The owners of an award-winning Suffolk pub says the hunt will go on for a new owner to take over the reigns to ensure it stays a community hub.
Marie and Mark Smith of The Sweffling White Horse, a 200-year-old pub in the village of Sweffling near Saxmundham, have admitted they are being "choosy" about the next owner.
The long-time custodians plan to retire after 16 successful years at the helm of the 19th Century pub.
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The pair took over the pub in 2008, after it had been derelict for five years, and refurbished it with a focus on renewable energy, recycling and sustainable living, alongside their eco-friendly campsite business Alde Garden.
Mr and Mrs Smith say that, despite having attracted many potential buyers over the last two years, they are still yet to find a buyer who they feel will respect the pub's heritage.
They are looking for a buyer who will promise not to undergo any major development that could impact the pub's community nature and heritage.
Mrs Smith said: “We've been searching for new owners for two years now - and we've had lots of enquiries - but we're very keen for the pub to retain its ethos and position as a hub of the community, so we're being quite choosy about who we sell to.
“The pub has been celebrated as a traditional drinkers' pub and has won lots of awards for this, but this kind of pub is sadly becoming a rarity. Lots of pubs are becoming gastropubs, or restaurants, and we're really proud that we've made a proper pub a success."
After adding solar panels and a wood-fired central heating system, along while local beers and ales from nearby brewers, the pub began to win a numerous awards.
In 2022, 2021, 2017, 2016 and 2015 the pub won the Campaign for Real Ale Ipswich and East Suffolk Best Pub of the Year award and was named among the top 16 pubs in the country in 2015.
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Mrs Smith continued: “Traditional alehouses are an important part of British heritage, and our fear is that if we don't find someone who shares these values, we may need to lower our sights a little. It would be a terrible shame if the Sweffling White Horse - now a local treasure - were to be closed or ruined.
"We've had so much fun here in the past 16 years. Both businesses have been a joy to run. We feel like we're on holiday with people during the day, and then down the pub with a bunch of friends in the evening."
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