The Restaurant, Church Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1JW

The Restaurant on Church Street, Saffron Walden occupies a historic town‑centre building within the conservation area. The property is arranged over basement and ground floor levels, reflecting its original non‑purpose‑built layout rather than a modern restaurant configuration. The main restaurant is located below ground, forming the principal customer dining space. At ground‑floor level, accessed via a separate street door, is an area currently used for storage, with potential for conversion to a bar or ancillary customer space, subject to consents. The two levels function independently, with no shared customer entrance.

Saffron Walden is an affluent and highly attractive historic market town in north‑west Essex, positioned approximately 15 miles south of Cambridge and 43 miles north of London, with excellent access to the M11, London Liverpool Street rail services, and Stansted Airport. The town serves a resident population of c.17,000, alongside a substantial catchment of surrounding affluent villages and commuter settlements, underpinning consistent year‑round trade. It was named the UK’s best place to live in 2025 by The Sunday Times, with judges praising its “knockout historic looks, excellent state schools, a rich cultural offering and an exploding foodie scene,” as well as its ability to “reinvent the high street for the 21st Century.”

The town also benefits from strong visitor appeal, anchored by a range of well‑established attractions including Audley End House and Gardens (English Heritage), the historic Market Square and regular markets, Bridge End Gardens, Saffron Walden Museum, and The Fry Art Gallery. These attractions drive steady leisure footfall throughout the week, particularly at weekends and during seasonal events, supporting a robust hospitality scene with both daytime and evening trade.

The property is arranged over two levels, with stairs descending from street level to the basement, which forms the main restaurant area. The basement accommodates a bar area, a separate room suitable for private dining, customer toilets, and a fully fitted commercial kitchen designed for professional food preparation. The layout supports both general dining and private functions, with back‑of‑house facilities positioned to operate efficiently alongside customer areas.

All fixtures and fittings to be included in the sale.

The Restaurant on Church Street presents a rare opportunity to acquire a well‑established business in a prestigious town‑centre location within Saffron Walden. The current owner has been insitu for approximately 25 years, during which time they have built a strong local following and an excellent reputation, underpinning consistent trade. The sale is driven by retirement, with the benefit of a new 10‑year lease commencing in 2025, providing security of tenure for an incoming operator. In addition to continuing the existing restaurant use, there is scope to consider alternative or complementary change‑of‑use options, such as a bakery, coffee shop, or bar, particularly as the ground‑floor room is not currently generating revenue and could be brought into use. The business would suit a first‑time buyer with strong local knowledge, as well as an experienced operator seeking a character premises with untapped potential.

Trading information can be made available to serious applicants.

The Restaurant on Church Street, Saffron Walden currently trades five evenings per week, operating on a dinner‑only basis from Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Leasehold.

The property is to be held under a new full repairing and insuring commercial lease, commencing from June 2025, for a term of 10 years. The lease will demise the basement and part of the ground floor at Victoria House, 2 Church Street, Saffron Walden, at a rent to be agreed, payable monthly in advance, together with insurance rent and a proportionate service charge. The permitted use will be restaurant and/or bar, with landlord consent (not to be unreasonably withheld) for other uses falling within Use Classes A1 or A3. The lease is expected to include upward‑only rent reviews, standard provisions regarding assignment and underletting subject to consent, and will benefit from the protection of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, offering security of tenure.

Current rateable value (1 April 2026 to present) £12,750.

Premises Licence.