The Brace of Pheasants Country Inn is an attractive and particularly impressive, thatched character village inn. With origins believed to date back to the 16th Century, the Brace of Pheasants is a quintessential Grade II listed property which retains many original features including exposed beams, inglenook and traditional fireplaces and is renowned for its ambiance, character and warmth, within a superior and purpose equipped trading environment. This exceptionally high-quality destination country village inn briefly comprises: - Main Bar (32+), Dining/Breakfast Room (28+), Lounge/Private Dining Room (12), Commercial Catering Kitchen with extensive back up facilities and 8 High-Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms. Externally, the site extends to over 0.6 of an acre and incorporates an Attractive Beer Garden located immediately to the rear of the inn and offering alfresco seating for over 70 customers. Further to the rear is a further area of land with lapsed planning permission for the construction of a private residential dwelling. Adjacent to the inn is a Car Park with space for 20+ vehicles. The Brace of Pheasants is undoubtedly a special business and is a successful and award-winning country inn, which provides an impressive income, set in a sought-after Dorset village. A viewing is recommended in order to fully appreciate all that this rare and unique opportunity has to offer and the genuine potential to develop both the business and property still further.
SITUATION
The Brace of Pheasants Country Inn is a much loved and historic freehouse set in the heart of the idyllic and sought after, unspoilt picturesque Dorset village of Plush. The village of Plush is renowned for its spectacular surrounding countryside, nestled within the Dorset National Landscape (formerly the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and enjoys access to an excellent network of footpaths and bridleways, which offers unrivalled opportunities for walking, riding and other outdoor pursuits. The county town of Dorchester is 9 miles away and provides an excellent range of shops, schools, and a mainline railway station to London Waterloo. Further mainline services are available from both Sherborne and Yeovil on the London Waterloo to Exeter line. Road links are readily accessible via the A35, connecting to the A31 and onward to the M27 and M3 towards London. The Jurassic coastline a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Poole Harbour and Weymouth Bay is within easy reach. The Brace of Pheasants is ideally situated as a resting point for anyone visiting Dorset with popular nearby attractions including Cerne Abbas with its famous chalk giant and literary connections to Thomas Hardy’s birthplace, Sherborne a pretty market town with its castle and abbey and the Lulworth Estate with the stunning Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and Lulworth Castle.
INTERNAL DETAILS
MAIN BAR an attractive character room with carpeted flooring, exposed ceiling timbers, exposed wall timbers, two feature fireplaces, one with inglenook and a feature seating area, feature lighting and a range of free-standing wooden tables, chairs, window and bench seating and bar stools comfortably seating 32+ customers. Polished timber topped BAR SERVERY with associated range of back bar fittings to include extensive display shelving, cask stillage with cooling jackets, non-slip flooring, 3 glass fronted bottle fridges, stainless-steel sink, EPOS touch screen cash register, ice machine, and glasswasher.
DINING/BREAKFAST ROOM another attractive character room being split level, with carpeted flooring, exposed ceiling timbers, feature fireplace, feature lighting and a range of free-standing wooden tables, chairs and upholstered bench seating comfortably for 28+ customers.
THE PHEASANT ROOM another character room used as a guest lounge/private dining room with carpeted flooring, exposed ceiling timbers, feature lighting and free-standing tables, chairs sofas and armchairs for around 12 customers.
COMMERCIAL CATERING KITCHEN with non-slip flooring, part stainless-steel and part wipe clean clad walls being fully equipped to a high standard with a range of commercial catering equipment to include:- extractor system with stainless-steel canopy and gas interlock system, six burner range, chargrill, Turbofan oven, twin floor standing deep fat fryers, 2 door commercial counter fridge unit with saladette over, plate warming cabinet, serving gantry with warming lamps, stainless-steel work surfaces with shelving below, extensive stainless-steel shelving, deep bowl stainless-steel sink, stainless-steel hand basin, undercounter freezer, commercial microwave oven, 2 door commercial counter fridge unit, and a commercial upright fridge.
WASH UP/PREP ROOM with non-slip flooring, fully tiled walls, twin deep bowl stainless-steel sink, commercial dishwasher, stainless-steel work surfaces with shelving below, kitchen cupboards with work surface over, shelving, coffee machine and chest freezer.
LADIES & GENTS WCs.
BEER CELLAR temperature controlled on the ground floor with racked shelving and a chest freezer.
LAUNDRY ROOM with extensive racked shelving, upright glass fronted bottle fridge, upright freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, work surfaces, and wall mounted boiler.
LETTING ACCOMMODATION
The business offers 8 individually designed and furnished, high-quality ensuite letting bedrooms, four in the main inn and four in a detached annexe with a dedicated alfresco terrace overlooking the garden. The bedrooms are all generously proportioned and furnished to an extremely high standard including flat screen digital tv, Wi-Fi, hairdryers, hospitality trays with Nespresso machines, and Hypnos beds. The characterful rooms briefly comprise: -
BEDROOM ONE a generous Super-King Double or Twin Bedroom with an Ensuite Wet Room.
BEDROOM TWO a generous Super-King Double or Twin Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with an extra wide bath and shower over.
BEDROOM THREE a generous Super-King Double or Twin Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with an extra wide bath and shower over.
BEDROOM FOUR a generous Super-King Double or Twin Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with an extra wide bath and shower over.
BEDROOM FIVE a generous King Size Four Poster Double Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with an extra wide bath and shower over.
BEDROOM SIX a generous King Size Double Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with an extra wide bath and shower over.
BEDROOM SEVEN a generous King Size Double Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with a Japanese soaker bath and shower over.
BEDROOM EIGHT a generous Super-King Double or Twin Bedroom with an Ensuite Bathroom with a Japanese soaker bath and shower over.
EXTERNAL DETAILS
The Brace of Pheasants occupies a plot which extends to over 0.6 acres. To the front side of the inn is a CUSTOMER CAR PARK with space for around 20 vehicles. To the rear of the property is an attractive and private BEER GARDEN which is laid to lawn with traditional wooden benches providing alfresco seating for over 70 customers, and a heated and cover smoking shelter. Also to the rear of the inn is a COVERED STORAGE AREA with a WALK IN FRIDGE and 2 chest freezers. SERVICE YARD AREA with 2 wooden sheds. Beyond the beer garden is a further PLOT OF LAND with lapsed planning consent for the construction of a private residential dwelling.
THE BUSINESS
The Brace of Pheasants is a renowned and successful country village inn, which exudes character and is equipped and furnished to an extremely high standard throughout. This is a stunning destination pub restaurant with letting rooms, presented in exceptional condition throughout, and providing an exceptional trading environment equipped with quality fixtures, fittings, and trade inventory. This quintessential thatch English country inn is privately owned and operated, and attracts trade from Plush and the surrounding villages, hamlets and towns as well as further afield, benefitting from day trippers, walkers, cyclists, tourists and visitors to the area. The inn provides flexibility for drinking, dining and function trade with the added advantage of the extensive outside seating area, which is extremely popular in the summer months. The Brace of Pheasants is renowned for its quality menu focusing on fantastic homemade food, using fresh, local and seasonal produce, served in a traditional country pub environment. The business benefits from its own website and the letting rooms are listed with booking.com and have been award a superb 9.3 (out of 10). The inn benefits from numerous excellent reviews on Google and Trip Advisor and has been awarded AA 4-star silver inn status with a dinner award and has been nominated for various awards and accolades including Dorset B&B and Guest House of the year and Dorset Pub of the year in the Dorset Tourism Awards. The Brace of Pheasants has built a fantastic reputation for quality food and stylish accommodation and consequently enjoys impressive levels of regular repeat trade. The sale of The Brace of Pheasants represents a tremendous opportunity to purchase an exceptionally well presented and well-regarded high-quality destination village inn and restaurant with consistently strong levels of trade, the likes of which seldom come to the market.
TRADING INFORMATION
Accounts for the year ending 31 October 2025 show sales of £414,933 net of VAT. Further trading information will be provided to interested parties following a formal viewing appointment.
STAFF
The business is run by our client as a single working proprietor assisted by a team of full-time, part-time, and casual members staff to include a full-time chef.
TRADING HOURS
The Brace of Pheasants trades from 12 noon until close Wednesday to Saturday and from 12 noon until 3pm on Sunday. Food is served between 12 noon and 2.30pm and 6.30pm and 8.30pm. The pub is completely closed, including the letting rooms, on Sunday evenings, and all day on Monday and Tuesday.
POTENTIAL
Our client advises that there is potential and opportunities to develop many aspects of the business still further and for future growth in trade, particularly by introducing 7 day a week opening of the bar and restaurant and by offering the letting rooms to guests on an additional 3 nights a week, for which demand exists. There is also the opportunity, subject to the necessary consents and permissions, to reinstate the lapsed planning consent and construct a private residential dwelling to the north-western end of the site.
EPC
Awaited and to be confirmed.
SERVICES
We are advised that the property is connected to mains water and electricity (with a three-phase supply). LPG is used for cooking and heating and there is a sewage treatment plant.
INVENTORY
To include all trade furnishings and equipment in accordance with an inventory to be supplied but excluding any owners’ personal effects.
TRANSFER OF A GOING CONCERN
The sale of the property includes the goodwill of the business and trade inventory and will be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).
