Renowned hospitality entrepreneur Alastair Storey has purchased the Four AA gold star The Star Inn – a four AA gold star rural village pub located in Sparsholt, in the White Horse Vale – in an undisclosed deal.
The 80-cover pub, with a detached converted barn providing eight letting bedrooms, was extensively renovated and refurbished when it was bought by Ian and Caron Williams nine years ago.
Built in 1720, the building is thought to have always operated as a pub before the barn next door was converted into accommodation in the 1990s.
The property boasts dining across the stone-flagged restaurant as well as at the bar, complete with a woodburning stove and 100 covers outside overlooking the Oxfordshire countryside.
The property freehold and business, which also has two rosettes from the AA, been listed in the Waitrose Good Food Guide and the Good Pub Guide, as well as a Trip Advisor certificate of excellence, was brought to the market by global commercial real estate firm Colliers with a guide price of £975,000 +VAT.
Located close to Wantage, Faringdon and Swindon, with Lambourn Valley to the south and The Cotswolds to the north, the inn offers an ideal location for walks and is just five miles away from the Uffington White Horse.
Alastair, who is the chairman and chief executive of hospitality business Westbury Street Holdings, will operate the business alongside restaurant and cookery school The Woodspeen.
Peter Brunt, from Colliers’ Hotel Agency team, brokered the deal, said: “The Star Inn has been wonderfully crafted into an attractive pub and lettings business known for its quality food and drink offering by Caron and Ian.
“It is located in a lovely rural spot which makes it an ideal location for those looking for a break from their everyday grind, and by providing detached accommodation, it means that guests are not disturbed by those frequenting the inn.
“I wish them both a very happy retirement and look forward to seeing what Alastair and The Woodspeen team do with the business.”
