Award winning North Yorkshire inn changes hands
The Fox & Hounds, a charming Grade II listed country pub, located in the North Yorkshire village of Sinnington, on the edge of the North York Moors, has been sold through specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co to a local buyer.
The substantial inn comprises a bar and lounge, restaurant area, private dining room, resident’s lounge and 10 guest bedrooms. Having built up an excellent reputation, The Fox & Hounds has earned numerous accolades including an AA rosette, a 4 Star rating from Visit England for guest accommodation and has recently appeared in the Good Pub Guide and the Michelin Guide.
Previous owners, Catherine and Andrew Stephens purchased the Fox & Hounds over 20 years ago and decided to sell the pub in order to retire. The Stephens are well known in the area for offering an excellent level of service and customer care, illustrated by the business’ outstanding ratings on TripAdvisor and Booking.com.
Catherine comments, “Andrew and I bought the Fox and Hounds back in 1997 and in that time, we have expanded, refurbished and extended the building and we would like to think we have also significantly improved the business for our customers. As we live in the village and will continue to do so, we were very mindful about the future of the business once we had departed and we were delighted that Christie & Co introduced a buyer who intends to firstly retain it as a pub and secondly to build upon our hard work over the last 22 years.”
New owners and locals to the area, Simon & Julia Cobb and Mark & Victoria Miller decided to purchase the Fox & Hounds because of the wonderful opportunity the business presented to run an established country inn in a picturesque village setting. They plan to convert the previous owner’s cottage into four high end, luxurious guest letting rooms, pending planning consent which has been applied for with the local authority, and the creation of an outside, landscaped flagstone garden seating area.
Mr Miller comments, “Catherine and Andrew have built up a well respected and highly established business over the years which is an absolute credit to them. We wish them all the very best for the future and thank them greatly for this fantastic opportunity. We are very fortunate to retain the local and highly dedicated team, headed up by our newly appointed General Manager, Helen, who has worked closely with Catherine and Andrew for nearly 20 years.
“We look forward to welcoming the many repeat customers and locals and new faces alike, and at the Fox and Hounds it is very much business as usual!”
Mark Worley, Director at Christie & Co handled the sale on behalf of the Stephens and comments, “This sale marks the end of an era for Catherine and Andrew and it has been my pleasure to act as their agent. It also demonstrates the demand for high quality pubs and coaching inns across North Yorkshire and comes shortly after our recent sales of the White Rose at Leeming Bar and the Bolton Arms in the Yorkshire Dales.”
The freehold interest of the Fox & Hounds was sold off an asking price of £1,250,000.
