A 17th century former court house in the heart of Wiltshire has been acquired after its new owner secured a six-figure finance package from HSBC.
The Longs Arms in Steeple Ashton, which has been owned and managed by private landlady Caroline Quartley for the last 13 years, has been snapped up by Coach House Inns, the Abergavenny business founded by Harry Lewis.
The pub, which also includes a restaurant and adjoinging residential cottage, is Coach House Inns’ first acquisition this year and its fourth in total, and forms part of the company’s ambitious acquisition strategy. In the medium-term, the business hopes to enhance the pub’s accommodation and add an extension to increase restaurant capacity and house a new kitchen.
Harry Lewis (pictured right with Caroline Quartley, the pub manager, and Mike Kear of HSBC) said, “The Longs Arms is an integral part of the local community and I’m delighted to have acquired the business with the support of HSBC, which continues to back our growing portfolio of gastro pubs. I look forward to working with Caroline, who will continue to manage this outstanding local pub. We’re absolutely committed to bottling up and maintaining the pub’s charm and atmosphere for those who know it best.”
Warren Lewis, HSBC’s Head of Corporate Banking in South Wales, added, “We’ve been supporting Harry over the last two years with his strategic acquisition plans, which have seen his portfolio of brilliant pubs grow to four in just a few years. It’s great to have agreed this new facility, led by our relationship director Mike Kear, which will give Harry the chance to put his stamp on this historic building while retaining its tradition and unique style.”
The Longs Arms joins Coach House Inns’ three other gastro pubs, The Fox & Hounds in the Vale of Glamorgan, The Manor Arms in Worcestershire and The Riverside at Aymestrey in Herefordshire, which won the Best Tourism Pub in England award at the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2018.
