Commercial team helps bring micro pub to town

The Needle & Pin, one of a new wave of micro pubs, will be opening in a converted electric shop.

It may not be the biggest commercial property transaction we have ever undertaken but it has been exciting to work with pub owner Sean O’Neil as he introduces the first micro pub to Loughborough.
As a member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), our Head of Commercial, Kevin Skipworth, is looking forward to being one of the Needle & Pin’s first customers.

We are not the only ones excited by the new venture. Cask ale enthusiasts are eager to patronise the new establishment in The Rushes. So too are vinyl veterans, as the pub will feature a retro music playlist.

Created in what used to be the H & R Electronics shop, the space is warm and intimate with a cosy DIY vibe. A centrepiece will be an Avometer 7, a vintage electrical measuring instrument donated by Peter Harris, the shop’s former owner.

Sean is dedicated to supporting local breweries and runs his own establishment, the Wicked Hathern brewery. You can expect to see a fantastic range of handpicked cask beers and ales that will be changing on a regular basis to suit the tastes of customers.

The tiny tavern will feature a 1960s Bush record player with patrons encouraged to bring their vinyl records to augment the pub’s own record collection. Sean also plans to run themed music nights, including country, ska, 70s disco and even an Abba tribute.

The team are working extremely hard and at a push, we can hope to see the project completed by Christmas. We look forward to sharing a pint there very soon.

Growing small firms boost commercial market

We predict that the growing number of small firms being created or expanded is among the factors that will see the commercial property market performing solidly in the East Midlands over the next few years.

This predication comes after we have seen demand developing for smaller commercial and retail properties, buoyed by government assistance for small firms and start-ups including zero rates for small commercial properties.

We caught up with Kevin Skipworth, our head of commercial property, to find out his thoughts on it all:

"One hot spot for smaller commercial premises is Market Harborough where we recently received 40 enquiries for a shop unit to let on the town’s thriving High Street.

We could have let it ten or 15 times over. Around half the enquiries were from small businesses looking to relocate with the other half being new enterprises. We have also seen more than 50 enquiries from people wanting to take on a café in Welland Park, Market Harborough, which we are marketing on behalf of Harborough District council. Some of that demand is down to the popularity of Market Harborough, but a big part of it is the number of businesses that are setting up or growing,” 

"Another trend in the regional market is a shortage of industrial warehouse space.
There is a lot of demand for freehold premises in this area of the commercial market but there is either no supply or poor quality. Unlike some areas of the property market, finance is not an issue because banks like lending to owner occupiers of industrial warehouses. In retail, I doubt property values in the provinces will recover to pre-crash levels in the foreseeable future, but I expect the beleaguered giants of the shopping world to bounce back. Supermarkets will have their day again, no doubt!"

If you have a business that you feel might benefit from our commercial property expertise, why not get in touch! It could be just the kick-start your business needs.