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Beer Garden
FindMyPub.com
External Drinking Area
FindMyPub.com
No Private Accomodation
FindMyPub.com
Car Park
FindMyPub.com
Restaurant/Dining
Property details
The Cross Keys is a characterful inn located in the charming village of Ancrum. The pub has a prominent position in the centre of the village, overlooking the village green. The Cross Keys is a traditional country pub with a loyal following from a village with a strong sense of community. Now under new ownership, there is huge potential for an incoming tenant to develop the business and service in line with their own vision, fully supported by hands-off community owners.
Ancrum village is four miles from the busy tourist town of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, just off the main A68 to Edinburgh. Customers come from the surrounding rural area and from local towns. The Scottish Borders has many visitor attractions and events, and tourism is an important and growing part of the regional economy. In addition to local trade, the tourism potential includes two popular routes: the Four Abbeys cycleway, which passes right by the door, and St Cuthbert’s Way, a long-distance walking route only a few minutes away.
The inn has a range of food and beverage facilities, including a main bar, a bar lounge, and a restaurant. The main bar is a popular meeting place with many regular patrons. The restaurant has 25 covers, and the bar lounge has additional tables. There is considerable potential for a chef-proprietor or partnership to grow their daytime and evening food business, making full use of the facilities to serve an extended customer base.
Crowded at the weekend, many customers enjoy sitting out on the front patio on sunny days. There is also a rear beer garden with great potential for further development.
There is no private accommodation available at the start of the tenancy. Subject to financial and planning constraints, and the availability of contractors, the owners intend to develop first-floor accommodation to provide a tenant’s or staff member’s flat and three letting bedrooms. The ground-floor tenancy may be extended by negotiation to include the first-floor accommodation.
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Cask Ale
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Catering Kitchen
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Free of Tie
FindMyPub.com
Experienced Operator
Trading style
The business closed in January 2026, the property having been on the market for some months. It has now been purchased by a collective of local investors, and refurbishment work has started. The owners are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic tenant to run the pub and restaurant for their community and its visitors. This tenancy provides a great opportunity for the right person or partnership to take on and develop their own hospitality business in a lovely rural location. The new tenant will start with a clean slate and a guaranteed level of community support.
The owners will bring the ground floor of the property up to a good standard before the lease starts. Over the past years, there has been a lack of investment, and they are committed to resolving that, bringing the Cross Keys up to standard and back to life. You, as the new tenant, will be keen to work with them to achieve this.
In the short term, the owners will offer a tenancy of the ground-floor bar and restaurant. The new owners are committed to investing in and improving the property, including the first-floor accommodation.
The successful applicant(s) will be an experienced hospitality professional, or partnership, keen to develop their own business in a rural environment. They will have an outgoing personality, suited to creating a welcoming ambience in a village pub. This is an opportunity to build a reputation for providing good quality pub food and hospitality, and to develop a thriving and profitable business.
The owners would expect to see a CV showing relevant experience and qualifications, and potential references from previous employment.
Key financials
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Reference Number:
PYC3DV / CPL-TDH
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Agreement Type:
Tenancy
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Min Ingoing Cost:
£13,000.00
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Annual Rent:
£15,000.00
The stated ingoing figures are correct at point of advertising. Please be aware there may be additional costs.
Please note that the Energy Performance Certificate is available from the landlord.
3 Year Tenancy
Rental: £15,000
Deposit: £3,000
- Estimated turnover: £250,000
- Estimated F&F value: N/A (included in rental)
- Estimated Stock valuation: Nil
- Estimated working capital: £10,000
A flexible rental package is available to the right tenant.