Blue Bell, Amble

The Blue Bell is located in Amble, a charming small town nestled along the main Northumberland coastal road, which stretches from Newcastle to Scotland, winding its way through some of the most picturesque and rugged coastline in England. This scenic route offers spectacular views and is part of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making it a popular destination for travellers, especially in the high season. Amble is easily accessible by car via the A1 and is well-served by bus services from nearby towns like Alnwick, Newcastle, and Morpeth, ensuring it’s a convenient stop for those exploring the Northumberland coast. Rich in history, Amble retains a strong working-class character, a legacy of its maritime roots. The town’s marina is a central hub, attracting boat owners and water enthusiasts. Several local boatyards cater to the needs of these customers, further cementing Amble’s connection to its maritime heritage. The presence of major caravan parks has added a vibrant, bustling atmosphere to Amble’s high street, which is lined with an exciting mix of restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, and independent shops ensuring the town centre draws both locals and visitors.

Pub Layout

The pub offers a warm and welcoming environment across two main trading rooms. The main bar is thoughtfully designed with a blend of low-level fixed benches and loose tables and chairs, creating a relaxed, flexible space. Large windows overlook the street, allowing natural light, enhancing the lively atmosphere. High stools line the bar, staying true to the traditional community pub feel, providing a comfortable spot for locals. Adjacent to the bar is the games room, which doubles as a small function space for private events. This room is equipped with a pool table and a darts board, and serves as the home base for the pub’s pool and darts teams. With a mix of wooden and carpeted flooring, along with benches and low-level seating, the space is casual and perfect for both socializing and informal events. An additional, currently unused space presents an exciting opportunity for expansion, whether for extra seating or larger gatherings. For those seeking overnight accommodation, the pub offers three letting rooms—two twin rooms and a family room. These rooms share two bathrooms, offering affordable and practical lodging for contractors or budget-conscious travellers. While the rooms are not en-suite, they are easily serviceable with minimal decoration, providing basic, comfortable accommodation for short stays. Finally, the pub features a small pavement area with a couple of benches, making it ideal for those looking to appreciate the outdoors.

The Blue Bell is currently a wet-led outlet, driven by its loyal sports teams and local community support. As a true local’s pub, it is run by local people, and this connection to the area has fostered a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The pub has earned a great reputation for its excellent staff, who have built strong relationships with customers, making it a staple in the community. The sports teams that regularly frequent the pub are an integral part of its identity, creating a lively and energetic environment for locals and visitors alike. Additionally, the letting accommodation offers a valuable secondary income stream, currently let to contractors. However, the accommodation is in need of some TLC, presenting an opportunity for a new licensee to bring it back to its full potential. With the right investment and attention, the accommodation could be revitalized and expanded to offer a wider range of guests, such as tourists or short-term visitors, further boosting the pub’s revenue and appeal.

Private Accommodation

The private accommodation consist of three bedrooms, a bathroom , lounge/diner and a kitchen.

Letting Accommodation

There are three letting rooms (two twins and a family room with two bathrooms serving them) that are not en-suite and would therefore perfectly suit contractors and budget seeking visitors. These rooms do require some decoration but can be made serviceable at low cost.

Annual Rent: £TBC

Security Deposit: £5,000

Working Capital: £2,000

Stock: £2,000

Fixtures and Fittings: To be confirmed upon valuation –  funding options may be available for the right licensee.

Tie: All drinks categories are tied.  For fully funded licensees on long term agreements, we offer free-of-tie options for certain drinks categories in exchange for an annual fee.

For a breakdown on financial information, please refer to the ‘Additional Info’ tab.

Admiral Taverns are seeking an individual or couple, ideally local, to take on The Blue Bell in Amble, a unique opportunity to develop a well-established pub. A local presence is key to quickly earning the trust and support of the pub’s loyal regulars, ensuring a smooth transition and fostering a connection with the community. This strong community tie is essential for sustaining the pub’s reputation and encouraging repeat business, as well as building new customer relationships. Located slightly on the edge of Amble, the pub offers the potential for a fresh vision and a unique identity. While its location may require extra effort to draw both locals and visitors, it provides an opportunity to carve out a distinct appeal. There’s significant potential to expand the pub’s offering beyond the established wet trade by introducing a small back bar food offering and B&B accommodation, creating a vibrant and diverse destination for customers. In addition to enhancing the pub’s physical offering, there’s also room to elevate its online presence. Embracing modern marketing channels will allow the pub to engage with a wider, younger audience, reaching customers who might be searching for new places to visit online. A well-maintained website can provide essential information, promote events, and attract customers from both near and far, helping to increase footfall and drive repeat business. This is a rare opportunity to take the reins of a beloved community pub with the potential for growth and success.

Annual Rent – This is our lowest rent figure associated with a Full Tie.  If the tie is reduced the effective rent (via Tie Release Fees) will increase.  Rent is billed and paid for weekly in advance depending on the payment terms agreed). On occasion, our Business Development Manager will discuss a start up rent which is discretionary to an individual pub and can be discussed.

Security Deposit – This sum of money will be held on your account and will be returned to you on exiting of the pub based on your final account balance and the condition of the property.  Our standard deposit is 25% of the headline rent.  On occasion, we can negotiate a lower security deposit with the aim to build up to our full deposit on a long term agreement.

Working Capital – This is a recommend amount required which will be used in the day-to-day running of the business.

Stock – This will be valued by an independent valuer on the day you take over the pub. This includes unbranded glassware, unopened bottles, wines, spirits, any unopened / opened kegs and cask ale providing the container is unopened.

Fixtures & Fittings – This includes any item that is bolted to the floor or walls, and a fitting to be any item that is free standing or hung by a nail or hook. This will also include furniture.

Tie: All drinks categories are tied.  For fully funded licensees on long term agreements, we offer free-of-tie options for certain drinks categories in exchange for an annual fee.

Training – £350.00 – Before signing a long term agreement, you will be required to attend our 7 Steps to Sales Success training programme.  Held online over two days, you will learn marketing and business strategies that will help you to grow sales in your pub – step-by-step.

Service Charge Cost – £63.33 per week – The Admiral Taverns Premium Maintenance Package will help take care of your compliance and statutory obligations with one simple fee, whilst giving you piece of mind about your boiler and cellar cooling repair and replacement.  This also includes full access to e-learning for you and your staff.

*Zero Business Rates – Based on the April 2023 rating list, the Nil Rates Payable is based on small business rates relief being applied for by the licensee and the licensee only occupying one property for commercial purposes.  Please note, this only applies to pubs marked with an Asterix *