Historic Northumberland pub and restaurant the Black Bull Inn at Lowick up for sale

The freehold of the Black Bull Inn at Lowick, which was established in 1817, is being taken on by a locally-led management company which has plans for further expansion.

The venue has undergone a major turnaround in its fortunes in recent years, having been closed for 18 months and earmarked for demolition.

LEKT Property Ltd, which bought the freehold in 2015, has refurbished the premises, created six letting rooms and turning it into a favourite dining option for locals and visitors.

In a statement on its website and social media platforms, owner Karl Crane, wrote: “The year 2020 represents another exciting chapter in the evolution of the Black Bull Inn.

“A new local company ‘Black Bull Management Services Ltd’, established by another local business at the nearby Hetton Steads, has exchanged contracts with LEKT Property Ltd with the intent to purchase the freehold on September 1.

“The new owners have already made considerable investments in the local area and Hendrik van Boeckel, one of the directors, whom many local people will know, has worked in and contributed to the local economy for many years.

“Therefore, it is without question, that this represents a fantastic opportunity for the team and for the business to build on the last few successful years and forge a new future for this wonderful country inn.”

The first step of this evolution is marked by a forthcoming planning application to build a single story extension to create a resident’s lounge and private dining suite to the east elevation of the building.

“We believe that this represents a very exciting opportunity, which further strengthens the business and the customer offer at the Black Bull Inn,” writes Karl.

“This development has our full support, as we believe that it is an important step in continuing to improve the business and secure a successful future for the current employees, particularly in such difficult and uncertain times.

“The plans will be available to see on the local planning portal in due course once the application has been progressed.”

The pub has been closed since March 20 due to coronavirus restrictions.

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