Downend pub put up for sale as new owner issues statement on its future

The White Swan, in North Street, has been closed since February last year
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The future of a pub in Downend which closed last year looks uncertain after its new owner put the site up for sale.

Admiral Taverns took over The White Swan in North Street when it acquired pub chain Hawthorn last July.

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Now the company has listed the pub for sale, and has told BristolWorld it believed the local ‘did not have a long-term sustainable future’.

The pub is up for sale to ‘cash buyers only’ with a guide price of £295,000.

Inside the Swan Inn in Downend which has gone up for saleInside the Swan Inn in Downend which has gone up for sale
Inside the Swan Inn in Downend which has gone up for sale

James A Baker, which is listing the property, said the sale was an opportunity to acquire the freehold of a roadside pub or convert the building into something else.

“Property investors and developers are likely to be of interest,” the firm said.

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The pub, off Downend high street, is a detached two-storey property sporting an open plan bar, beer store, kitchen, office and customer toilets downstairs.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, a utility room and bathroom along with an enclosed patio and garden to the rear of the building.

The White Swan in Downend closed in February last yearThe White Swan in Downend closed in February last year
The White Swan in Downend closed in February last year

When asked why the pub was being put up for sale, Admiral Taverns issued a statement which also explained why the pub had not reopened since closure in February last year.

It said: “We are strong believers in the importance of community pubs and our focus is always on helping our licensees to run sustainable pub businesses.

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“After careful consideration however, we felt in this instance that the White Swan did not have a long-term sustainable future and therefore we’ve taken the decision to put the pub up for sale.”

The overgrown back yard to the pub in DownendThe overgrown back yard to the pub in Downend
The overgrown back yard to the pub in Downend

The pub was in the news last year when the landlady Anouska Fry was fined by South Gloucestershire Council for allegedly breaching Covid regulations.

Ms Fry reportedly stood down from her role due to differences with then-owner Hawthorn.

BristolWorld has approached Ms Fry for comment.

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