THE BLACK BULL CHANGES HANDS
Some weeks ago we reported that The Black Bull was on the market. We can now confirm that the pub will be changing hands in September, and that its future looks assured. We publish a letter from Karl Crane giving all the details of the sale, and add our thanks to him for rescuing the inn from the hands of developers. We look forward to meeting again over a pint and a plate of fish and chips
The Sale of The Black Bull Inn
To our valued Customers and Suppliers,
We hope that you are all keeping safe and well under these challenging and unprecedented circumstances. We wanted to take this opportunity to update you on
some news regarding the Black Bull Inn.
In 2015 a new company was established to support the social and commercial development of rural Northumberland. In December of that year, that company,
LEKT Property Ltd, bought the freehold for the Black Bull Inn –Lowick, which had previously been earmarked for demolition and the site, scheduled for
redevelopment.
At the time of purchase the business had been closed for 18 months and the building was in a state of semi-dereliction. In January 2016 the new owners embarked upon
a complete refurbishment, lovingly restoring many original features and providing a further six letting rooms. The new business opened for trade on the 24th of February 2017 and since then has
made an amazing transition to become a guest favourite locally and internationally for its rooms, its food and its beer. The business now supports 15 local jobs all year
round and with a philosophy to ingredients source locally, it supports many locally suppliers too.
The year 2020 represents another exciting chapter in the evolution of the Black Bull Inn. A new local company “Black Bull Management Services Ltd”, established by another local business at the nearby Hetton Steads, has exchanged contracts with LEKT Property Ltd with the intent to purchase the freehold on the 1st of September. The new owners have already made considerable investments in the local area and Hendrik van Boeckel, one of the directors, whom many local people will know, has worked in and contributed to the local economy for many years. Therefore, it is without question, that this represents a fantastic opportunity for the team and for the business to build on the last few successful years and forge a new future for this wonderful country inn.
The first step of this evolution is marked by a forthcoming planning application to build a single story extension to create a resident’s lounge and private dining suite to the East elevation of the building. We believe that this represents a very exciting opportunity, which further strengthens the business and the customer offer at the Black Bull Inn.
This development has our full support, as we believe that it is an important step in continuing to improve the business and secure a successful future for the current employees, particularly in such difficult and uncertain times. The plans will be available to see on the local planning portal in due course once the application has been progressed.
Karl and Emma, the current owners, would like to extend their sincere gratitude for the loyal custom and support of the thousands of guests that have made this transition possible. We would also like to thank our suppliers for their support and of course in particular we sincerely thank the fabulous team who will continue to work in the new business and be at your service as the journey continues. The new owners look forward to welcoming you and thank you in advance of your continued custom.
Clearly there is some uncertainty at the moment about how and when the business will re-open and we will keep you posted as things develop. In the meantime we are planning our menus, drinks lists and carrying out our maintenance programme so that when we do open, you can enjoy the best from our restaurant and bar and of course, the place looks just as fresh and clean as ever.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
For Enquiries: service@blackbulllowick.co.uk
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