The Three Pigeons Inn, Southam Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16

The market town of Banbury (population 55,000) is strategically located close to a major junction on the M40 motorway. It is located just 64 miles northwest of Central London and 22 miles from the University city of Oxford. The Nation's second city of Birmingham is 27 miles due northwest.

Banbury is a thriving town centre and the subject property, The Three Pigeons Inn, is located on Southam Road, the main A361 into the town centre from the north when approaching from the motorway. The property stands on a busy crossroads with Warwick Road and Castle Street on the edge of the main town centre. It is a character thatched, stone-built 17th century Grade II listed property acquired by our clients in 2011, subsequent to which a complete refurbishment programme was undertaken incorporating a former barn and creating an outstanding bar, service facilities, letting accommodation and garden from which the pub now benefits. It is extremely well-presented and in good condition and appointed to an extremely good standard.

It is briefly described as follows:

TRADE AREAS
ENTRANCE VESTIBULE provides access into the two principal ground floor trading areas which are arranged either side of a central BAR SERVERY.

The MAIN BAR has boarded floor throughout, heavily beamed ceiling, feature inglenook fireplace and exposed Cotswold stone walls. There is traditional seating including benches and chairs currently arranged for 34 customers. Counter from central BAR SERVERY.

The DINING FACILITIES are in two sections, firstly a similarly appointed room with quarry tiled floor, heavily beamed ceiling, exposed stone walls, fixed and loose seating for 20 customers. There is a further inglenook fireplace with cast iron gas burner installed. Access through to CONSERVATORY style room with glazed ceiling, boarded floor and assorted seating for a further 16-20 customers.
SNUG to the rear with boarded floor and panelled walls and leather bound armchairs. All of the four described trading areas have counters from the central servery and the traditional dining areas are currently utilised as general lounge facilities as food sales are not being provided.

In the rear hallway are a set of LADIES and GENTLEMEN'S TOILETS. DISABLED CUSTOMER TOILETS are off main bar.
On level BEER CELLAR
CATERING KITCHEN is comprehensively equipped with a full selection of stainless steel catering effects and work surfaces, altro nonslip flooring and fully UPVC or stainless steel panelled walls. There is a 7 section ceiling fitted stainless steel extraction canopy. To the rear of the kitchen is an enclosed COMPOUND housing a large walk-in COLD ROOM with dexion style racking as well as a purpose built CONTAINER style building which is utilised as a crockery/dry store as well as freezer room.

Adjacent and part of the same structure as the GARDEN ROOM is a further GENERAL STORE/FREEZER ROOM.

The GARDEN ROOM is utilised for private dining and small meetings/conferences and has boarded floor, beamed, vaulted ceiling, full length glazing on one side and can cater for up to 22 delegates/diners. It is also utilised weekly by the darts team for matches as there is a concealed dartboard and throw which folds down from a panelled cabinet.

OWNERS ACCOMMODATION
Located over the pub is a very good owners suite consisting of:
Large LIVING SPACE with fitted kitchen and LOUNGE AREA, BEDROOM of DOUBLE SIZE with EN SUITE SHOWER ROOM. Adjacent are a run of rooms which offer LAUNDRY ROOM, LARGE OFFICE and a STOCKROOM. When these rooms had previously formed part of the owners accommodation, they had been 2 further BEDROOMS, ONE DOUBLE, ONE SINGLE as well as an additional BATHROOM (the EN SUITE is new).
There is staircase access to the second floor where there are TWO ATTIC ROOMS with vaulted ceilings but no natural light and these are utilised purely for storage.

LETTING ACCOMMODATION
The property has the benefit of three EN SUITE LETTING BEDROOMS located at first floor and accessed from a completely separate staircase to the owners/manager's accommodation. This staircase is also separate from the bar area with its own entrance so that it can be entered after the pub has closed.

(Each bedroom has full bedroom suite, Smart TV and tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer, safe and ironing board).

LETTING BEDROOM ONE - a KING SIZE room with EN SUITE FACILITIES with shower, wash hand basin and WC. .
LETTING BEDROOM TWO - a KING SIZE room with EN SUITE FACILITIES with shower and a feature vaulted ceiling.
LETTING BEDROOM THREE - a KING SIZE/FAMILY ROOM as it also has a LOUNGE AREA with a sofa bed, and again, has a feature vaulted ceiling EN SUITE BATHROOM with shower over bath.

EXTERNAL
COURTYARD GARDEN created by the garden room, the pub and the accommodation. This provides a superb trade garden which is stone paved and currently arranged with tables and chairs for 44 or so customers together with a covered, illuminated and heated smoking area. There is also an Aunt Sally Court.
CAR PARKING for 16 or so vehicles.

Our clients acquired the property in 2011 at which time they undertook a complete refurbishment programme of the property. It took them over 12 months to complete all the work and the pub re-opened to trade in November 2012.

For the next six years they operated it themselves and it was a great success. Accounts for the year ended 30th September 2016 show takings net of VAT of £606,013 and for the year ended 30th September 2017, £584,538. It was subsequently let to an independent tenant who vacated the property during the Covid pandemic. Our clients re-opened the business in April 2021 but have not promoted the same as they had previously, and indeed there are currently no food sales. Management accounts for the 12 month period ended March 2024 show takings net of VAT of £250,184.

However, if The Three Pigeons Inn were to be taken over by energetic operators looking to exploit the demand for catering sales, especially in light of the charming dining facilities and excellent kitchen, there is no reason why these former levels of revenue should not once again be achieved.