with a social enterprise restaurant modelled on the Training For Life celebrated restaurant in London, Hoxton Apprentice.

Since then, Training For Life, in partnership with Signpost Care Partnerships, has successfully transformed the old Church into what is destined to become an attraction and a resource as well as a significant landmark within South Hams and the wider County.

In 2009, the project was awarded ‘Heritage Project of the Year’ in the Michelmores Western Morning News Commercial Property Awards.