Christie & Co find new owner for rural Kent village inn
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co is delighted to announce the sale of The Bell Inn in Romney Marsh, Kent.
The Bell Inn is an attractive 16th century pub in the Kent village of Ivychurch which is located five miles inland from the Kent coastline. Situated in the heart of this rural village, the cosy country pub attracts a mix of locals and visitors from further afield and boasts many original features including wooden beams and a brick fireplace. The internal restaurant, bar and lounge areas accommodate up to 65 guests whilst the ample garden with sheltered area can fit another 85 within its dining space. The property also includes a four-bedroom owners’ accommodation on the first floor.
The pub prides itself on serving real ales and home cooked food and has an excellent reputation, achieving the CAMRA Pub of the Year in the Ashford, Folkestone and Romney Marsh area on four occasions between 2010 and 2016. It also plays host to a number of themed evenings, music events throughout the year, including an annual three-day Beer & Cider Festival.
The previous owners Mark and Vanda Rolfe owned the pub for 13 years and made the decision to sell to retire from the business, they comment, “We are happy that the pub sale has now completed and would like to thank James and Christie & Co for their help throughout. They have helped to push the deal through and were always on hand when needed. We now look forward to being able to do all the things we would like to.”
Christie Finance assisted the new owner, Sarah Litchfield, with the purchase. Sarah is a first-time pub operator who plans to build upon the success previously experienced at this well-run country pub.
Emma Vanson, finance consultant at Christie Finance secured the funding for Sarah and comments, “It was a pleasure to work with Sarah throughout this process. It was great to see her passion for the business and her ideas for the future of the Inn. I’m looking forward to seeing the new food Sarah introduces, and I wish her the best of luck!”
James Hughes, senior business agent at Christie & Co, handled the sale and comments, “I am very glad to have sold The Bell to the incoming buyer. The seller and buyer have both been a pleasure to work with and I cannot wait to see what the purchaser does with the pub.”
The Bell Inn was sold from an asking price of £545,000.
