The café, food to go and gift shop in Pooley Bridge had been on the market through Hackney and Leigh estate agents was on offer for more than £995,000
The new owner of a popular Lake District café and gift shop is planning to include a book shop at the premises.
Al Verey is due to complete the purchase of Treetops at Pooley Bridge at the end of July.
The thriving licensed café, food to go and gift shop located in a prime central position in Pooley Bridge had been on the market through Hackney and Leigh estate agents was on offer for more than £995,000.
Mr Verey who lives just outside Mungrisdale with his wife Lori and two sons, is delighted to have bought Treetops and has exciting plans for its future.
I inquired out of the blue about Treetops in February because I have wanted to set up a book shop for a while and I always thought Treetops would make a really good location, said Mr Verey. It was not available at that point but a few months later it came on the market and I was lucky enough to have my offer accepted.
Mr Verey plans to keep the café offering cakes and coffee and to continue selling the very popular ice cream. Some gifts will also be sold but the gift shop will be largely transformed into a new bookshop.
The focus will be on local interest books, local authors, children’s books and general fiction, he said. He was considering changing the trading name of the premises to The Pooley Bridge Book Shop and Café. It was likely that around three staff would be employed.
He is hoping to keep the café open during the summer but the premises will close for a couple of weeks at some stage to make some changes inside. It is hoped to open the book shop in September.
