Braemou Inn 1 Cooper St, Hopeman, IV30 5SD

Excellent village Inn comprising a 3-bedroom owners house plus a 1-bedroom self-catering unit situated within the thriving village of Hopeman.

• Outstanding opportunity to purchase a traditional village Inn on the popular Moray coast.

• Central village location offering a sound trading platform plus a spacious family home.

• Well-established business trading on a year-round basis mainly from wet sales presenting a solid 'home and income' lifestyle opportunity.

• Sale includes a modern 3-bedroom house for resident owners plus a further 1-bedroom self-catering accommodation unit.

• Attractive and well-presented bar plus beer garden with car parking for 8 cars.

• Easy-to-operate establishment, ideal for first-time buyers with catering development potential.

DESCRIPTION

The Braemou Inn is a popular and well-frequented Highland Inn which benefits from an excellent central trading location within the popular and thriving village of Hopeman. The original building dates back to mid-1800s and has a prominent position within the village. The business benefits from an easy-to-operate bar and excellent facilities throughout. The trading aspects have two distinct areas; a games area with pool table and darts lane to one end and soft furnishings to the other. Throughout there are TVs showing Sky and BT sports channels which prove popular on big games nights. Benefitting from an open solid fuel fire, this comfortable bar is well-presented with a range of fitted and free-standing furniture. The commanding servery is fully equipped for all business needs including chill cabinets and glass washer. With its traditional pub feel, this characterful bar offers a wide range of beers, wines and spirits. The external elements include bench seating for the summer days and nights plus a covered smoking area with outdoor TV viewing.

The business is well-supported by good service areas; the small kitchen has modern appliances and there is a spacious beer cellar plus general stores externally. To the rear is a generous one-bedroom self-contained holiday let. A most attractive feature of the sale is the excellent 3-bedroomed house which is situated at street level above the trading elements. The house has one bedroom on the ground floor and two others on the first floor plus a study / office. There is a modern kitchen / dining room with open archway to the spacious lounge. The house has a modern shower room set to the ground floor.

The trading elements and the varied accommodation combine to make this an excellent proposition for first-time buyers or an extended family.

BUSINESS OPERATION

The business benefits from strong year-round local support and is pivotal to the local community. Additionally, there is a seasonal demand from the large number of tourists who holiday within the area. A short walk towards the harbour finds a popular holiday home / caravan park which generates increased footfall in the main holiday season. The Inn drives strong turnover from wet sales only at this time but there is potential to introduce a food element if so desired. With both a ladies and gents darts team, plus a dominoes team, the Inn has a loyal local trade. The pool table also generates a sound level of income. The pub also hosts Hopeman Football Club on match days. The business subscribes to both Sky TV and BT Sports which draw in crowds on big match days. The external beer garden and smoking area are popular during the warm summer evenings. The self-catering unit also generates a sound level of income. The turnover of the business is strong showing a high level of net profit. The business operates with the support from a small but dedicated team of staff.

REASON FOR SALE

The current owners purchased the Inn in 2012 and have developed the internal aspects of the property making it an attractive and popular venue. Having brought the business up to a strong trading level, the owners would now like to retire from the hospitality sector now presenting this superb opportunity to the market.

LOCATION

The Braemou Inn sits centrally to this popular picturesque village, enjoying panoramic views across the Moray Firth and to the hills northwards. The Inn is ideally placed to take advantage of the popularity of the area to the tourism sector. With a population of circa 1750, Hopeman is a growing community within commuter distance of Elgin and Forres. The village benefits from its own retail units, an indoor / outdoor bowling club, hotel, primary school and various community clubs etc. Hopeman has its own harbour. A wider range of facilities and amenities are available in Elgin and Lossiemouth, which are both only a short drive away, including secondary schools, a varied selection of retail outlets, leisure facilities, medical centres, and the train station. There is a popular 18-hole golf course in Hopeman with a further championship course in Lossiemouth plus many others within a short drive. The broader area boasts a number of sandy beaches, quality golf courses and places of general interest. The area is renowned for its sea life and the coast is home to the ever-popular dolphins. Water sports and fishing are highly popular past times in the region, as are field sports.

THE PROPERTY

The building dates from the mid-1800s and is of stone construction under slate roof. The bar extension has a sheet-metal profile roof. The property is set over 3 floors; the bar is set to a lower ground floor and the owners house is on the ground and first floor. The self-catering cottage is set to the rear of the subjects.

THE INN

The trading elements of the Inn are situated to the lower ground floor and are accessed from a door off the main car park and beer garden. The bar is presented to a good standard and is supported by an attractive bar servery which is well-stocked. The bar has a games area and an area set to soft furnishings. This pleasant trading space has a mix of fixed and free-standing furnishings which can comfortably accommodate up to 98 customers and benefits from a juke box, gaming machine and 4 TVs, plus an additional outdoor TV. Within the bar is a pool table and a darts lane. The bar benefits from a multi-fuel stove plus quality bathrooms for both ladies and gents. Off the bar is a compact but modern fitted kitchen which is used to prepare food for the pub teams and add hoc events. The kitchen could produce a limited range of catering should new owners wish to provide an extended provision. The cellar is situated to the rear of the subjects.

SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION

A comfortable and spacious 1-bedroom self-contained unit is situated to the rear of the subjects. This smart and attractive unit comprises of an open plan fitted kitchen/ lounge/ dining area. There is a shower room and a double bedroom. The self-catering unit is well laid out and generates a solid income from holiday lets. This property could however, be used by extended family. Within the self-contained unit is a garage, currently used for storing non-business items, which offers some development potential to extend the self-catering accommodation further.

OWNERS HOUSE

A most attractive feature of this sale is the spacious owners house which extends to 3 bedrooms plus a further office / study. The house has a private access from the main footpath which leads into a spacious hallway which, in turn, provides access to the lounge (leading to the kitchen dining room), the master bedroom and the family bathroom. Two bedrooms are on the first floor, as is the office study. The house is presented in excellent order and to a high standard of decor. The kitchen is modern with both floor and wall mounted units. There is a large utility room.

EXTERNAL AREAS

The business has a spacious and attractive beer garden with 3 bench tables. To the rear of the aspects there is fenced area where the oil tank is situated plus a garden shed. The beer cellar and a garage can be accessed from the beer garden. There is a tarmac car parking area for about 8 cars.

TRADE

Trading information will be made available to seriously interested parties post viewing.

LICENCE

The business has a licence under the Licencing Scotland Act 2005 and a copy of the operating plan is available to interested parties, which details operating practices.

WEBSITE

The business does not have a website and this is a development aspect for new owners. However, the current operators utilise Facebook to a good level;

www.facebook.com/BraemouInn

SERVICES

The business benefits from mains electricity, water and drainage. The bar is also powered by solar panels. The main building also has oil-fired central heating. The self-catering unit utilises all electric heating. The house and self-catering cottage are fully double glazed. The premises are fully compliant with Environmental Health and Fire Regulations.