Fire puts Havelock sale on hold
A huge fire has delayed the sale of the Havelock Tavern in west London, which was one of the UK's first gastropubs.
The fire broke out in the main bar last Wednesday (31 August), although it is not yet known how it started.
It took 30 firefighters more than three hours to quell the blaze.
Owners Peter Richnell and chef Jonny Haughton, who opened the pub 10 years ago, put it on the market in July after Haughton decided to move to Dorset.
The partners were close to clinching a £2.2m deal.
Insurance assessors have yet to determine the extent or the cost of the fire, but
Richnell said the pub had suffered extensive smoke damage along with some structural damage.
Richnell added: "Everything is on hold at the moment. We are dealing with everything in stages."
