Owners needed for Sweffing White Horse near Saxmundham on the market for £895,000

An award-winning village pub is on the market for £895,000 and the hunt is on to find new owners.

The Sweffing White Horse, near Saxmundham, is in need of a new owner as long-time custodians Marie and Mark Smith are set to retire after 16 years at the helm.

They bought the 19th century pub in 2008 and made extensive repairs to refurbish the dilapidated building to reopen its doors in 2011 after it was left derelict for five years.

The pair are hoping to find new owners who will continue the White Horse’s values of a traditional village pub while also limiting any developments which could potentially impact the community nature of the establishment.

Marie 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.

“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."

The 200-year-old property in Low Road has been listed on RightMove for £895,000 and more information can be found here.

During Marie and Mark’s tenure, the pub won a collection of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) awards – including the Ipswich and East Suffolk CAMRA branch Pub of the Year title in 2022, 2021, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as well as being named one of the top 16 pubs in the country and being crowned the East Anglia CAMRA Pub of the Year award in 2015.

The couple introduced a focus on renewable energy, recycling and sustainable living after installing solar panels and a wood-fired central heating system at the pub.

They also launched their own eco-friendly campsite business called Alde Garden which offers a range of quirky accommodation and is being sold alongside the White Horse.

Marie added: “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.”