Award winning canalside pub in Northamptonshire gets new owner

With the building dating back to 1730, predating the canal it sits next to, The Admiral Nelson is a well-established ale house with a strong reputation for its food offering. This was recognised in its nomination as one of the top 10 waterside pubs in the UK in the Guardian, joining the range of other accolades the pub has garnered over the years. 

Internally, the pub features a lounge and bar area, games room, and dining room which caters for over 30 covers. Outside is the site’s most popular feature and a favourite spot for locals and visitors alike, its substantial beer garden fronting the Grand Union Canal, which provides seating for up to 100 people.

The previous owners, Mark & Pam Davis and Liam Evans, were instrumental in building the business, which prides itself on offering a selection of real ales and quality home cooked meals. They decided to sell The Admiral Nelson as they are now looking to retire from the industry and comment, “After a period of six and a half years it is time for us to move on to pastures new. We would like to thank all our fantastic staff past and present for all their hard work over the years. A big thank you to all our customers during those years as well, you all have provided us all with some fantastic memories during our time at The Admiral Nelson.

“We would like to wish the new owners of The Admiral Nelson the very best and hope they receive the same amount of support that we did. We would also like to thank Joshua Sullivan of Christie & Co for his fantastic performance on selling the business. We tried a couple of other organisations previous to Christie and Co but found the latter to be the most professional and helpful.”

The business was purchased by Everards Brewery, a major brewery based in Leicester who are looking to capitalise on the excellent existing reputation and operation of the business. Stephen Gould, Managing Director at Everards comments, “We are delighted to bring The Admiral Nelson into the Everards family. We have over 175 pubs across the East Midlands and this will join our other six pubs in Northamptonshire. All Everards pubs are run as independent, tenanted businesses and we are already seeking a business owner for this well located, historic pub.”

Joshua Sullivan, Business Agent at Christie & Co handled the sale and comments, "We received a significant amount of interest in the site during the marketing process which ultimately attracted the purchaser, Everards, who are keen to acquire sites in locations that are positioned next to interesting features, such as canals. The Admiral Nelson is a strategic acquisition for the company given the fact that it is easily accessible from the main brewery due to strong transport links.

“The level of interest we saw for this asset demonstrates the strength in the current marketplace for destination and characterful leisure venues both for multi-site operators and buyers looking for a lifestyle business."