A South Hams landlord has been revealed as one of four independent business owners that have been painted by royal portrait artists for a new public exhibition at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery.
Simon Dafforn-Jones, landlord of The Ferry Boat Inn in Dittisham, near Dartmouth, has been painted by acclaimed artist Jamie Coreth.
In 2022, Coreth painted the first official joint portrait of Prince William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales (then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).
Simon’s portrait is part of Local Royalty, a campaign by Coca-Cola Great Britain recognising the contribution independent businesses make in their local communities.
The exhibition will be open to the public to November 1 at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
The exhibition depicts Simon alongside three other local business owners who have been immortalised in a manner historically reserved for royalty, titans of industry and stars of stage and screen, in recognition of the often under-appreciated impact of local businesses on Britain’s high streets.
Coreth has also painted HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.
Simon Dafforn-Jones, or ‘Slugger’ to the locals, has run The Ferry Boat Inn for almost 20 years, after taking over the pub with his father.
Having grown up just down the road, Simon is proudly Devon born and bred, and has helped make it one of South Hams’ most revered pubs.
Simon reflects on the process: "This is one of those moments you never expect.
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To be chosen for Coca-Cola's Local Royalty Campaign is a huge honour, and I want to share it with every member of staff who's helped build this pub into what it is.
It means a lot that this recognition will shine a light on our little corner of the region too."
Jamie Coreth, portrait painter to HRH The Prince & Princess of Wales, said: “Honouring everyday people is a continuation of the same tradition that portrait painters have engaged in for centuries.
“As soon as I went to meet Simon, and saw the pub, I understood why he was chosen by Coca-Cola.
“It’s an appealing place to go and spend some time, and clearly a central part of the local community.”
The portraits come as new research* from Coca-Cola Great Britain reveals that 79 per cent of the public believes that the contributions of independent business owners to their local communities is underappreciated.
Most tellingly, 31 per cent said they would struggle to live without pubs, with 49 per cent, 37 per cent and 35 per cent saying the same of corner shops, cafés and pubs.
Each business owner will also receive a donation for a local charity of their choice and the finished portrait, which they can display in their home or business and pass down through their family for generations.
Simon has chosen Dart RNLI, an inshore search and rescue service located on the River Dart in Dartmouth.
Dave Nicoll, Fundraising & Partnership Lead at RNLI, South West Region added: “The RNLI at Dart is indebted to Simon for selecting our charity to receive this donation. Simon, his staff and customers are longstanding supporters of our volunteer lifeboat crew and the lifesaving work they carry out”
Local Royalty celebrates the contribution independent business owners make to their local communities and the vital role they play on Britain’s high streets.
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