A BODMIN hotel has recently celebrated ten years of ownership by its current proprietor and success.

Le Khanh Au Duong had not heard of Bodmin when she began searching for a hotel to make her own after four years of working in Abu Dhabi - but the chance encounter has led to a decade of success, playing a vital part in the town’s community.

When she teamed up with her cousin to acquire the Westberry, Le was stepping into the unknown. She said: “I worked as a statistician in London for many years before moving to Abu Dhabi to work for Etihad Airways. After nearly four years there, I decided to return to the UK. However, rather than going back into the corporate world, I wanted to run my own business.

“Originally, I had a simple vision: to find a small B&B where I could work hard for six months of the year and then travel for the other six months. I had never been to Cornwall and had never even heard of Bodmin, but I started searching for opportunities there. Although I could not find a suitable B&B, I came across the Westberry Hotel, which was for sale at the time.

“I joined forces with my cousin Simon to take over the business. The hotel had 20 bedrooms and an onsite restaurant. Although both of us had some hospitality background, neither of us had experience running a hotel or a fine dining restaurant, so we were very much thrown in at the deep end and learned as we went along.

“To help us get started, Simon’s dad travelled down from London to train our chefs in his signature dishes, many of which we still serve today. After three years, Simon moved back to London, where he now works as a chef at a restaurant there.”

Marking a decade since the decision to begin the next chapter of her life in Bodmin, Le reflected on the milestone, continuing: “Over the last 10 years, there have certainly been ups and downs, but I have genuinely enjoyed the journey. I have learned a huge amount, and there is still so much more to learn and achieve.

“When we first took over the hotel, it was in need of significant updating. Over the years, we have invested heavily in improving the public areas, restaurant, function rooms, and all of the hotel bedrooms. Gradually, we managed to win back the support of the local community, and our restaurant has become increasingly popular through word of mouth.

“Interestingly, COVID turned out to be an important period for us for two reasons. Firstly, it pushed us to launch a takeaway service, something we had never previously considered. Secondly, it helped us clarify our ideas and develop an extensive vegan menu. Today, almost every dish on our menu has a vegan equivalent. The vegan menu has become extremely popular with vegans, vegetarians, and even many non-vegans, while the takeaway business continues to do very well.”

With the support of a loyal team, a decade later has seen Le step beyond the hotel walls and spread the taste of Vietnam to Bodmin’s neighbouring town with the launch of Maison Ca Phe, in Wadebridge.

Le paid tribute to the staff who had helped her along the way, saying: “The success of the business is largely down to our amazing team. Some of our long-serving staff members have been with us since day one and have helped guide me throughout the journey. While some staff have come and gone over the years, many have stayed with us for a long time and continue to provide outstanding service to our guests. Having such a strong and reliable team gave me the confidence to open another business recently in Wadebridge: Maison Ca Phe, a Vietnamese café.

“We have celebrated our anniversary almost every year, apart from during the COVID period, but this year marked our 10th anniversary, and the evening could not have gone better. Around 100 guests came to celebrate with us.”

At the event, Le celebrated her staff and to her surprise, one of the team’s younger members took the opportunity to pay tribute to her.

She continued: “During the evening, I gave a short speech about our journey and thanked both our staff and customers for their continued support. What I did not expect was for one of our younger team members, Rhiannon, to take the microphone and give a speech on behalf of the staff. It brought me to tears and made me incredibly proud of her. Rhiannon joined us when she was just 16 years old and was far too shy to speak to customers, so seeing her grow into such a confident young woman has been wonderful.

“To my surprise, the staff had also secretly organised a beautiful cake, flowers, and thoughtful presents, including a printed card filled with wonderful memories from over the years.

“We also held a raffle during the evening. Pearl, a five-year-old girl who is one of our regular customers and has been visiting the restaurant since before she was born, bravely came up to help draw the winning numbers. The raffle prizes included several valuable vouchers, including an overnight stay at the hotel and a £20 voucher for Maison Ca Phe.

“After the raffle, the kitchen team had all the food prepared, and our front-of-house staff served each table. The menu included Vietnamese spring rolls, tempura prawns, calamari, crispy pork bao buns, roast chicken with lemon sauce and chicken rice, along with vegan alternatives for our vegan guests.

“To finish the evening, guests were offered a selection of homemade cakes and macarons, which they could either enjoy at the event or take home. Everyone was well fed and extremely complimentary about the food.

“Looking back over the last 10 years, I feel incredibly grateful — to our staff, our loyal customers, and everyone who has supported us along the way. It has been a challenging but rewarding journey, and I am excited to see what the future brings.”