The new owner of The Leaping Salmon is Horrabridge resident Christopher Andrews.
His name leaked into the village grapevine yesterday and he confirmed the news this morning (Sat. July 29) over a cup of tea at Sortridge Manor, where he has lived with his family for the past 10 years.
Aged 56, he commutes to London for a Monday to Thursday job as financial manager of a small chain of upmarket hotels and is looking for a manager to run the pub once essential repairs and redecoration are done. Work should start within two months. Re-opening date still to be fixed.
He said: “I just thought it was a shame to see it shut and rotting away, because of the way the pub business is usually structured. I want to see it come back to life as a good local pub with good food, pure and simple. I have no other intentions. We’re still thinking about the details.
“With the freedom of a freehold, plus the support of the local community, which I think is there, it should be possible to make it work.”
He bought the freehold from Enterprise Inns, after a deal with the Co-op fell through and Enterprise gave up trying to find somebody to buy another lease.
We’ve left it there for now but watch the Horrabridge Times for a fuller interview, with pictures, when the work gets going.
Comment below or to newsdesk@horrabridgetimes.net/
Terrific news and good luck – The Leaping Salmon has been a great venue over the past 30 years and hopefully a Phoenix will arise from the ashes!
Absolutely fantstic news. So glad The Salmon is staying. Good luck with everything.
Good news,all the best
Very Glad someone has bought it with Good intent
Look forward to visiting the pub when it opens 🙂
That’s really good news to see the Leaping Salmon stay as a pub.
Thank you Horrabridge times.net for confirmation of the Leaping Salmon new owners.A really good result.