Despite lending criteria remaining tight, banks are still keen to lend in the pub sector, according to Christie Finance, the specialist commercial finance broker, which tripled the number of pub buyers it secured funding for in the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2009. Further pressure on banks to free up funding and the introduction of the Enterprise … [Read more...]

Acting jointly on behalf of Whitbread, Christie + Co and Gerald Eve have sold the freehold of the Ashley Hotel in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, to Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, for an undisclosed sum. Located one mile from Worksop town centre, the Ashley Hotel is a substantial detached property comprising a 32-cover public bar, a circa 140-cover dining room, and two … [Read more...]

Acting on behalf of Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company, Christie + Co has sold the freehold of O’Donoghue’s in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, to Great Heck Brewing Company Limited, for an undisclosed sum, off an asking price of £175,000. Situated in a densely-populated area, just off Wakefield’s main retail and licensed area, O’Donoghue’s is a traditional wet-led pub … [Read more...]

Acting on behalf of owners Stephen and Antonia Bournes, Christie + Co is marketing the freehold of the award-winning Southwold Pier, one of the finest examples of a pier to be found in the British Isles, with offers in region of £6 million sought. Planning permission has been granted to develop a luxury five-storey, 30-bedroom hotel on the pier, which would be the first … [Read more...]

Despite the continuing challenging conditions facing the on-trade in the UK, running a pub continues to be an attractive proposition, with over 60% of the closed freehold sites sold by leading specialist agents Christie + Co, since the start of the year, reopening as pubs. Of the remaining circa 40%, the majority have been acquired for alternative use, either for residential … [Read more...]