Top gastropub the Butchers Arms sold by Christie & Co

16-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 16-Jan-2018 at 11:11 GMT

Top destination: The Butchers Arms was ranked in the top 10 in The Morning Advertiser's Top 50 Gastropubs list in 2017

The 16th-century gastropub, ranked eighth in The Morning Advertiser’s Top 50 Gastropub list in 2017, has been sold off a guide price of £750,000.

The Butchers Arms, located in the parish of Eldersfield on the border between Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, sits on two acres of land with a paddock and outbuilding overlooking the Malvern Hills and surrounding countryside.

The pub’s food service has grown significantly over the past decade, with the 45-cover outlet now offering a high-volume operation and strong year-round trade.

Additionally, the gastropub features a detached self-catering, double-bedroom, cottage – which previously traded as a successful holiday let - as well as three-bedroom owners’ accommodation.

New owners Mark and Jo-Anne Block purchased the pub looking for a change from their London-based lifestyle. Mark has worked as a chef in the capital for the past 20 years, where he was head chef at the Bluebird, in Chelsea's King’s Road, for seven years before working at King’s Cross’s Grainstore more recently. The couple commented: “We are very excited about this great opportunity and look forward to meeting everyone.”

Nicholas Calfe, director at Christie & Co’s Bristol office, who handled the sale commented: “Mark and Jo-Anne want to continue the business at the Butchers Arms in the same direction as it is currently operating, maintaining the excellent standard of food and keeping the warm, homely feeling that the pub brings. We wish them the best of luck with their new venture.

“Good quality freehold pubs, particularly those with letting rooms or scope to add rooms have always been in demand, so fewer opportunities available in the market place have created competition among buyers, enabling our vendors to achieve maximum price.”

The Butchers Arms’ previous owners, James and Elizabeth Winter, bought the pub through Christie & Co in 2007. Before heading off to travel the world in their vintage Volkswagen camper van, they commented: “Thank you to all our customers who have supported us over the years!”