Ship Inn, West Stour, Nr Gillingham, Dorset, SP8

Stunning Dorset Freehouse - A substantial, impressive and attractive landmark detached Inn with origins dating back to around 1750. This traditional destination country Inn is well presented throughout and has been the subject of sympathetic upgrade, modernisation and improvement by our clients. This detached Grade II Listed former coaching Inn offers many character features such as open fireplaces, flagstone and solid wood flooring and exposed stone walls. The property benefits from up to 6 quality ensuite letting bedrooms - with potential for more, flexible and spacious 4 bedroom owners' accommodation which could be reconfigured to provide additional letting rooms. This high-quality destination public house and restaurant also comprises:- Main Bar (22 plus standing room), Lounge Bar (10 plus standing room), Dining Areas (38), well equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen with ancillary facilities. Externally, the property benefits from a large and attractive Beer Garden and separate Patio Terrace with alfresco seating for 104+ customers, and an extensive Customer Car Park with space for 46 plus vehicles. The Ship Inn is undoubtedly a very special place to live and work and a viewing is strongly recommended in order to fully appreciate all that this Dorset village pub restaurant and destination former coaching inn has to offer.

SITUATION
The Ship Inn occupies a prominent landmark trading position standing alongside the A30 Yeovil/Sherborne to Shaftesbury main road, in the village of West Stour in the heart of the North Dorset countryside. The historic abbey town of Sherborne (12 miles) and the regional centre of Yeovil (18 miles) are within easy driving distance and the nearby towns of Gillingham and Shaftesbury are situated 2 miles and 4 miles respectively. Travel links are excellent with mainline railway stations at Yeovil, Sherborne and Gillingham offering regular services to London Waterloo. The A30 and the A303 provide excellent road access to the South West, London and the Home Counties by the M3/M25.

INTERNAL DETAILS
Main Entrance to front into Entrance Vestibule with door into main trade areas. Main Bar an attractive character room with flagstone flooring, exposed stone fireplace with wood burning stove, part exposed stone walls, wall mounted menu board, range of free standing scrubbed pine tables, wooden chairs, bar stools, window and bench seating comfortably for 22 customers plus bar stools and standing room. Wood fronted and topped Bar Servery fitted with a range of associated back bar fittings, 2 glass fronted bottle fridges, stainless steel sink unit, EPOS touch screen cash register, glasswasher, ice machine and wine racking. Lounge Bar again an attractive character trading area with stripped oak flooring, part exposed stonework, wall mounted menu boards, Return Bar Servery, scrubbed pine tables and wooden chairs comfortably seating 9 customers plus standing room. Through into Dining Room attractive character area with stripped oak flooring, part wood panelled walls, wall mounted menu board, range of scrubbed pine tables and wooden chairs comfortably seating 8 customers. Through into Middle Dining Room with carpeted flooring, wall mounted menu board, part exposed stone walls, scrubbed pine tables and wooden chairs comfortably seating 8 customers. Through into End Dining Room another attractive character room with carpeted flooring, part exposed stone walls, part wood panelled walls, feature original water pump and bread oven, doors to the side and rear, exposed ceiling timbers, range of scrubbed pine tables and wooden chairs comfortably seating 22 customers. Commercial Kitchen with non-slip flooring, part stainless steel and part wipe clean clad walls, fully equipped to a high standard with a comprehensive range of commercial catering equipment to include:- 6-burner gas range, extractor system with stainless steel canopy and gas interlock system, eye level grill, twin table top deep fat fryer, single table top deep fat fryer, microwave oven, shelved racking, upright freezer, 2 under counter commercial fridges, stainless steel shelving, extensive range of stainless steel workbenches with shelving below, Falcon Oven, deep bowl stainless steel sink, upright fridge, upright freezer, stainless steel hand basin, commercial dishwasher, double deep bowl stainless steel sink, warming cabinet with lit shelved serving gantry over. Laundry Room with washing machine, 2 tumble dryers and stainless steel sink. Beer Cellar temperature controlled on the ground floor. Ladies & Gents WC's. Laundry Storeroom. Staff WC.

LETTING ACCOMMODATION
The business currently offers up to 6 individually designed letting bedrooms, each with en-suite facilities. The comfortable letting bedrooms briefly comprise:-

Bedroom 1 a double room with an Ensuite Shower Room.
Bedroom 2 a twin/double room with an Ensuite Shower Room.
Bedroom 3 a family room to sleep 4 with an Ensuite Bathroom.
Bedroom 4 a double room with an Ensuite Shower Room (currently used as a staff bedroom).
Bedroom 5 a large deluxe double room with Seating Area and Ensuite Bathroom.
Bedroom 6 a large double bedroom on the second floor which has been newly refurbished and has previously been used as a letting room with an Ensuite Shower Room (currently used as an additional owner's bedroom).

OWNERS ACCOMMODATION
There is spacious family sized 4 bedroom owners accommodation which offers extremely flexible and versatile private accommodation and which could, subject to the necessary consents, be reconfigured to provide additional letting bedrooms, if so desired. The accommodation is located over the first and second floors and briefly comprises :- Sitting Room a good-sized room with exposed ceiling timbers, windows to front and balcony area to the rear. Kitchenette Area with built in kitchen units, stainless steel sink unit and 4-ring gas hob. Dining Room with aspect to the front. Bathroom with roll topped bath and shower over. Bedroom 1 a generous double room. Bedroom 2 a double room. Bedroom 3 a large double room currently used for storage with an ensuite shower room, in need of refurbishment. Bedroom 4 a double bedroom.

EXTERNAL DETAILS
The property stands in substantial grounds either side of the A30 and incorporates an extensive Customer Car Park to the front with approximately 40 spaces, with a Further Off Road Parking Area directly in front of the property with space for around 6 vehicles. To the rear of the property is a large Enclosed Beer Garden mainly laid to lawn with a variety of mature trees and shrubs and offering picnic bench seating for 86+ customers and incorporating a Vegetable Garden, and a brick built Chicken and Duck House and large Run. There is also a Patio Terrace Area directly to the rear of the inn offering seating for 18 customers and a Smoking Shelter. Also to the rear of the inn is an Enclosed Rear Service Yard Area with a wooden storage shed for dry goods and Bin Store Area. Coaching Arch Store Area with 2 double upright commercial fridges, double upright commercial freezer, blast chiller and storage area with doors to the front.

THE BUSINESS
The Ship Inn is a classic character country village inn which occupies a prominent landmark roadside position in the sought after North Dorset countryside. The business attracts trade not only from the village but also from the surrounding villages, hamlets and towns, as well as further afield due to its popular reputation. The extensive parking also makes it a popular meeting venue. It attracts a healthy mix of tourist and commercial trade, with walking and cycling trails and the nearby Dorset Showground also boosting trade. The Ship Inn is well presented throughout with our clients having undertaken numerous projects to improve and enhance the property during the last 3 years. The high standards inherent throughout the business ensure excellent levels of regular repeat business and word of mouth recommendations with extremely favourable reviews on Google and Tripadvisor including a Travellers Choice Award. It is well regarded by its clientele for its high quality freshly prepared food, using local produce. The Ship Inn has been awarded a Gold Award by Taste Of The West, is recommended by Restaurant Guru and is featured in The Good Beer Guide. Almost no advertising, marketing or promotion is undertaken by our client although the business does have its own website which provides further background information and is linked to accommodation booking websites. The business has been awarded a 5 star food hygiene rating.

TRADING INFORMATION
Accounts for the year ending September 2023 show impressive sales of £596,182 net of VAT. The split of trade is 50% food sales, 39% wet sales and 11% accommodation sales. Full detailed accounting information can be made available following a formal viewing appointment.

CURRENT STAFFING
The business is run by our clients with the assistance of 2 full time chefs, 1 full time bar person and 7 part time members of staff.

POTENTIAL
The Ship Inn has thrived during our client's ownership but undoubtedly still offers further potential to develop all aspects of the trade and property still further. There are opportunities to increase the current trading hours (currently closed on Sunday evening and all day on Monday and Tuesday) and introduce all day opening for both the bar and the food, particularly during the summer months and at weekends. There is also the potential to increase the number of letting rooms (currently only 4 of the rooms are used for letting) and further build upon the solid levels of trade already established by our clients. The sale of The Ship Inn represents a great opportunity to purchase a well-established and well-regarded character destination Inn with flexible family sized accommodation and impressive levels of trade, in an extremely desirable area. An internal inspection is highly recommended to fully appreciate all that this excellent business opportunity has to offer.

EPC
Requested and to be confirmed.

SERVICES
Mains electric and water are connected. LPG is used for cooking and most of the heating. The property has its own sewage treatment system.

INVENTORY
To include all trade furnishings and equipment in accordance with an inventory to be supplied but excluding any owners' personal effects.

TRANSFER OF A GOING CONCERN
The sale of the property includes the goodwill of the business and trade inventory and will be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).