Vacant pubs and hotels are a fast growing sector for Cheffins Commercial team. In the past 12 months the firm has marketed more than eight licensed premises, reports Philip Woolner.

Earlier in the year pubs just north of Cambridge city, at Milton and Chittering, and one at Risby near Bury St Edmunds were marketed.  

Woolner says: “The sale of these types of properties is often handled by specialist business agents but where trade has ceased we are able to use our regional knowledge and profile to find buyers either through auction or private treaty – an advantage we have over national, London based agencies. A good many of the purchasers use the premises for business purposes, breathing new life into some of these towns and villages.

“Four attractive pubs and an Edwardian hotel in Cromer headed the list at our Eastern Counties Auction in November. The pubs are located in Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and two were sold in the auction room, two were sold before the auction and the fifth should be sold shortly.

“The great advantage of an auction is that each property gets much wider, national publicity than if offered individually for sale. This brings in a wide range of potential buyers.

“Nearly £2 million of property was sold at this auction with more than 40 active buyers in the auction room.”

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: The Royal Oak pub at Hail Weston, about 21 miles to the east of Cambridge  

Cheffins’ ex-chairman retires

After more than 50 years at Cheffins, former chairman Paul Gooderham has retired from professional work. Paul initially retired in 2004 to become a consultant to the firm having played a major part in the firm’s rapid expansion.

He joined the two-partner firm in 1960 and became a junior partner in 1963 and began the transformation and rapid growth of the firm. After various mergers he expanded the business potential of the enlarged firm’s wealth of auctioneering talent and experience starting with the first Bygones and Vintage Tractor Auction in Saffron Walden Cattle Market in 1975 which laid the foundations of Cheffins’ current position as the UK’s leading auctioneers of steam engines and vintage tractors.

This was followed by the launch of the purpose designed saleroom at Cambridge with a dedicated team of valuers and experts to create the Fine Arts department, opening for its first auction in April 1982.

Paul’s appointment in 1981 as chairman coincided with a decline of the livestock markets with the demise of the smaller mixed family farm which played a key role in creating the firm’s current diversity - driven both by a need to replace lost income from the livestock markets and the changes in farming activities.

In 1996 he led the major expansion of the Cambridge Machinery Sale to the purpose built saleground at Sutton, near Ely, which is now the premier tractor and farm machinery auction in Europe with a worldwide reputation, attracting several thousand overseas buyers every month.

But that is not quite the ‘end of an era’ for Paul as he intends to continue to wield his well worn gavel at some of the firm’s vintage and machinery auctions for a little while longer.