New owners and chef for Gloucestershire freehouse
The new owners of the Plough freehouse in the affluent Gloucestershire village of Cold Aston have hired a chef from the Michelin-star Star Inn at Harome in Yorkshire to oversee the food.
Karl Smith will come on board as chef once Philip and Annette Mason-Gordon have refurbished the Grade II-listed, 17th century inn which is near Bourton-on-the Water.
The Plough is the only pub serving three local villages and is popular for its local real ales and traditional menus.
Built from Cotswold stone and featuring low oak beams, inglenook fireplaces and flagstone floors, the Plough has a main bar and open-plan dining areas to seat 45 along with a 50-seat raised sun terrace at the front.
The property also provides two-bedroom owners' accommodation with roof terrace and a staff flat and has full planning permission to create five en-suite letting units and staff accommodation to the rear.
It's a first-time purchase for the Mason-Gordons, who have racked up 13 years' experience in the hotel and catering industry in London and Oxford.
The Bristol office of Christie + Co sold the freehold of a guide price of £575,000 on behalf of former actor David Fennell (who starred in the Crossroads soap opera in the 1960s and 1970s).
By Angela Frewin