Smokery buys pub with plans to add restaurant and bakery

It is from one valley to another for a growing smokehouse once itmoves into a boarded-up pub.

Small family business The Valley Smokehouse, based in ChewValley, now owns Stone Allerton's Wheatsheaf Inn.

It bought the premises off Punch Taverns last week, but ownerJonathan Newberry is not bothered by the 5,000-year lease attachedto the property.

Century-spanning leases are not uncommon in the Cheddar Valleyand properties attached to them regularly go ahead for sale, withlittle danger of the freeholder arising.

Mr Newberry said: "We are a little smokery but produce qualityproducts.

"It stems from my cooking background and we do everythingtraditional with no chemicals and all done by hand.

"This is a really exciting year for us.

"The pub's been closed for a year and needs a lot of work.

"It will have a restaurant and, hopefully, a bakery."

The business expects to move from a small farm in Dundry, nearBristol, in late spring or early summer once the Wheatsheaf has beenrefurbished and planning permission obtained to adapt the pub'sexisting buildings.

The former chef and his wife have run the business for 21 yearsafter he packed up his chef's whites.

He now smokes food for top restaurants and chefs includingRaymond Blanc and Taunton chef turned television cook Phil Vickery.